
Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/4177266.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Harry_Potter_-_J._K._Rowling
  Relationship:
      Harry_Potter/Voldemort, Harry_Potter/Tom_Riddle, Harry_Potter/Tom_Riddle
      |_Harry_Potter/Voldemort
  Character:
      Harry_Potter, Tom_Riddle_|_Voldemort, Dobby, Luna_Lovegood, Bartemius
      Crouch_Jr., will_add_characters_as_they_appear_-_Character, Theodore
      Nott, Lord_Nott, Hermione_Granger, Daphne_Greengrass, Blaise_Zabini,
      Draco_Malfoy, Pansy_Parkinson, Rita_Skeeter
  Additional Tags:
      Goblet_of_Fire_AU, Marriage, Mpreg, ..._later_on, apathetic!Harry,
      insane!Harry, ..._a_bit, Dark!Harry, or_maybe, grey!Harry, might_include
      some_bashing_to_some_characters, ..._I'll_add_more_tags_as_I_go_along,
      Sexual_Fantasy, ..._kinda, Acting
  Series:
      Part 2 of Consequences_of_A_Binding_Ritual
  Stats:
      Published: 2015-06-21 Updated: 2016-09-18 Chapters: 33/? Words: 171023
****** The Consequences of A Binding Ritual ******
by teecup_angel
Summary
     Forced to be the fourth champion in the Triwizard Tournament and
     shunned by Hogwarts and the rest of the Wizarding World, Harry finds
     comfort in the silence of the Chambers of Secrets. Explorations of
     the Chambers turns up more rooms and information than he expected.
     One of which is a ritual that is called 'Slytherin Binding Ritual'.
     Thinking it meant binding Salazar Slytherin's ghost to him and
     thinking 'meh, not like I'm gonna lose anything', Harry performs the
     ritual without even thinking of researching more about it.
     He forgot one of the most important thing in the world.
     He's Fate's personal chew toy.
Notes
     Yeeaahhh. Pretty sure this isn't exactly new. This is really just a
     plot bunny that refuses to let go so mainly guilty pleasure for me
     (Harry goes 'fuck you' at everyone in Goblet of Fire because god damn
     it, that shit is just not fair).
     Updates will probably coincide with my SNK fanfics unless stated
     otherwise (otherwise meaning 'SNK takes priority, sorry')
      
      
     “This is speaking in English”
     “<< This is speaking in Parseltongue >>”
     “This is speaking in English <<then in Parseltongue >> then back to
     English... just to be clear...”
      
     Warning that applies to every chapter:
     1. This takes place after Rita publishes her 'interview' during the
     wand inspection scene but before Harry finds out about the dragons
     2. Most things are based on how I remember the books and movies so
     yeah... probably not exactly canon compliant. Any changes could be
     attributed to this being an alternate universe instead of canon
     divergences (primary example: Harry's library story of Chapter 1)
     3. This is probably not British English. I don't even know if you can
     count is as American English. But, hey, at least, it's English?
     4. Everyone is an ass to Harry (or, at least, Harry thinks they are)
     so there may be bashing to various characters
     5. Still unsure if Harry will be Dark!Harry or Grey!Harry.......
     darkGrey!Harry?
     6. This is a “Harry pretending to be the goodie-two-shoes Gryffindor”
     plot
     7. … with a dose of “apathetic (I don't give a shit) Harry” and
     “playful sadistic Harry”
     8. Voldemort may appear sane... kinda...
     9. Narration is based on Harry's POV. While narration is in 3rd POV,
     it will contain some of Harry's internal musing which leads to
     warning no. 10
     10. Harry's internal musing is sometimes weird (so maybe this also
     has a dose of “insane Harry”?)
     11. This will contain sex with a minor (Harry is 14) and mpreg later
     12. Sorta dark story, I guess?
     13. No, seriously... I'm not sure how this is going to go. I have an
     outline but no real chapter flow or anything
     14. Just enjoy the ride with me, mmkay?
***** Once Upon a Time... and Stuff *****
Chapter Summary
     Harry summons his death. (Not 'Death' but 'his death'... just to be
     clear)
Chapter Notes
     Warning for this chapter:
     1 unbeta'ed but that's already given
     2 so, so many dialogues
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Harry should have realized that this unfortunate situation was bound to happen
since he was as unlucky as one can be (or was it more accurate to say he was
the unluckiest person in the entire world? And that was after counting a Dark
Lord who was currently clinging to life like a bloody parasite).
 
If he knew about the Felix Felicis, he would have commented how his mother must
have drank an insane amount of the opposite of that potion (was there such a
thing as 'unlucky' potion?) while he was in her womb.
 
Hell. Considering how much Snape hated him, Harry wouldn't be surprised if the
greasy git had actually found a way to administer that kind of potion during
his development all because he was the (unborn) spawn of James Potter.
 
But that was a thought he would muse about for another day...
 
... if he happened to stay alive today, that is.
 
Because, no matter how Gryffindor he supposedly was (in Harry's defense, most
of his Gryffindorian acts were due to uncontrolled circumstance brought by his
associations with the more Gryffindorian idiots he surrounds himself with),
Harry would not intentionally summon his death.
 
"Harry Potter..."
 
Oh, look. His death has greeted him.
 
"Voldemort." Harry nodded slightly as he greeted the man currently smirking at
him.
 
Yup.
 
Harry finally done something stupider than that one time he intentionally added
laxative on the Dursley's food that one time.
 
"While it is a quite a surprise to see you in this form, nonetheless-"
 
And, Harry had to admit, quite a form that was. Voldemort looked like how Harry
imagined Tom Riddle will look like if he was around his middle 30s with his
wavy black hair that looked so soft... not to mention neat (Harry internally
grumbled about his Potter hair at that thought) and around 6 foot height (Harry
was approximating, it's not like he can accurately measure heights without any
help). Unlike the blue eyes Tom Riddle had back in the Chambers, he had
unnatural red eyes reminding Harry of the blood red roses he grew in Privet
Drive. Voldemort (or should he call him Tom?) wore a sleek looking black long
sleeved robe that was buttoned up till his neck and parted to the side by his
knees. Harry could see black trousers underneath.
 
And he wore no shoes or any kind of footwear.
 
Meh. To each their own, he supposed.
 
Harry would rather not be barefooted to be honest.
 
It seemed... unhygienic.
 
Especially considering he didn't know who cleaned what he was stepping on and
when was the last time they cleaned the damn floor.
 
… Did house-elves even clean around here?
 
But he was getting off topic (who knew barefooted would actually make Harry
think?)
 
If anybody asked, Harry did not have a death wish. Unfortunately, the fact that
Voldemort was right in front of him while he was tired as hell (who knew
rituals would suck most of his magical reserves?) in a place only he could
access meant that he wasn't going to survive this encounter.
 
And he needed an excuse to stop thinking about the pros and cons of being
barefooted...
 
So... what the hell!
 
Might as well finally say whatever the hell he wanted.
 
"You do know there are more colors than black, right?" Harry deadpanned which
also sounded a bit tired in his own ear. Unconsciously, one of his eyebrow rose
as he said those words.
 
Voldemort actually stared at him with a look that could only be described as
surprised.
 
Oh dear...
 
Who knew that commenting about the Dark Lord's clothes would actually stupefy
him?
 
If Harry wasn't magically exhausted right now, he would have disarmed or
stunned the Dark Lord and ran as fast as he could...
 
Oh well...
 
At least he was able to acquire a memory of stunning the Dark Lord into
silence.
 
"You insolent brat." Voldemort sneered, grabbing Harry's own wand from the
floor and aiming it towards Harry.
 
Harry stared at the wand, internally musing at his current situation.
 
So this was how he was going to die.
 
At the hands of the Dark Lord using his own wand which he had stupidly left on
the floor during the ritual.
 
Wasn't that wand supposed to be loyal to him?
 
Would it be acceptable to say 'Et tu, wand?' in this case?
 
Damn.
 
He should have named his wand.
 
Because, in all honesty, 'Et tu, wand' sounds weird even by Harry's standard.
 
And Harry's 'weird standard' is already skewered.
 
Once more, Harry tried to focus on the fact that he was going to die (and not
about barefoot and traitorous wands).
 
Hopefully, he could become a ghost and haunt Voldemort.
 
It would be a riot.
 
Voldemort wouldn't be able to get rid of him and he can annoy his killer as
much as he want.
 
Maybe thwart some of his plans if he gets bored enough.
 
If not, hopefully, he could haunt Hogwarts.
 
Oh, how fun that would be.
 
He could spend his entire day, haunting Dumbledore, whispering to him in a
ghostly tone how this entire thing was definitely his fault.
 
He could haunt Ron and Hermione too.
 
Oh yes.
 
He could have his petty revenge on his so-called friends.
 
Aaaahhh.
 
He could see Hermione breaking down and crying, begging for his forgiveness.
 
Ron would most certainly break down too. Maybe start of angry and righteous but
he'll break.
 
Oh, he will definitely break.
 
Ooooohhh.
 
He could even haunt Malfoy and the other Slytherins.
 
Maybe annoy them by speaking his mind of how pathetic they are with their
bullying.
 
If that was Slytherin's cunning ways then Salazar must be so, so disappointed
in them.
 
It's the inbreeding... most definitely the inbreeding...
 
If he gets bored, haunting Snape would be a good idea too.
 
What was the worst thing he could do?
 
Deduct points to Gryffindor?
 
As if Harry would feel bad about that.
 
The only reason why he even cared was because his housemates would have made
his life hell if he kept deducting stupid house points.
 
If it was up to Harry, he would ha-
 
…
 
…
 
...
 
Was he... still alive?
 
Harry finally stopped his musing and tried to focus on his senses.
 
He was still standing...
 
He was still facing Voldemort...
 
He could still hear his heart beating...
 
Huh...
 
Harry blinked and tilted his head as he asked, "You're... not killing me?"
 
Voldemort looked like he ate an extremely sour lemon drop as he hissed, "I...
am trying..."
 
As if to prove a point, Voldemort shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"
 
Harry instinctively closed his eyes and waited for death (... not that he knew
what to look for).
 
After a few seconds of the loud beating of his heart, Harry finally opened his
eyes and looked down.
 
Still corporal...
 
Harry raised his head to stare at Voldemort who looked like he couldn't decide
if he should be frustrated or confused at Harry's... current status.
 
Harry patted his chest briefly before saying, "Still alive."
 
"I can see that." Voldemort sneered before shouting, "Crucio!"
 
Harry closed his eyes once more, waiting for the pain...
 
... that never came...
 
Harry opened his eyes slowly, staring at Voldemort for a few seconds before he
finally commented, "Eer... I don't feel anything... Maybe-"
 
Before Harry could even close his mouth, Voldemort began casting different dark
curses and hexes that would have tripped the wards had they not been where they
were currently in. Harry's breath hitched as he finally managed to keep his
eyes opened and saw what had happened to all the spells Voldemort had tried to
hit Harry with.
 
The spells flew out of Voldemort's wand, flying straight through him then...
disperse in front of him.
 
Unlike a Protego spell that bounces the spells away, the spells simply disperse
to dust like particles in all directions.
 
Harry could only stare in front of him with an open mouth as Voldemort let out
a loud frustrated scream that echoed all over the chamber.
 
The echo seemed to finally attract Voldemort to actually look around and not
just focus on the boy who seemed to just won't die (or be tortured or hexed or
cursed or whatever Voldemort wanted to do to him at the moment).
 
Before Harry could react, Voldemort had briskly walked towards him and grabbed
his arm as he hissed, "Why are we in Salazar's ritual chamber?"
 
"Is that what this room is called?" Harry asked back, blinking in confusion at
the absurdity of his current situation.
 
"Yes, you foolish child!" Harry frowned at the insult but did not say anything
as Voldemort continued, "This chamber is in the Chambers of Secret! How did you
get here?!"
 
Harry rolled his eyes and drawled, "I found it a week ago while walking around
the Chambers."
 
"How did you get to the Chambers?!"
 
Finally getting annoyed with the insistent death grip on his arm, Harry glared
at Voldemort and hissed in Parseltongue, "<<The same way you did, Tom.>>"
 
Harry couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when Voldemort suddenly let go of him
and back away as if he had been burned by Harry's words. They stared at each
other for a few minutes, Voldemort with an expression that seemed to be a mix
of confusion and intrigue while Harry with an expression that just screamed
"well? what now?"
 
Finally, Voldemort said in a tone that didn't even try to hide his disbelief,
"<<You're a Parselmouth.>>"
 
Harry rolled his eyes and retorted in a deadpan tone, "<<No, Tom. I'm making
random hisses in an effort to make it sound like I can talk to snakes.>>"
 
Voldemort glared at him and hissed back, "<<Mind your tongue, child, or I'll-
>>"
 
"<<Do what?>>" Harry cut him off, glaring at him as well as he continued in an
annoyed mocking tone, "<<Strike me with an Avada Kedavra? Crucio me? Unless
you've gone senile due to your real old age, you should still remember how none
of your curses or hexes manage to even hit me.>>"
 
Voldemort waved his wand which made Harry take a step back instinctively. One
of the daggers dropped against the wall (there were daggers on the wall?!)
levitated in the air.
 
Harry's eyes widened as he realized that Voldemort just cast a nonverbal
Wingardium Leviosa.
 
Before Harry could comment on how cool that was, Voldemort swiped his hand
towards him and the dagger flew across the air, straight towards Harry in an
alarming speed. Harry ducked, covering his head with his hands, and evaded the
incoming dagger. Voldemort swiped his wand once more and the dagger froze in
midair. Voldemort aimed his wand at Harry, making Harry's eyes widened once
more. The dagger flew towards Harry once more and the young Gryffindor rolled
to his side. The dagger curved at the last moment, performing what could only
be a dagger equivalent of a Wronski Feint.
 
Knowing there was no way he could dodge the dagger, Harry raised his arms
towards his face and prepared to try and grab the dagger before it harms him.
 
Apparently, all his pathetic dodging were for nothing since the dagger stopped
just in front of Harry, hovering in the air for a second before dropping to the
floor with a loud clang.
 
Harry blinked at the dagger for a few seconds before raising his head to stare
at Voldemort. Voldemort stared at back at him, wand still aimed at Harry, with
an expression that could only be described as confusion. Harry sheepishly
grinned and asked, "Sooo... I guess you weren't the one to drop the dagger?"
 
The next words that came out of Voldemort's mouth were curses of different
languages which Harry only realized because he started with English then
switched to Parseltongue (which just translated to English to Harry) then to
different other languages.
 
Apparently the Dark Lord was multilingual.
 
... Harry may be a bit jealous at that since he only knows two languages...
 
But his lack of motivation (laziness) heavily outweigh his slight jealousy.
 
Harry rolled his eyes and laid back on the cold floor, memorizing the different
curses Voldemort was spewing out of frustrations instead.
 
Who knows?
 
Maybe he could use some of them to Malfoy when he gets annoyed enough. Someone
as spoiled and 'privileged' as the blond prat is bound to recognize at least
one of them. If not, he can insult Malfoy by insulting him over how his pure-
blood status didn't get him to learn other languages or some other childish
insult that will rile up the damn ferret.
Hell, he can try and insult Fleur in French next time she decides to show how
much she loves the fact Harry is a champion.
 
Voldemort finally stopped talking and Harry mentally counted up to three before
raising his head to look at the frustrated Dark Lord. He raised an eyebrow as
he asked, "Got it out of your system?"
 
Voldemort glared at him and hissed as he walked towards Harry, "<<Why won't you
die?!>>"
 
Harry stood and placed in hands in front of him as he mocked, "<<I don't know.
Isn't that like one of the greatest Wizarding mystery of all time?>>"
 
Harry sighed and shrugged as he commented tiredly, "<<Maybe you're having a bad
day?>>"
 
Voldemort gripped his arm once more and asked, "<<What did you do?!>>"
 
Harry glared as he hissed back, "<<Oh sure. You can't kill me so that means I
did something... again!>>"
 
"<<It's most probably you!>>" Voldemort retorted, glaring at Harry as he pulled
on the younger man's arm, <<I haven't done any spells or rituals which would
give me this kind of body nor would take me to the Chambers!>>"
 
"<<Well I haven't done any spells or ri->>" Harry stopped, frowning as he
stared at Voldemort. His eyes slowly widened as he finally remembered what he
had been doing before Voldemort came into the magic circle.
 
He had been trying to summon a Slytherin.
 
... he had expected to summon the ghost of Salazar Slytherin because that was
the first Slytherin that popped into his mind.
 
"Oooohhh..." Harry drawled, nodding dumbly as he remembered, "You're a
Slytherin..."
 
"Of course I was a Slytherin." Harry wondered if Voldemort was confused over
Harry's nonchalant comment considering the older man didn't seem to realize
that they had switched to English.
 
Harry shook his head and poked Voldemort on the chest as he corrected, "No, I
meant you're a Slytherin... as in... a blood relative of Salazar Slytherin."
 
"How did you-"
 
"Oh..." Harry's eyes widened as he whispered, "Well... this is awkward."
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow at Harry's words but kept quiet once he heard Harry
groan and place his hands over his face. Harry shook his head and bemoaned
tiredly, "Of course something like this would happen to me."
 
Voldemort let go of Harry and the younger man walked out of the room mumbling
something sounding like 'forget the DADA curse, I'm the real cursed one here.
This bloody luck of mine has got to be a curse' much to Voldemort's confusion.
Voldemort followed him to the adjoining personal library of Salazar Slytherin.
He found the black haired menace (bane of his existence) sitting on the couch
he had usually sat back in his youth when he had spent hours in this same
library. Harry was looking at him with a tired resigned look in his eyes but he
was biting his bottom lip as if he was nervous over something. Voldemort
noticed the tome sitting innocently on his lap and recognized it as a book of
rituals which uses both Parseltongue and Parselscript to work. He raised his
eyes to glare at Harry and hissed, "What ritual did you botch?"
 
Harry gave him a sheepish grin as he retorted awkwardly, "Weeellll... I didn't
exactly... botch it... per say..."
 
Voldemort's glare only intensified as he demanded, "Then what ritual did you
perform?!"
 
Harry bit his bottom lip once more before replying with a wince, "The...
Slytherin... Binding... ritual...?"
 
Voldemort stared at him for a few seconds before hissing, "Let me get this
straight... you bound me... to you?!"
 
Harry flipped the tome open to the page where he saw the ritual and ranted,
"It's not like I was thinking of you when I read this ritual. I mean, it said
'<<to bind Slytherin to you>>'. I thought it meant the ghost of Salazar
Slytherin! Or, at worst, a person that was sorted to Slytherin!"
 
"When it said Slytherin, it means one with Slytherin blood alive, you foolish
child!"
 
"Well it should have said that! I mean, how hard would it be to actually say
'<<to bind a living person with Slytherin blood to you>>' in this curvy wobbly
script, anyway?!" Harry retorted, groaning as he rubbed his forehead, "I was
expecting to be bound to Salazar's ghost."
 
Voldemort hissed as he glared at Harry, "Why, in Salazar's name, would you want
that?"
 
Harry shrugged and replied tiredly, "I dunno. Thought it would be funny."
 
"YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY?!!"
 
Harry groaned and hid his face with his hands as he added, "And maybe I thought
Salazar Slytherin could help me!"
 
"With what? With your potions assignment?!" Voldemort angrily mocked.
 
"With keeping my sanity!!!" Harry shouted, finally having enough of Voldemort's
shouting.
 
They stared at one another, breathing heavily. Voldemort took a deep breath
before waving his hand towards one of the chairs on the other side of the room.
The chair slid towards his side and Voldemort gracefully sat on it. He crossed
his right leg over his left and rubbed his forehead as he ordered, "Start from
the beginning."
 
Harry raised an eyebrow as he asked in a bitter tone, "You have time? 'Cause
it's gonna be long..."
 
Voldemort glared at him and retorted, "You bound me to you, Potter. I can't
leave you even if I wanted to."
 
"Oh." Harry leaned back and placed his hands over his stomach as he commented,
"Well then... Dobby!"
 
Voldemort watched as a house-elf popped between them, staring at Harry with
wide hero-worshiping eyes, "What can Dobby be doing for the great Harry
Potter?"
 
Harry smiled sweetly at Dobby and requested, "Would you be so kind to bring tea
and some biscuits for both me and my guest? Maybe a slice of pumpkin pie or
two?"
 
Harry tilted his head and added worriedly, "Of course, only if it's not too
troublesome."
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow but simply watched as the house-elf grabbed his
ears and replied immediately, "It would be Dobby's honor to grant great Harry
Potter's request! Oh! Dobby be bringing it right away!"
 
Harry didn't bother to reply considering it was moot anyway since Dobby
immediately disappeared after saying those lines. He saw Voldemort open his
mouth but stopped him by raising his hand tiredly.
 
A dark red table filled with different biscuits, cookies and other desserts
appeared before them with a loud pop. Dobby appeared once more, carrying a tea
kettle. Dobby snapped his fingers and two cups with coasters appeared in front
of him, floating in the air. Dobby poured hot tea in the cups and they floated
towards Harry and Voldemort. Both men grabbed the tea and coaster as they
hovered in front of them. Harry smiled softly at Dobby and said gently, "Thank
you, Dobby. Please leave the kettle on the table."
 
Once Dobby placed the kettle on the table, making space from all the delicious
looking treats, Harry added, "You're the best."
 
The house-elf looked like he was ready to hyperventilate over Harry's praise
but Harry beat him to it by saying gently, "I would appreciate it if you keep
this a secret, Dobby? You're the only one I can trust."
 
"Yes, anything for the great Harry Potter! Dobby is be silent as a lamb, yes he
will!" Dobby nodded vigorously.
 
Harry continued to smile softly as he said, "Thank you, Dobby. Now, run along.
We don't want anyone getting suspicious now, do we?"
 
"Yes, of course! If Harry Potter need anything else, please call Dobby!" Dobby
enthusiastically offered, bobbing his head.
 
"I will. Thank you, Dobby." Harry replied with a a nod.
 
With that said, Dobby disappeared with a pop once more.
 
Harry leaned back and sighed tiredly before sipping his tea. He raised his head
and finally saw Voldemort looking at him with an expression that seemed to
be... amused?
 
"You have a personal house-elf." Voldemort commented with a raised eyebrow.
 
"Nope." Harry retorted, popping the 'p', before correcting, "Dobby's a free elf
being employed by Hogwarts."
 
"That you have doing all your whims and wishes." Voldemort retorted, still
sounding more amused than annoyed.
 
Harry grinned as he commented slyly, "Oh? And who would believe that the boy-
who-lived, idiot goodie two-shoes Gryffindor, would take advantage of a house-
elf's hero worship?"
 
"Are you saying you're not an idiot goodie two-shoes Gryffindor?" Voldemort
asked, letting go of his cup and coaster. They floated in front of him and
Voldemort lazily waved his hand. The cup and coaster floated towards his right
side.
 
Harry inwardly scoffed at the blatant display of nonverbal magic.
 
Show off.
 
And he still had Harry's wand, god damn it!
 
Harry shrugged and said, "Sooo... I guess I should start from the beginning?"
 
"Now would be a good time." Voldemort retorted, leaning back as well. Harry
blatant disregard for his question was not missed but he supposed he can find
the answer in whatever Harry was going to say.
 
"Yes, oh great Dark Lord." Harry sarcastically replied, earning a glare from
Voldemort. Harry cleared his throat before starting, "Once upon a time, there
was a magical couple who had a baby boy-"
 
"Potter, you are testing my patience." Voldemort warned.
 
"If you want to know why we're in this situation right now, you would let me
explain the way I want." Harry challenged, glaring at Voldemort. The older
wizard hissed at him but remained silent. Harry grinned and continued, "Now,
there was nothing special about the baby boy. He was just a normal magical
child born from the love of a pure-blood wizard and a muggle-born witch. Then
one day, the big bad Dark Lord came and he huffed and he puff-"
 
"Potter..."
 
Harry grinned at the annoyed tone of Voldemort's hiss and continued, "And the
Dark Lord killed the boy's parents. The Dark Lord tried to kill the boy as well
but, for some reason, failed and ended up as a spirit. Now, this normal magical
boy was crowned as the destroyer of the Dark Lord which is a load of bull if
you ask me."
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow at Harry's words and Harry rolled his eyes and
commented, "I'm not an idiot. You're the bloody Dark Lord. How can a one year
old defeat you?"
 
Harry waved his hand in a dismissing manner as he added, "But that discussion
is a can of worms we don't need to open right now."
 
Harry cleared his throat before continuing, "Now this normal magical boy was
left in the hands of a crazy old goat who decided the best people to raise said
magical child is a family of magic hating muggles."

Harry's eyes became unfocused, not noticing the slight stiffness of Voldemort's
body caused by his previous words, and he stared at the dessert filled table as
he continued, "This magical boy grew up believing his name was 'boy' and
'freak'. He grew up believing his parents were unemployed idiots who died due
to drunk driving. He was treated as a house-elf by his relatives. He had no
friends because his whale of a cousin scared anyone who dare try to befriend
him. He could not trust any adults because his aunt and uncle spread rumors of
him being a delinquent and a liar. His own relatives beat him physically and
psychologically. He was all alone. Hated by his relatives for what he is and
hated by other muggles for what he was rumored to be."
 
"Tell me, Tom." Harry's tone was cold and detached as he raised his eyes to
stare at Voldemort, tilting his head which made him look so innocent, "How did
you think the child grew up to be?"
 
"Hate." Voldemort replied, his throat seemingly dry all of a sudden, "Full of
hate and anger."
 
Harry chuckled and shook his head. He leaned back and closed his eyes as he
replied, "Perhaps, had circumstances been a bit different that could have been
the boy's future. Full of anger and hate for everyone and everything... a
tragic child pushed to the darkness due to the cruelty of man."
 
Voldemort glared at him and sneered, "Are you saying that even after all that
pain, he stayed innocent and pure?"
 
Harry laughed. It was a cold amused laugh that didn't seemed appropriate with
their topic. Harry opened his eyes and asked, "You mean how Dumbledore probably
envisioned it?"
 
Voldemort glared at him, obviously offended at being compared to Dumbledore.
Harry lowered his eyes once more and continued, "Perhaps... it's not that far
fetched. After years of abuse and negligence, the boy would have been terribly
and stupidly grateful to the wizard who... 'saved' him."
 
Harry smiled bitterly as he added, "Had he not been betrayed before..."
 
Harry sighed and began tracing the rim of his cup in a distracted manner as he
continued, "When the boy was around seven years old, he met another boy in the
comforts of his sanctuary, the public library. It was the only place his cousin
and his other tormentors could not raise their hands or open their mouth. The
other boy was from another school and they shared the same interest in reading.
The boy was so, so happy. He had made a friend. He wasn't alone anymore."
 
Harry smiled softly as he continued, "It was such a beautiful time for the boy.
The pain the entire world inflicted on him did not matter as long as he could
spend even just an hour with his friend. His head was filled with the beautiful
happy endings of the stories he read. He started to think 'maybe, just maybe,
this is my happy ending'. Then one day..."
 
Harry's hand stopped and he continued, "His cousin found out about his friend
and his cousin did what his relatives did best... he broke him."
 
Harry placed the coaster and cup on top of the tome on his lap as he continued,
"He could still remember clearly how his friend denied being friends with him.
His friend called the boy a 'liar' and 'stupid'. His cousin and all of the
children who made it a sport to bully the boy laughed at him. They laughed and
called him stupid for ever believing anyone could be his friend. And his
friend..."
 
Harry smiled bitterly as he continued, "... laughed with them, called him
names, pushed him around..."
 
Harry caressed the tome on his lap as the words continued to fall from his
lips, "It had hurt. It had been the worst pain he had ever felt his entire
life. It was the cruelest torture he had ever felt for it gave him hope and
took it away. That's when the boy realized..."
 
Harry raised his eyes to stare at Voldemort and he said in a cold detached
tone, "Everyone will betray you."

Harry lowered his eyes to stare at the table and grabbed his cup. He sipped
before continuing, "Years passed and the boy grew up. He started noticing the
'freaky' things that happened around him. He started trying to control them
because, if he didn't, he was punished. Of course, his control wasn't perfect.
He would loose himself to anger at times."
 
Harry shrugged and said, "He was planning on controlling his 'freakishness' and
master it enough to..."
 
Harry smirked as he added, "... cause an 'accident' on his relatives."
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow at Harry's words but kept quiet, listening as Harry
continued, "But a letter came... well... more like... hundreds of letters
came."
 
Harry shrugged once more before continuing, "Anyway, stuff happened and the boy
found out he wasn't a 'freak' but a wizard. He learned from a lovable oaf about
his parentage, his-"
 
Harry spat his next word with disdain and annoyance, "-'fame'."
 
"The boy realized that he was being labeled once more. Instead of the role of
the lying delinquent, he was now seen as a messiah, a savior." Harry smirked
before he concluded, "So a messiah he played."
 
"It wasn't hard. The lovable oaf he was with answered all of his questions. He
played the innocent shy boy, having perfected such a role when he was younger."
Harry explained in a slightly distracted tone, "He was the savior. He was
expected to be a symbol of the Light. He befriended the youngest son of an
obvious Light family and a muggle born. He denied a friendship with an heir to
a Dark family and argued against the hat's desire to put him in the den of
snake."
 
"You were supposed to be in Slytherin?" Voldemort couldn't help but ask with a
raised eyebrow.
 
Harry shrugged and replied in a bored tone, "Slytherin honors cunning and
ambition above all else. Ambition isn't something I really have. The greatest
ambition I had before I learned I was a wizard had been to get a scholarship to
a boarding school far away from my 'lovely' relatives. While there, I had
planned to find a suitable lover who had power and money to protect and take me
away from my relatives. I suppose my plan to project the image the Wizarding
world have over the boy-who-lived is cunning. Or maybe the hat wanted me in
Slytherin because I'm a Parseltongue. Who knows."
 
Harry frowned and mumbled, "Now where was I again? Oh, right..."
 
Harry sighed tiredly and continued, "First year was easy. All he had to do was
follow the Light child he had befriended, pick fights with snakes and have
mediocre grades."
 
Harry smirked as he glanced at Voldemort before continuing, "Of course, like
every good story, a conflict arose between the boy and the big bad Dark Lord
who had possessed one of his professors."
 
Voldemort glared at him but Harry simply continued in the same disinterested
tone, "The big bad Dark Lord offered him what he had wanted all his life:
power."
 
Voldemort was surprised at those words. He stared at Harry with an unreadable
expression as he added, "But the boy refused."
 
Harry smiled bitterly and concluded, "Because he knew the Dark Lord lied."
 
"Lord Voldemort does not lie." Voldemort hissed which only made Harry raise an
eyebrow.
 
"Are you honestly telling me you would be willing to grant power to a boy you
had tried to kill 10 years ago?" Harry asked with an amused smirk. Harry
chuckled softly before adding playful, "And even if you did, I've read enough
books to know not to make a deal with the devil."
 
Harry shrugged as he continued, "Plus I have trust issues. I wouldn't trust the
old goat who left me to be 'cared' by muggles. You really think I would trust
the big bad wolf who ate my parents?"
 
"Your reasoning has some merits." Voldemort admitted without even a hint of
annoyance. He grabbed his cup and sipped his tea before replying, "I would have
ordered you to kneel."
 
"I don't mind kneeling." Harry replied, smirking when he noticed how his words
had frozen Voldemort. The older wizard raised his head to stare at him and
Harry shrugged as he explained, "I have no desire to lead or anything grand.
Right now, I just want to survive-"
 
"Then why didn't you join me?" Voldemort hissed in annoyance.
 
"You were an unknown factor. You still are." Harry explained, glaring at
Voldemort, "I was an eleven years old boy who wanted to survive. I survived in
the muggle world by obeying my relatives and gritting my teeth as I was worked
to the bone. I learned to become apathetic to the pain they inflict on me both
physically and psychologically. I survived by perfecting my shy quiet mask.
When I was pushed into the Wizarding world, they had already labeled me. If I
wanted to survive, I had to be the little puppet of the Light wizards. Unless
you're so blinded by your enormous ego, you should know that the Dark side are
not in the winning side at the moment. The Wizarding world labeled Dark as evil
and Light as good. Dark families have power and wealth but the masses whisper
behind their backs and they are distrusted. Slytherin is branded as a house of
evil and bullies and the idiots in the house don't really help with their petty
'holier-than-thou' attitude. All of the other houses don't like them, not
because of jealousy or fear but because of how spoiled and arrogant they
appear, thinking they're better because they know and follow Wizarding
traditions and they have isolated themselves further by their prejudice over
muggles and muggle-borns. The Light side has more supporters and are more
accepted. The majority of the Wizarding world are groveling for the acceptance
of the muggle-borns and the muggle-borns adore the Light because the Dark
thinks they are weaker and stupid. Add to that the fact that I'm still under
the eyes of the Albus Dumbledore, the leader of the Light wizards."
 
"The Light wizards have laid their claims on me, surrounded by their disgusting
light every single day." Harry spat, "You wanted to use me. I would have let
you use me if it meant more freedom, if it meant more power, but you were
powerless-"
 
"ENOUGH!" Voldemort ordered, rising from his sit. He aimed his wand towards
Harry but the young wizard simply stared at him.
 
"I'm not a prodigy like you, Tom. I cannot master spells in one reading. I
cannot perfect potions on my first try. I cannot charm everyone with a smile. I
cannot talk everyone to doing my bidding." Harry gripped the fabric of his
robes tightly as he continued, "I'm a good seeker because I am reckless and do
not mind getting sent to the infirmary. I've had worse injuries and less than
stellar care. Pain has become irrelevant to me since I was eight years old. I'm
good at defense because I know every year, whether I want to or not, something
is bound to happen and the only one who can protect me is myself. My best
defense is my status as Albus Dumbledore's puppet. As long as I am seen as his,
those loyal to him are lenient with me and protect me from those who hate him.
Non-Slytherin students at best think I am some kind of saint and, at worst,
ignores me and majority of the Wizarding world either adores me or sucks up to
me."
Harry smiled wryly as he added, "Or... they used to anyway..."
 
Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead as he continued, "I have no choice. Being
Dumbledore's puppet is the only way I can survive."
 
"Then you come along and offered me power." Harry closed his eyes and mused,
"You, the feared Dark Lord reduced to being a parasite to a mediocre wizard.
You offered power you could not grant but ordered such a high price in
exchange."
 
Harry opened his eyes and stared at Voldemort with a blank expression, "Joining
you meant betraying Dumbledore. Joining you meant destroying this suffocating
cage built around me. If I had left with you, I would have been hunted, either
seen as a traitor or a captive. If I had given you the stone and stayed here in
Hogwarts, my loyalty would have been questioned. At best, Dumbledore would have
kept me closer. At worst, they would have found out about my treason and
punished me."
 
Harry smiled wryly and added, "Whatever outcome would have occurred, you would
have seen me as a liability and discarded me."
 
Harry grabbed his coaster and placed his tea on the table as he continued, "And
if you had abandoned me, I would be left alone with no protection nor guarantee
of survival."
 
"So I chose to preserve the status quo." Harry concluded, leaning back to the
comforts of his chair, "You brought too many unknown variables. I couldn't
afford a risk. Not when I just started knowing this world."
 
"So you would stay as his puppet?" Voldemort sneered, glaring at Harry.
 
Harry shrugged and grabbed a cookie as he replied, "Until I have enough
knowledge and power to survive on my own or unless you appear on the playing
field with power."
 
Voldemort grabbed Harry's wrist and pulled him off his chair. He wrapped his
free hand around Harry's neck and hissed, "And what makes you think I will
welcome you to my side after you had rejected my offer before?"
 
"You're not an idiot, Tom." Harry whispered, staring at Voldemort's crimson
eyes with the same blank expression that was starting to get on Voldemort's
nerves, "I am more valuable to you alive than dead. My status as the savior of
the Wizarding world will demoralize your opposition once they've learned I
bowed down to you."
 
"Your death will have the same effect." Voldemort retorted.
 
"Dumbledore would have found a way to make my death a battle cry." Harry
argued. He smiled bitterly as he commented, "Everyone loves a martyr, Tom. Kill
me and I will become a rallying point for all those who oppose you."

Voldemort pulled him closer, bowing so that his face just a few inches away
from Harry's, and threatened, "Then maybe I should just drag your precious name
to the ground first? No one will cry for a disgraced hero."
 
Harry stared at Voldemort for a second before he burst out laughing. It was a
hysterical laugh that reminded Voldemort of his lovely Bella. Voldemort's grip
on his wrist loosened in surprise and Harry took a step back. He continued to
laugh, covering his mouth as his entire body shook. After a few more
uncontrollable giggle, Harry took a deep breath and stared at Voldemort,
raising an eyebrow as he asked in an amused tone, "Where have you been staying?
Don't you read the Daily Prophet?"
 
Harry broke the cookie he was holding into two as he explained, "They've
already dragged my name to the mud. The boy-who-lived, a glory seeking selfish
cheater who wants the entire world to sing him praises."
 
Harry took step towards Voldemort and placed one half of the cookie by
Voldemort's lips as he continued, "The goblet made me the fourth champion for
the Triwizard Tournament when I did not even put my name in the bloody cup."
 
Harry pushed the cookie to Voldemort's slightly opened mouth while he
explained, "The whole school has turned against me. My mud-blood friend is
disappointed at me over her truth that I cheated. My best mate is jealous and
angry over his truth that I did not share how to put my name in the goblet and
how I wanted all the fame and money all for myself. Everyone... my fellow
lions, the so-called smart eagles, the so-called loyal badgers and the arrogant
snakes have created their truth: Harry Potter is a glory seeking, arrogant,
selfish, greedy liar."
 
Harry traced Voldemort's lower lip with his point finger lightly while he
mused, "And a reporter ran with it. The entire Wizarding world is against me
now."
 
Harry stopped and shrugged as he added, "Except my beloved fugitive godfather,
I suppose."
 
Harry took a step back and ungracefully fall back to his chair. He bit a
quarter of the remaining cookie in his hand and chewed. He stared at the table
and gulped before continuing, "Maybe there are more people who still cared for
their boy-who-lived but they're all content in keeping quiet."
 
Harry hid his smile by biting another quarter from his cookie when he noticed
that Voldemort had chewed the cookie in his mouth. Voldemort returned to his
sit and stared at Harry as he finished his cookie. Once Harry gulped, Voldemort
said, "Wormtail never bought a copy of the Daily Prophet."
 
Harry's eyes narrowed at the mention of the rat animagus. He shrugged once more
before commenting, "You're not really missing much. The newspaper sings praises
over the other champions while insults me for being a cheat. That's about it."
 
Harry sighed before continuing, "Anyway, now that everyone has either turned
against me or seen it a good idea to ignore me, I had too much time alone.
Everywhere I went, people stare at me, whispers behind my back or confront me.
This place... Salazar's chambers turned out to be the only place in this cage
where I can be alone."
 
Harry raised his head to look at the ceiling before continuing, "I started
exploring this place a few weeks ago. I began reading the books here about a
week ago."
 
Harry lowered his head to look at Voldemort and grabbed the tome on his lap as
he explained, "I've been reading this one two days ago. I read about the
Slytherin binding ritual and thought 'screw it, might as well go out with a
bang'."
 
"Go out with a bang?" Voldemort repeated with a raised eyebrow.
 
Harry shrugged once more before explaining, "Well, my golden boy image has
already been destroyed. I figured I'd just do everything I can to survive.
Having the ghost of Salazar Slytherin, one of the most powerful and
knowledgeable wizard, bound to me would have helped."
 
Harry sighed and waved his hand towards Voldemort in a dismissive manner,
"Unfortunately, I got you instead."
 
Harry returned the tome back on his lap and stared at Voldemort. They stared at
one another in silence for a few seconds. Harry bit his bottom lip and looked
at glanced at the table nervously. He leaned further against the comfortable
couch and said, "That's about it... I guess."
 
"Are you acting right now?" Voldemort asked, staring at Harry with an
unreadable expression.
 
Harry scoffed and retorted, "No. I really find your staring nerve-wreaking."
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow as he commented, "You were fine staring at me when
you were eleven."
 
Harry pouted as he reasoned, "Well, you looked like wrinkly old man plastered
on my pathetic defense professor back then. Do you even realize how handsome
you are?"
 
"You find this form attractive?" Voldemort asked in an amused tone.
 
Harry shrugged and replied, "I find a lot of people attractive. I find the
Ravenclaw seeker attractive. Gryffindor's keeper is attractive too. I think
Hermione could be pretty if she tried. I find Daphne Greengrass and Blaze
Zabini attractive. Malfoy's attractive as long as he sits pretty and don't
talk. My fellow champions are attractive... although I don't drool over the
quarter-Veela champion. I find Victor Krum physically more appealing,
actually."
 
Harry titled his head and added with a pout, "Then again, you kinda raised the
bar on what I find attractive back in second year. It's obviously your fault I
am more attracted to Dark wizards... and non-Malfoy Slytherin..."
 
"What do you mean?" Voldemort asked, crossing his left leg over his right.
 
Harry rolled his eyes and deadpanned, "I am not going to believe you if you say
no one thought Tom Marvolo Riddle was handsome. Not to mention, your magic is
quite appe-"
 
Harry's breath hitched when Voldemort grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed
him against the chair. The tip of a wand was pressed against his chin and
Voldemort leaned forward, his face inches away from Harry. Harry shivered when
he felt Voldemort's warm breath against his face, "<<Where did you learn that
name?>>"
 
Harry couldn't help but glare at the older man currently pining him to the
chair and he hissed, "<<I've been calling you by your first name for a while
now, Tom. You just realized I know your name?!>>"
 
"<<Answer my question!>>" Voldemort ordered, making Harry wince at the
unnecessary loudness of his voice.
 
"-<<You told me!>>" Harry shouted back, "<<I met your sixteen years old diary
self and you gloated about how you used your real name to make the anagram 'I
am Lord Voldemort'!>>"
 
Voldemort stared at Harry in silence for a few seconds before he asked, "<<You
had my diary?>>"
 
Harry frowned and asked back, "<<You didn't know?>>"
 
Voldemort backed away from Harry and returned to his sit. He glared at Harry
and ordered, "<<Explain.>>"
 
Harry tried to get comfortable once more before warning, "Before you manhandle
me again, I have to warn you. You're not going to like my explanation."
 
Voldemort glared at Harry and the younger wizard sighed before he started, "The
cliff notes version is Lucius Malfoy put your diary among Ginny Weasley's books
and the diary opened the Chambers once more."
 
Voldemort hissed angrily and Harry grinned as he asked, "Can I be there when
you punish Lucius?"
 
"Why did Lucius give my diary to a Light child?!" Voldemort demanded as he
stood.
 
Harry shrugged and replied, "Pretty sure Dumbledore explained it to me before
but I don't really care."
 
"YOU DON'T CARE?!!" Voldemort shouted angrily, making Harry wince at the pain
in his eardrums.
 
"Second year wasn't exactly as stress-free as my first year." Harry hissed,
glaring at Voldemort, "I found out my ability to speak to snakes wasn't normal.
Your diary possessed Ginny to open the Chambers and let the basilisk go hunting
for mud-bloods. So everyone assumed the heir of Slytherin is me because I can
talk to snakes!"
 
"You?! The heir of Slytherin?!" Voldemort sneered.
 
Harry scoffed and retorted, "I talk to snakes. That's all the evidence idiots
need."
 
"And?" Voldemort pressed, staring at Harry, "Where is my diary now?"
 
Harry frowned and said, "I killed Tom by stabbing the diary with a Basilisk
fang."
 
"You WHAT?!"
 
"Your diary jeopardized my safety! He sicced your Basilisk on me so I had to
kill the damn snake!" Harry hissed back, standing as well, "They were going to
shut down Hogwarts and my status as a Light wizard was being questioned!"
 
"You're not Light!" Voldemort retorted, grabbing Harry by the arm.
 
"I have to pretend I am!" Harry shouted back, glaring at Voldemort as he hissed
lowly, "I was going to negotiate with him but Dumbledore's bloody bird came. I
have no idea how intelligent a phoenix is but I could not risk it. Tom had to
die. Keeping Dumbledore in the dark greatly outweigh my desire to keep Tom
alive."
 
Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he admitted, "I felt bad about
killing Tom, I really do.”
 
Harry bitterly smiled and opened his eyes as he said, “Goading him by playing
on his hatred for Dumbledore wasn't really my brightest idea.”
 
Harry sheepishly smiled as he continued, “I couldn't help myself. I wanted to
see underneath that calm smug exterior.”
 
Harry scoffed and rolled his eyes as he mused, “How was I suppose to know he
would sic his Basilisk on me?”
 
“You do have this annoying trait of getting people to want to kill you.”
Voldemort deadpanned, making Harry chuckle lightly.
 
“I didn't have time to get him to listen to me after the Basilisk came. Then
Fawkes threw that idea out of the window when he came.” Harry sighed tiredly
and closed his eyes once more as he mused sadly, “It was first year all over
again. Unlike you though, I had wanted to keep Tom alive. He could have been a
fountain of information I needed to get away from this cage."
 
He opened his eyes and stared at Voldemort as he added, "And he would have been
a valuable asset in making you less incline to kill me."
 
Voldemort chuckled lowly and grabbed Harry by the wrist. He pulled Harry and
sneered, "You really think he would have helped you?"
 
"He would have realized helping me would benefit him." Harry hissed back,
stepping towards Voldemort, "He already absorbed most of Ginny's magic or life
force or whatever the hell it was he was absorbing. Whatever he needed to be
corporal, it was stupid to absorb it from Ginny until she died. I was planning
on trying to talk him out of it and using me for the remainder of whatever it
was he needed to be corporal if possible. Ginny wouldn't die, Tom would have
his own body and I would have kept my golden boy status for being able to
'save' the child of a Muggle-loving Light family and 'vanquishing' the heir of
Slytherin while Tom hides in the many hidden rooms of the school."
 
Voldemort stared at Harry in silence and the young wizard smirked as he asked,
"It's not a bad plan, right? You're considering it. How many galleons are you
willing to bet your diary would have done the same thing?"
 
Voldemort glared at Harry and sneered, "But you still destroyed my diary."
 
Harry glared at Voldemort and hissed, "I had no choice."
 
Voldemort scoffed and pushed Harry away. Harry stumbled and fell back on his
chair, glaring at Voldemort. The Dark Lord glared back at him as he sneered,
"It always seems like you never have a choice, Harry Potter."
 
"That's the summary of my life." Harry commented with a roll of his eyes. Harry
smiled sardonically as he added, "I also have the worst luck."
 
"I would have to agree. Binding yourself to me is one of the worst things you
could have done." Voldemort hissed back, rubbing his temple as he felt a
migraine coming up.
 
Harry shrugged and commented, "It could have been worse."
 
"Do you even know what this bind does?!" Voldemort hissed angrily as he
recalled, "We cannot harm one another-"
 
Harry scoffed and commented, "That's a pro for me."
 
"This bind force us to stay as closely together as possible." Voldemort added,
making Harry frown. Voldemort narrowed his eyes as he added, "The farthest we
can be is at the end of two adjoining classrooms."
 
"What happens if we stay apart?" Harry asked, having a feeling he wouldn't like
the answer.
 
"We would slowly lose our access to our magic until we become squibs."
Voldemort angrily glared at Harry as he added, "The longer we stay apart, the
higher the possibility that we become squibs permanently."
 
"I suppose you would say no to that?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
 
"You would willingly become a squib?" Voldemort looked so disgusted at Harry
that the young wizard couldn't help but snicker.
 
"You make it sound like I'm willing to get a disgusting disease or something."
Harry commented with a grin. Voldemort glared at him which only made Harry's
grin larger. Harry shrugged and asked, "Would it be so bad?"
 
Harry waved his hand in a dismissing manner as he explained, "Since I'm a
wizard, people expect things from me. Dumbledore expect me to have the power to
defeat you."
 
Voldemort hissed and Harry rolled his eyes as he added, "Yes, I agree with your
silent protest. Honestly, I think all the sweets the old goat ate has destroyed
all his sanity. Who in their right mind would think a mediocre teenage wizard
can defeat the greatest Dark Lord in history?"
 
Noticing the look Voldemort was giving him, Harry deadpanned, "I am not kissing
up to you. I needed to know more about you so I can know if I could ally myself
with you so I read about you and previous Dark Lords. In my opinion, you're
marginally more powerful than the rest."
 
"Marginally?" Voldemort hissed, glaring at Harry.
 
Harry raised an eyebrow and retorted, "I don't see the Wizarding world
grovelling to you. Ask me again after you do become the supreme ruler."
 
"Anyway, wounded pride aside." Harry waved his hand in a dismissing manner once
more before continuing, "I would be sad about not being able to use magic,
sure, but I'll survive."
 
Harry stared at Voldemort with a blank expression as he explained, "Worst case
scenario, I return to the muggle world-"
 
Voldemort hissed in disgust, making Harry roll his eyes before continuing, "And
I return to my original plan before I found out I was a wizard."
 
"You would willing let all of these to" Voldemort waved his hand as if to
indicate the entire room (or maybe the entire Wizarding world... Harry didn't
really care), "go and live with the muggles who hate you?"
 
"Not every muggle hate me." Harry corrected calmly before shrugging, "Wizards
and witches see me and they know I'm the-boy-who-just-won't-die. I can't go in
any magical places without getting stared and whispered at. In the muggle
world, I'm just another kid. My neighbors and anyone who had the pleasure of
meeting my 'relatives' do hold negative feelings for me, I'm sure, but all I
have to do is grit my teeth and plan how I can get out of my relatives fat
hands and live in a place where no one knows me. From there, I suppose I can
try and snag a muggle nice and rich enough to provide for me."
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow and asked, "You'll sell yourself to a muggle?"
 
Harry rolled his eyes and retorted, "I'm an orphan who has no money nor
connection. If I become a squib, would I still have access to my Potter
account? Probably not. Squibs are seen as an embarrassment. I won't be
surprised if squibs aren't allowed access to any vaults. I would be an
embarrassment to the Wizarding world."
 
Voldemort shook his head and retorted, "Even if you do become a squib-"
 
Harry grinned at the amount of disgust Voldemort was able to put in a single
word but listened quietly as the older wizard continued, "You are still their
precious 'savior'. Dumbledore will still keep you under his greedy fingers."
 
Voldemort sat back on his own sit and explained, "A squib also still have a
magical core and can have magical children. They'll probably keep you to breed
the next heir of the Potter house."
 
"And then discard me." Harry added, earning a grim nod from Voldemort. Harry
sighed and commented in a deadpan tone, "Well, there goes that idea."
 
Harry grinned and suggested, "Maybe I can get Sirius to go with me when I run
away. He's already a fugitive, living with muggles will make him more
incognito. He would still have access to his magic and the Black vaults.
Perhaps he can write an authorization letter for me to handle the vaults for
him as his assistant and we can live in one of the Black manors. I heard the
Blacks are loaded."
 
Voldemort raised his eyebrow and asked, "You're going to use your godfather?"
 
"My godfather loves me unconditionally because I look like my father and he
still feels guilty over prioritizing vengeance over me. Azkaban had destroyed
his sanity and what is left is his desire to make me feel loved and to protect
me." Harry reasoned and smirked as he added, "I can burn down Hogwarts and his
first question would be if I was alright."
 
Seeing Voldemort's amused expression, Harry shrugged before explaining, "Don't
get me wrong. I adore Sirius. If I had a different childhood, I supposed I
could have loved him as a parent or a cool older brother. Unfortunately, the
most I can give him is the feeling of adoration and a wish to keep him safe
without jeopardizing my safety. The ministry would never pardon him and
Dumbledore will only use him until he dies. I will use what he can give me to
protect myself and him."
 
Harry hummed and commented, "Maybe I should go with that."
 
"Go with what?" Voldemort asked, staring at Harry with an unreadable
expression.
 
"I could run away with Sirius. The Black family probably has a manor or
something far away from Britain. If not, Sirius is still the Head of the Black
family. If the goblin agrees to having me as Sirius' proxy, I can buy a cottage
far away from both you and Dumbledore using funds from the Black vaults."
 
"Dumbledore will try and find you." Voldemort argued.
 
"Not if he's too busy fighting you." Harry retorted with a raised eyebrow,
"This plan has some merit. Their savior running away would demoralize them and
Dumbledore would have his hands full fighting you. Not to mention, the only
other person close enough to Sirius to be a liability is Remus Lupin and he has
a soft spot for both me and Sirius. We can probably get him to run away with
us."
 
"And you think this Remus Lupin will just agree to drop everything for both of
you?" Voldemort asked, playing Devil's Advocate...
 
Did he even realize he was playing Devil's Advocate?
 
A part of Harry is still wondering on how bizarre it was to be talking to the
Dark Lord without the threat of pain and death...
 
"Remus is a werewolf. He has been shun by both the Dark and the Light. The
Light shuns him because he is a Dark creature and the Dark shuns him because he
sided with the Light." Harry shrugged as he added, "Plus, he also feels guilty
over not taking care of me even though he knows he was never qualified to
because of his status. The two of us are what is left of his pack. I'm his cub.
Remus would prioritize us over Dumbledore."
 
Harry frowned as he remembered, "Of course, I can't put this plan in motion
because of our bind."
 
Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead as he asked, "Speaking of which, you
wouldn't happen to know how to unbind you from me, do you?"
 
Voldemort gritted his teeth and covered his eyes with one of his hands as he
replied, "There is only one way to take the bind off."
 
Harry frowned and said in a deadpan tone, "If it involves me dying, no thank
you."
 
"Worse." Voldemort replied, glaring at Harry.
 
"What's worse than dying?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
 
"The only way to remove the bind is for the binder and the Slytherin to marry
in the traditional magical way and to bear an heir."
 
…
 
.....
 
.........
 
.........
 
......
 
…
 
It was official.
 
Harry James Potter was Fate's personal chew toy.
 
 
Chapter End Notes
     Damn, this was long.
     Don't get your hopes up to always having looonnnggg chapters.
     Side note: So apparently Harry watches/read muggle media/literature.
     I will try and keep the other media references to be in the correct
     timeline... (aka: 1990s) but no promises.
***** It's a 'when', not an 'if' *****
Chapter Summary
     Voldemort explains what a traditional magical marriage is and they
     reach an agreement... of sort...
Chapter Notes
     … Woah... 167 kudos for 1 chapter? Thank you, everyone!! <3
     Thank you to Cardfreak for pointing out my embarrassing grammar
     mistakes ^///^
     Warning for this chapter:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 I am making up all this magical marriage thingie unless there's
     really a thing like that in Harry Potter 'verse then this is total
     'AU' magical marriage thing
     3 Harry really does not like the Malfoys (personally, I like the
     Malfoys...)
     4 Alternate characterizations for some Death Eaters
     5 Apparently... Harry and Voldemort likes dogs...
See the end of the chapter for more notes
He had no idea how long he had been staring at the older wizard currently
glaring at him.
 
It could have been hours.
 
It could actually just been a few seconds.
 
It felt like it's been years and he still could not wrap his mind around what
Voldemort just told him.
 
Figured he'd pick the weirdest ritual on his first try.
 
"Weeeellllll..." Harry bit his bottom lip, tapping his forefinger over his
knee. Harry sheepishly grinned as he finally said, "We're screwed, aren't we?"
 
Voldemort narrowed his eyes further and replied in a slightly hesitant tone,
"We can... perform the marriage ritual..."

Harry frowned and said, "That part is fine-"
 
"Marrying me is fine?" Voldemort hissed angrily, making Harry roll his eyes.
 
"We've spent an hour not killing one another. I think we can make arrangement
to make a... relationship-" Harry couldn't help but grin at the murderous glare
Voldemort was making at that word, "... work. Since our bind will be removed,
we can just be one of those married couple who is still married legally but
live separately."
 
Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead as he added, "Not that it matters since
the second part to remove the bind is impossible."
 
"To bear an heir?" Voldemort asked, raising an eyebrow. When he saw Harry nod,
Voldemort asked another question that was half amused and half annoyed, "I
suppose you didn't know wizards can bear a child then?"
 
Harry's jaw slacked for a few seconds before he managed to let out a high
pitched word that sounded like "What?"
 
"Wizards and squibs are capable of bearing a child as long as their magical
cores are compatible and strong enough to provide for both the man and his
unborn child. We do have compatible magical cores. If we didn't, this ritual
wouldn't had worked." Voldemort sounded like he was explaining a normal thing
to a student, not traumatizing the boy he had been trying to kill for years,
"Of course, conception is only possible if the two men in question are bound to
one another through traditional magical marriage, not that commonly practiced
muggle marriage."
 
Harry rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes as he mumbled, "I am so going to
regret asking this..."
 
Harry opened his eyes and gritted his teeth as he asked, "How is... the
traditional magical marriage different from normal marriage?"
 
"It's a marriage blessed by Magic herself." Voldemort sounded like he had
recited a passage from a textbook (Harry just had a Hermione flashback on that
thought) and gritted his teeth as well as he explained, "If... we take our
situation as an example, our... marriage would merge all our financial and
magical properties."
 
"What does that mean?" Harry understood financial properties. Magical
properties was a bit too vague though. If this was just another Wizarding
culture no one bothered to explain to him, he might just write a not so
flattering letter to the board of directors to include 'Wizarding Cultures and
Traditions for Dummies' in the Hogwarts curriculum. Hopefully writing it
anonymously and putting lots of insults and complaints over Dumbledore would
make Lucius (the chairman of Hogwarts Board of Governors) to actually put said
subject.
 
"All my properties and vaults as Head of the Slytherin line, Head of the Gaunt
house and other properties and vaults in the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lord
Voldemort and any aliases I had used will now be accessible to you. Including
any properties and account I may have inherited as the last Riddle in the
muggle world. The same can be said to all properties and vaults you may have in
your name." Voldemort gritted his teeth harder as he continued, "Other than
your title as Heir of the Potter house, you will also be known as Head Consort
of the Slytherin line and Gaunt house. I will be known as Heir Consort to the
Potter house until you become Head which will be where my title will change to
Head Consort. This holds true to any other houses you hold. As you are not yet
an adult, I will also be titled as Head Regent to all of the houses you are an
heir to and does not have a Head. This means I am also authorized to use your
votes in Wizengamot. Your paperwork and records in the muggle world will change
so that you could be legally accepted as a Riddle."
 
Voldemort sighed and mused with a frown, "The paper will probably make you
either my illegitimate son who I have accepted or perhaps my grandson
considering my real age."
 
Harry commented with an amused smirk, "That means in the muggle world, you
would be considered an incestual pedophile."
 
Voldemort glared at him and warned, "Do not test my patience, Potter. I still
haven't finish explaining the consequences of your stupidity."
 
"By all means, dear future husband of mine." Harry mockingly bowed before
pleading in an overly sweet voice, "Please do continue."
 
"A magical marriage is a bond that can never be severed by any governing law,
spell or ritual. Both parties will be treated as equal. All properties shared.
Including magical cores..." Voldemort spatted with disdain.
 
Harry's eyes widened and asked, "Wait. What?"
 
Voldemort glared at him as he continued, "Magical cores are a kind of magical
property. When..."
 
And it was 'when', not 'if', because, even if Harry didn't mind being squib,
there was no way in hell Voldemort would willing become squib.
 
"... we finish our marriage ritual, either of us can access both magical cores.
Whoever access the other's magical core would temporarily be stronger-"
 
"That sounds like a pro for you." Harry commented with a raised eyebrow.
 
"-while the other would become weaker." Voldemort continued, not paying
attention to Harry's words, "During pregnancy, the non-bearing partner's
magical core will automatically send magic to the bearing partner to aid in the
development of the unborn child. Without support, miscarriage is almost certain
and, in the off-chance that the child is born, the bearing partner would have
already exhausted their magical core, guaranteeing death. Children born from a
magical marriage are commonly more powerful than a normal wizard or witch due
to the support of both their parents' magical core during development."
 
"Wait." Harry frowned as he asked, "All I'm hearing are the good points of this
magical marriage. What's the down side?"
 
"If one of us died, the other will follow soon after." Voldemort replied,
glaring at the table as he added hesitantly, "But that... will not apply to
us."
 
Harry raised an eyebrow and asked, "You know a loophole?"
 
"I had... performed a ritual that anchors my soul to this world." Voldemort
looked like he was in pain just by telling this to Harry.
 
"Are you telling me that you are an immortal... spiritually?" Harry asked in an
amused tone.
 
Figures big bad Dark Lord would find a way to become immortal.
 
For some reason, Harry is reminded of muggle movies where the bad guy just
won't die so there will be an excuse for a sequel.
 
"Yes." Voldemort hissed, glaring at Harry as he continued, "And when we marry,
my fail-safe will be considered as a magical property..."
 
"... which will also shared to me." Harry ended with wide eyes. Harry stared at
Voldemort for a moment before commenting, "Wow. I mean... that means we're
going to be married... forever..."
 
Voldemort growled, obviously not liking that idea. Harry patted his lap in the
rhythm of a muggle nursery rhyme he remembered as he continued, "An heir would
be moot as well considering you... I guess also me by extension... will forever
be the head of all of your houses."
 
"Our child can be an heir to the Gaunt house and any other houses you do not
hold any sentimental value over." Harry hummed thoughtfully at Voldemort's
suggestion but kept quiet. Voldemort took this time to continue, "Magical oaths
are also considered magical properties. My... followers are magically bound to
answer to you as well."
 
Harry grinned mischievously as he asked, "Does that mean I can make Lucius
suffer?"
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow as he asked back, "What has he done to you?"
 
"He raised an annoying selfish prat who makes it his life long goal to annoy me
to the point of having an Unforgivable at the tip of my tongue." Harry replied
in an annoyed clipped tone.
 
"Which one?" Voldemort asked in an amused tone.
 
"All of them." Harry shrugged as he added, "Mostly the Imperius curse since I
could order Malfoy to do something embarrassing without risking my cover too
much."
 
Voldemort waved his hand in a dismissing manner as he said, "When we are
married, you can do as you like with my Death Eaters as long as there is no
permanent damage."
 
Harry raised an eyebrow as he asked, "So... we're getting married?"
 
"I will not become a squib." Voldemort hissed, glaring at him, "And not
removing this bind is not an option. At least when we are married, having to be
in the same room is optional."
 
"And our child?" Harry asked with a solemn expression.
 
Voldemort stared at Harry silently, observing the expressionless mask he had
put when he asked that question. Voldemort was no fool. He had an idea what
Harry was thinking. They did have similar background.
 
"Dark families consider children as a blessing. While many Dark families may
not like you as the boy-who-lived, you are still the scion of the Potter house,
an ancient and noble family. Scion to a blood-traitor or not, our child will be
treated with kindness by the Dark families for that fact alone. Our child will
be protected because I am the Dark Lord, leader of the Dark side." Voldemort
crossed his left leg over his right before continuing, "The Light side will
probably be a different story. Magical marriage is frowned upon by the Light
side due to the negative reactions of the muggle-borns. They will also frown
upon the fact that our child came from two fathers, another annoying reactions
of muggle-borns due to their unfamiliarity of Wizarding culture and the
hammering of their muggle way of thinking."
 
Voldemort entwined his fingers and placed them on top of his left knee before
continuing, "Regardless of their reaction, our side-"
 
Harry raised an eyebrow at the word 'our' but kept quiet.
 
"-will protect and adore our child. My lovely Bella, while insane, will
definitely love our child to death."
 
"Bella? As in Bellatrix Lestrange? Crazy witch who killed and tortured hundreds
of people?" Harry couldn't help but ask for confirmation. There was no malice
in his voice though. His tone connotes amusement and interest.
 
While Harry had heard how Bellatrix Lestrange, along with others, had tortured
Neville Longbottom's parents to insanity, Harry held no hatred for any of them.
It seemed rather useless to feel such intense emotion for two people he never
met and he certainly did not held any special emotions for Neville to warrant a
more personal inclination over the fate of his parents. Neville was one of the
more tolerable students Harry knew and, had Harry met him first instead of Ron,
Neville would have made a better candidate for the whole 'friends with a Light
child' aspect of his Boy-Who-Lived mask. The meek boy was certainly more
relaxing to be around than the energetic ginger. Unfortunately, Ron was an
easily jealous boy and had made sure everyone knew he was Harry's best mate.
 
… not that it stopped him from showing his contempt over Harry's current
predicament.
 
Overall, Neville's presence in Harry's life was too irrelevant for Harry to
develop any adoration for the boy. Not to mention, being bound to Voldemort now
meant that Neville Longbottom, heir to the Light family of the Longbottoms,
would become an enemy by association. The Longbottoms were just as bad as the
Weasleys when it comes to their devotion towards Dumbledore.
 
It was a shame though. Neville's knowledge of magical plants would have been a
nice source of information if Harry wanted to grow his own garden (one of the
things he had come to like while living with the Dursleys).
 
"Most of my Death Eaters kill and torture in my name. It's unavoidable in war."
Voldemort said in a nonchalant manner, pushing Harry's internal musing to a
halt, before explaining, "Bella adores children though. She could not have her
own so she... compensate by spoiling the children of the other Death Eaters."
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes as he added, "Of course, most of them are afraid of
her because she is insane."
 
Voldemort kept quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts before continuing,
"The Lestranges share Bella's adoration for children as well. One of my loyal
followers, Barty, also share an adoration of children. Of course, Barty only
adores mannered children and do not have patience for spoiled brats which may
help ensure our child will not become spoiled. Bella's sister, Narcissa Malfoy,
is also-"
 
"No." Harry immediately cut him off.
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow and Harry wrinkled his nose as he said, "I will not
have our child be influenced by Malfoys."
 
"Narcissa is a Black." Voldemort argued with a small amused smile on his lips.
If Lucius heard how disliked their family name was by their Lord's future
consort, the poor man will have a heart attack. Voldemort chuckled softly at
the image of the Malfoy head's expression when he hear this before commenting,
"You adore your Black. I think you will adore Narcissa and Bella as well once
you meet them."
 
"I think you think I will adore your dear Bella because you adore her." Harry
argued, placing his hands on his lap.
 
"You already adore an insane Black. You will find it easy to adore Bella once
she starts spoiling our child and the Lestranges are one of my most loyal
followers which means they will also be one of your most loyal... pets." Harry
raised an eyebrow at the word. Voldemort leaned back and commented, "I know
your type, Harry Potter. You use the term 'adore' to talk about your feelings
for your godfather. You adore him because he is loyal like how an owner adores
their dog."
 
"Think of my Lestranges and my Barty as my... most loyal and adorable dogs."
Voldemort suggested before shrugging as he added, "Perhaps you can also think
of the rest of my Inner Circle as my favored dogs."
 
"And Narcissa Malfoy?" Harry asked warily, making Voldemort more amused over
the fact that Harry had accepted his... metaphor.
 
"She came from the same breed your godfather and my Bella came." Voldemort
replied with a shrug.
 
Harry sighed and compromised, "Fine. I shall reserve judgment over the female
Malfoy until I meet her."
 
Harry's frown curved to an amused smile as he teased, "What would your
followers say when they hear you describe them as dogs?"
 
"They will all proclaim themselves as my most loyal attack dog or something
equally trivial." Voldemort mused in a nonchalant manner, making Harry chuckle.
 
Harry hummed softly before he said in an amused tone, "You're a pretty nice
conversation partner when you're not trying to kill me."
 
"I can no longer kill you." Voldemort admitted, sighing in resignation as he
explained, "This bind keeps me from harming you. Any harms that will befall you
during this bind will have repercussions towards me. The only action I have
left is to marry you. And once I am married to you, your safety will be a
natural concern to me."
 
"So you've been buttering me up?" Harry asked with an amused tone.
 
"Hardly." Voldemort scoffed, "Lord Voldemort does not lie. Everything I have
told you is the truth. Now that I am certain you are no blind Gryffindor, you
are more useful to me alive than dead."
 
Voldemort noticed Harry's grin but did not pay it any mind as he continued,
"And marrying you will make the prophecy no longer a threat."
 
"There's a prophecy?!" Harry exclaimed in surprise before groaning and
commenting in a resigned tone, "Of course there's a bloody prophecy. My life is
a storm of cliche plot devices. What next? You and I are actually related and
this turn into some kind of twisted Abel and Cain tragedy?"
 
Voldemort scoffed and said, "That's too much of a leap."
 
"You don't know. It sounds like something that would happen to me." Harry
grumbled before smirking as he mused, "We do look alike, you know? Black hair,
can talk to snakes, wants the world to burn..."
 
Harry raised an eyebrow as he asked playfully, "You didn't screw my mother, did
you?"
 
Voldemort glared at him and sneered, "I have no interest in physical pleasure,
Potter."
 
Harry chuckled at Voldemort's reaction before asking, "So? What's the
prophecy?"
 
"I only know the first two lines of the prophecy and it was the reason why I
tried to kill you." Voldemort admitted before concluding, "And the prophecy no
longer matters if you are on the same side as me."
 
Harry frowned and asked, "What did the two lines say?"
 
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those
who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... " Voldemort
recited from memory, making Harry frown deeper.
 
"You killed my parents and pushed me to becoming Dumbledore's puppet because of
those two lines?" Harry asked bitterly.
 
"I will not apologize for your parent's demise." Voldemort said bluntly, "Your
father was a talented Auror and your mother was a decent and stubborn witch.
They were a threat to me either way. They were one of the most powerful and
most loyal to Dumbledore. I would have killed you even if there was no prophecy
once I killed your parents. A child born from such a competent magical couple
will definitely be a threat especially if the child is consumed by vengeance."
 
Harry scoffed and commented, "I don't remember my parents and I am not stupid
enough to desire something as time consuming as vengeance."
 
Voldemort gave an amused smirk as he commented, "You do value survival most."
 
Harry nodded and continued, "If I wanted to exact vengeance, the better target
is Dumbledore. He's the one who sentenced me to the hell he calls 'family'."
 
Harry shrugged as he added, "Or Wormtail. He's the one who betrayed my parents.
But, then again, my hatred for Wormtail might simply be because of my adoration
for my godfather."
 
Voldemort stared at him with a look that seems to say 'I have no idea how to
answer that so I'm just going to ignore it' before he said, "Putting that
aside, do you now understand that this is the best course of action we can take
right now?"
 
Harry stared at Voldemort silently for a moment before saying seriously, "I
would like to make a few demands."
 
Voldemort glared at him but Harry cut whatever he might say by reminding him,
"Remember, Tom, you can't harm me and I have no qualms being a squib."
 
"I will not blindly accept all your demands." Voldemort hissed angrily and
Harry nodded.
 
"I am willing to compromise." Harry added with a shrug, leaning back.
 
Voldemort sighed and leaned back as well before he said, "I'm listening."
 
"I'm going to take your name when we marry." Harry started, earning a raised
eyebrow from Voldemort. Harry shrugged and clarified, "And I mean 'Riddle', not
'Slytherin'."
 
"A muggle last name." Voldemort hissed, glaring at Harry.
 
"I have no real love for my last name. I would rather have your last name for
personally reasons." Harry retorted with a disinterested tone and explained,
"The Potter family was firmly in Dumbledore's side and 'Harry James Potter' is
Dumbledore's pet."
 
"And 'Harry James Riddle'?" Voldemort countered, making Harry grin.
 
"Just imagine Dumbledore's reaction when I proclaim that's my name." Harry
suggested, making Voldemort chuckle.
 
"How about 'Harry James Gaunt' instead? The Gaunt is one of the oldest Dark
families and my mother's last name." Voldemort suggested.
 
"'Harry James Riddle-Gaunt'." Harry countered, making Voldemort frowned at
Harry's stubbornness.
 
"Very well. Riddle-Gaunt, it is." Voldemort compromised before admitting with
an annoyed frown, "I do not understand your fixation on my muggle last name."
 
Harry shrugged and replied, "There's no real reason, really. I think it'll be
amusing to watch everyone's reaction to that name. Not many people know you're
Tom Marvolo Riddle. The chances of anyone knowing you were a Gaunt is slimmer."
 
"It seems you have a sadistic idea of fun." Voldemort commented.
 
Harry grinned and said, "Get used to it, my dear future husband. I want our
child to have 'Riddle' as their last name as well."
 
Voldemort growled and sneered, "Rejected. Our child will not have a muggle last
name."
 
Harry glared at him but compromised, "Riddle-Gaunt then and they have the
choice to change their last name to Slytherin if they wish to once they finish
schooling."
 
Voldemort gritted his teeth and added, "And they will be the heir to the Potter
house and Gaunt house as well as any other house you have in your name."
 
Harry shrugged and replied, "Sure. I don't have any sentimental feelings for
any of the houses in my name anyway."
 
Voldemort nodded and concluded, "After our child comes of age, the only house
we will have in our name is the Slytherin house."
 
"Agreed." Harry grinned as he demanded, "I want Sirius and Remus as our child's
godfathers."
 
Voldemort glared at him and retorted, "A child can only have one godfather and
one godmother.”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow and drawled, “You're the Dark Lord, most feared wizard
in all of Britain. Pretty sure you're allowed to bend the rules on that one.”
 
“If I agree to this...” Voldemort smirked as he added, “Bella and her husband
are also our child's godparents as well as-"
 
"Don't bother saying Malfoy." Harry cut off which only amused Voldemort.
 
He was definitely going to have fun rubbing his consort's displeasure over the
Malfoys to Lucius once he gets the time.
"Rabastian Lestrange, Bella's brother-in law, and Barty Crouch Junior."
 
"Crouch?" Harry blinked as he asked, "That old man had a son?"
 
Voldemort nodded and said in a dismissing manner, "I will explain that one
later. We should finish your demands first."
 
"Fair enough." Harry nodded and frowned as he said, "Wait a minute, I get two
godfathers and you get four godparents.”
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow as he compromised, “If you can name two more people
you would like as godparents, be my guest.”
 
Harry pouted, obviously unable to name other people. Voldemort smirked but
compromised, “Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange with Sirius Black and Remus
Lupin.”
 
Harry grinned and concluded, “So Sirius and Remus will be our child's
godparents together with your Lestrange couple."
 
Voldemort nodded and Harry continued, "Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are not to
be harmed."
 
"Only if they do not stand against me." Voldemort retorted before adding, "And
they will only become our child's godfathers only if they make an oath to not
stand against me."
 
"As long as they take an oath to not stand against you, not an oath to follow
you." Harry added, frowning slightly.
 
"Very well. I accept." Voldemort nodded.
 
"You'll allow me to ask you to spare certain people at any given time." Harry
demanded, making Voldemort narrow his eyes.
 
"As long as they stay neutral or it will not jeopardize my goal." Voldemort
added with a warning hiss.
 
Harry nodded and agreed, "Fair enough."
 
Harry tapped his lap as he demanded, "You will offer Peter Pettigrew to my
godfather."
 
"Once my Death Eaters are organized once more and I have no need for that
useless servant, Wormtail is yours to play, torture or kill." Voldemort
proclaimed before asking in annoyance, "How many more demands do you have?"
 
Harry grinned as he replied, "A lot. I'm trying to milk this situation as much
as possible."
 
"Greedy little brat." Voldemort said with amusement before commenting, "I can
see why the Hat wanted you in Slytherin."
 
Harry shrugged before continuing, "I get to use your Death Eaters when I want
to."
 
"Only if you ask permission before using any of them." Voldemort took a moment
to think before adding, "I will also place a Death Eater as your guard."
 
"As long as I get to pick who." Harry retorted, making Voldemort frown.
 
"Only if I approve of your choice." Voldemort added as well.
 
"Fair enough." Harry nodded and continued, "You'll take me out of this place."
 
"That's already a given. Once this bind is broken, it would mean you would be
pregnant with our child. Staying in Hogwarts will be too dangerous for both you
and our child." Voldemort agreed.
 
"Then that means we're going to get married soon?" Harry asked, frowning
slightly.
 
"The best time to marry is either during the night of Samhain or Yule. Both
nights are said to be blessed by Magic. Our marriage bond will become strongest
at those nights. The stronger our bond is, the safer your pregnancy will be."
Voldemort explained before frowning, "Yule will be our safest bet since you can
get out of Hogwarts then."
 
Harry nodded and demanded, "Then you'll help me with this stupid tournament
till you can whisk me away."
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow as he asked, "Do you not wish to finish this
tournament with your own power?"
 
Harry scoffed and replied, "I want to survive. If that means groveling for your
help then I will."
 
"Do you have any pride?" Voldemort hissed in annoyance.
 
Harry grinned and retorted, "I have no use for pride. Survival is my first and
foremost concern."
 
Seeing that Voldemort's glare continue to be borderline murderous, Harry sighed
and compromised, "I'll make room for pride once I'm married to you and away
from this cage."
 
"Your priority will be the safety of our child." Voldemort ordered with a hiss.
 
Harry glared at him and hissed, "Do you think I would prioritize my safety over
our child's?"
 
"I don't know, Potter." Voldemort sneered, "The way I see it, you would be
willing to sacrifice everything for your own survival."
 
"How are you so different?" Harry retorted angrily, "You would sacrifice
everything for your ambition."
 
"NOT OUR CHILD!" Voldemort shouted, standing from his sit.
 
"NEITHER WOULD I!!" Harry shouted back, standing as well.

They stared at one another, fuming silently. After a few second, Harry slumped
back on his chair and rubbed his forehead. Harry closed his eyes and admitted,
"I will not abandon our child. I'm not..."
 
Harry sighed sadly and opened his eyes. He stared at Voldemort as he said, "I
will not make the same mistake as the people who deserted me."
 
Voldemort stared at Harry for a few seconds before nodding. He sat back to his
chair and said quietly, "I will not make the same mistakes as my parents. I
will protect both you and our child."
 
Harry stared at Voldemort silently, remembering Tom Riddle's words to him
during his second year, how similar they were. Harry never felt betrayed by his
parents. The only way to feel betrayed by someone is to trust them in the first
place. He had no recollection about his parents, harbored no feelings, good or
bad, for the late Potters and do not even wonder if they would be happy or
disappointed at how he had become.
 
He had wondered how it would be like to have lived with them.
 
Especially during his first year in Hogwarts and everything was still new. He
still had some kind of naive thinking that perhaps the Wizarding world would be
different. Maybe he would enjoy being everyone's desired savior.
 
The mirror of Erised had shown that naivety.
 
But then he realized everything was still the same. People were still the same.
The only thing different is how they perceived Harry.
 
He had simply exchanged a rusty cage with a sturdier golden cage.
 
And now here he was, sitting in front of the wizard who had wanted to kill him
his entire life.
 
Voldemort was showing a weakness to him.
 
A hint of humanity that they both knew they shouldn't show to other people.
 
Voldemort knew because he was the Dark Lord. Emotions would get in the way.
 
Harry knew because he was wearing a mask. Showing his real emotions would
simply destroy the illusion he needed to stay alive in this cage.
 
So why was Voldemort showing him a hint of his humanity?
 
Was it a trap?
 
A way to get him to trust Voldemort?
 
Harry inwardly scoffed.
 
He didn't need to trust Voldemort.
 
The marriage bond would keep him safe from Voldemort and will force the Dark
Lord to protect him.
 
The obstacle left was the Light side and Voldemort would take care of that as
well. Before his demise, the Dark side had been on the winning side. Dumbledore
couldn't defeat Voldemort before. After the marriage bond, Voldemort would have
access to Harry's magical core. If he needed a boost of magic to overpower
Dumbledore, Harry's magical core could provide it.
 
While Harry was unsure on how big his core was, he assumed it would have to be
big considering how fast he healed during his time with the Dursleys and in
school, surprising even Madam Pomprey. Voldemort can borrow all of his magical
core if it takes Dumbledore out of the picture. If it takes everyone who wants
to chain Harry out of the picture.
 
"I will love our child." Harry announced solemnly. Voldemort simply stared at
him and Harry wondered if he thought the younger wizard was waiting for a reply
of some sort.
 
Harry stared at Voldemort as he continued, not waiting for Voldemort to open
his mouth, "We are not required to love one another nor do we need to have
physical contact after the conception of our child. Physical contact is only
allowed if both of us are okay with it."
 
"I will be allowed to show dominance and possession over you to my followers
and in public." Voldemort countered, making Harry shrug.
 
"As long as you do not humiliate me or force me, I don't mind." Harry replied.
He stared at Voldemort silently for a moment before continuing, "You do not
have to love our child but you will care for our child. You will make time for
our child at least once a week."
 
Voldemort scoffed and retorted with a glare, "I will be the one to teach him
how to be a proper heir of Slytherin."
 
Harry inwardly rolled his eyes at that.
 
Of course he would...
 
"And you will attend meals with us as much as possible." Harry added, making
Voldemort raise an eyebrow. Harry narrowed his eyes as he explained, "Neither
of us had a normal childhood. Our child will not have a normal childhood but,
at the very least, we can make it as normal as possible."
 
Voldemort observed Harry silently for a few seconds, taking note on the
seriousness in those vivid green eyes. Voldemort nodded and added, "We will
celebrate Yule and our child's birthdays together."
 
Harry nodded solemnly before demanding, "If you take any lovers, you keep your
affair hidden from everyone, especially our child."
 
"I have no need for such thing." Voldemort hissed, seemingly offended by
Harry's words. Voldemort glared at him and said, "And I demand the same to
you."
 
Harry chuckled and shook his head as he said, "I don't like people in general.
I don't think I can stand anyone long enough to call them my lover."
 
"Yet we must marry one another." Voldemort mused, finding amusement in the
irony that two people who do not crave human affection would be forced to marry
each other.
 
Harry shrugged and said, "Our marriage only needs to be amicable at least.
While our bond stops us from harming and killing one another, I demand that we
talk over all our differences. Both of us are allowed to leave if we feel that
the other is too emotional to have a serious conversation but we will talk
about our differences once we are both calm enough to think things over. You
will take my suggestions and pleas concerning to your cause to consideration."
 
Voldemort opened his mouth but Harry beat him to it, "You are allowed to reject
my suggestions or pleas as long as you give me a valid reason why."
 
"You're very accommodating..." Voldemort commented, frowning slightly.
 
Harry shrugged once more and replied in a slightly bored tone, "This is your
war. My pleas will most likely be to not kill someone who I might have use
for."
 
Harry smiled grimly as he continued, "The people in this world are too fickle
for me to adore them enough to ask mercy for sentimental reasons."
 
Voldemort stared at Harry for a moment, taking in the detached way he held
himself over the Wizarding world. Voldemort tapped his forefinger against the
back of his hand as he mused, "You do not hold any sentimental or emotional
connections to this world nor to the muggle world. Your plea of protection over
your godfather and your werewolf are simply because the two are loyal to you,
making you adore them like pets. You are willing to compromise on a lot of
things. Most of your demands are based on your safety or what if scenarios
covering your basis. Tell me, Harry Potter... is there anything you want in
this world?"
 
"Not really." Harry shrugged and explained, "Right now, I just want to
survive."
 
Harry smiled lightly as he added, "Perhaps when our child arrives, things will
be different."
 
Voldemort hummed before saying, "Perhaps."
 
"After you get me out of here, you will personally train me or find someone who
can tutor me." Harry demanded, raising an eyebrow when Voldemort smirked.
 
"You will have Death Eaters tutor you once you are out of Hogwarts. I will
think about who would be in charge of what subjects. You will be tutored over
all the subjects here in Hogwarts as well as the Dark Arts, Wizarding
Traditions and Pure-blood Etiquette."
 
"Pure-blood Etiquette?" Harry repeated in an amused tone.
 
"You will be my consort, the consort to the Dark Lord and future ruler of
Magical Britain." Voldemort reminded him, "As my consort, you will be required
to meet politicians, leaders and other powerful people. I will not have you
embarrassed me because of your lack of manners."
 
Harry chuckled softly and said, "Of course. Every Dark Lord needs a pretty
trophy to parade all over the magical world."
 
Voldemort glared at him and hissed, "I do not need a trophy. I need a consort
who can stand by my side and hold their own."
 
Harry looked surprised at that declaration. Voldemort stood and walked towards
Harry. He grabbed Harry by the chin and forced to boy to stare at him as he
warned, "I will protect you and I will take your future demands in
consideration but I will not allow you to fade in the background. You will
stand beside me and you will be able to take care of yourself and our child
when I am not with you."
 
"Why?" Harry asked, confused to why Voldemort would ask him of such thing.
 
He had expected Voldemort to keep him hidden, away from everyone.
 
He was a liability once the marriage bond was complete.
 
"A marriage bond proclaims to the entire world that we are equal." Voldemort
explained, "You will become a powerful wizard, only second to me. Do you
understand?"
 
"That's a contradiction, you know." Harry was unable to stop myself, grinning
cheekily as he teased, "We are equals but I am only second to you? You have to
pick one. Am I supposed to be below you or next to you?"
 
Voldemort glared at him silently for a moment before retorting in an annoyed
tone, "Perhaps you will find a field where you would excel more than me."
 
"Somehow, I highly doubt that." Harry chuckled lightly before saying, "Fine.
I'll humor you. I will try as much as I can to be your equal."
 
Seeing Voldemort nod and back away from him, Harry grinned as he said, "This is
the part where you say 'there is no try, only do'."
 
Voldemort frowned at him in a slightly confused way, making Harry chuckle and
shake his head before saying, "Never mind. No one ever gets my references
anyway."
 
Harry sighed and stared at the table. He frowned for a moment before saying,
"Huh. I guess that's all the demands I have."
 
Voldemort nodded and said, "I will write all your demands and sign it. You will
sign it as well and it will be our..."
 
Voldemort frowned as he continued, "Engagement... contract..."
 
Harry snickered at Voldemort's displeasure. He grinned and grabbed a plate of
treacle tart as he said, "Then I guess we should have dinner first before going
back to the realm of humans."
 
Voldemort glared at him as he asked, "Sweets? Your dinner is sweets?"
 
Harry shrugged as he stabbed a fork to one of the tarts, "Yup. I don't really
want to eat in the Halls while everyone is whispering about me or glaring at me
or... well, you get the idea. Professor McGonagall found out I've been eating
in the kitchens so she banned the house-elves from giving me food in the
kitchen."
 
"And that house-elf?" Voldemort asked, seemingly disgusted at how Harry was
eating his tart.
 
No grace and simply pigging out.
 
Harry did learn from the best.
 
Although Harry was still debating if the best was Walrus Dursley or Walrus
Dursley Junior or Ron.
 
"The ban was for food in the kitchen. Dobby realized it didn't mean he couldn't
provide me food in a place other than the kitchen." Harry gulped before
continuing, "I've been eating breakfast in bed, lunch in one of the many
abandoned hallways or corners of the castle and dinner here."
 
Voldemort stared at him for a moment before grabbing the plate of treacle from
his hands. Harry glared at him and let out an indignant "Hey!"
 
Not paying attention to him, Voldemort called out, "Dobby!"
 
Harry heard a pop right next to him but continued to glare at Voldemort, his
fork raised as if he was contemplating on stabbing the man in the eye with it.
Dobby glanced at Harry then at Voldemort before he asked worriedly, "Harry
Potter's guest called Dobby?"
 
"Are you bound to Hogwarts?" Voldemort asked, glaring at Harry as a silent
warning, seemingly knowing what Harry was thinking of doing.
 
It only made the idea of stabbing his eye with the fork sound more tempting.
 
"No, sir. Dobby is a free elf. All thanks to the great Harry Potter." Dobby
replied in an overly joyous tone that grated on both Harry's and Voldemort's
ears.
 
"Then would you like to be bound to Harry?" Voldemort asked with a malicious
smirk.
 
"What?! Wait-"
 
"Do be quiet, my dear fiance. I'm still talking to Dobby." Voldemort cut off
whatever Harry was going to say with an overly sweet tone that made Harry want
to vomit... preferably on the older man's bare feet.
 
Dobby's already wide eyes seemed to widen (which Harry didn't know was even
possible) and he asked, "You's be Harry Potter's husband?"
 
"Soon. Our engagement will be official by the end of this week if all goes
according to plan." Voldemort replied before asking, "Would you like to be our
house elf, Dobby? We have no house elves at the moment and it would be... quite
helpful if we had one... especially once Harry is pregnant."
 
Woah.
 
Wait.
 
So he's going to be the male seahorse in this relationship?
 
Well, Harry supposed it made more sense. He was the... less masculine one of
them and, unlike Voldemort, Harry didn't have any serious responsibility that
may be hindered by pregnancy like... trying to take over Magical Britain (or
was it the world?).
 
But still...
 
Voldemort could have had the courtesy to ask him first before announcing it to
a bloody House-elf.
 
Dobby gasped and grasped his ears, tugging them as he asked, "You's be
magically married?!"
 
"Of course." Voldemort walked towards Harry and placed a hand on Harry's
shoulder. Harry stared at the hand currently on his shoulder with confusion and
wariness that didn't register to Dobby for the poor house-elf was staring at
Voldemort. Voldemort smiled at Harry as he said, "My feelings for Harry is
too... deep for something as feeble as a muggle wedding."
 
Harry almost snorted but stopped when he felt Voldemort squeeze his shoulder.
It wasn't too painful, feeling more like a warning to keep quiet.
 
Dobby was bobbing up and down in excitement as he said, "Dobby be honored to be
you's house-elf! Yes! Dobby wishes be you's house-elf!"
 
Voldemort smiled charmingly at Dobby, making Harry's breath hitch.
 
Damn.
 
If that was Tom Riddle's charm, no wonder wizards and witches threw themselves
at him, no matter how stupid his plan for magical world (or was it just Magical
Britain? Seriously. Someone needs to give Harry a summary of what Voldemort
wanted to do in the first place) was in the first place.
 
Voldemort let go of Harry's shoulder and walked towards Dobby, offering his
hand to the energetic house-elf as he asked, "Then will you bound yourself to
me, Dobby? Our engagement is still a secret and Harry already has a lot in his
plate at the moment with this tournament and the school's general displeasure
towards him as I'm sure you are already aware of. I'm afraid they would
probably throw a fit if they hear Harry has bound a house-elf to himself. Do
you understand, Dobby? We wish you to be our house-elf but it will be safer for
Harry if you bound yourself to me instead."
 
Dobby grabbed Voldemort's hand with both of his smaller hands and nodded
furiously as he said while light started to envelop his whole being and
Voldemort's hand, "Yes! Dobby understands! Dobby bounds himself to you, Master-
"
 
Harry couldn't help but sadistically smile when he saw Dobby's expression
change from joy to confusion and ending with horror. Unknown to him,
Voldemort's smirk curved into the same sadistic smile as he said, "'My lord'
will be sufficient, Dobby."
 
Dobby turned towards Harry in fear and whispered, "Harry Potter, this man's-"
 
Dobby cried out and he let go off Voldemort's hand. He ran towards the table
and began banging his head against it, causing some of the desserts to fall to
the floor, as he shouted, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby! Saying bad things about
Dobby's master!"
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Harry. Harry shrugged and
explained in a nonchalant manner, "Dobby was a Malfoy house-elf before I freed
him. The Malfoys pretty much made him barmy."
 
"You freed him from the Malfoys?" Voldemort asked in an amused tone.
 
"I wanted to annoy Lucius. Figured losing an elf to the Boy-Who-Lived would do
it." Harry replied before adding, "Plus, Dobby almost killed me trying to
'protect' me from the Malfoys. If he continued to stay with the Malfoys, he
might do something more drastic to... 'protect' me."
 
Voldemort hummed before ordering, "Stop punishing yourself, Dobby."
 
Dobby froze but continued to stare at the table. Voldemort walked towards Harry
and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder once more before he ordered, "Look at
me, Dobby."
 
Dobby hesitantly turned around, looking both afraid and closed to crying when
he saw Voldemort's hand on Harry's shoulder. He bit his bottom lip, most
probably to stop from warning Harry or something, and grasped his ears, pulling
hard. Voldemort moved his hand, caressing Harry's cheek softly as he said,
"Harry knows that I am Voldemort."
 
Harry stared at the hand caressing him, wondering if he could stab it with his
fork.
 
"And he still wishes to marry me." Voldemort grabbed Harry by the chin and
turned his head, smiling softly (Harry could feel bile in his mouth) as he
asked, "Isn't that right, my dear?"
 
Harry wanted to pat his own back when he didn't even hesitate to play the part
Voldemort had created for him. Harry smiled softly back and replied, "Of
course, love tart."
 
Harry grinned when he saw Voldemort's eyes hardened but the older man continued
to smile at him softly. Harry grabbed the hand on his chin and gripped it
tightly, hoping it would bruise, as he placed it by his cheek. He pressed his
cheek against Voldemort's palm as he whispered softly, "You're the only one who
understands me."
 
"And I promised to protect you for eternity." Voldemort replied, rubbing his
cheek with his thumb. They stared at one another, making sure to keep their
expression soft and loving (although Harry was pretty sure he was close to
vomiting and Voldemort was most probably thinking of Crucio-ing some poor
muggle afterwards)
 
Voldemort turned towards Dobby and said, "I will not harm Harry nor will I let
anyone harm him. He is precious to me and we will be married in Yule. For now,
I am your master. Once we are married, you will be bound to Harry as well."
 
Dobby still looked worried. He glanced at Harry and Harry smiled softly at him
as he said, "Please, Dobby, trust Tom. He truly is protecting me."
 
Dobby tugged his ears harshly once before asking worriedly, "Harry Potter
loves... My Lord?"
 
Harry bit the insides of his bottom lip for a second before turning to look at
Voldemort. He leaned against Tom's palm once more and replied, "I'm going to be
magically married to him... for eternity."
 
Dobby seemed to accept that as a reply and he bowed at Voldemort as he
proclaimed, "Dobby's be My Lord's house-elf."
 
Voldemort smirked triumphantly as he said, "Good. Thank you, Dobby."
 
Dobby seemed surprised by the words of gratitude (Harry almost snorted) but did
not get a chance to reply because Voldemort was already ordering him, "For now,
do your job as Hogwart's house-elf and tell no one that you are bound to me nor
that I am here in Hogwarts. Keep an ear open for any conversations about either
me or Harry and report to me every dinner about anything of significance. We
must make sure Harry is safe here in Hogwarts."
 
Harry had to hand it to Voldemort... he knew how to twist words.
 
"Also, continue providing breakfast in bed, lunch wherever Harry and I are
alone in the afternoon and dinner here but..." Voldemort glared at the table
filled with sweets, "prepare nutritious food. It's not healthy for Harry to eat
sweets only."
 
Dobby gasped and nodded vigorously as he said, "Dobby's be preparing dinner
now! Please wait!"
 
"Wait! Keep the trea-" Dobby disappeared with a pop together with the table,
much to Harry's disappointment, "-cles..."
 
Voldemort smirked when he saw Harry pout. Harry glared at him and warned, "Just
to be clear. You bound yourself to a very barmy house-elf, you prat."
 
Chapter End Notes
     Star Wars Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980 so yeeaaahhh. Not
     messing the time line~!
     …............ yet...
     House-elf grammar is hard...
***** Pillow Talk *****
Chapter Summary
     Dinner and bedtime... or... Dinner and before bedtime
Chapter Notes
     … 2 chapters in and the kudos are up to 344. Thank you to everyone
     who kudo'ed and bookmarked! Special thanks to those who comments. I
     do love hearing from you guys even if it's just to say how crazy this
     fic is. XD
     Announcement: I won't be able to update this for next week since I'll
     be in Tokyo with my friend. CaRB will return for its weekly update
     afterwards... hopefully...
     Thank you to fairy_phyre for correcting me with the whole Walpurga/
     Walburga. I seriously blame Walpurgis Nights for my confusion XD
     Thank you to Cardfreak for pointing out my embarrassing grammar
     mistakes ^///^
     Thank you to MelsNoble for pointing out another very, very
     embarrassing misspell that shows how bad I am in math XD
     Warning for this chapter:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Harry's musing returns
     3 There's a problem with tarts... yes, this needs to be a warning...
     4 Made up history for people in Hogwarts during Voldemort's time
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Dinner was... both pleasant and awkward.
 
Dobby was still wary about Voldemort but seemed more relaxed and respectful
than he was when he was bound to the Malfoys.
 
It probably helped Voldemort made it a point to appear like the perfect loving
gentleman when Dobby was there and Harry aided by acting like the kind loving
savior Dobby expecting him to be.
 
It was tiring but amusing, calling Voldemort by different cheesy terms of
endearment.
 
His favorite was still 'love tart', of course.

The awkward part came from Harry having to explain in great details about his
past. By great details, he meant great details in the magical world and vague,
almost non-existent details in the muggle world.
 
Yeah.
 
Seriously not going to open that big can of worms called 'Pre-Hogwarts Years'.
 
Voldemort seemed to realize Harry was leaving a lot of details but was kept
occupied by the many misadventures and unluckiness Harry had to go through...
mostly because he knew he should act like an impulsive heroic Gryffindor.
 
Having Gryffindorean 'friends' helped as well.
 
Harry had never been to a therapist. The Dursleys made sure of that. The
closest he got had been the school councilor and that didn't pan out well
thanks to the rumors circulating about his 'bad behavior'.
 
Harry was pretty sure his school record had the warning 'compulsive liar' in
it.
 
It probably didn't help that the first time he went to the student councilor,
he ripped off the plot of Star Wars: A New Hope and explained it to the
councilor as his 'past'.
 
But, if Harry had to guess, he felt that talking to Voldemort about his life
was how it would have felt like if he ever had a therapist.
 
Voldemort kept quiet most of the time, commenting once in a while, asking for
clarification or more details at some of Harry's rants. Harry knew that
Voldemort was internally categorizing everything Harry told him. He was pretty
sure Voldemort had built an internal 'Harry James Potter' folder in his head
where everything Harry related was stored to be used if needed.
 
Briefly, Harry wondered if Voldemort would rename the folder to 'Harry James
Riddle-Gaunt' once they were married.
 
Honestly, Harry wouldn't be surprised if the label would change to 'Consort' or
'Spouse' or 'The Menace I Can No Longer Kill' after their marriage.
 
Maybe he should label his own internal Voldemort file as 'The Dark Lord I
Shagged' after their wedding night.
 
Musing about internal files in general, Harry concluded he might actually have
different files for Voldemort and Tom Riddle. He imagined his file on Voldemort
was more like a box where he dumped everything he heard, read and saw
concerning the Dark Lord while his file on Tom Riddle was a smaller box
organized with information from the diary itself and the little bits of
information or trivia he managed to find in Hogwarts about Tom Riddle.
 
It just seemed easy to differentiate Voldemort, evil Dark Lord hell bent on
killing Harry, and Tom Riddle, Hogwarts graduate who seemed too perfect to be
true.
 
Harry supposed he should merge the two imaginary files soon.
 
Regardless of Voldemort's ulterior motive (and putting aside the imaginary file
merging), Harry could care less. He was more worried about no longer being able
to eat his precious treacle tart... something he whined about to Voldemort
during his rant as well.
 
Apparently, his displeasure got across since Voldemort ordered Dobby to prepare
them every dinner with a warning of 'one tart per dinner, Potter. Do not push
it.'
 
Harry counted it as a win and wondered if it would be possible to have
Voldemort as the 'whipped' one in their marriage.
 
Harry knew he would be the submissive one in the relationship. Voldemort was
older (and there was a part of Harry that still shuddered over that), more
powerful (why Dumbledore thinks he could defeat Voldemort was really a question
that makes Harry question Dumbledore's questionable sanity) and more
manipulative (Tom Marvolo Riddle was considered one of the best students
Hogwarts ever had and no one, other than Dumbledore and the Slytherins, ever
realized he was a Dark Lord trainee back then) wizard between the two of them.
 
But he didn't need to be dominant to get what he wanted.
 
Perhaps the term 'whipped' would not be accurate to what he wants.
 
He simply wanted... leverage over Voldemort.
 
And, dare he say it, getting treacle tarts for dinner every day was a good
place to start in his internal 'Make-My-Husband-Be-Unable-To-Deny-Me-Things'
plan.
 
Considering that the plan had too many hyphens and too many syllables, Plan
'Whipped' was really just a better name.
 
Harry may have adopted his 'Snag-And-Marry-A-Rich-Influential-Person-To-Get-
Away-From-The-Dursleys' plan from his pre-Hogwarts years and have started to
internally modifying it to his 'Whipped' plan.
 
"You are thinking too hard." Voldemort's voice forced Harry to finally get out
of his musing and stare at the Dark Lord currently using his wand (damn it, he
really need to find a way to get his wand back) to silently order a floating
quill to write on the floating parchment in front of him.
 
After dinner, Harry and Voldemort had managed to return to the Gryffindor tower
without a problem with the use of Voldemort's various spells (notice-me-not
charm, repellent charm, disillusion charm... to name a few) and Harry's
Invisibility Cloak.
 
Harry had to get out of the cloak when they neared the portrait leading to the
Gryffindor tower to say the password to their house's portrait and he led an
invisible Voldemort to his dorms. Not paying attention to the glares (Ron),
stares (Dean and Seamus) and glances (Neville) he got, he grabbed his
toiletries, went to the bathroom to do his nightly activities then return to
the awkward silence of the dorms. He grabbed his shoulder bag and ungracefully
threw it on his bed. He went to his bed without bothering to say good night to
anyone (although he did notice Neville seemed like he was about to say
something), pulled the covers for privacy and Voldemort placed various charms
to keep his fellow dorm mates seeing, hearing or interrupting them.
 
Afterwards, Voldemort had used his wand to make a parchment and quill start
writing. Finding Voldemort preoccupied with whatever was getting written on the
parchment, Harry grabbed his potions book and a parchment. He stacked his other
books and placed the parchment on top. He grabbed an ink bottle and another
quill before flipping the potions book to the page he needed to write the 15
inches essay Snape had assigned to his class.
 
Harry didn't really want to write the essay and it's not like it's going to
make a difference in the first place considering Snape will find enough
'problems' in the damn essay that the resulting points will just be the same as
Harry not delivering the assignment in the first place.
 
That had been 30 minutes ago and Harry had passed the 13 inches mark, unsure on
what to write for the last 2 inches considering he had already finished the
main essay of describing the history and effect of the damn ingredient they had
to write about.
 
Harry wondered if he had to check other books in the library for more crap to
put in his essay.

Knowing it was futile to sneak out just to get more books for an essay he
didn't want to write for a subject he found interesting but did not want to go
to because of the professor who hates his guts but still protects him from the
shadows which only makes Harry confused as hell, he had started to muse about
his... 'Whipped' plan.
 
"'Whipped' is not exactly an accurate term."
 
Harry blinked at that comment before he raised his head to stare at Voldemort.
Voldemort simply continued to stare at the charmed quill and parchment as it
continued to write whatever Voldemort wanted to write.
 
"You know?" Harry asked, wondering why Voldemort didn't seemed bothered by it.
 
"You were thinking too loudly." Voldemort explained with disinterest.
 
Harry blinked once more before asking, "Out loud?"
 
Voldemort sighed and tapped the wand against Harry's forehead without bothering
to turn his eyes away from the parchment as he replied, "No, my dear fiance.
You simply think too loudly."
 
Voldemort finally turned to look at Harry and said in an amused tone,
"Personally, I do find it annoying you are using a childish plan you conjured
for a muggle but I suppose I should find it also amusing that you think it
would work on me."
 
Harry scoffed and retorted, "I got you to let me have Treacle tarts for
dinner."
 
Voldemort smirked, too predatory for Harry's liking, as he reminded him, "And I
can easily revoke it at will."
 
Harry looked panicked for a moment, causing Voldemort to raise an eyebrow.
Harry's eyes narrowed and he hissed, "You wouldn't dare. Even you are not that
evil."
 
"It's a tart, Potter." Voldemort sneered, masking his confusion with annoyance,
"There's no need for such drama over food."
 
"It's not the food itself, Tom!" Harry hissed, glaring at Voldemort. At the
sound of his real name, Voldemort glared back but remained quiet as Harry
passionately explained, "It's what it represent! That tart is something you
have willingly given me. A symbol of freedom I never had! You take that away
and you show me you are simply a cold prat with no morals or feelings!"
 
What in Merlin's...
 
"Did you listen to the garbage you just said? It's a tart, Potter, not your
bloody liberty paper." Voldemort hissed, feeling a migraine coming up.
 
This was ridiculous.
 
"And you're taking my freedom tart away from me!" Harry protested in an
annoying shriek that briefly reminded Voldemort that one time Orion had
mistaken called Walburga fat.
 
All of his inner circle had backed away, pushing Orion to face Walburga's
banshee shrieks head-on.
 
That night was now known as 'The Night of the Fat Banshee'. (Name courtesy by
Lestrange and Mulciber)
 
"Potter, it's a tart." Voldemort hissed, "You don't need a bloody tart to be
free."
 
"You're not listening to me, Tom! It's not the tart but-"
 
Dear Merlin, did Harry have banshee shrieks lesson from Walburga?
 
"Oh for the love of Salazar!" Voldemort growled, "Fine! Have your bloody tart!
I don't care anymore!"
 
Harry looked at him, his big green eyes that reminded Voldemort of the killing
curse too much for comfort, glistening with tears against the light brought by
the Lumos Voldemort had cast a while ago.
 
"I want apple pie too." Harry mumbled sadly.
 
"Fine! We'll have Dobby prepare you a slice for lunch!" Voldemort hissed,
rubbing the bridge of his nose in an attempt to calm his nerves and not
actually try to curse the mini-Walburga next to him (not that it'll work).
 
He suddenly felt bad for Orion having had to deal with this for the rest of his
married life.
 
Voldemort even considered it now a miracle that Regulus grew up to be a normal
pure-blood wizard. He couldn't say the same to the blood-traitor Sirius Black
though...
 
"Thanks, Tom. You're the best!" Harry happily said, smiling angelically at him.
 
Voldemort stared at Harry for a moment in silence as the younger boy continued
to smile at him.
 
"You... manipulative little minx." Voldemort choked, unable to believe what his
rational mind just realized.
 
Harry's sweet smile turned more playful and smug as he said, "And that is why,
Tom, Plan 'Whipped' is progressing smoothly."
 
"I can-"
 
"Please, Tom, if you say 'revoke your tart and your pie' or something as
equally stupid as that, I would have to reply something along the lines of
'that's not really showing you have the power, Tom, and simply shows that I was
right' because, let's face it, revoke both of them and you show me that you had
no control over them in the first place." Harry challenged, grinning at
Voldemort triumphantly.
 
"You do realize that your explanation, if you can even call it that, did not
make sense at all." Voldemort countered, turning to glare at the parchment and
quill still writing. Voldemort's glare turned more annoyed when he noticed that
the quill had wrote about the damn tart on the parchment.
 
"Sense was never the issue." Harry retorted with a shrug, "In a nutshell, I
have my tart and my pie which means I won that round. Revoke either or both of
them and that other round will also be mine."
 
"And if I don't?" Voldemort hissed, flicking the wand to magically erase all
words pertaining to the damn tart on the parchment.
 
Harry shrugged and went back to staring at his essay as he replied, "I'd say
it's a draw."
 
Voldemort turned to glare at him and hissed, "This isn't over, Potter."
 
Harry raised his head to grin at Voldemort and replied, "Oh, yes, my dear Tom.
This... is just the beginning."

They stared at one another a minute, Voldemort with his murderous glare and
Harry with his cheerful grin. Voldemort was the first one to turn away, glaring
at the parchment as he said, "Applications and examples where that ingredient
is used should fill the remaining 2 inches of your essay."
 
Harry stared at him for a moment before asking, "Thinking too loudly?"
 
"Very much so." Voldemort frowned as he mused, "We should rectify that as soon
as possible. An unguarded mind like yours can easily fall prey to Dumbledore's
probing."
 
Harry frowned and asked, flipping the pages of his book to find any potions
that uses the assigned ingredient, "So... you're reading my mind?"
 
Voldemort flicked his wand, casting a nonverbal drying spell, as he answered,
"No, our minds are linked. Perhaps it has always been linked since that night I
tried to kill you. Either way, the link has intensified due to the bind, most
probably."
 
“And you're fine with that? No temper tantrum? No threats of killing someone?”
Harry asked, actually amused at how nonchalant Voldemort had taken their mind
connection.
 
The quill stopped writing and hovered in mid-air while Voldemort remained
silent. Harry raised his head to stare at Voldemort and saw the older wizard
staring at the parchment floating in front of him with a thoughtful look.
Voldemort placed his hand by his chin, his point finger slightly covering his
lips as he finally said, “It is quite... curious...”
 
“What is?” Harry asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.
 
“Before this bind, I would have been more... incline to violent irrational
reactions that will do nothing but be a temper tantrum. The idea of being bound
to you would have made me more murderous, threaten to kill you or those you
love-”
 
“Good luck with finding one.” Harry couldn't help but comment sarcastically.
 
“And find a way to punish you for your cheek.” Voldemort added, turning to
glare at Harry who simply grinned at him. Voldemort sighed and turned to stare
at the parchment once more before he continued, “Quite frankly, my thoughts
seemed clearer than it had been since the later years of the first war. If I
even try to think about my previous actions during those years, I find them
incredibly idiotic and unnecessarily violent.”
 
“Perhaps you can say the reason why I am not trying to kill everyone in this
room right now is because of how clear my thoughts are. Throwing a tantrum
would accomplish nothing. Had we still been enemies, yes, I would have been
very cross over this connection and perhaps use it to my advantage.” Voldemort
admitted before waving Harry's wand towards Harry's direction as he continued,
“But since we're on the same side, this link is beneficial to us. At the very
least, you can use this link to send me your thoughts or project images that
will aid me or help you in making me understand your current situation.”
 
Harry realized that Voldemort had segued from his musing about his new found
clarity (?) but Harry let it go. If it meant Harry's safety, Harry would be
happy to let Voldemort muse all he wants. Harry's frown deepened and he asked,
"So why can't I hear your thoughts?"
 
"Because, unlike you, I have a form of protection around my mind." The
parchment rolled by itself and landed on Voldemort's hand. Voldemort mentally
mused how Harry seemed unaffected by Voldemort's bluntness over his trying to
kill him.
 
Then again, Harry seem to be unaffected by most things.
 
"You wouldn't be able to pry anything from me even if you use a mental
sledgehammer." Voldemort added in a distracted manner, flicking his wand and
whispering a spell to the parchment. Harry's entire being froze when he felt
Dark magic envelop the entire bed, wrapping around him like an enticing silky
embrace.
 
Harry glared at Voldemort and hissed, "Are you insane?! You'll trip the wards!"
 
Voldemort scoffed and smirked as he replied, "No need to worry your pretty
little head, my dear fiance. I've already changed the wards of your bed to ones
in the chamber."
 
Harry blinked and asked, "When did you do that? And you can do that?!"
 
"While you hid in the bathroom and your dorm mates awkwardly whispered behind
your back. Of course I can do something as simple as warding. I am Lord
Voldemort." Voldemort replied nonchalantly before adding, "Did you know that
the blood traitor has been vilifying you to your other dorm mates?"
 
Harry scoffed and replied in annoyed tone, "Of course he had."
 
"It was interesting to watch." Voldemort admitted, smirking as he commented, "I
seem to remember you and him being... annoyingly brother-in-arms back in your
first year here in Hogwarts."
 
"All the more painful it is for him, I suppose." Harry mumbled, writing about
the potion that made use of the crushed ingredient to make the sleeping aspect
of the potion more potent, "He feels betrayed and other human emotions that
clouded his rational mind to realizing that I am not a greedy fame whore. It
really just show how fickle humans are."
 
"He's a Weasley and a Gryffindor. They're not rational nor do they think
further than their own personal being." Voldemort hissed, making Harry raise an
eyebrow.
 
"Speaking from experience, Tom?" Harry asked in a slightly amused tone.
 
"Your grandfather, a fellow Light wizard and Gryffindor, couldn't stand the
Weasley of our time. That should give you an idea on how disliked the Weasley
family is." Voldemort said, making Harry blink. Harry was about to open his
mouth when Voldemort called out, "Dobby."
 
Dobby popped right next to Harry, looking fearful, as he asked, "My Lord called
for Dobby, sir?"
 
"Give this to the Defense professor. Make sure he is alone when you give this
to him and tell him that his lord shall contact him by tomorrow and to
strengthen the privacy wards around his personal quarters." Voldemort ordered,
handing the rolled parchment to Dobby's fearful hands, before addressing Harry,
"Of course, Charlus was more of a Grey wizard than pure Light so perhaps his
blatant disgust over Weasley isn't exactly a good evidence on how fallen the
blood traitor family is. He was also crazy enough to marry Dorea Black."
 
Harry blinked and asked, "Black? I have Black blood in me?"
 
Neither of them paid attention to Dobby disappearing and Voldemort explained,
"Dorea has always been a bit of an eccentric by Black standards. Falling in
love with a Light wizard, paying no attention to other pure-bloods and annoying
Walburga for no other reason other than for amusement and boredom. Many of us
were simply surprise she hadn't been disowned when she married Charlus. I did
enjoy her company more than Walburga and the other Blacks, baring Orion. She
wasn't the ideal pure-blood daughter but she was entertaining at least. I could
have lived without having to hear Walburga's banshee screams every night
though."
 
Internally, Voldemort wondered if Harry got his sadistic playfulness from his
paternal grandmother. Dorea had always enjoyed watching the suffering of others
as a way to pass time... especially Walburga's.
 
"This means I'm related to Sirius." Harry smiled before frowning as he
remembered, "And... Malfoy."
 
"Potter is an old pure-blood family. You're bound to be related to many other
pure-bloods who annoy you." Voldemort reminded him in a dismissing manner
before tapping his wand to the essay lying forgotten on the top of his books,
"Finish this essay now as we have unfinished business that needs to be taken
care of before we rest for the night. Tomorrow we will meet with your Defense
professor."
 
"Moody is working for you?!" Harry hissed, not believing an ex-Auror and friend
of Dumbledore would follow the Dark Lord.
 
Voldemort scoffed and retorted, "Of course not. Someone mad enough to be
friends with Dumbledore is certainly not sane enough to follow me."
 
"Then why?" Harry blinked at Voldemort.
 
Voldemort sighed and said in a dismissing manner, "You will find out tomorrow."
 
Harry glared at him and retorted, "I don't like that, you know."
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow and Harry turned his head to glare at his essay,
writing the necessary last 2 inches, as he explained, "'You'll find out
tomorrow'. 'I cannot reveal it right now'. 'I'm sorry, Harry. I can't say it
right now. You will now when the time comes'. You sound like Dumbledore."
 
Voldemort glared at him and hissed, "Then why don't you try to find out?"
 
Harry shrugged and replied, "Why bother finding out the hard way when you can
just ask?"
 
Voldemort turned to glare at Harry's essay as he retorted, "And if no one
answers?"
 
"Personally, I think torture or blackmail loosen tongues." Harry commented
nonchalantly, not seeing Voldemort's surprised look, "But, since I'm the Golden
Boy of the Light, I can't do either. If it's the Light who hides something then
I just go along with my Gryffindor comrades' idiot ideas and hope I survive. I
find out sooner or later anyway. If it's the Dark who hides something, well...
Actually, I also just go along with my Gryffindor comrades' idiot ideas and
hope I survive."
 
Voldemort stared at Harry who continued to write his essay. Once he hit his 14
inches mark, Voldemort finally relented, "Barty Crouch Junior is impersonating
Moody using Polyjuice."
 
"Oh?" Harry replied in a dismissing manner, continuing to write his conclusion
for the last 15th inch.
 
"His order was to..." Voldemort gritted his teeth as he admitted, "... make you
participate in the competition and make sure you will be the one to get the cup
that will be turned to a portkey to where I would be performing the ritual to
procure a body."
 
Harry stopped writing and slowly raised his head to stare at Voldemort, "He's
the one who put my bloody name in that shitty cup?"
 
"Yes." Voldemort replied with a nod, "I needed your blood for my ritual."
 
"And you couldn't just make any of my belongings, the quill I use, the cup I
drink from, my bloody glasses, for Merlin's sake, instead?!" Harry hissed,
glaring at Voldemort.
 
Voldemort shrugged as he replied, "My resurrection should be... dramatic."
 
"Oh yeah, 'cause how dramatic would it be if the Boy-Who-Lived just disappeared
when he grabbed his drinking cup, right?" Harry sneered, glaring at Voldemort.
Harry groaned and hit his forehead against the parchment, not caring if the ink
wasn't dry yet, "You're the reason why I'm in this situation, you overly
dramatic egotistic prat."
 
"And why I am in this situation." Voldemort retorted, glaring at Harry, "Get
off your high horse, Potter. I know it wasn't my best plan but I was not
exactly sane back then. Perhaps a part of me wanted you to die in the trials as
well. Anything to get you out of the damn picture because you always ruin
everything I build."
 
"And what makes you think you aren't insane anymore?" Harry challenged, raising
his head to glare at Voldemort.
 
"Because of this bind." Voldemort admitted, raising Harry's wand. Harry
flinched when light erupted from the wand, straight towards him, but blinked
when nothing seem to have changed. Voldemort rolled his eyes and said, "Relax.
I simply cleaned the ink from your face."
 
Harry stared at Voldemort, unsure on how to reply to that. Thankfully,
Voldemort didn't seem to care and explained, "The ritual seemed to have given
me this body. You must probably heard that I was not in my right mind during
the last years of the first war. The Dark rituals I have done had... corrupted
me. My fail-safe to escape death had also brought damage to my soul. By using
the Slytherin Binding Ritual, I've been given a body to satisfy all the
necessary conditions for the bind to end. My mind has also been repaired by the
intensifying of the link between our minds. Perhaps the ritual also repaired
the damage done to my mind as well."
 
Harry frowned as he asked, "Where are you getting all of your explanation?"
 
"It's a hypothesis based on observations and application of various magical
theories I have read before." Voldemort replied, shrugging.
 
"Soooo... you're guessing?" Harry couldn't help but grin at Voldemort.
 
"Finish your bloody essay, Potter." Voldemort ordered with a glare.
 
"You're not denying it." Harry commented in a sing-song manner but started to
write once more. He wrote about three sentences before he said, "This doesn't
mean I forgive you about this."
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes and commented in a deadpan tone, "You break my heart,
love."
 
Harry scoffed and retorted, "When we marry, you're sleeping on the couch for a
week, dear."
 
"Once we consummate our marriage, Potter, you wouldn't want me out of bed."
Voldemort proclaimed smugly, smirking at Harry.
 
"While we are consummating our marriage, please be reminded that you are taking
the virginity of a fourteen year old boy." Harry smirked as he added as an
afterthought, "You dirty old man."
 
Voldemort refused to show the slight disgust he felt once he was reminded of
Harry's age. Instead of continuing their banter, Voldemort announced, "Once
you've completed your essay, I will teach you a spell that will make Barty
acknowledge you as my... representative."
 
Because that was more important than bantering with Harry Potter.
 
Definitely not because he had no retort against Harry's real age.
 
Definitely not.
 
"Oh?" Harry replied as he continued to write the final words in his essay.
 
"You will find it to your liking." Voldemort smirked as he explained, "It
causes much... discomfort to my followers."
 
"Oh?" Harry raised his head in interest.
 
"Finish your essay, Potter, then I will teach you a neat trick to punish bad
dogs." Voldemort reminded him, amused by the interested glint in Harry's green
eyes.
 
Harry began writing faster, causing Voldemort to let out a light chuckle at
Harry's eagerness to learn... disciplinary spells.
 
"You will teach me how to protect my mind too, right?" Harry asked once he
finished the essay before blowing his parchment in an effort to dry the ink.
 
"Perhaps." Voldemort replied in a distracted manner, internally listing the
books he will have Harry read for practical spells that would stop him from
acting so... muggle-like...
 
"If I find a reason to actually bother fortifying it."
 
"You just said-"
 
"I know I did." Voldemort cut him off before explaining, "While Dumbledore and
Snape are good at reading minds, they won't do it so blatantly, especially not
to you. You might not have the proper training but even someone as ignorant as
you would be able to recognize something is wrong if they do try to invade your
mind. They can also only do it when you look at them in the eyes. Only your
surface thoughts would be read, I assume, since that will be hardest to detect
and only if necessary. As long as you keep your thoughts of me away when you
look at them in the eye, you will be fine."
 
"I want to learn how to protect my mind." Harry said, glaring at him, not
bothering to deny that he is ignorant.
 
"And you will. There are just more spells you must prioritize learning before
that." Voldemort reasoned, glaring at him as well.
 
"You'll regret it." Harry warned, making Voldemort raise an eyebrow out of
amusement.
 
"Will I?" Voldemort challenged, "And why is that?"
 
"My mind is unprotected. Everything I think filters to you. Sooo..." Harry took
a deep breath and tried to remember a certain memory.
 
Voldemort almost gagged when a flash of a nude walrus-like boy appeared in his
mind, doing various disturbing poses at a full body mirror that would have
looked aesthetically appealing to a model but just looked pathetic and
disgusting when done by the walrus-like boy.
 
Voldemort turned to glare at Harry and Harry grinned as he asked, "Still think
I don't need to learn to protect my mind, Tom?"
 
Chapter End Notes
     The filing part may or may not be important later on...
     Dorea part is not entirely important. Perhaps a way of saying Harry's
     sadistic playfulness comes from his paternal grandmother?
     And the shrieking may be the Black blood? XD
***** Harry's New Past Time *****
Chapter Summary
     The first day of Harry being mentally linked to Voldemort leads to
     some... playful pranks.
     Some are scared.
     Others are traumatized.
     Harry and Voldemort are amused.
Chapter Notes
     Warning for this chapter:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Harry makes use of his unfiltered mental link
     3 Voldemort silently uses said mental link for his own amusement
     4 Harry has found a role model (Hogwarts' screwed)
See the end of the chapter for more notes
According to Voldemort, yes, Harry still didn't need to protect his mind.
 
In retaliation, Harry tried to conjure all of the disgusting memories he had,
most of which are accidents of barging into the same room Dudley was making a
fool out of himself.
 
With a bit of his dorm mates' misfortune of forgetting to lock the door or cast
privacy charms while getting used to the joys of puberty.
 
There was also that one time Harry had opened the door to the master's bedroom
the same time his uncle was giving his aunt some... 'loving'.
 
Had Harry been a normal child, he was pretty sure he would have been
traumatized by that recollection.
 
Since Harry was not a normal child, all he managed to think was how flabby his
uncle was and how did something like that get inside his aunt.
 
Or was the fact that he only felt a mild disgust over the recollection a sign
of his non-existent sanity in the first place?
 
Regardless, Harry found it funny that Voldemort seemed disgusted over the
memory but found young Harry's musing during that time both amusing and
disconcerting.
 
When he managed to use all of those memories, he started imagining things.
 
Some were disgusting which either amused or disgusted Voldemort.
 
His imagination on how to publicly humiliate Snape was one of the few that both
amused and disgusted the Dark Lord. Apparently, a naked Snape with the
chocolate card of Dumbledore hiding his private parts wasn't a pleasant
image... who knew?
 
Some were amusing that made Voldemort bite back a snort or a reaction.
 
Some were just plain... weird.
 
Even by Harry standard.
 
Nevertheless, it brought amusement to Harry so he wouldn't say it was a waste
of effort.
 
His imagination had always been his main source of entertainment since he was a
child.
 
Being locked up in a cupboard for days would do that.
 
His internal monologue on how dirty it would be to remain barefooted in
Hogwarts which is under a Headmaster who most probably don't give a care about
the cleanliness of the floors which are walked by different children and beings
had silently forced Voldemort to transfigure Harry's dirty sneakers to boots.
 
It also brought the proclamation "We will be shopping for clothes that actually
suits you. I will not have a shabby Consort." from the now boot-wearing Dark
Lord.
 
… Harry was already thinking of which music to use for his 'trying on clothes'
montage.
 
Apparently, Voldemort was so old he actually didn't understand what Harry was
thinking.
 
That thought got him a painful memory of how a woman (my dear lovely Bella
according to Voldemort) had flayed a wizard alive while conscious.
 
It only made Harry interested in learning the spell.
 
A well-timed mental image of him being a ghost, haunting Dumbledore (he might
have been channeling Myrtle on that image), while Voldemort was drinking his
tea in bed (bless Dobby for the delicious meal) had the Dark Lord almost spit
out his tea.
 
Voldemort, who followed Harry silently to class hidden by his Invisibility
Cloak and the different notice-me-not and disillusions spells he cast before
reluctantly returning Harry's wand, seemed to find most of Harry's thoughts
amusing, not that he would admit it.
 
While he cannot see Voldemort, the older man did use their mental link to
project images or words in reaction to most of Harry's musing. It seemed that
the older wizard could not only protect his own mind but manipulate Harry's
mind to a certain extent.
 
When Harry had silently asked if it was possible for Voldemort to 'possess'
Harry, Voldemort didn't send any images or words back.
 
Harry took it as a silent 'yes' which he simply took on stride.
 
With the bind on full effect, Voldemort couldn't hurt Harry anyway. The most
damage the Dark Lord could do with possessing him is probably make him kill
people or make a fool out of himself.
 
The first idea... seemed like something a big bad Dark Lord would do.
 
The second idea... seemed like something Harry would do.
 
Nevertheless, Harry filed that thought for a later confrontation and amused
himself with his imagination while going to classes.
 
His musing of an exorcism of their ghost history professor using muggle movies
as base (Harry had imagined Dumbledore actually going 'the power of Christ
compels you!') was invaded by Voldemort's memory of a real wizard exorcism
which was more interesting than having to listen about the Goblin wars.
 
To be fair, Harry's internal musing of how hard it is to make a poison apple
the same way Snow White's wicked stepmother made it was more amusing than the
Goblin wars.
 
... Voldemort shared a few titles of books which may helped Harry's search for
Snow White's poisoned apple.
 
If Snape wasn't such an evil bully towards Harry, Harry would have been tempted
to try to recreate the poisoned apple.
 
... for educational purposes, of course.
 
Yup.
 
Totally for educational purposes...
 
The brief flashes of some of the Hogwarts students with hair as black as night
and skin as white as snow that appeared on Harry's mind was purely
coincidental.
 
It definitely was purely coincidental...
 
In charms, Voldemort pushed a memory of a young Tom Riddle doing the spell
Harry was trying to perform... in the same class during this own time, it
seems.
 
Harry retorted by mentally screaming 'show off' before replaying the memory
again and again, in an attempt to mimic Tom Riddle's graceful movements because
Harry knew his problems were in the wand movement. Voldemort had the nerve to
push his amusement over Harry's obsession towards the memory which Harry
retaliated by remembering one of the many times Ron had stuffed his face full
of food then begin talking to him about Quidditch.
 
A second of pure Ron talking with his mouth full passed then Harry returned to
the memory of Tom Riddle (how the hell Voldemort remembered it in 3rd person
view is seriously not any of Harry's concern....... for now).
 
After a few more seconds of repeated observations (he was pretty sure Voldemort
was annoyed by that), Harry finally managed to do the stupid charm. Turned out
he was the first in his class, much to the envy of the other students. He was
awarded 10 points which made the lions grin, as if his success was their
success.
 
Harry wanted to sneer.
 
A short memory of Tom Riddle smiling humbly and saying thank you forced itself
to his mind and Harry almost gagged at the sight of Tom Riddle, future Dark
Lord, killer of innocent girls, smiling like a humble sweet angel.
 
Harry forced a mental image of him flipping off Voldemort while smiling humbly
at his professor, making sure to copy the same smile and posture Tom Riddle
had.
 
Which served to amuse both Harry and Voldemort when Filius obviously remembered
Tom Riddle by his action, if the hitch of his breath and slight widening of his
eyes was any indication.
 
Harry have never really bothered to practice smiling. His usual smile was the
crooked awkward smile that most people seem to find adorable. It worked well
with his shy meek image anyway.
 
Well, now that his image has been dragged to the gutter and rolled all over,
Harry supposed he should just let loose and be... well... him.
 
By him, he meant finding ways to freak, annoy or/and insult people.
 
Apparently, acting like Tom Riddle put his professors on edge.
 
Before his class in Transfiguration, Harry dragged Voldemort back to his dorm
and asked (more like begged) him to charm his hair to be neat. Voldemort,
seemingly torn between finding amusement in Harry's plan and being annoyed over
being used as a hair stylist, reluctantly charmed Harry's hair.
 
… They soon found out not even the powerful magic of the great Dark Lord could
tame the cursed Potter hair.
 
They did manage to make it 'neater', Harry supposed.
 
Instead of the wild bird's nest that he usually had, Voldemort had commented it
now looked like Harry had just rolled out of bed after a night of rough
shagging (his words, not Harry's) and not look like Harry had run away from a
tornado, got thrown via a wayward Portkey and had managed to fly a
malfunctioning broom (again, his words, not Harry's).
 
Harry supposed it will have to do.
 
Voldemort looked so offended with the fact that his great power could not make
the Potter hair submit proved to be so amusing that Harry let it go.
 
He had bigger fishes to fry anyway.
 
During Transfiguration, Harry tried to mimic Tom Riddle's posture and
expression. He even raised his hand to answer one of McGonagall's question
which served to surprise Hermione and the other Gryffindors.
 
Simply because he wanted to talk with the same intonation as Tom Riddle...
 
The widening of his Transfiguration's eyes and the jaw slack that was followed
by a few seconds of gobsmacked silence was worth all the trouble.
 
McGonagall didn't even take off points or gave him detention when he called her
'Minnie' during that awkward silence. She just gave a large intake of breath
and started mimicking a fish as she stared at him with wide surprised and
frightened eyes.
 
That... was definitely one of Harry's most favorite Transfiguration classes.
 
He did found it strange when he noticed Theodore Nott stiffen when he spoke and
how the young Slytherin had stared at him the entire time when he answered the
question, his eyes widening slowly as Harry continued.
 
Regardless, Nott didn't do anything else so Harry simply shrugged it off.
 
Hermione was looking at him with confused eyes as well anyway.
 
Nott was probably just surprised by the sudden change of his demeanor or
something.
 
Voldemort seemed to have found Nott's reaction interesting but did not bother
to send any emotions or images through their link.
 
Harry didn't pry.
 
The kicker had been Potions, of course.
 
During Snape's class ritual of humiliating Harry by asking questions only a
bookworm like Hermione or an upperclassman could answer, Voldemort seemed to
have gotten annoyed and simply pushed the answers to Snape's questions through
their link.
 
Never the one to not accept a free gift, Harry managed to answer all of Snape's
questions, much to the annoyance and surprise of the head of Slytherin house,
making sure to keep his Tom Riddle impersonation intact.
 
Harry paid no attention to the surprised look on Malfoy's face, the unnerving
stare Nott was giving him or the interested glances Zabini and Greengrass were
giving him.
 
Okay.
 
He lied.
 
He might have stared at Zabini for a few seconds then raise an eyebrow to
silently ask him what the hell was his problem since he continued to stare at
him even after Nott and Malfoy had turned around.
 
Zabini had the balls to smirk at him before turning his attention back to the
board.
 
Greengrass seemed to have noticed Zabini's smirk and she turned as well,
smiling at Harry.
 
Which only served to make Harry feel awkward and wary.
 
Slytherins...
 
They were just too troublesome to try and understand.
 
Voldemort seemed to be amused by that comment.
 
Harry then remembered Tom Riddle had been a Slytherin.
 
Again...
 
Slytherins were just too troublesome to try and understand.
 
Case in point: the older Dark Lord currently behind him, hiding in his
Invisibility Cloak and lots and lots of disillusion and notice-me-not charms
that just screams 'paranoid'.
 
While Harry was making the potion for their class alone because the class was
an odd number and no one wanted the Boy-Who-Loves-Attention as their third
wheel, Voldemort deemed it appropriate to show images of Snape groveling before
him as well as images of Snape getting tortured.
 
Harry took some time to finally get over the fact that Snape was a follower of
Voldemort.
 
Or is he still a follower?
 
Voldemort seemed to doubt either way if the foreign distrust in Harry's mind
was any indication.
 
Regardless, the continuous torture of his bully professor brought a grin on his
face as he continued to brew the potion.
 
Snape noticed him grinning and he swooped down to him, looking like a crow
swooping down to peck the eyes of its prey. (Or a bat swooping down to... do
whatever it was bats were supposed to do...)
 
"Something funny, Potter?"
 
Harry wanted to try out the torture spells Voldemort had used against Snape
that very moment.
 
"No, sir." Harry said meekly, staring at his cauldron that he was waiting to
boil. He could see most of the classmates glancing at them, grinning at his
current situation.
 
Neville looked ready to faint though.
 
Hermione looked like she wanted to help Harry but was forced to maintain her
focus on her own potion.
 
"Then why are you smiling like a buffoon?" Snape sneered, glaring at Harry.
 
"I wasn't, sir." Harry kept his voice meek and soft, trying to clear his mind.
 
"Look at me when I am talking to you, Potter." Snape ordered with so much
disgust and hatred Harry wanted to sneer and mimic Voldemort.
 
Merlin forbid, he probably could make a believable Voldemort with the amount of
memories of Voldemort being an evil Dark Lord he had been viewing since the
start of Potions anyway.
 
Or...
 
Voldemort must have recognized that Harry was going to do something stupid
because Harry felt their mental link tightened in response, as if making sure
Snape wouldn't notice it.
 
Harry raised his head and stared at Snape's eyes just as he imagined...

Soft lips kissing him roughly, pushing him against the table as graceful but
demanding hands take off his robes. He barely heard the cauldron fall to the
ground, grabbing hold of the taller man currently dominating him. He tried to
push him away, managing to get his lips away from that demanding sinful tongue
for a few seconds so he may whisper, "Stop, Tom..."
 
"You're not really trying hard enough, Harry." A sixteen years old Tom
whispered, smirking the same smirk Voldemort had when he was about to Crucio
someone.
 
"Not here. Snape-" Harry moaned when Tom bit his neck, helplessly tugging the
silver and green tie the older boy was wearing. Tom chuckled against the
sensitive skin of Harry's neck.
 
"-is not here." Tom finished with a wicked smirk on his angelic face, "Now shut
up and raise your ar-"
 
Harry blinked when he saw Snape take a few step backs, bumping into Malfoy who
yelped. Harry made sure his face looked confused but his cheeks were slightly
red as he continued to imagine.
 
Voldemort seemed surprised by the fantasy Harry had shown as well.
 
His experiences with physical displays of affections were only as far as
friendly (awkward) hugs but he did watch enough muggle telly and cinemas to
know some... of the risky variety. Using the Tom Riddle from the diary was just
Harry's preference.
 
Voldemort seemed a bit insulted that Harry chose his diary version instead of
him.
 
Harry wanted to roll his eyes.
 
Might as well practice his imagination to be more varied anyway.
 
And hopefully traumatize Snape in the process.
 
"You look best like this, Harry." Tom whispered, smirking triumphantly as Harry
tried to catch his breath.
 
"Wait, Tom-" Harry begged once more but moaned helplessly as Tom captured his
lips once more, demanding his entire attention to the determined tongue
currently in his mouth. Harry gripped the fabric of Tom's robe tightly,
grinding their crotches together as they pulled away.
 
"Hush, love." Tom whispered, pulling off Harry's trousers, "Stop thinking
and..."
 
Instead of 16 years old Tom, the form changed into Voldemort's current form,
the older Tom Riddle, and he whispered in a low seductive voice, "Lose yourself
to me."
 
Woaaahh. Wait a minute.
 
This wasn't his...
 
Oh.
 
That sneaky dirty old man.
 
"Tom!" Harry gasped, grabbing Voldemort's arms, moaning as the older man began
thrusting roughly, the table creaking in protest to Voldemort's rough pace. He
could feel Voldemort's cock inside him, stretching him, making feel so full.
 
He loved every second of it.
 
"Naughty chosen one. What would your Potions professor say once he hear you
like it when I take you here, in his own classroom." Voldemort mercilessly
thrust into the willing body under him, "This rough. This fast. This despera-"
 
"ENOUGH!" Snape ordered, making Harry blink at the desperate creeping in his
voice.
 
The red tint in Harry's cheeks weren't for show anymore.
 
He was so going to get Voldemort for this later.
 
Who did he think he was, fast-forwarding his own fantasy?!
 
Wasn't the foreplay suppose to be the fun part of shagging anyway?
 
And 'loving every second of it'?
 
Oh Merlin's soggy balls.
 
That prat definitely has a huge ego.
 
"Sir?" Harry whispered, making sure to sound a bit hoarse, like how his (and
Voldemort's) imagination had sounded while he was getting ravaged against the
table.
 
The very same table Harry was currently preparing the Potions for today.
 
Snape looked so pale Harry wondered if he was going to be sick.
 
Hopefully he throws up at Malfoy.
 
Internally, Voldemort was more than happy to continuing the image of Harry
getting pounded by an older Tom Riddle so Harry maintained eye-contact, hoping
this will traumatize Snape so bad he wouldn't annoy Harry.
 
"Stop it this instant!" Snape ordered and Harry could clearly hear the
desperation and the plea in this tone.
 
Most of the students have began to stare at him with distrustful glares.
 
Perhaps they thought Harry was doing something?
 
Technically... Voldemort was doing that something now...
 
Speaking of the dirty old man... Internally, Voldemort had started conjuring
images of Harry and Tom Riddle kissing, with too much moaning from imaginary
Harry if real Harry was being honest.
 
Could... Voldemort actually lift Harry that high?
 
Sure, Harry knew he was smaller than an average fourteen years old and, yes, he
was malnourished so he was underweight courtesy of his relatives' loving care
(that thought caused Harry to feel something akin to surprise and anger from
Voldemort which only made Harry confused).
 
In the real world, Harry simply looked at Snape confused and asked, "Stop what,
sir?"

"Sto- Focus on your potion, Potter!" Snape shouted, making many of the students
jump out of fear and surprise while Harry simply continued to stare at Snape
until imaginary Harry whispers.
 
"Inside me. Come inside me." Harry moaned, gripping Voldemort's hair tightly,
“My Lord...”
 
At the pale, almost looking like he was dying, surprised and horrified look
Snape was showing, Harry finally lowered his head, staring at his potion in
time to see it starting to boil as he whispered, "Yes, sir."
 
Harry continued to make his potion, letting Voldemort continue his... fantasy,
commenting once in the while that...
 
No. He doesn't think he would moan that much, no matter how good Voldemort
thinks he is in bed. (That, itself, is heavily debatable considering Voldemort
had admitted he didn't see physical pleasure as a necessity)
 
Honestly? Harry does not know if he would enjoy it rough... or would even enjoy
sex in general. He was a virgin so his preferences in sexual intercourse is
unknown even to him.
 
He has touched himself but he was so not going to remember that one while his
mind has no protection and Voldemort had front row seat.
 
Apparently, Voldemort wasn't paying any attention to him since he continued
projecting his... fantasy...
 
He doesn't really think he's that flexible.
 
He did like dogs but he never thought of being one.
 
… Okay. The collar Voldemort imagined was a bit nice looking. That shade of
green did bring out the color of his eyes.
 
No. He did not want to go for a 'walk'.
 
Oh Merlin.
 
No. Dark Lords should not traumatize fourteen year old virgins with toys.
 
No, seriously. How many toys are THERE?!!
Chapter End Notes
     The Exorcist was released in 1973. While it dealt with demon
     possession, the quote “The power of Christ compels you” does come
     from that.
     Harry was simply thinking of an exorcism in general.
     … Their imagination in Potion class was so fun to write.
     PS: I uploaded a side-story to this 'verse called 'The_Musing_of_a
     Diary_Hocrux' (a prequel-ish oneshot written in diary!Tom's POV)
***** Unleash the Mini-Walburga *****
Chapter Summary
     Voldemort realizes that Harry does have Black blood in him.
     He also thinks Orion is probably smiling at him vindictively from the
     afterlife.
Chapter Notes
     We have reached 646 kudo(s)! I am so, so happy *does the Joey dance*
     Thank you to everyone who kudo'ed, subscribed and bookmarked this
     insanity. You guys are awesome <3
     Special thanks to those who took the time to comment. It's a totally
     voluntary action and it makes my heart leap in joy knowing you guys
     took the time to comment, even if it's simply to say how much you
     love this insanity. XD
     Also, thank you to MissPunkRockOtaku for pointing out my wrong
     grammar. ^w^
     Anyway. Obligatory Warning for this chapter:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 might be considered slight!Weasley/Ron bashing. But it can also be
     argued that Ron was just the natural target
     3 More non-canon Magic being sentient stuff and Magical traditions
     and laws
     4 Voldemort has mood swings
     5 Harry shows he is, in fact, related to Walburga Black
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Lunch was spent in the safety of the Chambers where Voldemort wrote down titles
of books Harry must read... many of which are Wizarding etiquette and
traditions. They finished lunch early and Harry dragged himself to the library
to get the books in the list.
 
He avoided Hermione who avoided him as well although the bushy-haired girl
almost had the courage to approach him but stopped when she was around 3 feet
away from him, looked around and looked ready to cry, before rushing out of the
library like she just remembered Harry killed her rabbit or something just as
depressing. (The killing of a rabbit seemed to amuse Voldemort for some reason
though...)
 
He also bumped into Victor Krum who looked torn between acting civil and trying
to remember he shouldn't because Durmstrang considered Harry as an interloper.
 
Harry was a bit confused why Krum would even bother trying to act civil to him
when the other foreign champion looked at him with disdain and his fellow
Hogwarts champion avoided him like the plague.
 
Nonetheless, he paid little attention to the Bulgarian seeker, simply nodding
his head and smiling shyly like how he remembered Voldemort's memory of Tom
Riddle had done before, hoping it will make him less threatening to the older
boy. Krum's eyes widened at his smile and he hastily turned around, walking
briskly away without another word.
 
Harry was confused.
 
Did he... smile wrong?
 
Voldemort simply gave an impression of amusement in their link, not bothering
to send any words or images that may help in easing Harry's confusion.
 
Putting aside his confusion, Harry grabbed all the books Voldemort listed and
had them signed by Irma Pince, the librarian, who looked at him weirdly (which
wasn't new).
 
Harry dragged his reluctant body to Divination and paired off with Lavender
mainly because he didn't want to pair with Ron and Lavender was putty in his
hands once he mimicked Tom Riddle's smile.
 
Lavender's friend, something Patil (he didn't bother remembering her first
name), giggled at them while Lavender had tried to smile sweetly but only ended
up awkwardly giving him a half-smile, seemingly unable to get over the fact
Harry had smiled at her like that.
 
Seriously.
 
Was he mimicking Tom Riddle's smile wrong?!
 
Voldemort seemed to be amused each time Harry tried to mimic Tom Riddle.
 
Harry mimicked him just to make things easy for him and to freak his professors
out. Professor McGonagall's reaction was really the highlight of Harry's day.
 
… and Snape's, as well.
 
They were tasked with interpreting their dreams and Lavender had asked what he
dreamed about last night.
 
Saying he dreamed about torturing their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor
would probably not be a good idea and Harry seriously did not want to fake
dreaming of his own death... again.
 
Thinking of creative ways to die got boring after the second week of this
school year.
 
Voldemort seemed more amused that he dreamed about that though.
 
... did that mean Voldemort didn't see his dream?
 
So maybe there was a limit to their mental link...?
 
"Er..." Harry bit his bottom lip and hesitantly said, "I had a dream I was
in... a deep dark forest."
 
"Dark forest..." Lavender flipped through her book, looking for an
interpretation of a dark forest.
 
"And I was lost, I think..." Harry wondered how far he could take this fake
dream, "I called out the names of people I trust but no one answered."
 
Lavender stopped flipping through her book and raised her head to look at him.
Harry continued to stare at the book on Lavender's lap as he said solemnly, "I
kept running in circles, trying to call for anyone but there was no one. No
one... answered back."
 
Just to make sure it sunk its claws, Harry smiled bitterly and mused softly,
"Guess it was a straight forward dream."
 
"Oh, Harry." Lavender looked ready to cry.
 
Harry was pretty sure Voldemort was quietly laughing somewhere in the room.

Harry cleared his throat and said as he forced an awkward smile, "Sorry. How
about we interpret your dream instead?"
 
"O-of course." Lavender nodded and started talking about the giant pink
marshmallow she dreamed about last night.
 
Harry made sure to say he thought Lavender had a cute dream.
 
Lavender had squeaked the word 'cute' and her entire face was red.
 
Harry wondered why he never tried this route before.
 
Oh, right. Because he was acting as the shy idiot boy before, not the
illegitimate grandson of Tom Riddle.
 
Voldemort did not appreciate that thought.
 
It seemed he was still bitter over Harry's “incestual pedophile” comment
before.
 
For a Dark Lord, Voldemort certainly was sensitive over the silliest things.
 
At the end of the class, Lavender walked up to Ron, loudly called him 'a worse
git than Malfoy' then slapped him in front of the other students. Ron just
looked dumbly surprised and Lavender left, giving Harry a small shy smile on
her way out. Even Patil... something... gave Ron the stink eye.
 
Ron will probably realize Lavender's attack was because of Harry but the dumb
confused look on his face right now was worth it. Harry happily skipped out of
Divination, happy that he has free period until dinner. He felt someone push
him towards one of the hallways, away from the rest of the students. Before he
could react, he was pulled and he felt the Invisibility Cloak cover him.
Voldemort pressed him against his chest and grabbed his wand. Casting non-
verbal disillusions and notice-me-not charms (Harry was beginning to think
Voldemort was being overly paranoid), Harry waited patiently, not minding how
his back was pressed against Voldemort's warm chest.
 
He never did understand people's desire for physical contact.
 
Voldemort was warm. Against the cold air that had invaded Hogwarts, the older
man's warmth was nice.
 
It didn't make Harry feel anything special though.
 
Then again, physical contact never made Harry feel anything.
 
Unless it was painful then all Harry could feel was pain and the stubborn
desire to not show anything in his expression. He learned early on that his
uncle and cousin escalates their attacks whenever Harry showed any kind of
emotion, positive or negative.
 
He felt Voldemort momentarily freeze behind him.
 
It took a second before Harry realized why.
 
Oh, right.
 
They were mentally linked.
 
Harry supposed he should stop thinking about all the 'loving care' he received
from his relatives until he finds a way to keep Voldemort out of his head.
 
Harry internally imagined holding a box filled with all the memories he had
concerning the Dursleys and threw them into a hole.
 
He felt Voldemort's surprise when he noticed inside the hole was a black diary
with the title 'Tom Marvolo Riddle'. Harry hurriedly left the hole before
Voldemort could even try to test the limit of their mental link.
 
That diary was never meant to be taken out of the hole... ever.
 
Once Voldemort was done being paranoid, they silently walked towards one of the
windows overseeing the the lake, with Harry walking ahead while Voldemort had
one hand on Harry's shoulder and another on his waist.
 
Once they were staring at the lake below, Voldemort asked, "Do you know if
Barty still has classes?"
 
Harry wondered why Voldemort wasn't bluntly asking about what was inside the
imaginary hole but did not say it out loud. Out of sight, out of mind... or
something like that.
 
"Give me a sec." Harry took out the Marauder's Map from the side pocket of his
trousers and opened it. He grabbed his wand from Voldemort's hand and tapped
the map as he said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
 
And Harry had to grin at how accurate that oath was right now...
 
Voldemort hummed when he saw the Marauder's Map show its contents, whispering,
"Interesting..."
 
"My father and his friends created this for their pranks." Harry informed him
as he checked the Defense of Dark Arts classroom, "There's a Bartemius Crouch
currently in the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom with a lot of overlapping
names. I guess he's still teaching..."
 
Harry blinked when he noticed a dot in the personal quarters for the Defense of
the Dark Arts, "There's an Alastor Moody stationed in the quarters."
 
"That's the real Moody. Barty has him so that he could get the necessary hairs
for the Polyjuice." Voldemort informed him, scanning the map for anything
interesting. Voldemort blinked and hissed, "Morgana's soggy tits."
 
Harry blinked at the curse and commented, "Not a good mental image but whatever
gets you off, I suppose."
 
"Look at where we are." Voldemort hissed, pointing at the two dots where they
should currently be.
 
Harry read the names of above the dots.
 
Harry Potter.
 
Okay... nothing new there.
 
Marvolo... Slytherin...?
 
Wait.
 
Harry blinked.
 
It still read 'Marvolo Slytherin'.
 
Harry rubbed his eyes.
 
It was still 'Marvolo Slytherin'.
 
"Er..." Harry bit his bottom lip for a second before asking, "Does this mean I
should internally call you 'Marvolo' instead of 'Voldemort'?"
 
The low amused (but sounded a bit crazy, to be honest) chuckle that erupted
just next to Harry's ear made Harry's entire body freeze. Voldemort pulled him
closer, wrapping his arm around Harry's waist as he whispered gleefully, "This
means I have more reasons to be grateful to you, my dear."
 
"Oh, that's good, I suppose." Harry replied, blinking at the sudden use of a
term in endearment, "Care to share why though? You know, for future
reference..."
 
"Marvolo is the Gaunt name my mother gave me. While Tom is my father's-" Harry
had to roll his eyes at the utter disgust Voldemort put in that one word, "-
name, Marvolo is the magical name the Gaunt family has accepted."
 
Harry frowned as he asked, "We have magical names?"
 
"Most muggle-borns or muggle-raised children who were accepted by their Pure-
blood family should have a magical name if the Pure-blood family is a
traditional one. If you have no magical name, that means you were not accepted
by that family."
 
"Have I mentioned to you I think traditional Pure-bloods are wankers?" Harry
commented in a flippant tone before blinking as he mumbled, “Does that mean I
have a magical name? Or is Harry James Potter my magical name because that's
honestly a bit weird. I mean, it sounds so muggle...”
 
Not paying Harry any attention, Voldemort continued, "Since my mother was never
disowned, Magic has deemed that 'Marvolo' is my magical name. That is why I am
the heir of Slytherin through the Gaunt family even if I am a half-blood."
 
Yup. He was not getting an answer about his own magical name.
 
Self-centered egotistic prat...
 
"Okay..." Harry pouted as he said, "Still doesn't answer why your name is
'Marvolo Slytherin' in the map though."
 
"Because of you, my dear stupid fiance." Voldemort replied with an amused tone.
 
"Me?" Harry frowned, not really understanding.
 
"By doing the Slytherin Binding Ritual, you forced Magic to accept me as a
Slytherin because I am the last one with Slytherin blood." Voldemort explained,
tightening his hold on Harry as he continued, "You forced Magic to give me a
body when I was enclosed into a disgusting weak golem. By forcing Magic to
accept me as a Slytherin, Magic had to change me."
 
"Change you?" Harry repeated, wondering if that was a bad thing.
 
"As Tom Marvolo Riddle, I was simply Slytherin's heir by blood. I was not
allowed to hold any of Slytherin's other magical properties for only one with
Slytherin in their name can truly become Lord of all that Slytherin owns. Since
my birth name is Tom Riddle, I was not deemed as a 'Slytherin'. But you, my
dear oblivious lion-" Harry shivered involuntarily when he felt Voldemort's
lips by his ear, "You forced Magic to change me from simply being Slytherin's
heir to a Slytherin. Marvolo Slytherin is the man Magic turned me to so I may
satisfy all the conditions for the bind to end. And the bind needs a
Slytherin... a Slytherin who fulfills all the necessary requirements to qualify
as the Lord of all magical and financial properties of the Slytherin line."
 
Harry blinked twice.
 
Dear Merlin on a Pogo Stick... (Voldemort actually raised an eyebrow at that
image)
 
"Did I..." Harry gulped as he asked, "Did I just caused you to become more
influential and powerful than before?"
 
"Oh, Harry, my dear sweet Harry-" Voldemort turned him around, the Invisibility
Cloak dropping on the ground because of the sudden movement. Harry yelped
(which Harry would vehemently say did not sound girlish) and staggered.
Voldemort grabbed him by the waist while his other hand grabbed Harry's hand.
Harry blinked when he realized they look like they were about to waltz but kept
quiet as Voldemort explained, "You made me the most powerful wizard in the
world. More powerful than the orphan prodigy Tom Riddle. More powerful than the
feared Dark Lord Voldemort."
 
Harry was dragged into a silent waltz by the overly giddy Dark Lord (which was
a frightening sight all by itself) as Voldemort explained, "The Slytherin line
is one of the oldest line. Other noble and ancient families have made a magical
oath of loyalty to the Slytherin line. That oath still carries over even now."
 
"Wait." Harry's eyes widened, a quick glance at one of the windows showed Harry
that he looked like he was impersonating Hedwig, "I just got you more
followers, didn't I?"
 
"Yes, my love." Voldemort maniacally laughed, twirling Harry away before
pulling him back. Harry's chest bumped against Voldemort's and Voldemort leaned
closer, whispering with obvious glee, "Not only are they bound to be loyal to
me but any ancient and noble families that have died out but had sworn loyalty
to the Slytherin line will automatically have all their magical and financial
properties absorbed into the Slytherin line."
 
"So you're richer than before?" Harry whispered, letting Voldemort lead him to
another waltz.
 
Voldemort laughed, spinning Harry before pulling him close and replying, "The
financial properties are not important. It's the magical properties that are.
Any loyalty oaths sworn to the dead family lines are passed down to the
Slytherin line but any loyalty oaths those dead families swore becomes moot to
the Slytherin line."
 
"Are you telling me that dead family lines gave the good oaths to you but left
the bad ones?" Harry asked incredulously, "That's... awfully convenient!"
 
"Slytherin line is one of the oldest magical lines. The only oaths they would
honor are oaths a Slytherin had made and that means they must carry the
Slytherin name, any oaths made by the Gaunts or any other families with
Slytherin blood are not honored for they are not a 'Slytherin'. The only oaths
that can be passed down to the Slytherin line are oaths made towards magical
lines as old or older than Slytherin."
 
"Like oaths from other Hogwarts founders?" Harry asked for clarifications.
 
"Yes." Voldemort looked so undeniably giddy it was disturbing, "But their lines
have been dead for centuries. All the other family lines as ancient as
Slytherin are dead!"
 
"Normal people would be sad about that." Harry commented without any bite.
 
"But we are not normal, are we, my dear?" Voldemort retorted, grinning as he
continued, "With the loyalty oaths, many families will bow before me less they
wish to become squibs. I will have to write Gringotts for a full financial and
magical inventory of the Slytherin line but I am quite sure you have heavily
crippled my oppositions."
 
Voldemort laughed maniacally before he placed his hands on Harry's cheeks,
forcing Harry to stare at him as he whispered, "You may have just handed
Magical Britain to me on a silver platter, my dear."
 
"Oh? Well, yey, I guess." Harry replied dumbly, unsure on how to react to what
Voldemort had just said.
 
He wasn't really interested in the war between Light and Dark in the first
place so he can't really appreciate how he may have just won the war.
 
He didn't really understand all Voldemort's talk about magical properties so
it's not like he can honestly be sure Voldemort was right and not... being too
dramatic.
 
Voldemort did have a thing for the dramatics.
 
Voldemort didn't seem offended by lack of joy and commented in an amused tone,
"As my future consort, it is your duty to be happy for your husband."
 
Harry rolled his eyes and retorted, "As my future consort, does that mean
you'll be happy for me when I catch the Snitch in a Quidditch match?"
 
Voldemort narrowed his eyes and hissed, "Did you just compare my victory to
rule the magical world to you catching a flying ball?"
 
Harry blinked and asked back, "Wait, rule the magical world? Do you really
think the Slytherin line has loyalty oaths from magical non-British families?"
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes and retorted, "Of course not. Not even Slytherin is
that powerful. But once I conquer Magical Britain, conquering the rest of the
magical world would be easy."
 
"Woah, hold up." Harry chuckled and grabbed Voldemort's wrists, pulling them
away from his cheeks as he reminded him, "You can't just conquer Britain then
set your eyes on your next victim. Once you conquer Britain, you would have to
keep it under control. You would need a stronghold and make sure that it is
safe from internal forces like coup d'etats and rebellions. You can't just
screw Britain then leave to screw Germany or France or Bulgaria or any other
magical countries."
 
"Your point is valid and noted." Voldemort nodded before grinning maliciously
as he announced, "Once Britain falls under my rule, I will leave it up to you
to protect my back while I subjugate the other magical countries."
 
Harry blinked.
 
Did he just...?
 
Oh, hell no!
 
"WHAT?!" Harry screamed, making Voldemort take a step back, as Harry began to
screech, "Tom Marvolo Riddle-"
 
"Marvolo Slytherin." Voldemort automatically corrected, earning a deadly glare
from Harry.
 
Dear Merlin, he had woken Harry's inner Walburga.
 
"Tom. Marvolo. Riddle." Harry hissed with defiant eyes that just urged
Voldemort to correct him.
 
Years of observing Walburga has ingrained to Voldemort that he should just do
what Orion does whenever Walburga decides to become a human banshee.
 
Shut up and suck it up.
 
"You will not leave your mess for me to clean up!" Harry screeched and
Voldemort mentally wondered if looking like a pathetic cowed dog like how Orion
would always look like would make mini-Walburga stop sooner, "Are you insane?!
You might think I should find it an honor you would leave this shithole in my
hands but are you really thinking of leaving Magical Britain to the hands of a
fourteen years old boy?! Consort or not, I am not physically, mentally and
politically prepared to lead a bunch of selfish arrogant children who throws
temper tantrums when they don't get their way! Oh for Morgana's sake! I would
have to deal with Fudge!!!"
 
Voldemort winced at the ear-bleeding screech Harry produced.
 
Good god.
 
Nails against boards sounds like a lullaby compared to that sound.
 
Walburga's shrieks actually paled in comparison.
 
He can actually see Orion shaking his head and telling him "This is karma, Tom.
All those years you simply stared as Walburga screams at me. Now, feel my
pain."
 
"Fudge no longer needs to be the Minister of Magic once Magical Britain is
ours." Voldemort commented, hoping using the term 'ours' would calm the
shrieking mini-Walburga a bit, "We can have Lucius-"
 
"Malfoy?! You want me to work with a MALFOY?!"
 
Merlin have mercy upon his tattered soul...
 
Even he knew he just dug his own hole deeper.
 
"You want me to work to keep selfish bratty children in line with one of the
most selfish, self-absorbed arrogant brat?!" Harry shrieked, waving his hands
in rage, as he continued, "You bloody idiot! The last thing I need is to be in
the same room as that prat. Leave me in the same room as him those arrogant
selfish brats this stupid world calls a Ministry and I will continuously cast
Avada Kedavra and I WILL MEAN IT!!! I swear to Merlin, to Morgana, to Magic
herself, if you make me rule Magical Britain because you are a selfish child
who plays with your toy until they break then just give them to your consort so
you can play with a new shiny toy, I will take our biological child, or
children if I become stupid enough to let you touch me more than once, and
leave you with your broken toy and all the unruly brats by yourself!"
 
Harry had shrieked full of rage and frustration so loudly Voldemort was
eternally grateful he added a silence charm over them.
 
... He actually wouldn't be surprised if the silence charm wasn't able to fully
silence that inhumane shriek.
 
Even a banshee shriek didn't sound that... frightening.
 
"You will not leave Magical Britain in my hands, you ambitious git! You will
become the Minister of Magic and you will rebuild Magical Britain to your
perfect little utopia! Once it's stable and fully under your control, only then
will you be allowed to start your conquest for your next shiny toy. This is
non-negotiable, Tom! You want me as your consort?! You swear to me you won't
make me take care of your messes like a bloody housewife!" Harry ordered,
glaring at Voldemort with so much rage in his eyes.
 
Voldemort feared he might still be insane when he realized he actually liked
the rage in those beautiful Avada Kedavra eyes.
 
Quite frankly...
 
"You're beautiful."
 
"What?" Harry blinked, all of his rage turned into confusion.
 
Oh Merlin...
 
Did he say that out loud?
 
Before Voldemort could try to salvage the situation, Harry's rage and anger was
back.
 
Oh dear...
 
Did it intensify?
 
"You are not getting away from this by flattering me, Tom!" Harry shrieked once
more.
 
Was it even possible to shriek more inhumane than before?
 
Maybe Lily Potter wasn't a muggle-born.
 
Maybe she was actually a half-banshee or was actually Walburga's illegitimate
daughter.
 
That shrieking is definitely not human!
 
"Swear to me, Tom! Swear as Tom Marvolo Riddle!" Harry ordered, "Swear as
Marvolo Slytherin. Swear as every other aliases you have ever used! Swear as
the bloody Dark Lord Voldemort that you will no-"
 
The sudden silence was heaven's gift.
 
Or did Voldemort finally become deaf?
 
A meek squeak from Harry disproved that idea. Voldemort stared at the gaping
boy, staring at whatever was behind him with a pale face and big wide eyes.
 
Voldemort turned around and his own eyes widened when he noticed what had Harry
so pale.
 
They both stared in front of them and Harry whispered meekly, "You put a
silence charm and disillusion charms, right?"
 
"Yes, we should be completely invisible and silent... But with how inhumane you
were shrieking, I will not be surprised if it didn't muffle any of your banshee
screams." Voldemort replied, grabbing Harry's wand from the boy.
 
"Excuse me?! Did you just call me a banshee?!" Harry shrieked and Voldemort
didn't bother to hide his groan as he smacked his forehead.
 
Even Orion wasn't stupid enough to call Walburga a banshee in her face.
 
"How dare you?! I AM NOT A BANSHEE!!!" Harry screamed and Voldemort wondered if
producing howlers with Harry's shrieks can be weaponized?

"Oh yes. Banshees are nasty creatures. My Lord is more like a siren, Lord
Slytherin."
 
Harry and Voldemort turned to stare back in front of them.
 
It wasn't just the Silence charm...
 
They were visible as well...
 
Chapter End Notes
     I like mini-Walburga mode of Harry.
     Some snippets of other (non-Slytherin) reaction to Harry.
     (mwuhahahaha)
     And you guys probably have an idea who found them XD
     PS: In case anyone is wondering, Barty will make an appearance two
     chapters from now... probably...
***** Emotions versus Logic *****
Chapter Summary
     More explanations which caused one to react and another to remember
Chapter Notes
     I am amused by some of your guesses. XD
     I will update the character tags later this week so I won't spoil the
     surprise XD
     Thank you AsDarknessTakesOver for telling me I mistook 'seat' and
     'sit' ^w^
     Warning for this chapter:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 use of a common plot device for a certain character (can't help
     it... guilty pleasure here~)
     3 Barty is a Ravenclaw graduate here because... meeehh... no real
     reason actually... (mostly because he apparently got 12 OWLs)
     4 Contains hints of how screwed up Harry's mentality is actually
     (kinda)
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Voldemort aimed Harry's wand and ordered, "Don't do anything foolish and I
might be merciful."
 
Harry scoffed and drawled, "Does that line ever work?"
 
"Oh, shut up, Potter. We wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't decided to let
out your inner banshee!" Voldemort hissed, glaring at Harry.
 
"I am not a banshee!" Harry shrieked, making Voldemort wince at his own
stupidity.
 
"Banshees are nasty creatures. They definitely do not have My Lord's sweet
voice."
 
"Are you insane?!" Voldemort turned to glare in front of him, "Did you not hear
his shrieking?! Even Walburga's shrieking were not that inhumane!"
 
"HOW DARE YOU-" Harry stopped his shrieking which only made Voldemort look back
at him in confusion.
 
Harry stared at in front of him and asked in a cool calm tone, "What did you
call me?"
 
"My Lord."
 
Harry glanced at Voldemort before asking, "Why?"
 
"Because the Nargles told me you're My Lord and I will pledge my magic to you.
Oh yes!" Both Voldemort and Harry took a step back when the young girl in front
of them took out her wand. Voldemort raised Harry's wand towards the young
blonde but the girl simply tilted her head at him. She raised her wand towards
the ceiling and proclaimed, "I, Luna Lovegood, heir of the Lovegood house,
hereby declare Harry James Potter, future Harry James Gaunt-Riddle Slytherin,
future head of the Potter house and future Head Consort of the Slytherin line,
as My Lord and as the Lord of my future descendants until time exist no more.
So mote it be."
 
Harry blinked when a soft silver light envelop both him and the girl. The girl
smiled dreamily and curtsied as she said, "My Lord."
 
Harry turned to look at Voldemort who shrugged and said, "Don't look at me.
You're the one she pledged a loyalty oath to."
 
"Er... right..." Harry awkwardly walked towards the girl, "Luna... right?"
 
"Yes, My Lord." She replied in the same dreamy tone.
 
"So... how can you see us?" Harry asked, thinking their priority should be
knowing why Voldemort's spells didn't work.
 
"Compulsory and mind magic never worked on me before, My Lord. Of course, your
Invisibility Cloak does work on me for it is Death's robe and no one can see
Death but its Master. That was the main reason why I could never find you
before." Luna explained which only made Harry more confused.
 
Harry blinked and asked, "Does that mean Tom's spells should still be working?"
 
"Oh yes. Lord Slytherin's spells are very powerful. Not even the Light Lord's
mind magic is this intense." Luna replied with a nod.
 
"Wait." Voldemort narrowed his eyes at Luna and asked, "Are you saying you can
see magic?"
 
"I can see many things, future husband of My Lord." Luna replied, smiling
dreamily as she added, "Your magic is so intense and very alluring. Of course,
since Magic has deemed you as the descendant of one of Hogwarts' founders,
rightful owner of Hogwarts herself now that the other three founders' lines are
dead, Hogwarts has answered your calls and has lent you a hand in your spells.
Not even the Light Lord would be able to see through your illusions right now."
 
"Oh? Is that so?"
 
Harry did not like the manic smirk Voldemort was currently sporting.
 
"Tom, don't do anything rash." Harry warned, glaring at him.
 
Voldemort glared at him and explained, "I can easily take down Dumbledore here
in Hogwarts."
 
"Don't be crazy!" Harry shouted before shutting his mouth. He took a deep
breath and calmly said, "This isn't the proper place to have such a
discriminating conversation, disillusioned or not."
 
Harry stomped towards the window and grabbed his Invisibility cloak. He glared
at Voldemort and walked towards him as he ordered, "You will follow us to the
Chambers. If you leave us or try and find a way to go to Dumbledore without
consulting me first, I will not marry you and I will make sure we will be both
squibs before you can have Britain groveling at your feet. Do I make myself
clear, Tom?"
 
Voldemort glared at him and took the cloak as he hissed, "You can't always
threaten me with this bind, Potter."
 
"I would stop threatening you if you stop making unnecessary risk." Harry
hissed back.
 
Voldemort sneered before throwing the Invisibility cloak over himself. Harry
scoffed and drawled, "Very eloquent, future husband of mine."
 
Harry turned towards Luna and asked, "Am I still under his concealment spells?"
 
Luna nodded and Harry offered his hand to her as he ordered gently, "Come
here."
 
Luna walked towards him and grabbed his offered hand, smiling the same dreamy
smile she had the entire time. Harry awkwardly smiled as well before he turned
to where Voldemort had disappeared and said, "Tom, you have my wand. Cast your
paranoid concealment charms at her as well."
 
Voldemort pulled the hood off and hissed at Harry as he cast the charms at
Luna, "I don't see why we can't just leave your new pet to fend for herself."
 
Harry glared at Voldemort and explained, "Because there's a chance people will
see her go to the Chambers. We can't leave her alone in the Invisibility Cloak
because you need to hide under it. Unless you want to hide with her under the
cloak?"
 
"Of course not. She's your pet." Voldemort sneered and retorted, lowering his
hand once he finished casting every spell, "Why don't we just leave her here?
She doesn't need to go to the Chambers in the first place."
 
"She knows about you." Harry hissed in annoyance, "We can't leave her alone
until we're sure she isn't a liability."
 
"We can just kill her." Voldemort suggested, narrowing his eyes when Harry
pulled Luna behind him.

"She swore a loyalty oath to me." Harry reminded him with a low growl.
 
"You're becoming fond over a pup you just got, dear." Voldemort sneered.
 
"A pup that happens to see people's magic, love." Harry sneered back.
 
Luna simply stared dreamily at the two of them, seemingly not bothered by the
death threats and degrading names. Harry continued to glare at Voldemort as he
reasoned, "Her ability alone should make you second think that stupid
suggestion of yours. Not to mention, she knew about our bind. She knows
things."
 
"All the more reason why she is dangerous." Voldemort retorted and Harry
narrowed his eyes further.
 
"All the more reason why we should find out what she knows." Harry hissed back,
growling in frustration. Harry raised his hand and ordered, "Enough, Tom! We're
going to bring Luna to the Chambers then we'll talk about what to do next.
That's final! We are too out in the open for this conversation! Now shut up,
cover your face and follow us to the Chambers!"
 
Voldemort glared at him for a few seconds which Harry challenged by glaring
back. With a frustrated hiss, Voldemort pulled his hood back and disappeared
from their peripheral vision. Harry sighed tiredly and rubbed the bridge of his
nose. Luna rubbed Harry's back in a comforting manner as she commented in the
same dreamy tone, "Your Plan 'Whipped' is progressing quite nicely, My Lord."
 
Harry turned to stare at Luna while they heard Voldemort growl somewhere near
them. Harry opened his mouth to ask but shook his head. Instead he placed the
Marauder's Map on Luna's hands and ordered, "Focus on that map. Tell me if
anyone is approaching us. Also tell me if Tom starts walking away from us."
 
"Yes, My Lord." Luna nodded happily, staring at the map with the same dreamy
expression she had the entire time.
 
"Your trust in me is endearing, my dear." Voldemort drawled from somewhere
behind them.
 
Harry rolled his eyes and retorted, "Shut up now, love tart."
 
Luna linked her arm around Harry's arm and held the map with her two hands.
Taking this as his cue to start leading Luna to the Chambers, Harry began
walking, mentally mapping the shortest route they can take to go to the
Chambers.
As Harry led Luna through the secret passages littering Hogwarts, he finally
asked, "So... why are you barefooted?"
 
"Hm? Oh, the Wrackspurts whispered to some people's ear to take my shoes." Luna
replied in the same dreamy tone, "Don't worry, My Lord. They will turn up
sooner or later. Perhaps they're in one of the bathrooms near my house's
tower."
 
Harry glanced at Luna's tie and asked, "Ravenclaw?”
 
"Yes, My Lord. Just like one of Lord Slytherin's favorite dog." Luna mused with
a smile, "He just finished his last class for today as well. He seems to be on
his way to his personal quarters. Perhaps he's waiting for Lord Slytherin to
come?"
 
Harry had to think about those words for a few seconds before he realized, "You
know about Barty?"
 
"Oh yes." Luna pointed at the map where the dot named 'Bartemius Crouch' was
moving towards the Defense Against Dark Arts professor's personal quarters,
"See?"
 
"How do..." Harry shook his head and said instead, "You have a lot of
explaining to do once we reach the Chambers."
 
Luna smiled dreamily and replied, "I will do my best to answer all of your
questions, My Lord."
 
Harry led Luna to the bathroom, checking if Moaning Myrtle was there. Once he
knew it was clear, he hissed, "<<Open.>>"
 
The sink parted, revealing the abyss that connects Hogwarts to the Chambers.
Harry looked down and ordered, "<<Stairs.>>"
 
A glass staircase appeared and they began walking down. Luna folded the map and
took out her wand, whispering a soft "Lumos". The small light illuminated their
way down. While they were in the middle of the staircase, Harry heard Voldemort
order "<<Close.>>" and the sink returned to its previous position. Voldemort
removed the Invisibility Cloak, folding it, and followed the two towards the
Chambers.
 
They walked to the main chamber where Voldemort frowned at the carcass of the
Basilisk, preserved by the magic inside the Chambers. He handed the cloak to
Harry and called out, "Dobby!”
 
The house-elf popped and bowed at Voldemort as he asked, "How can Dobby be of
service to My Lord?"

"Are you doing anything for Hogwarts at the moment?" Voldemort asked, staring
at the Basilisk.
 
"Yes, My Lord. Dobby is preparing dinner together with other house-elves."
Dobby replied, frightened that he might have angered Voldemort for being busy.
 
"Very well. Once your duties for Hogwarts are over, dissect this Basilisk.
Separate the meat, the bones and the skin into different containers and
preserve each magically." Voldemort ordered then asked, "Do you know where to
find containers to fit all of these?"
 
Dobby nodded and replied, "Yes, My Lord. Dobby knows where to find containers.
Dobby will do it afterwards."
 
"Thank you, Dobby." Voldemort nodded and turned to look at Harry and Luna who
were both observing him, "You owe me a basilisk."
 
Harry rolled his eyes and retorted, "And you owe me a father and a mother."
 
Voldemort couldn't help but be surprised by Harry's deadpan reply. Harry simply
raised an eyebrow, silently daring Voldemort to retort that statement.
Voldemort sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he said, "We'll have your
conversation-"
 
Harry rolled his eyes once more at how Voldemort spat the word but remained
quiet as Voldemort continued, "-in Salazar's study. Come."
 
Harry and Luna followed Voldemort towards Salazar's open mouth while Dobby
disappeared with a pop, most probably to return to preparing food. Voldemort
led them to one of the many room beyond the mouth of Salazar.
 
It was one of the earliest rooms Harry found actually. It was a small study
with a comforting light. There was a bookcase on one end filled with books of
different subjects, most of them were seemingly old textbooks for the Hogwarts
curriculum.
 
At the middle of the room was an office chair and desk. Two comfortable chairs
facing the desk were on the other side of the office table. Voldemort sat at
the office chair and waved his hands towards the other two seats. Harry took
the one at the left, slouching as he glared at Voldemort. Luna sat on the other
seat, glancing all over the room. Voldemort leaned back as well and stared at
Harry as he asked, "Well? What now?"
 
"Before anything else, I want my oath, Tom." Harry demanded, glaring at
Voldemort as he hissed, "Swear to me you'll stabilize Magical Britain before
playing with a new toy."
 
Voldemort sighed and raised Harry's wand as he proclaimed, "I, Marvolo
Slytherin, swear upon my magic to not conquer other Magical countries once
Magical Britain is under my rule until my future consort, Harry James Potter,
future Harry James Riddle-Gaunt Slytherin, gives me his permission. So mote it
be."
 
Warm light envelop both Voldemort and Harry for a moment then Voldemort
sneered, "Happy, my dear?"
 
Harry hummed and replied, "A bit, I suppose. Thank you, love tart."
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes before glancing at Luna, "And what shall we do about
your new... pup?"
 
Harry hummed once more, thinking over it, before turning to look at Luna and
asking, "What do you know about me and Tom?"
 
"Only what the Nargles tell me, My Lord." Luna took a moment to stare at the
ceiling, seemingly thinking of what she should say before nodding and staring
at Harry as she explained, "I know that I am to pledge my loyalty to you. The
Nargles tell me I am to be your..."
 
Luna tilted her head and ended her sentence with a question, "... Bella?"
 
Harry turned to stare at Voldemort who raised an eyebrow. Noticing Harry's
stare, he commented, "While my Bella may be insane, this girl's insanity seems
like a different type."
 
"Oh, that's because I'm loony. Loony Luna, they call me." Luna said with a
small smile.
 
"Who calls you that?" Harry frowned as he stared back at Luna.
 
Luna shrugged and replied, "Everyone I know. My fellow ravens were first but
everyone calls me that now."
 
Harry narrowed his eyes and asked, "Luna... are you being bullied?"
 
Luna stared at Harry for a second before smiling softly, "It's quite alright,
My Lord. I'm used to it. They simply have their minds infested by Wrackspurts."
 
Harry did not like the sound of that...
 
Voldemort glanced at Luna's legs before asking, "These... Wrackspurts? Did they
order your fellow housemates to take your shoes?"
 
Luna nodded as she explained, "Oh yes. Wrackspurts infested their mind and made
them hide my shoes. And my notes as well at times."
 
"Did these... Wrackspurts also infest the mind of the entire school to make
Harry's life difficult? Perhaps... after his name was taken from the cup?"
Voldemort asked and Harry frowned when Luna nodded.
 
"Yes, those nasty Wrackspurts also made fun of My Lord." Luna replied, frowning
slightly.
 
Voldemort glanced at Harry and Harry froze when Voldemort forced a sentence in
his mind.
 
Wrackspurt is an imaginary creature created by this girl to justify the actions
of those bullying you and her.

This was the first time Voldemort had created a sentence to send to him. The
most direct message he had sent him before were the answers to Snape's
questions back in Potion's class. Other times, he would simply share already
made memories or a snippet of his emotions.
 
Just... how close were their minds link?
 
Instead of mulling over that topic, Harry gripped the fabric of his robes
tightly before asking the young girl, "And the Nargles? What are Nargles,
Luna?"
 
"Nargles whisper to me. Sometimes they whisper where I can find my shoes. Other
times they whisper secrets. They also whispers about what will happen." Luna
explained, smiling softly at Harry as she continued, "They whispered I was to
be your handmaiden. It was to be my duty to whisper to you what the Nargles has
whispered to me and what the Nargles will whisper to me."
 
"And what have this... Nargles whispered to you pertaining to us?" Voldemort
asked.
 
"They whispered My Lord and Lord Slytherin are to marry the traditional magical
way. I am to be My Lord's ring bearer during the ceremony. They say you would
give me a pretty dress." Luna slightly tilted her head, smiling sweetly, as she
continued, "They say your first child will be a boy and he will be loved by his
parents and godparents. I am to help My Lord in taking care of your child while
Lord Slytherin is busy taking care of our country."
 
Harry and Voldemort turned to look at one another and Harry pushed one word
through their mental link: 'seer?'
 
"Oh! They also told me Lord Slytherin will spend a week on the couch once you
married." Luna added cheerfully.
 
Harry grinned as he said to Voldemort, "She's definitely a seer."
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes before asking Luna, "Has these Nargles tell you
anything else?"
 
"Hhhmm." Luna stared at the floor for a few second before replying, "They did
say that you two must marry the night of Yule, no matter what."
 
"That's a given." Voldemort retorted and Harry rolled his eyes at the
condescending tone his fiance had.
 
Luna stared at Voldemort, seemingly contemplating something. She sighed and
said softly, "the Nargles told me something but... I don't think My Lord would
be happy if I tell you."
 
Voldemort narrowed his eyes and Harry turned to stare at Luna, "What did the
Nargles say?"
 
Luna glanced at Harry, fidgeting slightly. Harry nodded and whispered, "It's
okay, Luna. You can tell us."
 
Luna nodded and stared at Voldemort as she whispered, "The headmaster keeps
your diary inside the 'Conspiracy Theories of the First Goblin War' book on the
bookcase in the headmaster's office."
 
Harry immediately stood when Voldemort stood and ordered, "Don't go, Tom!"
 
"That diary is mine!" Voldemort hissed and began walking out of the room.
 
"Damn it, Tom, stop walking and go back to your sit!" Harry ordered, not moving
at all, "I'm not going out of this room until we talk about this!"
 
Voldemort turned and sneered at Harry, "Are you going to ask me to share my
feelings, my dear Harry?"
 
"Feelings? You have feelings?" Harry drawled with a roll of his eyes, "No, you
over dramatic prat. We're going to discuss about our next course of action. Now
sit your bloody arse back down!"
 
Voldemort glared at him and Harry simply glared back. After a minute of silent
glaring at one another, Voldemort finally returned to his seat. They both sat
and Harry leaned back as he commented, “It's too risky to take the diary now.”
 
“I must have that diary.” Voldemort stubbornly said.
 
Harry was starting to get annoyed by Voldemort's childish insistence to get a
bloody diary.
 
“And you will but not now, not yet.” Harry hissed back, narrowing his eyes at
Voldemort, “We're in the middle of enemy territory, Tom. A single mistake and
it's all over. We can get your diary a day before we leave for Yule break. That
way, even if Dumbledore finds out, we'll be long gone. This is also the same
reason why you can't kill Dumbledore simply because you want to.”
 
“And why is that, Harry?” Voldemort spatted his name in a mocking tune.
 
“Because you'll make him a martyr if you kill him now. Instead of demoralizing
the Light, you'll just spur them into a fanatic frenzy that would do anything
just to take you down.” Harry explained, glaring at Voldemort, “Not to mention,
you are being overly emotional just for a diary.”
 
“You don't understand-”
 
“Then explain it to me in words a foolish boy like me could.” Harry angrily
hissed. Voldemort glanced at Luna quickly before glaring at Harry. Harry turned
towards the silent blonde who looked a bit upset and asked softly, “Luna, could
you please wait outside? Tom and I need to talk privately.”
 
Luna bit her bottom lip and stared at Harry worriedly for a moment before
blinking. Her lips parted slightly and her eyes became more vacant. The change
only stayed for a second before her expression became the same dreamy look she
seem to usually have. She nodded and smiled softly at Harry as she said, “As My
Lord commands.”
 
She jumped off her seat and skipped out of the room, closing the door behind
her quietly. The two remaining occupants in the room waited for a few seconds
silently before Harry said, “Talk to me, Tom.”
 
Voldemort kept quiet as he stared at Harry with a frown decorating his face.
Harry continued to stare at him with the same annoyed expression in his face.
The silence stretched for a few minutes before Voldemort finally admitted,
“<<That diary had a piece of my soul.>>”
 
Speaking in Parseltongue for more privacy only made Harry think Voldemort was
being too paranoid but that thought was easily pushed away by what Voldemort
had said. Harry blinked for a couple of seconds before replying dumbly,
“<<Huh?>>”
 
“<<My diary... has a piece of my soul... in it.>>” Voldemort repeated through
gritted teeth, “<<I wish to see if my soul is still in it even if you had
stabbed it with a Basilisk fang, .>>
 
Harry frowned and asked, “<<And if it isn't? What does that mean?>>”
 
“<<I...>>” Voldemort covered his mouth loosely with his hand, staring at the
table in front of him. It took a few seconds before he finally admitted,
“<<I... don't know...>>”
 
Harry rubbed his forehead, his fingers grazing over the lightning bolt scar
subconsciously, as he tried to reason, “<<I'm not going to pretend to
understand what you're going through. You put a piece of your soul in a diary,
for Merlin's sake! But you can't just throw everything out of the window
because you need to know what happened to the soul in it! If your soul is no
longer there because I stabbed it with a Basilisk fang, you should have already
felt or known the repercussion by now. If your soul is still there then it's
going to be still there because Dumbledore has had that diary for the past two
years and haven't done anything to it->>”
 
“<<How would you know->>” Voldemort cut him off with a sneer that Harry simply
interrupted with an annoyed clip tone.
 
“<<Because you have not yet felt any repercussion, right?>>” Harry raised an
eyebrow as a silent challenge for Voldemort to deny his conclusion. Voldemort
leaned back on his chair and glared at Harry while the younger wizard simply
continued, “<<Regardless if Dumbledore had done something to your diary or not,
the fact is you're still alright and have not felt any kind of negative
feelings that cannot be explained. The diary will be safe for now and we can
take it out before we leave for Yule.>>”
 
“<<The longer the diary is with Dumbledore, the greater the risk.>>” Voldemort
retorted with gritted teeth and Harry noticed that Voldemort was being cryptic.
 
He was hiding something.
 
Harry noticed Voldemort's point finger flinch after Harry's thought. Harry
sighed tiredly and closed his eyes as he drawled, “<<Relax, Tom. I'm not going
to ask you what you're hiding.>>”
 
Voldemort stared at Harry with a surprised look on his face which went
unnoticed by the younger wizard because he kept his eyes close. Harry relaxed
on his sit as he mused, “<<I know you're going to hide a lot of things from me,
the same way I'm hiding a lot of things from you by not thinking about them.
They're your secrets to share if you want to, I'm not going to be nosy about
them.>>”
 
“<<You are being awfully understanding about it.>>” Voldemort commented as he
finally replaced his surprise with a look of indifference.
 
Harry opened his eyes and stared at Voldemort as he smiled sardonically,
“<<Don't mistake understanding for not caring, Tom. Frankly, I do not care if
you keep secrets for me as long they will not harm me, directly or indirectly.
Will not knowing everything about your diary with a piece of your soul harm me
in any way?>>”
 
Voldemort frowned as he admitted, “<<As far I know, no, it will not.>>”
 
“<<Then keep your secret.>>” Harry waved his hand dismissively before
stubbornly saying, “<<But we will not risk going to Dumbledore's office right
now. We will wait until it's the day or the night before we leave for Yule
break. That has the least risk of getting caught while we're still in
Hogwarts.>>”
 
Voldemort glared at him and asked bitterly, “<<How can someone as young as you
see things in the most rational way?>>”
 
Harry shrugged and replied nonchalantly, “<<I don't care about most things and
the things I care about do not have much sway over my decisions. I make
decisions based on my thoughts, not my emotions. You have sentimental values
over your diary and... fear, I assume, over the possibility of your diary's
fate in the hands of Dumbledore.>>”
 
Harry played with the fabric of his robes as he admitted, “<<Your diary has
been... a companion of mine for a few weeks but its sentimental values to me
are irrelevant. I will prioritize our survival above all else.>>”
 
Harry's lips curved into a bitter smile as he said to Voldemort, “<<I may not
be as powerful or as experienced as you, Tom, but I am probably more inhumane
than you. You're still ruled by your emotions and quick to anger. I can see now
why you enjoy throwing Crucio like it's water on a beach. All that repressed
rage and hate? You might need a new outlet for that, dear. I, on the other
hand, am emotional detached to everything and all of the stupidity I have done
were deemed necessary to play the part of the Boy-Who-Lived. Of course, I have
had my idiot moments but they're very few and they always happened because I
get caught up in the flow or I let my emotions control my actions. That's why I
know letting you try to get the diary while we're here for a long period of
time would be foolish. You're getting caught up in the flow and I know I have
to drag you away.>>”
 
Harry stood and said, “<<We should just stick to our original plan and meet
with your dear Barty. His help will be much appreciated for the following
weeks.>>”
 
Voldemort remained quiet and Harry sighed as he said in English, “I'll wait for
you outside with Luna.”
 
Harry grabbed the hand Voldemort had been using to cover his mouth and gently
pulled it away from the frown decorating Voldemort's face. Harry squeezed
Voldemort's hand softly and said, “Please, Tom, don't make our lives
unnecessarily more difficult than it already is.”
 
The physical contact was unnecessary but Harry felt like he should do it. He
didn't understand why though...
 
Harry let go of Voldemort's hand and quietly left the study. He saw Luna
sitting on the cold floor right next to the door as he closed the door behind
him. Luna smiled softly at him and said, “It's alright to miss him, My Lord.”
 
Harry leaned on the wall next to the door and stared down at the young
Ravenclaw as he asked, “Did the Nargles told you about him as well?”
 
“They did.” Luna replied with a nod and played with her (... were those
Butterbeer caps?) necklace as she said in the same soft sagely tone, “It's
quite alright to miss him. He had been the first person you have shown who you
really are.”
 
Harry's lips curved to a bitter smile as he corrected, “I didn't show him who I
really was. He just saw snippets of who I really am.”
 
Luna tilted her head to the side as she asked, “Does it matter if he has seen
10 percent or 50 percent of the real Harry? Either way, he had been the only
one who had... before Lord Slytherin.”
 
“It doesn't matter either way.” Harry replied, rubbing his forearm as he
reminded her (and himself), “Missing Tom... missing his diary is irrelevant and
unnecessary to our situation right now. There's nothing we can do about our
past mistakes.”
 
“And he's right beside you now, isn't he?” Luna added with a smile as she
slowly got up.
 
Harry's lips curved into a small smile and he opened his mouth but stopped
before he could say anything when he heard the door open. Harry turned around
and Voldemort stepped out of the room. He didn't glance at both of them as he
announced, “Let's go. We have a meeting with one of my dogs to get to.”
 
Harry grinned and nodded, silently following Voldemort.
 
Luna stared at the two of them for a second before following them, humming a
soft sad song under her breath.
 
Chapter End Notes
     Next chapter, we are going to meet Barty (FINALLY)
     I hope Luna becoming Harry's handmaiden is alright. Seriously, guilty
     pleasure over here XD
     Harry's closeness with diary!Tom is... kinda shown in the sidestory
     “Musing_of_a_Diary_Hocrux”. It's not such a deep closeness but the
     diary had been the first person who ever saw the real Harry for long
     periods of time so Harry's emotional attachment to the diary is quite
     deep... deeper than what Harry is actually showing (dun, dun, DUN). I
     think there would be more 'scenes' of Harry musing about the diary as
     we go along this fic. ^w^()
     PS: I uploaded a side-story called Family Visit (click the next arrow
     on the Series tag or just click_me) which is set waaaayyyyyyyyyy into
     the future and Voldemort and Harry already have two kids.
***** The Breakdown of Bartemius Crouch Junior *****
Chapter Summary
     The chapter title pretty much summarizes it
Chapter Notes
     Before anything else. I also uploaded 2 (yes, that's right, 2!) side-
     stories for CaRB because you guys ask nicely for a sequel with Mini-
     Mort_vs_Magical_Girls (which is freaking long, like... it's freaking
     looonnngg) and AsDarknessTakesOver asks for a continuation of the
     Potion_Class'_fantasy so yeeaaahhh... I'm that nice. (no, really, I
     am... kinda... XD)
     Warning for this chapter:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Harry is a sadistic menace
     3 Er... slight Ron bashing? Kinda?
See the end of the chapter for more notes
"Professor Moody!" Harry called out, running to catch him with the ex-Auror
(or, at least, a Death Eater impersonating an ex-Auror). Luna casually strolled
behind him, playing with her necklace made of Butterbeer caps. She stopped a
few feet away from them, swaying lightly as she looked at the ceiling with
wondering eyes.

The man wearing Moody's face glanced at the younger Ravenclaw for a brief
moment before turning his gaze towards the small Gryffindor currently smiling
at him, "What is it, Potter? Shouldn't you be eating dinner by now?"

"Ah, I never enjoyed eating with other people. Having to eat in the presence of
one Ronald Weasley certainly helps in losing your appetite which is a bit weird
because none of the other Weasleys pig out like him. Although, I have notice
all of them tend to hog a lot of food into their plate but, at least, Percy and
Ginny attempt to not pig out. The twins aren't as bad as Ron too. Not to
mention, the entire student body stare at me like I'm an escapee from Azkaban
which is kinda ironic 'cause that's actually my godfather who got framed by a
rat who nobody really liked which actually begs the question why he became
friends with my father and his gang in the first place. Sure, a werewolf also
doesn't make that much se-"

"Potter!" The older wizard barked, glaring at Harry, "I did not ask for a
history lesson nor your observation over the eating habits of the Weasley
family. I asked you why you're here."

Harry's lips curved into the malicious smirk he has seen Voldemort make
whenever he was about to Crucio some poor Death Eater (who happened to be Snape
in Harry's experience due to Potion class). His smirk widened when he heard the
older man's sharp intake of breath. He felt Voldemort's amusement through their
link but paid it no heed as he caressed his professor's left forearm. He felt a
pleasant shiver course through his entire body, the Dark magic emitting from
the hidden Mark had gave him a flow of soothing magic. It was quite similar to
Voldemort's own magical aura which he usually hides, a kind of pleasing and
intoxicating allure that tries to force Harry to submit.


He never recognized it from Snape though. Then again, it was only at this
moment, as he was holding his professor's forearm, that he could feel the
allure of Voldemort's magic.


Perhaps he can only feel it if he touched the Mark?


He recognized it as the same allure he felt towards Quirrel from his first year
but Quirrel had a deluded and corrupted feel to the aura which made Harry's
scar ache. Whether it was because Voldemort was weak then or it was because of
Quirrel's mediocre magic, Harry didn't really found out.


The first time he really felt the tug was during his second year. At first, he
felt a slight tug with Ginny and he had wondered if he was attracted to the
youngest Weasley. He wasn't exactly thrilled by that idea nor was he repulsed
by it. Harry found Ginny to be quite cute and her personality was not too bad.
The whole starstruck look she usually had for Harry was amusing to him. The
Valentine Singing incident was not amusing though...


He had considered it a problem if he was developing emotional attachment to
Ginny though. Ginny was a Light witch and was firmly on Dumbledore's side like
the rest of her family. His plan, if it turned out he was attracted to Ginny,
was to sway her to his side (whatever side that was... alone or in Voldemort's
side) and manipulate her feelings for him.


Harry was really counting on the whole 'love makes you crazy' and all that
jazz...


His plan didn't come into fruition since he found out the tug he felt from
Ginny was the residual magic Voldemort's diary had. The diary itself was soaked
with the allure of Voldemort's Dark magic, intoxicating Harry to trust and
confide in the Tom Riddle inside the diary.


That allure was actually the main reason why Harry wanted to keep Tom Riddle.


Oh...


Did he just think 'keep Tom Riddle'?


For some reason, that phrase conjured an image of a sixteen years old Tom
Riddle with a collar, kneeling in front of Harry.


Annnnddddd he just felt Voldemort's surprise in their link.


He cleared his mind and hissed as he gripped his professor's forearm tightly,
making sure to imitate Voldemort's snake-like speech by drawling the 's' and
speaking with a low tone which he seemed to use when he was speaking to his
followers (for reasons Harry didn't really understand), "How disappointing. I
would have expected you as one of my most favored to know I do not like to be
interrupted..."

Harry tilted his head as he drawled, "Baaartyyy..."

“<<Burn>>” Harry chanted in Parseltongue as he gripped his professor's forearm
tightly, forcing his magic onto the Mark which began to warm against his touch.
The older wizard's real eye twitched and his left arm began to tremble. Harry
stepped closer and hissed, "It will be to our best... interest... if we
continue this conversation inside, Barty."

His professor grimaced and took a step back but Harry kept his grip on his
forearm. He walked towards the door leading to his personal quarters and hissed
the password through gritted teeth as Harry felt the mark began burning against
his touch, "Fortune favors the brave."

Harry heard the mechanism of the door begin to unlock, reminding him of the
vault door in Gringotts. He turned to look at Luna and jerked his head towards
the door. Luna nodded and smiled at him, quietly following the two inside
Moody's room.

All four of them (Voldemort still hidden by Harry's Invisibility Cloak) walked
inside and the door automatically closed and locked behind Luna. He felt
Voldemort cast silencing and privacy charms through their link and Harry
waited, asking the trembling man in front of him in a mimicry of Voldemort's
hissing tone, "Have you done as your lord has ordered, Barty? I'm sure my
house-elf had made it clear to strengthen the privacy and silencing charms in
your quarters."

"P-P-Potter. I don't know what game you're playing-"

"You test my patience, Barty." Harry hissed as he narrowed his eyes, internally
wishing he knew how to cast a glamour to make his eyes red. That would have
made this whole thing more amusing. Harry tightened his grip on his professor's
forearm as he hissed in Parseltongue, "<<Break>>"

The older man let out a pained howl and Harry's malicious grin turned more
sadistic as he heard the telltale sound of bones breaking. His professor
dropped to his knees, panting heavily as sweat began to form on his forehead
while the burning of his arm began to rise dangerously, nearing the same
temperature Harry had burned his hand on the stove when he had been young.
Harry used his free hand to caress his professor's cheek as he hissed,
"<<Reveal Your True Self>>"

The older man's skin began moving strangely, honestly making Harry think there
were worms underneath the skin. He let out a loud scream and Harry wondered if
it was because of the spell to forcibly return his features to its original
form or if it was because the heat erupting from the mark had reached the same
burning temperature Harry had felt before. The only reason why he has yet to
let go was because of his high pain tolerance.

His transformation lasted for three seconds and Harry was amused that he was
able to continue screaming for that full three seconds. Instead of the aging
paranoid wizard Harry had gotten used to, he was now facing a wizard who was
most probably at his middle thirties. Dirty and messy blond hair framed his
pale skin and wide brown eyes stared at Harry with a mixture of fear and
reverence.

Harry found himself enjoying the mixture of emotions directed at him.

"Hello, Barty." Harry greeted with a sadistic smile, caressing the Death
Eater's cheek with his thumb.


He was really enjoying Parselmagic. He had been a bit distrusting when
Voldemort had taught him how focusing his magic while speaking in Parseltongue
could create unknown spells (it seemed like it's too good to be true). It
seemed that as long as he thought clearly and used appropriate words spoken in
Parseltongue, the ideas of spells Harry could make became endless. According to
Voldemort, the words could be based on any other language but must be said in
Parseltongue to work. Voldemort was more used to using Latin as his base
language but they soon found out Harry had better control over Parselmagic if
he used English as his base.

"M-my... lord...?" Barty asked, flicking his tongue against his bottom lip
quickly.

Harry raised an eyebrow out of amusement before he heard Voldemort hiss,
"Crucio."

Harry let go of Barty immediately as the red light of the Cruciatus curse hit
him on the back. Barty fell on the floor, screaming loudly as he began to
writhe. The Crucio only lasted for ten seconds and Harry's breath hitched when
Voldemort suddenly grabbed his wrist, pulling him towards the older wizard till
their chest bumped against one another. Harry raised an eyebrow and whispered,
"I hope that curse didn't trip the wards."

"You burned your hand, you foolish child." Voldemort hissed, tightening his
grip on the wrist of Harry's burned hand.


… Harry supposed he should take that as Voldemort's way of saying 'yes, the
wards did not trip'.

Harry blinked owlishly at him for a few seconds before turning his gaze towards
his hand. The palm of his hand was red and slightly burned. The middle of his
palm already had a blister in the shape of what Harry assumed to be a part of
the Mark. Harry simply blinked at it and uttered a baffled "Huh."

"You've just caused yourself a second degree burn and all you utter is a
'huh'?!" Voldemort sneered, glaring at Harry. Harry shrugged and pulled his
hand away.

Voldemort glared at him as Harry jumped on the desk, disrupting the stacks of
parchment on one side. He stared at his burned hand and said dismissively, "I
have high pain tolerance. I've had worse."

Harry jerked his chin towards Barty who was gasping for breath as he laid on
the floor and asked, "Shouldn't you be more worried about your poor tortured
Death Eater?"

Voldemort took a few steps towards Barty and hissed, "Barty..."

"My Lord..." Barty gasped for air before murmuring, "Forgive me for my
insolence and my-"

"Enough." Voldemort ordered with narrowed eyes, "My patience grows thin, Barty.
I do hope you have burn salve here or I might just remind you who taught Bella
how to use Crucio at its fullest."

Harry raised an eyebrow and teased, "Careful, Tom. You're starting to sound
like you care."


"Apparently, one of us has to considering how little you value your health even
though you supposedly prioritize your survival above all else." Voldemort
retorted, glaring at Harry.


Harry rolled his eyes but remained silent.


It seemed like such a chore to try and explain to the evil Dark Lord that a
burn like this was treatable and was not life-threatening, especially to
Harry's high healing capabilities.

"Third cabinet... second row..." Barty gulped before continuing, "Red
bottle..."

Voldemort turned to face the cabinet... only to see Luna already walking
towards Harry with said red bottle. Voldemort growled lowly and glared at the
smiling girl who simply uncapped the bottle and dipped her point and middle
finger inside. Harry noticed his glare and grinned cheekily, "Would the big bad
Dark Lord like to rub my boo-boo away?"

Voldemort flicked Harry's wand and aimed a stinging hex towards the cheeky
Gryffindor. Harry's grin grew when the hex simply dissolved before reaching his
leg and he drawled, "Remember, Tom. You can't hurt me anymore."


Luna giggled and offered the red bottle to Voldemort. She titled her head to
the side, reminding the Dark Lord of her Lord, and asked with a dreamy smile,
"Would you like to rub My Lord's boo-boos away, Lord Slytherin?"

Voldemort sneered at her which only made Harry stifle a chuckle while Luna
continued to smile at him. Voldemort turned to face Barty and ordered in an
annoyed clip tone, "Rise, Barty."

Barty's entire form trembled but he forced himself up, gasping for breath. It
was a good thing the bone breaking Parseltongue-based curse he had taught Harry
was only temporary. He knelt in front of Voldemort, head bowed down in
submission, as he whispered reverently, "My Lord."

"I assume you have received my letter?" Voldemort asked, caressing Harry's wand
unconsciously. Harry's Holly wand did not feel as comfortable as his own Yew
wand but there was a sense of familiarity and security radiating from the wand.

"Tom dear, can you not touch my wand like that?" Harry asked before grinning
cheekily as he commented, "Oh, that sounded so wrong..."

Voldemort simply rolled his eyes and didn't bother to reply him. Harry snorted
when Voldemort blatantly continued to caress his wand. Harry watched the two of
them as Luna rubbed the burn salve on his palm. The gel was cool against his
irritated skin but Harry couldn't help but scrunched his nose at the smell.
Barty kept his head down as he replied enthusiastically although he was
glancing at Harry with a confused but slightly interested look, "Yes, My Lord.
I've finished writing the drafts as instructed in the letter."

"Bring them to me." Voldemort ordered, walking towards the work desk. He glared
at Harry who was still sitting on the desk.

Harry raised an eyebrow and asked nonchalantly, "Letters?"

"Legal letters which needs to be sent to Gringotts and a letter for Wormtail."
Voldemort briefly explained, sitting on the chair. Barty took out five rolled
pieces of parchments from his jacket and walked towards the desk. He stopped in
front of Harry and awkwardly shuffled, unsure if he should hand the parchments
over to Harry or to walk around the desk to hand it directly to Voldemort.
Harry simply grinned at Barty's indecisiveness while Voldemort growled in
annoyance, smacking Harry on the back.

Harry leaned back and arched his back, staring at Voldemort upside down as he
cheekily grinned, "That's called domestic abuse, love tart."


Barty choked on his own spit at Harry's term of endearment.

"Considering your high pain tolerance, we can argue it as simply a love tap,
dear." Voldemort drawled without missing a beat.

Barty made a squeaky sound that Harry supposed sounded similar to 'love tap'.

Luna turned to smile dreamily at Voldemort and commented, "The Nargles would
like to comment that it could also be considered as BDSM."

Barty's eyes widened and his jaw slacked.

Voldemort rolled his eyes and deadpanned, "Tell the Nargles that a single slap
doesn't count as BDSM."

Harry sat up straight and asked Barty with a grin, "How many slaps does your
lord need to do for it to be counted as BDSM?"

Barty could only make an incoherent squeaky sound at Harry's question.

Harry grinned and grabbed the parchments from Barty's hands as he said in a
singsong tone, "Sweetie, I think I broke your Death Eater."

Voldemort rolled his eyes and deadpanned, "Fix him or you owe me a Death
Eater."

Harry grinned and turned his upper body to face Voldemort before asking
playfully, "Trade him for Luna?"

Voldemort glanced at the young Ravenclaw who simply smiled dreamily at him.
Voldemort placed his hand in front of him, palm up, as he deadpanned,
"Rejected. Your pup is too nice looking to be a Death Eater."

Luna pouted and Harry raised an eyebrow as he handed the parchments to
Voldemort while commenting, "My pup can look fierce."

Voldemort placed the parchments on the table before unrolling one, his eyes
trained at Harry and Luna. Harry lightly tapped Luna's left shoulder and
ordered, "Luna, fierce look."

Luna narrowed her eyes and sneered at Voldemort. Harry beamed proudly while
Voldemort raised an eyebrow at their antics. Voldemort sighed and shook his
head, lowering his head to stare at the unrolled parchment in his hands, "No.
Fix my Death Eater, darling."

Luna pouted and Harry clicked his tongue, placing his hands on Luna's cheeks as
he dramatically said, "Don't listen to him, my dear. You looked fabulous. He's
just an uptight Dark Lord."

"Forgive me for not wanting an obvious jail-bait as one of my Death Eaters."
Voldemort drawled, not bothering to look up from what he was reading.

Harry snorted before he rolled his eyes as he retorted, "Considering you're
marrying a fourteen years old boy on Yule night, I think having a jail-bait
Death Eater would be the least of your problems."

Harry grinned as he added, "Cradle robber."


Barty looked ready to faint any moment now.

"Calling me a Cradle Robber would have made more sense back in your first year.
Do not make me test the limits of my incapability to hurt you, my dear."
Voldemort warned before he poked Harry with his own wand at the back as he
ordered, "Make yourself useful and explain to Barty what's happening."

Harry scrunched his nose and commented, "Oh Merlin. The image of you trying to
bad-touch me when I was eleven and you were a parasite on Quirrel's head is
just disturbing, even by my standards."

Luna gave a dreamy grin as she added, "Or kinky."

"Luna love..." Harry patted Luna's cheek gently as he said, "Your Nargles are
poisoning your mind. I mean... wouldn't that count more as Quirrel touching me
than Tom? Remember, he was just a parasite on Quirre-"

"Harry..." Voldemort called out in a warning tone which only made Harry roll
his eyes.

"Oh, fine. I suppose I can be useful to you, my love tart." Harry drawled as he
shrugged. He grinned at Barty and patted the frozen Death Eater's cheeks
lightly as he teased, "Look alive, Barty. Remember what you told me? Constant
vigilance and all that rubbish."

"Wha-how-wh-why?!" Barty managed to squeak out, staring at Harry with big wide
eyes that reminded Harry of Hedwig.

"I summoned Tom by mistake yesterday and we're bound to one another because
Salazar Slytherin couldn't find the time to write clearer descriptions about
his rituals so it's totally not my fault." Voldemort snorted at that but Harry
paid no attention to him as he continued.

"Because of this bind, your dear lord and I are now required to get married the
traditional magical way because Mr. Dark Lord over here does not want to become
a squib and this bind is too much of a hassle to not take off. What else..."
Harry turned his gaze to the ceiling and mused, "Tom bound Dobby to him so we
can have a House-elf and spy here in Hogwarts. We're planning on getting
married at Yule night. Oh! And, apparently, I need to bear your uptight Dark
Lord an heir because I'm obviously the male seahorse in this relationship."

"Which I've been meaning to ask..." Harry turned to look at Voldemort and
asked, "Is there anything we need to prepare to... make conception easier? Like
a ritual or potion or something?"

Voldemort turned his gaze to Harry and raised an eyebrow. Harry shrugged and
explained, "Just wondering. I mean, is it like the muggle way where we just
shag until we hit jackpot?"

Barty made another squeaking sound which Harry supposed was a squirrel trying
to say 'shag'. Luna smiled dreamily at Harry and suggested, "I can ask my
father to send books and pamphlets about male pregnancy. Father has a lot of
connections."

"You do that." Voldemort replied for Harry and returned his gaze back to the
paper in his hand, taking a quill and writing something on the parchment. He
didn't bother to raise his head or stop writing as he reminded Harry, "Fix my
Death Eater, my dear."

"Do you really need him to be fix? I mean..." Harry turned to stare at Barty
with a malicious smirk on his face, "I happen to like that precious stupid look
on dear Barty's face."

"When I said you can play with my Death Eaters, I specifically told you to not
break any of them." Voldemort reminded him and placed one of the parchment on
the table before picking another parchment, "Your ire over Barty's
participation in forcing you in this tournament should have been abated with
you burning his mark and your hand."

Harry hummed and said nonchalantly, "I don't know. I still feel a bit peeved.
And he hasn't said sorry yet."

Voldemort sighed in resignation and ordered, "Barty, kneel and beg for
forgiveness."

"My Lord?" Barty couldn't help but ask out of surprise at the sudden order.

"For the sake of our sanity, it's better to let this little menace have what he
wants." Voldemort deadpanned, glaring at Harry when he coughed a word that
sounded very much like 'whipped' before he turned his glare towards Barty as he
hissed, "Or are you disobeying me, Barty?"

Barty immediately knelt and pressed his forehead against the floor as he
dutifully said, "Please forgive my previous transgression, Little Lord."

Harry blinked and stared at Barty for a moment before asking, "Was that an
insult?"

"Absolutely not!" Barty immediately replied, "As you are to be wed to My Lord,
it is only natural that I call you properly. If Little Lord is not to your
liking, may I inquire how you wish to be called?"

Harry grinned mischievously while Voldemort frowned, raising his head to glare
at Harry's back, as Harry said, "Great Lord."

"No." Voldemort immediately rejected.

"My God?"

"Don't flatter yourself, dear."

"Your Grace."

"As long as you have the grace of a blind drunk Hufflepuff trying to dance,
no."

"Oh, now you're just being petty." Harry whined, pouting at Voldemort.

"Just accept 'Little Lord', my dear." Voldemort ordered before handing the
parchment he was currently holding to Harry. Harry stared at the parchment
being handed to him and Voldemort deadpanned, "It's our engagement contract."

"Oh, goodie." Harry said childishly and took the parchment. He began swaying
his feet as he began to read. Luna knelt in front of Barty and began combing
his hair with her hands, gently tugging the knots off.

"Um... Little Lord?" Barty called out, unsure if he should bat Luna's hands off
or not.

"Stay still and let my pup play with you." Harry ordered absentmindedly. He
blinked twice and asked Voldemort without glancing away from the parchment in
his hands, "Tom dear, why is there a clause here that states I relinquish all
my Wizengamot votes to you once I reach my adulthood?"

Voldemort grabbed the first parchment he had finished revising and handed it to
Harry without looking up, scribbling something on the parchment he was
currently working on Harry grabbed the parchment and opened it, his eyes
widening at the first paragraph of the letter. Harry turned to look at
Voldemort and asked, "I'm getting emancipated?!"

"While the traditional magical marriage can be done once both parties reached
the age of thirteen, the Ministry of Magic only accept a marriage as legal when
both parties are considered adult. That means the only way I can vote for your
behalf once we're married when you are in Hogwarts is if the Ministry consider
you an adult and accepts our marriage." Voldemort explained, "We will request
that you be emancipated so that we would have full access to all your vaults
and inheritance as well. That way, even if you are here in Hogwarts, I could
still access them in case they have something of value. The goblins should find
no problems in granting the request since you are already seen as an adult
wizard thanks to your participation in this tournament."

"Tug his hair hard, Luna." Harry ordered immediately, grinning at the surprise
yelp Barty made when Luna tug his hair mercilessly without any hesitation.
Harry stared at the two parchments in his hands and asked, "I don't get why
there should be this clause. I mean... okay, I get emancipated before our
marriage. I can vote for you once we get married anyway. It's not like I'll be
in Hogwarts after Yule."

Voldemort stared at Harry for a few moments, a stony expression on his face. He
leaned back and said seriously, "Try to control your temper while I... ask for
confirmation."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the weird request but kept quiet. Voldemort returned
the quill he was using in its previous place as he asked, "Barty, would be
possible for Harry to not participate in the tournament?"

"No, My Lord." Barty replied immediately, wincing when he felt Luna pull his
hair hard once more while Harry turned to face him with wide eyes. Barty closed
his eyes and explained, "Dumbledore, being his Magical Guardian, could have
refused him in participating when his name had been called but, as My Lord had
predicted before, he did not refuse Little Lord's participation in the
tournament. Due to this, he is an official champion and is bound by the same
rules as the other champions. All champions are required to participate in all
trials and only death or grave injuries can exempt them from that
responsibility. Failure to do so will end their life."

Harry jumped off the desk and screeched, making Voldemort wince and Barty
jumped out of surprise at the Banshee-like sound of his voice, "DUMBLEDORE
COULD HAVE REFUSED?!"

Voldemort took a deep breath and said in a soft soothing tone, attempting to
calm Harry before he unleashed his full mini-Walburga mode, "Dumbledore is your
Magical Guardian. He has final say in all kinds of magical contracts related to
you. That is also another reason why we need you emancipated. The only way
Dumbledore will stop being your Magical Guardian is if either a more
appropriate and rightful person requests to be your guardian or you become seen
as an adult by the Ministry."

Harry turned to sneer at Voldemort, "And you knew he was going to let me
participate in this suicide trip?!"

"I will not say that I know how that old goat's mind work but I did know that
there was a high possibility he would see this as an opportunity to further
your fame and his by association." Voldemort admitted, keeping his eyes trained
at the seething Gryffindor who seemed very close to making a sneer that would
have put Snape to shame.

"Well that backfired spectacularly at him, didn't it?! I guess he didn't expect
the entire school would antagonize me or the Wizarding world would believe Rita
Skeeter!" Harry shrieked angrily, making Barty wince and back away from Harry.
Luna kept her hands on his hair and got dragged away as well. Harry closed his
eyes and took a deep breath. He slowly exhaled and inhaled once more. He
exhaled slowly again and opened his eyes, glaring at Voldemort. He folded his
arms and sneered, "Putting aside my current status to the Wizarding populace,
what does this mean? I have to compete till the very end?"

Voldemort silently thanked whoever was listening to his silent pleas for making
Harry not go full mini-Walburga and nodded, "Yes."

"Great." Harry drawled before hissing at Voldemort, "I hope you know this means
you'll be stuck with me till the end of this tournament now."

"No. We will continue as we plan." Voldemort said seriously, "We will be
married in Yule and we will conceive a child before you return to Hogwarts
after the Yule break. Our bind will only break once a child has been
conceived."

"Unless you're planning on being the male seahorse, no, we are not going to
conceive a child during my Yule break!" Harry retorted, glaring at Voldemort,
"This tournament is too dangerous! I could risk getting a miscarriage!"

"Not if you minimize straining yourself physically and use my magical core for
the remainder of your term in Hogwarts." Voldemort said which caused Harry to
pause. Barty's eyes widened and he turned to stare at Voldemort.

"My Lord, if you let him access your magical core, Dumbledore and the others
may notice." Barty reasoned worriedly.

Voldemort rolled his eyes and retorted, "He doesn't have to access all of my
magical reserve. Only enough to stabilize the development of our child and
support the extra stress the tournament will have on him physically and
magically.”


Voldemort grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed it gently in an attempt to soothe
the young man as he explained, “During the remainder of your year here in
Hogwarts, I would be rebuilding my forces so that I can properly protect you
and our child once you end your fourth year. This is our best course of action
at the moment, Harry."

"Besides..." Voldemort grabbed the remaining parchments and placed them on the
desk in front of Harry as he explained, "These parchments will keep you from
harm's way after Yule."

Harry eyed the parchments warily before picking the nearest one, letting
Voldemort hold his other hand. He placed the two opened parchments back to the
table and open the rolled parchment. He raised an eyebrow as he asked, "Request
for identification papers? You can request Gringotts to make fake
identification papers?"

"You can request anything from Gringotts as long as you have the galleons. That
request is for both the magical world and the muggle world which they will slip
unnoticed to the ministry and the muggle government using their connections."
Voldemort added. He grabbed the parchment and pulled it out of Harry's hand as
he added, "This is just one of the first steps we need to make to keep you
safe. Tomorrow, you will go meet with the Headmaster of Durmstrang."

"And why would I want to do that?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at
Voldemort.

"Because he's also one of my Death Eaters." Voldemort reasoned, smirking as he
added, "And unlike Barty, I will not mind if you happen to inflict him as much
pain as you desire."
 
 
Chapter End Notes
     Just a head's up. Next chapter's gonna be a bit... dark-ish...
     kinda... I think...
     The principle of Parselmagic is purely made up. It's actually pretty
     much a famous fanon... I think?
***** The Champions (and The Headmaster of Durmstrang) *****
Chapter Summary
     A series of lightly connected short conversations between Harry and
     the other champions........ plus Karkaroff.
Chapter Notes
     Warning for this chapter:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Harry shows how good in acting he is
     3 This is darker than the rest of the current chapters
     4 Pathetic attempt at mimicking everyone's accents (please tell me if
     I screw someone up)
     5 This... is long...
See the end of the chapter for more notes
===========The Badger Knight===========
 
 
Harry had been minding his own business, walking towards his next class without
a care in the world. He was sure Voldemort was following him silently but the
older man was silent even through their mental link. Harry's mood wasn't the
best considering he had to find a way to get to Durmstrang's ship and meet
(punish) the Headmaster.


Quite frankly, had it not been for the ward placed in the ship that forbids any
non-Durmstrang associated personnel to enter without a Durmstrang personnel
near them, Harry would have just donned his Invisibility Cloak with Voldemort
and infiltrated the ship without any hassle.


It was slowly plummeting to genocidal tendencies because of the stares and
whispers the rest of the student body seemed keen on giving him.

Harry would think after weeks have passed since that dreadful fire spitting
goblet incident, they would get tired with the whole whispering and staring.

But noooooo.


Harry was still the embodiment of Hogwart's gossip.

Some of the gossips he heard from Luna were really out of there.

There was gossips about him actually being Voldemort and the reason why he
could pass the age line was because the goblet acknowledged Voldemort's real
age instead of his own age.


Speaking of Luna, words have spread about how the loony Ravenclaw had been seen
walking with him which was weird since they had only walked 'visibly' after
eating dinner in Barty's (Moody's) quarters. Harry had simply walked with Luna
and they had chatted along the way about Luna's curriculum (and Harry bemoaning
how much fun 2nd year DADA sounded when the professor was actually competent).


That short walk was apparently enough to make people think Luna was his girl
friend.


He even overheard someone whisper how Luna may be his first follower... as a
Dark Lord.


According to the logic of magical people (insert sarcasm here), befriending
(seducing) an outcast loony Ravenclaw meant that Harry was trying to build a
loyal inner circle. Now, if Harry was building his own inner circle (he felt
Voldemort's amusement at this thought), yes, he will admit Luna would make a
good candidate. Nothing seemed to faze the girl, she had already pledged a
loyalty oath to him and she almost always had that dreamy look on her face that
would just freak people out when she starts casting vicious curses and hexes.


… Voldemort's agreed that the idea of a young girl wearing a dreamy look
casting vicious curses and hexes was very disconcerting.


But that was IF Harry was building his own inner circle which he wasn't
because...


One: that would mean having to talk to so many people to try and find out which
one would be a good candidate.


Two: that would mean having to think about the pros and cons of each
candidates.


Three: reasons one and two should be done with the most utmost discretion for
both the possible candidates and the rest of Hogwarts.


In summary... Too. Much. Work.


He felt Voldemort's annoyance at Harry's laziness.


Well, he's sorry that he isn't an ambitious self-centered megalomaniac like
someone but Voldemort should find this a good thing. Because Harry was lazy, he
didn't mind just following Voldemort's orders like he was just another minion
of the evil Dark Lord (mwuhahaha).


Harry didn't understand why Voldemort would get annoyed over the aspects of
Harry's personality that, when one thinks about it, actually makes him more
docile and obedient to Voldemort's will.

Harry sighed tiredly and tried to stop thinking about how submissive he was in
this relationship (er... yeah... that could totally be taken in a very
different adult kind of way), wondering how bad it would be to just skip
Divinations and hide in Barty's quarters. He was pretty sure he can get
Voldemort's permission by telling the older wizard he could just read one of
the books he borrowed from the library instead of pretending to see his death
in the random patterns of his tea leaves.


… Voldemort reluctantly agreed that Harry's idea was better than going to that
useless subject.

Harry yelped and fell on his face as he felt a stinging hex hit his ankle. He
heard Voldemort hiss angrily and Harry groaned, not bothering to stand up.

"Smith!" Harry heard a familiar boy's voice called out angrily. Harry closed
his eyes and took a deep breath, musing how nice the cold floor felt against
his forehead.

"Do you think it's funny to hex a defenseless student?!"

Harry wasn't defenseless. He had a big bad Dark Lord behind him, currently
wondering if he should hex the idiot who hexed him or to hex Harry out of
annoyance over Harry's laziness to get off the floor.


… not that would work on Harry because of the bind.

"Are you a Hufflepuff or are you a cowardly Slytherin?!"

Oh Salazar have mercy upon his soul. He got hexed by a Hufflepuff.

... Voldemort was so going to kill him.

"But Cedric, everyone knows he's a greedy git! I just did what everyone has
been wanting to do!"

He got hexed by a Hufflepuff and was being protected by another Hufflepuff.

It was official. Voldemort was going to strangle his scrawny little neck.

"That is not a reason to hex someone! 10 points from Hufflepuff!"

His pain was only worth 10 points?

Oh, Cedric, you wound Harry's fragile little heart.

"Now get to your class before I give you detention as well!"

His pain wasn't even worth an hour of detention.

Harry felt the need to sob.

Preferably on Barty's shoulder so he could make the older man all awkward and
nervous. He could get Luna to hug them both, making Barty a lot more awkward.

He heard someone huff before running away from him. Harry heard another pair of
footsteps walk closer to him. Harry kept his eyes closed and kept still.

"Are you alright, Potter?"

Harry sighed tiredly and rolled over, staring at Cedric with a wry smile as he
replied, "I'm just peachy, Diggory. The cool floor felt so nice against my
forehead."

Cedric forced a smile and offered his hand at Harry as he apologized, "I'm
sorry for how Smith acted. I'll talk to my fellow Hufflepuffs to cut you some
slack."

Harry stared at Cedric's hand for a second before he turned his gaze towards
the older boy as he asked, "Why are you being nice to me, Diggory?"

Cedric's smile became grim as he mused, "I suppose I deserve that. Potter..."

Cedric knelt on one knee next to Harry's head, forcing Harry to turn his head
slightly to the side to be able to see Cedric, and apologized sincerely, "I'm
sorry for how I acted these past weeks."

"I got caught up with everything and I just..." Cedric stopped and whispered
softly, "I'm really sorry, Harry."


Harry stared at Cedric for a moment before sighing. He turned to stare at the
ceiling as he said in a monotone voice, "How dull."

Cedric blinked at Harry's words. Harry got up, dusted his robes and rubbed his
forehead as he said in a dismissive manner, "Apology accepted. Your sin has
been absolved, Sir Diggory. Run along now and bring your fellow badgers back to
the light."

Cedric stood and grabbed Harry's forearm to stop the younger man from walking
off, "Wait, Harry!"

"I would suggest not calling me by my first name. People might think you're on
my side." Harry mused, staring at the hand currently holding his forearm.

"I am on your side." Cedric replied stubbornly.

"No, you're not." Harry retorted with a sigh. He raised his head to stare at
Cedric and explained, "I'm the Wizarding World's public enemy number one at the
moment, Diggory, and you happen to be Britain's golden boy, the real Hogwarts'
champion."

"I-"

"I'm not being kind, Diggory. I'm trying to keep the damages to a minimum."
Harry sneered, glaring at Cedric, "Becoming buddy-buddy with you will just
worsen my already bad image to the masses. They'll probably say I'm pretending
to be your friend so I wouldn't appear like the greedy fame whore that I really
am."

Harry jerked his arm out of Cedric's grip and stepped away. He smiled sadly at
Cedric and said, "Thank you for talking to me. I would appreciate it if you
keep your fellow badgers from hexing me in the future."

"Harry..." Cedric opened his mouth then closed it. He looked so devastated at
Harry was reminded that one time he saw Piers make the same expression when his
pet cat got ran over by a car. There were guts and blood everywhere. They had
to scrap some of it off the pavement itself. Cedric grabbed Harry's hand gently
which only made Harry tilt his head at him. Cedric whispered sadly, "I'm really
sorry."

"Duly noted." Harry replied calmly, squeezing Cedric's hand lightly before
letting go. He smiled at Cedric and said, "Goodbye, Diggory."

Harry turned around and walked away, not bothering to wait for Cedric to
response.

Harry never noticed how Cedric stared at him as he walked away, his face filled
with concern and sadness.

Harry never noticed how Voldemort stopped and glared at Cedric for a few
seconds before silently following Harry.



===========The French Lily===========


Harry groaned and sat on the window sill, rubbing his sore ankle. The stinging
hex the damn badger had sent him had caused his ankle to swell slightly. The
pain was bearable but his foot wasn't walking properly anymore. He was actually
thinking of asking Voldemort to get Barty or Luna... whoever was available and
get either of them to help him walk to the infirmary.


It did seem like the appropriate time for Harry to visit the infirmary...


Merlin forbid his dear Madam Pomfrey not see him for an entire month!

That might very well unwound the fabrics of time itself!

"<<That Hufflepuff must be punished.>>" Voldemort hissed right next to his ear,
causing a stop to Harry's internal dramatic monologue.

Harry rolled his eyes and hissed back, "<<Can't. He'll know it was me.>>"

"<<That's the point!>>" Voldemort angrily hissed, "<<This will let him know not
to mess with you.>>"

Harry sighed tiredly and rubbed the slight bump as he reasoned, "<<He's a
coward, Tom. He attacked me while my back was turned. A coward like him will
only whine and complain to everyone about how Harry Potter attacked him.
Considering my current standing in this hellhole, your idea of revenge will
only make my life more annoyingly unbearable.>>"

"<<So you will let him walk all over you?>>" Voldemort sneered and Harry could
feel his anger seeping through their link.

Harry rolled his eyes and hissed back, "<<Lose the battle but win the war, my
dear Tom.>>"

Voldemort hissed angrily at him but did not say anything. Harry rolled his eyes
and commented, "<<Honestly, Tom. It's when you're so hot-blooded that I wonder
how in seven hells were you able to almost win the first war.>>"


He did have an idea why. Considering how Tom Riddle was considered to be one of
Hogwarts' greatest student of all time, it wasn't such a ludicrous idea that
every student that had said they had been hexed or cursed would simply be filed
as jealousy and lies.


Of course, that was not counting...

Harry snickered as he added, "<<Then I remember your opponents and I understand
why.>>"

"<<Do not make me attempt to pull that tongue of yours off, my dear.>>"
Voldemort warned.

Harry rolled his eyes and was about to retort when he heard a heavily accented
female voice asked, "Are you alright?"

Harry raised his head and saw Fleur standing in front of him. Her usual group
of friends were standing a few feet away from them, staring at Harry as they
whisper among themselves. Harry sighed tiredly and smiled wryly at Fleur as he
replied, "Just peachy, Miss Delacour. No need to worry your pretty little
head."

Fleur narrowed her eyes at Harry's swollen ankle as she retorted, "You do not
look alright."

Harry chuckled before he admitted, "It's my pale skin and scrawny figure. They
make me look like I'm forever sick."

Fleur stepped forward, taking her wand out as she said, "Your ankle looked like
it's been hit by a swell 'ex."

"It's was actually a stinging hex." Harry corrected with a shrug.

Fleur frowned and commented, "The one 'oo 'ex you 'ave no proper control over
zeir magical output."

"Feel free to lecture your fellow champion's fellow housemate about his lack of
control, Ms. Delacour." Harry drawled, staring at Fleur's wand.

"A fellow 'Ogwarts student did zis to you?" Harry snorted at the scandalous
look Fleur was giving him.

"Never saw your fellow schoolmates outcast a problem child?" Harry asked with a
raised eyebrow.

"Zat's..." Fleur closed her mouth. She frowned and admitted, "I didn't know
your situation was zis bad."

"Not really." Harry shrugged and nonchalantly commented, "It's just muggle
elementary school all over."

Fleur gently grabbed Harry's ankle. Harry instinctively jerked his ankle at
Fleur's cold touch but Fleur simply tightened her grip on Harry's ankle. She
stared at his swollen ankle as she asked, "You were also an outcast in ze
muggle world? I 'eard you were loved and treated like a prince back zere."

"Nah. My relatives hate me and spread rumors about me being a criminal or
something. No teachers believe me and all the other kids bully me." Harry
corrected with such a nonchalant tone which only served to unnerve and worry
Fleur more. Fleur whispered so softly Harry couldn't understand her words but
his ankle was engulfed in a warm blue light. The swelling slowly became
smaller. A few seconds later, his ankle had returned to its original size and
Fleur let go. Harry inspected his ankle a bit before raising his head to smile
at Fleur as he said, "Thanks."

Fleur grimaced at him and opened her mouth but Harry beat her to it by meekly
asking, "I would prefer it if you didn't announce to the entire world about the
Boy-Who-Lived's tragic backstory."

"Why?" Fleur asked in a slightly high pitched tone.

Harry smiled bitterly at her and replied, "Because it's none of their
business."

"Zen why did you tell me?" Fleur asked, gripping her wand tightly.

Harry shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "You asked."

Harry bowed and said, "Good day, Ms. Delacour."

Harry jumped off the window sill and walked passed Fleur. He counted to three
and stopped just in time with Fleur shouting, "Wait!"

Harry turned to stare at her curiously and she gave him the same despaired look
Cedric had given him just a few minutes ago. She took a deep breath and
schooled her face into one of determination (which amused Harry) before she
took a step forward and offered, "If you need someone to talk to... I will
always be willing to listen, 'Arry Potter."

"Duly noted. Goodbye, Ms. Delacour." Harry replied calmly before turning around
once more. He walked passed Fleur's fellow schoolmates who rushed towards
Fleur.

They began conversing in French which Harry paid no attention to. He sighed
tiredly and mumbled, "Might as well get this over with..."

===========The Bulgarian Prince===========

Ditching Divination without any feelings of remorse, Harry quickly walked the
empty hallways, arriving in the library in record time (in Harry's personal
records anyway). Harry didn't bother to greet the librarian who gave him the
stink eye (which was nothing new) and immediately walked right up to the
unsuspecting Bulgarian, stopping right next to him in the History of Magic
aisle, and smiling pleasantly as he greeted, "Hi!"

Krum slowly turned his head to face him and nodded in greeting. Harry stepped
closer, invading Krum's personal space, and grinned when he saw Krum's face
show a moment of awkward displeasure before returning to the stony expression
the older boy seemed to normally wore. Harry lowered his voice to a soft
whisper as he bluntly said, "I need to talk to your headmaster."


It was too Gryffindorian for his taste (and Voldemort's) but Harry didn't want
to think anymore. He didn't want to plan another route to get him to the ship
when there was a dashing escort right here he could use anyway.


Screw subterfuge and all that Slytherin rubbish.

"Igor?" Krum asked, frowning slightly.

Harry blinked and replied, "If that's your Headmaster's name then yes, him."

"Vhy vould you vont to speak to him?" Krum asked in a heavily accented tone.

Harry pouted and replied, "I honestly don't know. I was ordered by a prat to
find a way to talk to him so here I am, asking you a favor."


Voldemort sent his displeasure over Harry's insult through their link which
Harry simply ignored.

"You vish to talk to him because of a friend of yours?" Krum asked for
clarification, his frown deepening.

"Calling that pain in the arse a friend isn't exactly correct." Harry replied
with a shrug before stepping closer once more, his shoulder bumping against
Krum's, as he continued, "Anyway, can you help me? I just need you to smuggle
me into his room-"

"His room?!" Krum repeatedly scandalously and Harry shushed him. Harry looked
around and saw Madam Pince glaring at them. Harry grinned apologetically at her
and grabbed Krum's arm.

"Walk with me." Harry hissed, dragging Krum out of the library. The older boy
let Harry drag him towards the hallway, staring at the smaller boy, as Harry
commented, "I don't see why you have to shout so loudly."

"You vish to visit Igor in his room." Krum scandalously said, making Harry roll
his eyes. They continued to walk as they talked.

"Of course I would. Our meeting has got to be private and very hush-hush."
Harry explained, turning to grin at Krum as he added, "So yes, it would be nice
if I can visit his room."

"Do you know vot he is?" Krum asked, leaning towards Harry to whisper, "He is a
Death Eater."

"Ex." Harry corrected. Seeing Krum's frown, he explained, "From what I hear,
your dear headmaster got caught and gave up a lot of names to the Ministry. One
of them was the Dark Lord's favorite."

"And the Dark Lord does not like traitors." Harry shrugged and added,
"Especially those who hurt his favorites."

"How do you know?" Krum asked, staring at Harry and letting the younger boy
dictate where they were walking.

"Hm? Which part? Your headmaster being an ex-Death Eater or the Dark Lord's
personality?" Harry asked back, smiling innocently at Krum.


The stony expression on the older boy's face only interested Harry more.


Just how further did he need to push to see Krum react?


He felt Voldemort's feelings from their mental link, silently warning him to
stay on track.


Yeah, yeah.


Harry knew he needed to prioritize Voldemort's plans. He wasn't stupid.

"Both." Krum replied which only made Harry grin.

"I have a very reliable source." Harry explained vaguely before grinning as he
asked, "Didn't you hear the rumors? I'm apparently the next Dark Lord."


Harry frowned as he mumbled, "Oh, wait. That was during my second year..."

Harry shrugged and continued to drag Krum as he said, "Anyway, many people know
your headmaster was a Death Eater apparently. It's not really a secret or
anything."

"And you still vish to talk to him?" Krum asked with a hint of worry laced in
his voice.

Harry shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "Personally I'd rather laze around a
comfortable couch and read one of the books I borrowed. Unfortunately, I can't
say no to this plan."

"And vot is this plan?" Krum asked, staring at Harry.

Harry grinned at Krum and replied, "Sorry, Mister Krum. Time's up."

Harry let go of Krum's arm and backed away. Krum had to look around to finally
realize that, while his whole attention was to Harry, Harry had dragged him
back to their ship and they were now standing at the corridor that houses their
bedrooms. Harry glanced around and mused, "So I'm guessing the door larger than
the rest of other doors is your headmaster's room?"

Harry didn't wait for Krum's answer and began walking towards the said door.
Krum followed him and warned, "It vill be better if I stay vith you."

Harry stopped and turned to stare at Krum. He tilted his head and asked, "Why?"

"Because..." Krum frowned and hesitantly admitted, "You should not trust Igor."

Harry snorted and immediately covered his mouth when he saw Krum's frown grow.
He dropped his hand and smiled at Krum as he replied, "Don't worry. I don't
trust your headmaster in the first place."

"Then-"

"But I do need to meet with him in private." Harry cut him off, smiling sweetly
as he said, "Thank you for the warning, Mister Krum. Good bye."

Harry turned around and counted to three. He stopped just in time with Krum's
"Vait!"

Harry turned around to face Krum once more and Krum took a few steps forward.
He stopped at the third door and explained, "This is my room. After your
meeting with Igor, knock and I vill take you back to the castle."

Harry blinked at the strange order but nodded all the same. Krum stared at
Harry gravely as he said, "Be careful."

Harry smiled at him and replied, "Thank you."

With that said, Harry turned around once more and walked towards the large
door. It was locked but Harry simply cast the unlocking spell and turned the
knob. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. He glanced at Krum and smiled
one last time before closing the door behind him. He locked it and sighed,
lazily walking towards the couch.

He ungracefully fell on the couch and asked, "Happy?"

Voldemort didn't take off the cloak but he offered his hand towards Harry, palm
up. Harry stared at the pale floating disembodied hand for a second before he
took out his wand. He placed the wand on the open hand and let Voldemort cast
his array of overly paranoid silencing and privacy charms. Harry opened his bag
and took out the Pure-blood Etiquette book he had borrowed, patiently reading
while waiting for Voldemort to finish casting to his paranoid heart's content.

"I am not happy but I am satisfied with your actions and their effects."
Voldemort finally replied, remaining hidden in the Invisibility Cloak.


Harry snorted and mumbled, “The only thing that makes you happy is throwing
Crucio on poor unsuspecting fools.”


Voldemort glared at him as he finally took off the Invisibility Cloak. Instead
of handing it to Harry, he folded it and placed it inside the pocket of his
robes. Harry didn't seem to mind and was only wondering how this cloak could
fit in Voldemort's pocket.


… probably an extension charm...


"So... you mind telling me why I should act all sappy towards the other
champions?" Harry asked instead as he flipped the page of the book he was
currently reading. That was more important than asking if Voldemort was using
extension charms. He had a feeling the older man would look at him with disdain
if he asked that question in a sort of 'isn't it obvious, you bumbling fool?'
kind of way.

Voldemort sat on the office chair, looking at the parchments littering the
table but not touching any of them, as he replied, "Simply laying ground work
for your survival, my dear."

Harry blinked and lowered his book to stare at Voldemort as he asked, "Are we
going for the 'poor abused Harry Potter' route?"

Voldemort raised his head and asked back, "Would you mind?"

Harry shrugged and replied, "Not really. As long as you give me a head's up so
I can prepare the gradual transition to being Tom Riddle's illegitimate
grandson to poor abused Harry Potter."

Voldemort glared at Harry and asked in an annoyed tone, "Must you always call
it that?"

Harry returned to reading his book as he replied in a bored tone that does not
suit the grin he was currently sporting, "As long as it gets you all riled up,
love tart."

Voldemort glared at Harry but the younger wizard paid him no mind, flipping the
pages of his book as he read the different rules to follow during a tea party.
Harry frowned as he said, "You know this sort of thing is easier to understand
using practical means and not books."

Voldemort stared at Harry for a moment before frowning as he commented on
Harry's imagination instead, "I do not understand why you would want to
recreate the tea party in Alice in Wonderland."

Harry lowered his book and raised an eyebrow as he replied, "Luna would make a
nice Alice. I think I'd make a wicked Mad Hatter-"

"You definitely have the 'mad' part down." Voldemort drawled which only made
Harry grin.

"Barty can be my bunny And Wormtail could be the rat. We can just spike his tea
with a sleeping potion." Harry suggested with a wicked grin, "Or we can make it
a muscle freezing potion so he's still conscious but cannot move at all."

Voldemort tapped Harry's wand against the desk as he mused, "I have always
wanted to test a certain muscle freezing potion I saw in one of the obscure
Dark Arts potion book I found in the Malfoy Library. It was banned because
improper dosage could paralyze the drinker and risk heart failure. Nothing a
shocking hex couldn't recover, of course."

Harry grinned as he nodded eagerly, "We can use Wormtail. He's pretty much
useless, right?"

"Wormtail has his uses." Voldemort retorted in a bored tone before adding
nonchalantly, "Being an experimental rat is one of them."

"Pllleasseee, Tom." Harry batted his eyelashes at Voldemort which only made
Voldemort want to hex him, "Can I experiment on Wormtail once we get married?
You know, before you give him to my godfather as part of our engagement
contract."

Voldemort sighed dramatically before replying, "Very well. Make sure to clean
up your mess afterwards."

Harry clapped his hands and giddily said, "Ooohh, I need to make a list of what
I want to do to him."

Harry took out a piece of parchment and skipped towards Voldemort. He stopped
right in front of the work desk and placed the parchment on top. He grabbed the
nearest quill and dipped it onto an open bottle of ink before he began
scribbling onto the parchment with a grin on his face.

Voldemort stared at the list of experiments Harry was scribbling, finding
amusement in how many of them were Dark and would be quite painful on Wormtail.
He hid his surprise and curiosity when he saw Harry remembering the spells from
a diary he knew well. It seemed most of his knowledge of the Dark Arts came
from Voldemort's diary.


From Tom Riddle...


He pointed at one of them and commented, "This one, we can do right now."

Harry raised his head to stare at Voldemort and asked, "You warded this place
like Barty's?"

"There is no need for such a thing." Voldemort replied, "This is a Durmstrang
ship. As far as Hogwarts is concern, this is not part of her responsibility as
this is Bulgarian land. The Bulgarian Ministry of Magic do not hold a tight
surveillance over Dark Magic as they support all forms of magic."

Harry's lips curved into a malicious grin as he said, "That means..."

"Yes." Voldemort's own lips curved into a sadistic smirk and they both turned
around at the sound of the door creaking open. Harry returned to the armchair,
pocketed the parchment he had been writing on and raised his book, staring at
the last page he was reading while Voldemort stood by the wall next to the
door.

The door covered Voldemort's figure and Karkaroff walked into the room,
stopping by the center when he saw Harry sitting on the armchair, reading.
Karkaroff took out his wand and aimed it at Harry as he demanded, "What are you
doing here?!"

Harry lowered his book slowly and smiled brightly at Karkaroff as he greeted,
"Hello, Headmaster."

Harry continued his mimicry of Tom Riddle's smile as he continued, "I'm just
here as a companion. Your real guest is right behind you and-"

Voldemort slammed the door close and hissed, "Crucio!"

Karkaroff screamed and fell on his knees, closing his eyes out of reflex. Harry
raised an eyebrow as he ended, "-very crossed with you..."

Harry closed his book and placed it on top of one of his chair's armrest before
skipping towards the writhing headmaster. Harry crouched next to Karkaroff and
watched as the older wizard continued to scream in pain. Harry counted up to
fifteen before Voldemort finally stopped the curse. Harry took note of
Karkaroff's heavy breathing, the tears falling from his closed eyes and the
drool that had began to form on the floor next to his open mouth. Harry raised
his head to look at Voldemort who had been staring at Harry the entire time
(not that Harry realized it) and asked, "I noticed you kept him under the curse
five seconds longer than Barty. Does five seconds really make this much
difference?"

Voldemort raised an eyebrow as he asked back, "You counted?"

Harry shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "I like to observe."

"It's not the length that made him into this pathetic mess." Voldemort
explained, rolling Karkaroff to his back using his foot, "One factor is a
person's strong will. Karkaroff has a weaker will than Barty. So, so
pathetically weak."

Voldemort spatted the last sentence at the same time he sent a stinging hex
towards Karkaroff's arm, making Karkaroff whimper as his already sensitive
nerves were abused once more. Harry paid no attention to Karkaroff, listening
intently to Voldemort's explanation, "Another factor would be the person's pain
tolerance. Barty has a higher pain tolerance than Karkaroff as well."

Voldemort stepped over Karkaroff, earning a pained grunt from Karkaroff, and
walked towards Harry's location. Voldemort offered his hand to Harry who took
it. Voldemort pulled Harry back to his feet and stepped behind him. He placed
Harry's holly wand on Harry's hand and leaned forward, whispering at Harry's
ear, "The final and most important factor is better demonstrated than
explained."

Harry raised an eyebrow and caressed his wand, subconsciously mimicking
Voldemort's habit, as he replied, "Okay. And how will this demonstration go?"

"Try and cast the Cruiciatus curse, my dear." Voldemort instructed, smirking
sadistically as he explained, "There's no need for any fancy wand movements.
Simply point and say 'Crucio'."

Karkaroff tried to crawl away but his body wouldn't cooperate with him.
Karkaroff turned to look at Harry and pleaded, "Please... Potter... this isn't
you..."

Harry tilted his head and asked with an innocent expression in his face, "And
who am I, Headmaster Karkaroff?"

Harry aimed his wand towards Karkaroff and chanted, "Crucio."

Bright red light erupted from Harry's wand and hit Karkaroff square on the
chest. Karkaroff screamed as he was thrown away from them, hitting the wall
with a loud thud. Harry blinked at Karkaroff for a few seconds before turning
to look at Voldemort, clutching his wand by his chest. Voldemort couldn't help
the amused (and fond but Voldemort will vehemently deny that one) smirk that
appeared on his face when he saw Harry's confused expression. Voldemort waved
his hand lazily towards Karkaroff and Karkaroff grunted as he was dragged back
towards their feet by Voldemort's wandless and nonverbal spell. Voldemort place
his hands on Harry's shoulders and whispered, "The final factor is the caster's
intent."

"Intent..." Harry repeated, staring at Karkaroff.

"You must want him to be in pain. You must want him to feel pain." Voldemort
leaned closer, his lips brushing against Harry's ear as he whispered in a low
seductive drawl, "You must want to hurt him."

"I must want to hurt him..." Harry repeated, slowly raising his wand to aim at
Karkaroff.

"Please, don't, Harry." Karkaroff whimpered, "This isn't you. You're a good
boy. Don't listen to him. You don't want to hurt me, right?"

Karkaroff knew his fate was sealed when the young Gryffindor's lips curved into
the same sadistic smirk the man standing behind him had. His voice was light
and soft, almost cooing, as he replied, "Do you really think so, Headmaster?"

"Crucio." Harry chanted calmly, the same bright red glow erupting from his
wand. This time, the red glow continued to flow from his wand as it hit
Karkaroff on the chest. Karkaroff screamed loudly once more, his entire body
writhing as he felt a Crucio so frighteningly similar to his lord's. But there
was something different about it, more frightening now that Karkaroff thought
about it.

It was cold.

It wasn't like his lord's Crucio that was so full of rage it felt like hot
knives burning him from the inside out.

Harry Potter's Crucio was different. His Crucio was ice cold. The best
comparison Karkaroff's pained mind could come up with was the image of
thousands of knives frozen to a temperature that touching the blades burn his
skin and muscles. There was no rage in it. It was a pure desire to inflict pain
and the coldness Karkaroff felt threaten to consume him, encase him in a frozen
state of never-ending pain.

He could see in Harry Potter's eyes that he wasn't punishing him because of who
he is. He was punishing him because he could and that made Karkaroff's blood
run cold.

Unlike his lord who he could find some way to amend for his mistakes, there was
no need to find some way to appease the young Gryffindor. He didn't need
anything from Karkaroff...

... other than his pain.

That's why he screamed. He screamed so loudly he knew he was hurting his vocal
cords. He screamed as loud as he can, hoping his scream would appease the
little monster currently torturing him. He could feel his mind slowly going
blank and all he could think was the single thought of 'please stop'.

'Please stop the pain'

'It hurts'

'Please kill me instead'

pleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillmepleasekillme

Then the pain stopped.

Karkaroff could only stare at the ceiling, his ears hearing the words that
passed by his lord and the young Gryffindor but could not truly process what
they were saying.

Unknown to him, the reason why the pain had stopped was because Voldemort had
forcefully grabbed Harry's hand and broke the connection between his spell and
Karkaroff by raising Harry's hand. Voldemort turned Harry to face him and
stared at the young wizard who continued to giggle. He had began giggling
nonstop when around seven seconds had passed. He had seen Karkaroff slowly
losing his senses when ten seconds had passed. Voldemort placed his hands on
Harry's cheeks, forcing the boy to stare at him as he continued to giggle
uncontrollably, caressing his wand affectionately. His pupils were dilated,
almost completely black, and his cheeks were flushed. His eyes were also dazed,
unfocused. Harry continued to giggle but stopped for a moment to ask Voldemort
in a soft, dreamy tone, "Does it always feel this good?"

Voldemort smiled fondly at the giggling boy in front of him and replied, "No.
That euphoria you feel is simply a byproduct of casting an intensive Dark Art.
I assume what you're currently feeling is stronger than normal since this is
your first time casting such a Dark Art and we chose one of the Unforgivables,
one of the strongest Dark magic in existence."

"Oh." Harry replied dumbly, blinking owlishly as he said, "I feel very...
tingly... inside..."

Harry tilted his head as he added, "Like I just wanked."

Voldemort snorted and explained, "Yes. Depending on the intensity of the spell,
some backlashes does feel like you've just had an orgasm."

Harry's giggle turned more hysterical. He patted Voldemort's shoulder lightly
as he tried to choke out in between giggles, "Now... I know... why... you...
like... this... curse... so... much!"

Voldemort rolled his eyes and retorted, "My backlash is not as intense as
yours. You still lack the proper control needed for this-"

Voldemort didn't finish his sentence when Harry suddenly fell on him. Voldemort
kept Harry on his feet by grabbing his shoulders. Harry nuzzled his cheek
against Voldemort's chest and mumbled tiredly, "Tom... I'm sleepy now..."

Voldemort's lips curved to an amused smile as he replied, "Yes, I would assume
you would be."

Voldemort dragged Harry towards the armchair and let the boy rest comfortably
on the armchair. Harry patted Voldemort's chest and mumbled, "If bonking with
you is like this then I suppose you would be pretty good."

Voldemort frowned at Harry's choice of words. He knew what Harry was talking
since he could actually feel the elation Harry had felt the entire time thanks
to their shared mental link that Harry had no protection against. Voldemort
patted Harry's kneecap once as he said with a cocky smirk, "Sexual intercourse
with me will be so much better, my dear."

Harry giggled and tiredly retorted, "Egotistic prat."

Voldemort patted Harry's kneecap once more before taking his wand from his
loose fingers. Voldemort turned to face Karkaroff who was now breathing better
than before yet Voldemort knew that the aftereffects of his and Harry's Crucios
should still be coursing through his body. Voldemort walked towards Karkaroff's
prone form and stared down at him, tilting his head slightly as he hissed, "Do
you think I am a merciful lord, Igor?"

Karkaroff had to gulp twice before he could stutter weakly, "Y-ye-yes, my
lord."

"And why is that, Igor?" Voldemort asked, his words slowly turning to a more
hissing tone as his anger for Karkaroff slowly returned. His mental link with
Harry was still open, meaning the young wizard was watching him silently. He
was too tired to form any other thoughts and simply focused on watching
Voldemort which was fine with Voldemort.

Voldemort always enjoyed having an audience.

Voldemort walked slowly around Karkaroff, caressing Harry's wand gently. The
holly still felt a bit strange in his hand but the Dark residue of the Crucios
they've been throwing was still wrapped around the wand, giving Voldemort a
sense of familiarity...

... and a desire to cast another Crucio just to feel the same elation Harry had
felt.

Never had his own Crucios ever felt as disturbing pleasurable as Harry's.

"Be-because yo-you haven't killed me yet, my l-l-lord." Karkaroff stuttered,
forcing his body to his hands and knees so he may bow his head. He bowed so
lowly his head was already touching the floor. His entire body still trembled
at the aftershock over the two strong Crucios he had endured.

"Yes. A traitor like you should be killed." Voldemort hissed angrily, making
Karkaroff cower and force his body to look smaller. Voldemort knelt in front of
Karkaroff and placed the tip of the holly wand by Karkaroff's chin as he
hissed, "Be grateful I still find use for you, Igor."

Voldemort pressed the tip against Karkaroff's chin, forcing the quivering man
to raise his head. Voldemort glared at Karkaroff as he warned, "There will be
no third chances, Karkaroff. Do I make myself clear?"

Karkaroff stared at Voldemort with fear in his eyes as he whispered, "I-I am y-
yours to command, my lord."

Voldemort's lips curved into a predatory smirk as he mockingly cooed, "Good,
Igor. Very good."

Voldemort stood and walked back towards Harry as he asked, "I assume Durmstrang
is still a supporter for the Dark?"

"Yes, m-m-my lord." Karkaroff replied, standing on wobbly legs, "D-Durmstrang
s-still lends a helping hand to all Dark wizards and witches."

"Would they be able to forge school records?" Voldemort asked as he sat on the
other armchair, next to Harry. Harry turned his head tiredly to stare at
Voldemort.

"O-of course, my lord." Karkaroff replied, "Durmstrang prides itself in its
secrecy above all else. We can forge school records and get in contact with a
few graduates who would be more than willing to state that they did go to class
with that certain individual."

Harry raised an eyebrow at that and Voldemort answered Harry's silent question,
"Durmstrang had always been an institution that helps Dark wizards and witches,
even those who are not graduates of their school. Durmstrang prides itself as a
supporter and a protector of all Dark wizards and witches. Even during my first
war, Durmstrang was one of my most loyal secret supporters. They provided
information all around the world as well as delivered certain dark artifacts
that helped our cause. They also provided funds through Gringotts."

"Wicked..." Harry tiredly commented, making Voldemort scoff.

"Yes, I suppose it would be." Voldemort turned to face Karkaroff and ordered,
"I'm entrusting you in making such records exist as soon as possible then,
Igor."

Voldemort opened his hand, palm up, and a parchment floated out of Harry's
messenger bag. It floated towards Voldemort's open palm and Voldemort gripped
it lightly. He stood and walked toward Karkaroff, offering the piece of rolled
parchment to the twitching man as he stated, "All of the necessary information
are in this parchment. Any other missing information you might need, send a
message using one of your students to Harry, preferably your champion since he
already seems fond of my dear Harry."

Krum was...?

No use. Harry was too tired to try and analyze his past meetings with the
Bulgarian seeker.

Karkaroff bowed as he accepted the parchment, "Yes, my l-lord."

Voldemort grabbed Karkaroff's arm and Karkaroff let out a pained scream as his
Mark burned. Voldemort leaned closer towards Karkaroff and hissed, "Take this
as your only warning, Igor. Any more signs of betrayal and I will use you as
Harry's practice dummy for his Crucio. I know you would not wish to feel such a
freezing Crucio again. Do not even think about contacting Snape or any of the
other Death Eaters. As far as everyone is concern, you are still a pathetic
traitorous rat. Do I make myself clear, Igor?"

"Y-y-yes, m-my lord!" Karkaroff replied as he began to tremble. Voldemort let
go of Karkaroff and the headmaster fell to his knees, breathing heavily as he
held his burning Mark.

"I will contact you again soon, Igor." Voldemort said and walked towards Harry
before adding, "It would be to the best of your interest to finish all the
necessary paperwork before I do."

"Th-thank you for your m-mercy, m-my lord." Karkaroff whimpered, "I-I live to
s-serve you."

Voldemort offered his hand towards Harry who took it. Voldemort pulled Harry
back to his feet and the boy began swaying but managed to keep his balance.
Knowing that Harry was too... tired, Voldemort sighed and waved the holly wand
towards the book Harry had been reading. The book began to float towards
Harry's messenger bag which opened by itself. Just as the book was placed back
in the bag, Karkaroff said, "I-I have a message f-from the Bulgarian Ministry
of Magic, m-my lord..."

Voldemort turned to look at Karkaroff and let Harry lean onto him, holding
Voldemort's arm to keep his balance as he blinked tiredly. Karkaroff lowered
his head as he explained, "The m-ministry have been informed of the gradual
darkening of my Mark and they had given me a message to pass to you if I ever
come into your presence."

Voldemort frowned slightly.

He had forgotten to check Barty's Mark if it had darken, a sure sign of his
return.

If it had, that would mean Snape's Mark had darken as well and... that snake
had most definitely already told the old coot about his return, regardless if
he was just a traitor or a double-agent.

Voldemort would have to prepare some kind of counter to that soon but, for
now...

"And? What would that message be?" Voldemort demanded in annoyed tone.

Karkaroff went down on his knees and fearfully stared at Voldemort's eyes as he
said, "I-I was instructed to show you the memory alone."

"Ah. As expected from a Dark wizard like your minister." Voldemort commented
with a manic smirk. He turned to look at the sleepy wizard pretty much clinging
onto him and cooed, "Harry, my dear, would you like to experience first hand
what it would be like to forcibly enter one's mind?"

Harry blinked owlishly at him as he replied in a dreamy tone, "Mmmkay..."

“Normally, I could just do this without a wand and an incantation but for your
sake, my dear, I shall do both.” Voldemort said, pulling Harry so that the boy
would be standing in front of him.


“How very sweet of you, love tart.” Harry drawled tiredly, letting the older
wizard place his wand in his hand.


“Pay attention, Harry, for this is one spell I think you would very much enjoy
learning. “ Voldemort pressed his chest against Harry's back and covered the
hand holding the wand with his larger hand. Voldemort kept their link open as
he raised the holly wand, aiming it at Karkaroff who flinched unconsciously.
Voldemort's lips curved into a sadistic smirk as he chanted, "Legilimens."

Harry's eyes widened as he was suddenly assaulted by memories not his own. He
saw flashes of Karkaroff's memories and was fascinated when emotions not his
own accompanied most of them. The sense of pride he had for Durmstrang itself
had been a surprise for someone who never felt truly proud about anything such
as Harry.


It felt like Voldemort was navigating through Karkaroff's memories and thoughts
expertly, dragging Harry with him.

The flashes finally stopped as Voldemort focused on one memory. It was a memory
of a man that seemed familiar to Harry for some reason. The memory was a bit
hazy but Harry saw the man bow up to his waist before speaking in a low
respective tone.

... in Bulgarian.

Harry felt Voldemort's amusement over Harry's plight and, had Harry not been so
tired he could fall asleep right there and then, he would have used their
mental link to... well, think of something. Unfortunately, all Harry could do
was watch as the man continued to speak.


Whatever the man was saying, the only thing Harry got was the fact that his
entire demeanor was respectful yet there seemed to be a hint of giddiness in
this tone, as if he was trying very hard to appear serious when he seemed to
want to smile at something.

The memory only lasted for around a minute or two and, before Harry knew it,
his vision had returned to watching Karkaroff breathing heavily, perspiration
falling from his brows.

"Is mind rape always that painful?" Harry asked tiredly and Voldemort honestly
wanted to tell Harry to not call Legilimens something as crude as 'rape' but
relented.

Instead he simply said, "It can be cast without pain or detection. I prefer not
to in certain situations such as this. I find that pain helps ensure they're
more... cooperative."

Harry giggled and leaned his head on Voldemort's arm as he commented lightly,
"You're such a sadistic prat."

"Says the boy who had an orgasm casting Crucio." Voldemort retorted with a
drawl.

Harry frowned and looked down before commenting, "No mess in my pants though."

At that crude comment, Voldemort definitely frowned. Rather than continuing
this... vulgar conversation with a very tired Harry who had a looser tongue
than usual, Voldemort said to Karkaroff, "I will contact the ministry soon. For
now, tell them I... accept their generous offer."

"Yes, my lord. Thank you, my lord." Karkaroff immediately bowed till his
forehead was touching the floor and Voldemort pushed Harry to walk by himself.

"Go and meet with your Bulgarian. He'll escort you back to the castle."
Voldemort ordered Harry before casting all of his notice-me-not and disillusion
charms.

"He's not mine..." Harry retorted in the same dreamy tone he had been using the
entire time.

To make sure there was no record of the Crucios they had used on Karkaroff,
Voldemort cast two Expecto Patronum with specific orders for both Barty and
Luna and well as casting a Rennervate to Harry which only made the young wizard
a little more attentive before casting charms he remembered learning in his
third year in Hogwarts.

The aftereffect of the Dark Arts was rarely healed by Rennervate anyway.

At the very least, Harry looked like he could walk on his own now. He was still
swaying slightly.

Voldemort took Harry's Invisibility Cloak and put it on before he led Harry by
keeping his hand on his back. Harry walked out of the room, grinning as he
waved back at Karkaroff, "It was nice getting to know you, Igor."

Karkaroff shivered uncontrollably at the hissing way Harry had said his name
while Voldemort lightly tapped Harry's back and drawled, "Stop traumatizing my
followers, dear."

Harry giggled lightly and walked towards Krum's door. He knocked twice before
simply leaning on the door. Voldemort was about to warn the young Gryffindor on
how foolishly dangerous it was to lean on the door when said door opened
inward, making Harry fall.

Krum managed to catch Harry before he fell on the floor (for the second time in
the same day). Krum cradled the smaller boy in his arms and Harry smiled
dreamily at him (which reminded Voldemort of Luna) as he greeted, "Hello,
Mister Krum. I'm ready to leave now."

Krum quickly examined Harry's body (for physical signs of injuries, Voldemort
assumed) before asking, "Has Igor done something to you?"

"Hm?" Harry blinked owlishly at the question before grinning as he replied, "Oh
no. Igor was simply..."

"Perrffecct." Harry practically purred which served to unnerve the Durmstrang
champion and amuse Voldemort.

Voldemort observed Krum's eyes widened as he seemed to have come to a very,
very grave misunderstanding.

"Did he... touch you?"

Dear Salazar...

Voldemort wasn't sure if he should get annoyed or laugh at Krum's conclusion.

"Touch me?" Harry seemed to ponder that question for a few seconds. Harry
finally shook his head and replied, "No. There was no touching involve."

Harry shrugged as he added, "... with him anyway."

Voldemort covered his face with his palm as Harry remembered how Voldemort had
held his hand and pretty much invaded his personal space while he was teaching
the foolish Gryffindor how to successfully cast Crucio and showing him
Legilimency.

Even Voldemort was surprised on how easy it had been to simply be close to the
boy. He had always kept a distance with other people. Even back when he was Tom
Riddle in Hogwarts and even when he had been teaching his favorites. He did
have the habit of patting Barty's and Bella's head when they have managed to do
something spectacular while he was teaching them.

But the closeness he had with Harry was the first time he had subconsciously
invaded someone's personal space.

Voldemort stopped musing when he heard Krum exclaim, "There vos someone else in
the room?!"

This was getting complicated...

"Mmhhmm." Harry's brows furrowed and he said dreamily, "I'm kinda tired now,
Mister Krum. Could you please be a dear and escort me back to my cage?"

"Cage?" That caught Krum's attention. Harry nodded and waved his hand lazily.

"Onward, Ser Krum. Send me back to my tower!" Harry declared dramatically
before giggling.

Voldemort mentally added 'Familiarize with Dark Arts Backslash' in his internal
list of what his future consort needed to learn as soon as possible.

Krum reluctantly pulled Harry on his feet and helped the younger boy out of the
ship, unsure on what else to do. Harry looked like he wasn't in his right mind
right now which meant... well... Voldemort may have an idea on what Krum was
thinking right now.


He just didn't care.

As Voldemort followed the two silently, he observed the Bulgarian seeker. If
his memories were correct, he was the son of one of the higher ups in the
Bulgarian Ministry of Magic.

Either the current minister was his uncle or his godfather...

He would have to order Barty to check.

Voldemort frowned when he remembered that Barty had his hands full just
pretending to be Moody. He needed Barty to remain in Hogwarts for as long as
Harry was staying. Barty was one of his most loyal and had already come to
adore Harry. At the very least, Barty knew that displeasing Harry would
displease Voldemort.

... and that was because their minds were connected and Harry would most
definitely show his displeasure to Voldemort which will annoy Voldemort and
make his life unbearable. Merlin forbid, he might unleash mini-Walburga once
more...

Yes... that was the only reason for that.


Voldemort needed another loyal follower.

Someone who could frequently contact Wormtail in person and get his wand (as
well as Nagini, perhaps?)...

But who?

Lucius was out of the question.

He was too fickle and Voldemort was still in a very compromising position.
Lucius would find some way to turn this situation into his favor, to get some
leverage against Voldemort.

Oh. Lucius would not betray him. Not fully anyway. But he was a Slytherin who
valued his own and his family's self-preservation most.

And inviting Lucius would just be the same as inviting mini-Walburga...

Harry would definitely throw a fit. His displeasure over the Malfoys was so
deep Voldemort wondered what in seven hells the two male Malfoys had done just
to get in Harry's bad side this deep.

Even that pathetic Weasley who had betrayed Harry had only been left with an
apathetic resignation from his future consort.

But Draco Malfoy?

Oh, just catching the Malfoy heir staring at him would make Harry feel so
annoyed he wanted to curse and hex the oblivious boy to oblivion.

Remembering Draco Malfoy brought other heirs of pure-blood families in his
mind.

Crabbe and Goyle were out of the question.

Not only were they too eager at times to prove themselves, their children
were... using Snape's vocabulary, dunderheads.

He could just see Harry ordering them to do the silliest and most embarrassing
things simply because he could.

The Zabini heir was also out of the question.

His mother had remained neutral during the first war, sleeping her way through
Dark, Light and Grey wizards without a care in the current affairs of the war.
Voldemort's observation of her son did not bode well with Harry's personality.
While Harry would simply be annoyed by the Slytherin's obvious interest, the
Zabini boy seemed to have gotten his mother's stubborn personality. That could
only lead to someone getting hurt... most probably the Zabini heir.

The same could also apply to the Greengrass heiress.

The heiress herself seem to be no problem. His brief observation of her made
him conclude she seemed like a perfect pure-blood daughter. His link with Harry
also provided Voldemort with Harry's thoughts of her. In summary? She seemed
alright. She kept to herself and never joined Draco in chiding him ever. She
would simply silently watch him, never interfering. That made Harry's
impression as... amicable. It was her family which was the problem. Her family
had remained neutral just like the Zabini head although they had provided
information to his side through Lucius. Last he had heard, there had been
negotiations of arranging marriage between Draco and their oldest daughter.
Considering how the oldest daughter seemed closer to the Zabini heir and it's
the Parkinson heiress who seemed close to Draco, perhaps the negotiation had
gone nowhere? Regardless, the Greengrass family was never truly loyal to him
and their closeness with the Malfoys may lead to some unforeseen complications.

The Parkinson heiress...

Voldemort would rather not traumatize the poor girl with his future consort's
silver tongue. He had seen and felt how annoyed Harry became whenever his eyes
would glance at her. It wasn't as deep as his annoyance with the Malfoy heir
but it was still there. Why though... Voldemort really didn't know.

It wasn't like Harry liked making internal monologues about how he felt for
every single person in the room with him.

His internal monologues are mostly about the most random thing he could think
of.

That left...

Voldemort's lips curved into a triumphant smirk as he remembered the last
Slytherin heir who seemed to be interested in Harry.

A flash of an eleven years old boy wearing Slytherin robes brightly smiling as
he stared at him with awe and revere appeared on Voldemort's mind.

Yes...

He would be perfect.
 
Chapter End Notes
     Yeeaahh. I am still stabbing your kokoros with mentions of
     diary!Hocrux. XD
     Oh boy.
     The Crucio scene was... uuhhh... totally unexpected. Voldemort
     just... became sadistic... Honestly, I don't know why it came to be
     like that. (and the reason why I said his was going to be darker than
     usual) XD
     Yeah. Seriously.
***** The Oddity That is Harry Potter *****
Chapter Summary
     A few people tell their side of the story about what is happening
Chapter Notes
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 more headcanons for Voldemort's Death Eaters (sorta) and some other
     characters
     3 obviously, this is more like a series of disjointed short stories
     (like the previous 'Champion chapter')
     4 Again, Harry does not like the Malfoys
     5 All except one part is set in the title character's POV... (sorry
     for the confusion TTATT)
     6 More made-up magic stuff
     7 I pretty much messed up the Hogsmeade trip dates...
     Just a heads up. Next chapter is also a series of disjointed short
     stories.
     IMPORTANT NOTE: My work is taking up most of my time (all my weekdays
     and most of my weekends) and it’s really, really bad (overworked and
     underpaid with no escape until October). The only reason I managed to
     even post this is because of the holidays. I have no idea if I can
     make the usual every week update. The most I can probably promise is
     once a month. I’m terribly sorry for this, guys, and I hope you bear
     with me until… well… until I can finally quit the hell I call my job.
     TTATT
     For more information of the update schedule, please see the bio of my
     profile.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
 
==============The Interest of Viktor Krum ==============
 
 
The morning had started out strange.
 
Everyone had seen how twitchy their headmaster was. They had seen how his
movements were sluggish and, quite frankly, weak looking.
 
As a student of a magical institution that does not shy away from teaching the
Dark Arts, everyone knew only one curse to have such a severe side-effect on
someone like their headmaster.
 
The Cruciatus Curse...
 
He had heard the whispers of his fellow schoolmates. They were all wondering
who could have cast an Unforgivable here in their ship while they were near a
Light supporter country like Britain.
 
Of course, their ship was considered Bulgarian territory so Magical Britain
could not do anything in incidents occurring in their ship but they were not
even sure if it did happen in their ship in the first place. It seemed highly
unlikely someone would cast such a Dark Art in Hogwarts territory. It would be
too risky.
 
That meant that their headmaster most probably got attacked either in their
ship or in the Beauxbatons' territory.
 
… But surely they would have heard something from Beauxbatons or the French
Ministry of Magic since, while Beauxbatons do have a Grey-based curriculum, the
French Ministry of Magic have been becoming more Light-based since the fall of
Voldemort.
 
The thought of the most feared Dark Lord brought Krum's thoughts back to the
boy who had tricked him into giving passage to their ship yesterday.
 
Harry Potter...
 
Could he have...
 
No. That would be ridiculous.
 
The Magical World's saviour? The vanquisher of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?
 
Performing the Cruiciatus curse?
 
Ridiculous!
 
But...
 
Krum had noticed some inconsistencies in the boy.
 
He would appear to be quite meek and seemed more inclined to follow his fellow
lions before his name came out of the goblet.
 
He had also appeared frightened and lost when he was announced as the fourth
champion.
 
That's when the inconsistencies started appearing.
 
Krum and the rest of his schoolmates had seen how Hogwarts students had shun
the meek fourth year. They were disgusted by the lack of unity of their school.
 
And they call themselves the Light?
 
In Durmstrang, each student was taught of the prejudice of the Light. As a
Dark-based institution, Durmstrang taught every student to trust and support
one another for the only one who had the back of a Dark wizard or witch was his
or her fellow Dark wizard or witch.
 
And here was the supposed saviour, being scorned by the people he had saved.
 
It was disgusting.
 
Of course, they kept their distance. It was not their place to stand against
Hogwarts. Any misconduct from their part could be mistaken as a deliberate act
of offense to Magical Britain by Magical Bulgaria. That would be unacceptable.
 
But still... Krum could not keep his eyes away from Harry Potter.
 
There was something about him that just... made Krum turn his head whenever
they were in the same room.
 
That's how he noticed the inconsistencies of Harry Potter.
 
After a few days of being scorn by almost everyone, the fourteen years old
boy's demeanour slightly shifted. His expression that used to hold some kind of
shyness now sported an almost stone cold expression. His eyes which were once
bright and curious now seemed bored and disinterested. He now held himself in a
calm stiff composure.
 
It was... strange...
 
Krum wondered if this was the real Harry Potter and the meek boy he had seen
before was just a ruse.
 
Or was this the new Harry Potter, created by the scorn and shun of his fellow
schoolmates?
 
The inconsistencies grew bigger after the publishing of Rita Skeeter's
interview of him.
 
His eyes grew harder and, when Krum see him stare at anyone, they held a cold
detached look. When he was insulted, Krum and his other schoolmates could feel
the magic shift in the air and they didn't know if they wanted to kneel or to
run away.
 
He had heard stories from his father about Voldemort. His father, as part of
the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic, had met the Dark Lord more than once. He had
described the magic shifting in the air whenever Voldemort entered a room. It
was so alluring and strong that it took all of their willpower to not submit
and kneel.
 
It was strange to think that the supposed vanquisher of the Dark Lord would
make Krum feel how his father had described his own experience with the said
Dark Lord.
 
Then... Harry Potter started disappearing for long periods of time.
 
He no longer came to the Great Halls to eat any meals. He no longer visited the
library. The only time Krum would see him was when their paths would intersect
while the boy was going to class or getting out of a classroom.
 
It was only a few days that he saw Harry Potter in the library once more. He
saw him as he held so many books in his arms. He only caught the titles of a
few and they were about Wizarding Traditions and Etiquette.
 
Krum's breathing stopped when the younger boy smiled at him.
 
There was something different about the boy.
 
His eyes had softened. They still held a kind of bored stare but they were...
more human, almost as if the boy was finally enjoying something.
 
His posture was more relaxed yet Krum could see the confidence in the younger
boy's shoulders.
 
The magic around him was... darker. There was something definitely different
about it, something foreign, yet the boy seemed more relaxed, more carefree in
the darker magic around him than Krum had ever seen.
 
But that smile...
 
It was strange.
 
It was just as strange as the shy crooked smile Harry Potter used to make.
 
That angelic smile he gave Krum was just as strange.
 
It didn't... seem right...
 
It put Krum on edge.
 
“Viktor...”
 
Krum stopped his musing and turned his body to face the one who called him.
Igor walked towards him, trying to hide the obvious painful aftereffect of the
Cruiciatus curse. Igor stopped right in front of him and asked, “Will you be
able to pass a message to Harry Potter on my behalf?”
 
Krum kept his expression blank while he was burning curiously inside.
 
“I can try.” Krum replied with a small nod.
 
Igor frowned and said, “It is of great importance that you pass this message to
him as soon as possible...”
 
That only made Krum more curious but he only said, “I vill try my best.”
 
“Thank you, Viktor.”
 
The look of pure relief in his headmaster's face only fuelled the oddity that
is Harry Potter in Krum's mind.
 
 
==============The Dilemma of Hermione Granger ==============
 
 
Hermione was worried.
 
She was extremely, almost illogically worried.
 
She was worried about Ron. She knew that the red head was having doubts, knew
he was in the wrong, but he kept clinging stubbornly to his pride.
 
And that pride caused a gap between her two best friends.
 
It had happened the morning after Harry's name came out of the goblet. She
noticed Ron and Harry were not sitting together. Harry was sitting with Neville
while Ron was sitting between Seamus and Dean. She had sat next to Harry and
had seen the look of hurt and sadness in Ron's face that just stabbed her
heart.
 
That's when she made the decision to stay with Ron instead of Harry.
 
It had been foolish, now that Hermione thought about it.
 
She had expected Harry to be okay, expected Neville to be there for Harry while
she comforted Ron.
 
Ron had always been the most emotional one, the most immature one, the... one
who needed her most.
 
Harry had shown he was more than capable in taking care of himself.
 
Hermione had been close with Harry long enough to know that the boy was only
mediocre because he didn't apply himself enough. He was lazy. Not the same
laziness Ron had that needed to be chided and annoyed to move but a certain...
detached laziness that both worried and unnerved Hermione.
 
Sometimes, she didn't know how to talk to Harry.
 
She felt as if Harry wasn't really Harry which was ridiculous when she phrased
it like that.
 
It was like...
 
The Harry Ron and the rest of the school believed they knew wasn't really the
real Harry. There were some parts which was real. The mischievous smirks Harry
would have when he would be suggesting pranks to Fred and George were real. The
elated almost manic smile he had when he was flying a broom was real. The
pursed lips and furrowed brows he would always have when he was revising for
exams were real. The soft fond smile that briefly appear on Harry's lips while
he was writing on the black diary he found back when they were in second year
had been real.
 
Hermione wondered if Tom Riddle's diary had more effect on her best friend than
she had thought.
 
Hermione wasn't sure if Harry was changing or simply showing his real self
during the end of their second year. He was still the kind sweet shy boy she
met but there was... a certain darkness in him that Hermione couldn't fully
comprehend. A part of her was disgusted to think that the darkness she saw is
the real Harry. She felt disgusted that she would rather have Harry have a dark
side than believe that Harry was pure.
 
Hermione just couldn't accept that Harry was truly a shy naive boy who saw the
goodness in everything and wanted to be good.
 
It seemed so... unreal.
 
And it disgusted Hermione how she wished that the darkness that was slowly
appearing on her best friend is truly the real him.
 
It made him... more human.
 
But what did that make Hermione?
 
She couldn't fully accept a martyr child who had held his hand out and became
her first friend yet she could fully accept a boy who seemed to have a detached
look on the world around him and wouldn't look at her twice.
 
She had read enough books to know that wasn't a good thought.
 
She was simply overthinking things, she would tell herself.
 
Then... she saw Harry with that blonde Ravenclaw.
 
Ron had thrown a fit when he saw both her and Ginny look at the pair with
devastation in their eyes. Ron had thought Hermione wanted to be with Harry and
that wasn't a lie. She wanted to be with both Ron and Harry, her two best
friends.
 
Ginny had looked devastated because she still had a crush on Harry, everybody
knew that. She had spent weeks looking for him when he started disappearing for
long periods of time. More than once, Hermione would see her just standing
outside the girls' bathroom leading to the Chambers of Secrets.
 
Hermione wondered if Ginny was standing because she thought Harry would be in
the Chambers or if she wished the diary would be in her arms to guide her and
help her search for Harry.
 
If anyone was smart enough to find Harry, it would be Tom Riddle.
 
She knew Ginny kept her distance from Harry ever since the Chambers because,
more than once, she would slip and call Harry 'Tom'. She would look so
embarrassed and afraid that she would run away.
 
She never saw how Harry's eyes turned sad, how his fists clenched and a bitter
smile briefly appear on his face.
 
But Hermione did...
 
She had seen the painful look Harry would always make when that happens. She
never understood if it was because Ginny saw the diary and not him or it was
because Ginny reminded him of the diary he had also talked to for more than a
few months.
 
Hermione had been so worried about him but Harry always seemed to be alright
after a few seconds then everything would return to normal like nothing was
wrong from the very beginning.
 
Hermione had thought Harry was strong, stronger than both her and Ron.
 
That's why she thought Harry would be alright without her, that Ron needed her
to see that he's being an idiot and everything will be fine again.
 
But... it didn't...
 
Harry stopped coming to the Great Halls, kept to himself and even kept his
distance from Neville who didn't push, didn't know how to push. The support of
the lion's den had dimmed, turned into a distant observation over the quiet
boy. Hermione couldn't fault them. Harry had seemed so unapproachable, so...
so...
 
… Different...
 
When she saw him in the library again after so long, her eyes watered and she
couldn't move. Harry looked so different. He still looked the same, appearance-
wise, but the way he held himself with such bored confidence, the way his face
was relaxed yet held no emotions whatsoever, the way he stared at her in a
curious yet detached way...
 
It made Hermione wants to cry and scream.
 
She wanted to scream at herself for thinking that the Harry in front of him,
not the kind shy boy she had always known, seemed more real, more... human...
 
She wanted to cry because she couldn't find the words to talk to him anymore.
She didn't know this Harry, didn't know how she would react if she would
approach him. The previous Harry would have been crossed but he would have
forgiven her in the end but this Harry?
 
She didn't know...
 
She just didn't know...
 
That's why she had been devastated with the closeness the blonde Ravenclaw and
this new Harry.
 
The younger girl always waited for Harry to go down ever since two days ago and
they would walk together to their classes. Sometimes she would walk Harry to
class, other times Harry would do the same. She would always wait for Harry's
classes to finish if she got out before him. If Harry did... one way or
another, the young girl seemed to be able to find Harry and they would be seen
together.
 
She almost had the courage to go towards them this morning when but stopped
when she saw Krum walk towards the two. Her blood turn cold when she saw the
amused smile on Harry's face as he listened to what Krum was saying to him and
she wondered if she and Ron had been replaced by the Bulgarian seeker and the
younger Ravenclaw.
 
She wanted to be there with them, wanted to talk to Harry, wanted to know what
he was thinking, how he was feeling.
 
Harry was her first friend. Ron had tagged along when Harry went to save her.
Harry was the one who offered his friendship to her.
 
Even if it was just a lie or if it was just a whim, Harry still held a hand
towards her and, for that, the raven haired boy would always hold a special
place in her heart.
 
She wanted to know the real him... or the new him... whoever was in front of
her right now, whoever was the real Harry Potter, she wanted to know him,
wanted to be near him.
 
But... would he want her back?
 
 
==============The Embarrassment of Bartemius Crouch Junior  ==============
 
"Why are you so loyal to Tom anyway?"

Barty and his lord stopped eating at the sudden question from the young
Gryffindor, both of them raising their head to stare (Barty) or glare (his
lord) at Little Lord. They had begun eating dinner in Barty's quarters after
that fateful night Barty was reunited with his restored lord and met his
lord's... fiancé...?

Barty was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that his lord's fiancé
was a fourteen year old Gryffindor.

Bella would probably lose consciousness because she laughed too much when she
hears about this.

His lord had returned to eating once more, not paying attention to the question
posed by his future consort. Barty stared at the Little Lord who stared back at
him as he ate a spoonful of oatmeal drenched in milk and honey.
 
Why he was eating oatmeal for dinner... Barty didn't really ask.

"I..." Barty couldn't find the proper words to describe his loyalty to his
lord. No one had ever bothered to ask him such a thing.

Little Lord still looked like he was waiting for an answer as he ate another
spoonful of oatmeal.

Luna put her stripes of chicken on Little Lord's plate which made his lord look
up and scold with a hiss, "Don't give him more meat, foolish girl. You're
spoiling him."

Little Lord rolled his eyes and retorted, "It's just a few stripes. It's not
like it's going to make me a bloody balloon."

Little Lord stopped and grinned while his lord furrowed his brows. His lord
raised an eyebrow at Little Lord and asked, "You inflated a muggle?"

"Oh yeah. That one was fun." Little Lord replied with a grin.

Barty turned to look at the blonde Ravenclaw for more information who simply
mouthed the words 'mental link' to him. He had been briefed about how his lord
and Little Lord were now mentally linked and all of Little Lord's thoughts were
transmitted to his lord.

Did that mean that Little Lord had inflated a muggle before?

That sounded like something Rabastian and Rodolphus would do...

"I wonder what would happen if she had been popped while inflated..." Little
Lord mused in a sing-song tone, grinning maliciously as he wondered, "I mean,
would she just lose all air and become flat or would she blow up? And if she
did blow up..."

Little Lord's grin turned more sadistic as he continued, "Would she blow up
like a balloon and just pop out air and skin or would she pop out blood, guts
and faecal matter?"

And now that sounded like something Bella would enjoy finding out.

His lord placed his hand over his mouth thoughtfully and stared at the
cranberry jam on the table.

Barty suddenly wanted to push the cranberry jam far away from him.

"It sounds like an interesting experiment." His lord finally said, earning a
bright enthusiastic grin from Little Lord. His lord turned to stare at Little
Lord and suggested, "Perhaps we can try it on your aunt once we're out of
here."

Luna turned towards his lord to remind him sternly, "After the baby is born."

His lord nodded and agreed, "Of course."

"Oooohh. That sounds like a fun field trip." Little Lord commented gleefully
before adding, "I've only gotten a bunny to explode."

"You... got a bunny to explode?" Barty repeated.

Oh Merlin...

Bella was so going to like Little Lord...

Little Lord nodded and turned towards Barty to answer him, "Yup. It was my
second year and the bunny exploded all over me. I think I had brain matter on
my hair..."

Barty's jaw slacked and his lord raised an eyebrow. He turned to look at Little
Lord and asked, "You transfigured a rabbit from an apple?"

"I tried..." Little Lord corrected before shrugging as he explained, "The bunny
exploded an hour later though and all the guts and blood turned to apple mush
after a minute or two."

"Impressive." His lord commented, rubbing his chin as he mused, "Even without
the proper training or knowledge, you were able to control your magic to change
the composition of an apple to a rabbit. The rabbit exploding could easily be
because you could not control your magic for a long period of time to sustain
the rabbit's form."

His lord smirked and suggested, "Perhaps we should focus on training you to
control your magic."

"Oh?" Little Lord tilted his head to the side as a response.

Barty's lips curved into a Cheshire grin as he said enthusiastically, "My Lord
is truly a splendid professor! I have learned most of what I know from him."

Both Little Lord and Luna turned to stare at him, silently observing him before
turning to look at one another. Luna leaned forward till her face was just
inches away from Little Lord's ear. She raised her hand to cover her lips and
Little Lord's ear and seemed to whisper something in his ear.

Little Lord's eyebrow rose and he asked Barty, "You think of Tom as a father
figure?"

Barty's cheeks flushed as his lord ordered in an annoyed clipped tone, "Stop
calling me that."

"Oh, come on. Voldemort is such a mouth full." Little Lord whined, waving his
spoon at his lord's direction as he said, "Just think about it, Tom-"

His lord raised his head to glare at Little Lord as the younger wizard
continued, "It's just too much of a mouthful to moan 'Voldemort' when we do
shag."

Barty choked on his own spit and Luna raised her head to stare at the ceiling
with the same dreamy expression she always had. She tilted her head slightly to
the side and hummed.

"Then shout 'My Lord' instead." His lord suggested in a deadpan tone.

"Really?" Little Lord raised an eyebrow and reminded his lord, "Isn't that a
bit..."

Little Lord shrugged as he continued while playing with the rest of his oat
meal, "... impersonal? I mean... we would be a married couple by then..."

"Call me Marvolo then." His lord suggested with a low growl.

"That's as long as Voldemort." Little Lord whined which only made his lord
glare at him. Little Lord grinned as he suggested, "Voldie?"

"No."

"Marvy?"

"No."

"Tommy."

"No."

"Love Tart."

All three males stared at Luna. Luna lowered her head and smiled dreamily at
Little Lord who grinned at her. Little Lord turned to grin at his lord and
opened his mouth.

"Call me 'Tom'." His lord relented with gritted teeth. His lord glared at the
two students who high-fived one another. His lord sighed tiredly and rubbed his
forehead as he hissed, "You are a menace, Harry Potter."

Little Lord grinned at him before turning towards Barty and asked playfully,
"Soooo... this guy? A father figure?"

Barty could only cover his face.
 
 
============== The Break Down of Theodore Nott==============
 
"<<I am totally against this. >>" Harry hissed as he reluctantly walked towards
the seven fourth years currently talking at the hallway. Why they were talking
in the hallway, Harry did not know nor did he care. What matters was that he
wanted nothing more but to turn around and return to Barty's personal quarters,
sit on the comfortable transfigured couch and laze around while listening to
his fiancé (still sounds weird in his mind) order Barty to do something or just
start writing in a random parchment about Merlin knows what.
 
Why Voldemort had to decide that he should speak to baby snakes now after
dinner and not... ooohhh... Tomorrow, perhaps?

"<<Enough stalling. Just get him away from the rest and drag him to Barty's
quarters. >>" Voldemort hissed from his right side, still using Harry's cloak.

Harry groaned and whined, "<<Can't we wait until he's alone? >>"

"<<Slytherins are never alone. >>" Voldemort hissed, "<<Especially an heir like
him. >>"

"<<You so owe me two treacle tarts for this. >>" Harry hissed back.

"<<Oh, for the love of Merlin. It's just seven children! >>" Voldemort hissed
back and Harry rolled his eyes.

"<<Seven baby snakes, Tom. I'm going to talk to seven baby snakes that have
never stopped annoying and insulting me since I got sorted to Gryffindor at the
end of dinner time, in front of many eyewitnesses. I want two treacle tarts for
dinner tomorrow! >>" Harry hissed before smiling at the seven Slytherins as he
stopped right in front of them. Harry made sure to smile pleasantly, thinking
of the two treacle tarts, as he greeted in English, "Salutation, my fellow
Hogwarts students! A pleasant day to all of you..."

Harry nodded at the dark skinned Slytherin, "Zabini."

Blaise looked amused as he nodded at him and greeted back, "Potter."
 
Harry nodded at the dark haired Slytherin, “Nott.”
 
Theodore nodded back and warily greeted, “Potter...”

Harry bowed, remembering it as one of the traditional pure-blood ways of
greeting a lady (the other way was to grab her hand and kiss her knuckles which
Harry didn't want to do because he had a feeling it might make the other
spectators think he was going Dark), as he greeted, "Lady Greengrass."

Daphne raised an eyebrow but curtsied as she greeted back politely, "Sir
Potter."

Harry nodded at Pansy and said, "Pug-face."

He felt Voldemort's annoyance through their link while Pansy spluttered,
obviously surprised by the sudden insult. He still remembered how Pansy was
more or less a female Crabbe/Goyle (in other words a Malfoy minion). At least
Zabini, Greengrass and Nott seemed more like their own person than a Malfoy
groupie. The rest of the Slytherins were either amused (Blaise, Daphne and
Theodore) or surprised (Malfoy and his cronies).

Speaking of which...
 
"Malfoy minion A, Malfoy minion B." Harry nodded at Crabbe and Goyle (or was it
Goyle and Crabbe?) before turning to look at Malfoy and greeted, "Daddy's boy."

"How dare you-"

"Theodore, can I have a moment of your time?" Harry cut Malfoy off, smiling
pleasantly at Theodore.

Theodore blinked at him, obviously surprised by the request and the sudden use
of his first name, while Malfoy hissed, "Listen here, Potter. If you think I
will just lie-"

"Oh, do your father a favour and shut up, Baby Malfoy." Harry hissed back,
glaring at Malfoy. Harry sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he ranted,
“I don't want to deal with you. I don't want to deal with your Daddy dearest
but, unfortunately, I will have to deal with him because he has been kissing so
many arses I won't be surprise if your mother doesn't want to kiss him
anymore.”
 
He noticed the annoying pin on his robes and rolled his eyes before mocking,
"And you're still wearing that childish pin? Honestly, if Salazar was alive, he
would be so embarrassed that you're all Slytherins."

"How dare y-"

Harry placed his hand over the pin and focused his magic at the tip of his
fingers. He tapped his forefinger against the cold metallic surface of the pin
and hissed softly so no one would hear him, “<<Change to my will. >>”
 
Harry grinned as he said, "There. Much better."

Instead of the childish "Potter sucks" writing, the pin now displayed "The Dark
Lord has foot fetish".
 
Merlin...
 
He loved Parselmagic.

Malfoy paled at the words while Theodore's eyes widened. All of the other pins
had the same changes which made Daphne and Blaise look impressed while Pansy
looked annoyed. Crabbe and Goyle (or Goyle and Crabbe, seriously, there's a
reason why Harry called them minion A and B) looked confused at the changes.

Harry grinned wider when he felt Voldemort's annoyance and amusement through
their link.

Blaise stared at his own pin and commented, "Impressive. A nonverbal and
wandless magic manipulation... and to change every single pin instead of only
Malfoy's. I suppose you're not just a mediocre waste of space like your ginger
best mate."

Harry shrugged and looked at his fingernails as he said, "Please. As if
Malfoy's childish charm would be a challenge for me to manipulate."
 
… with Parselmagic...

"Childi-"

"So, Theodore. A word?" Harry cut Malfoy once more, grinning at Theodore.

"I suppose..." Theodore seemed reluctant, staring at his own pin.

"Fantastic!" Harry grinned as he grabbed Theodore by the arm. Harry nodded at
Blaise, "Zabini."

"Potter." Blaise nodded back and smirked as he said, "I would be honoured if
you would also spare me a moment of your time as well."

Harry shrugged and replied, "Maybe. Who knows. Maybe you'll be useful as well.
If it was up to me, I'd rather stay far away from you baby snakes."

Blaise raised an eyebrow at Harry's words but Harry simply bowed at the amused
girl next to him as he greeted, "Lady Greengrass."

"Sir Potter." Daphne nodded, still looking amused at her own pin, "Perhaps an
afternoon tea with me and Zabini would be more to your liking?"

Harry hummed and said cheerfully, "If there are treacle tarts, I might find the
time."

Daphne smirked as she replied, "I will hold you to that, Sir Potter."

Harry grinned at her before nodding at Pansy and saying, "Pug-face."

Not waiting for Pansy to be able to say something coherent, Harry turned
towards Malfoy's goons (Harry have given up trying to remember who is who),
"Malfoy minion A, minion B."

Harry patted Malfoy on the arm as he greeted, "Daddy's Boy."

Malfoy opened his mouth, most probably to insult Harry, but Harry beat him to
it, "Well, as nice as it was to pretend I enjoy the company of Malfoy and his
goons... Although, I guess I wouldn't mind the company of you, Zabini, and you
as well, Lady Greengrass... seriously, treacle tarts would be appreciated. I
must bid you all adieu and borrow Theodore for a while. I promise I will give
him back to you baby snakes before curfew... hopefully..."

"Well, bye now!" Harry grinned and dragged Theodore away from the rest of the
Slytherins. When they were about to turn to a corner, Harry turned back and
reminded Malfoy, "Oh! Better find a way to change the pins back, Malfoy. He'll
probably Crucio you and your father if he finds out you announced to the entire
school that he has a foot fetish!"

Harry grinned when he saw Malfoy pale so bad he looked like a corpse. Harry
began dragging Theodore towards the personal quarters of the Defence of the
Dark Arts professor, humming softly.

"Potter... where are you taking me?" Theodore asked, trying to keep up with
Harry's brisk walking.

Harry smiled innocently at him and replied sweetly, "Oh, I'm just dragging you
to an empty classroom where I can torture you for information before killing
you and dumping your corpse somewhere then framing Malfoy to take the fall."

Theodore raised an eyebrow as he argued, "Oh? But people saw you dragging me."

"Ah, yes." Harry nodded as they stopped in front of a door, keeping his voice
pleasant as he argued back, "But that's where my awesome acting comes into
play. I'll act that you and I have been having an illicit affair and I will be
the distraught boy who had fallen in love with you but, alas, our love is not
meant to be!"

"A what?!" Harry grinned when he heard the slight high-pitched tone in
Theodore's voice.

"Yes." Harry opened the door to Barty's (officially Moody's) private quarters
before he announced dramatically, "A forbidden love between the saviour of the
Wizarding World and a well-known Dark Wizard! Oh, the tragedy!"

Barty who had been grading paper on his desk (and was still Polyjuice-ed to
look like Moody) and Luna who had been reading the Quibbler raised their head
to look at the door. Harry dragged the bewildered (and slightly frightened)
Theodore into the room and he felt Voldemort closed the door behind them. Barty
raised an eyebrow and deadpanned, "Are we announcing your engagement, Little
Lord?"

"Engagement?!" Theodore's voice cracked at the middle of the word, making Harry
grin wider.

"Why not? It will be a tale of a star crossed lover that will make Romeo and
Juliet weep in jealousy." Harry announced, moving away from Theodore and
grabbing Luna. Luna smiled dreamily and let Harry drag her to a silent waltz as
he announced, "For there was no greater tragedy than the story of the Boy-Who-
Lived and his Dark Wizard."

Harry grinned at Luna as he commented, "I'm sure the Wizarding World would
appreciate a better love story that will put Muggle literature to shame."

"Romeo and Juliet?" Barty repeated, looking at the frozen Theodore with
amusement.

"A Muggle play about two star crossed lovers." Voldemort summarized, taking the
cloak off. Theodore made a sound that reminded Harry of a squirrel and Barty
knelt.

"My Lord." Barty greeted with revere while Theodore quickly knelt as well,
choking a sound that Harry supposed was an attempt to say 'My Lord' but came
out sounding like a dying squirrel.

Voldemort walked towards the two dancing students and grabbed Harry by the
waist. Luna stepped away and curtsied while Harry let Voldemort lead him to a
silent Waltz once more.

For some reason, Voldemort seemed keened on dancing with Harry ever since that
afternoon they first had an impromptu Waltz in the hallway. Voldemort raised an
eyebrow as he reminded Harry, "Juliet and Romeo died in the end."

"Yes they did." Harry replied as Voldemort twirled him, grinning as he said,
"Well, in my scenario, Theodore does die because of Malfoy's bitter anger."

Theodore looked ready to vomit and pass out as he stared at the two of them
dancing, probably thinking Harry was serious about the whole killing Theodore
thing.

Voldemort rolled his eyes and pushed Harry away. Harry fell on his favourite
armchair and happily lazed around, grinning at Voldemort. Voldemort sighed and
asked, "Will you be trying to traumatize all my followers like this? Barty is
still traumatized over your teasing."

Barty shivered at the reminder while Harry continued to grin as he said,
"Probably. Your followers are soooo easy to frighten. You'd think they were
sorted to Hufflepuff from the way they react."
 
“Plus...” Harry's grin grew larger as he said, “I do make a believable
Voldemort. I can be your Mini-mort.”
 
Barty tried to stifle his chuckling and Luna giggled. Voldemort rolled his eyes
once more before turning to face Barty and Theodore, ordering them, "Rise."

Barty and Theodore mumbled their gratitude. Barty returned to grading the
assignments he had given the second years and Theodore stood where Harry had
left him, staring at the floor with a forced calm expression on his face.
Voldemort sat on the other armchair and crossed his left leg over his right
while Luna sat on the floor, next to Harry's left leg. She opened the Quibbler
once more and began reading while Voldemort asked, "How is the standing of the
Nott family in the Wizarding World?"

Theodore gulped and said hesitantly, "M-my father is still a respected Lord, My
Lord. He still eagerly awaits your return and would have searched for you had
it not been... for my mother's untimely death..."

Voldemort frowned at that and Harry raised an eyebrow as he asked, "So, Nott is
one of your favourites?"

"Theonel Nott was one of my first Death Eaters. Before that, he was part of my
Knights of Walpurgis back in Hogwarts together with Abraxas Malfoy, Lucius'
father." Voldemort admitted, "He had always been one of the more... vocal
members of my Inner Circle. Had it not been for his wife, I'm sure he would
have happily proclaimed his loyalty to me unlike Lucius."

Theodore's knuckles became white but he remained silent. Harry smiled playfully
as he drawled, "Ooohhh, you like him. Even after he denied his allegiance to
you, you still like him."

"Of course I like him. Why else do you think I would choose his son instead of
the Malfoy heir?" Voldemort scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Theodore's eyes widened at those words and he raised his head to stare at
Voldemort with wide surprised eyes.

"And here I thought you didn't pick Malfoy because you know how much I don't
like him and his father." Harry drawled, turning to stare at Theodore as he
added, "You break my heart, love tart."

"I do so enjoy hearing the pain in your voice, my dear." Voldemort deadpanned
without missing a beat before asking Theodore, "And is he still quite well?
Mulciber and Avery had always joked about his... weak stamina."

Theodore stared at them for a few seconds before finally finding his voice, "My
father has been using a cane for five years now. But!"
 
Theodore knelt once more and proclaimed, "We still remain loyal to you, My
Lord! Even now, my father awaits your triumphant return and will don his mask
and your mark when you call! I have also been raised to carry his will and
pledge my allegiance to you!"

Harry turned to look at Voldemort and commented, "I take it back. The Nott
family is definitely your favourite."

Voldemort sighed and retorted, "The Nott family and the Lestranges family are
one of my most loyal followers."

"The Lestranges are known to be crazy." Harry turned to ask Theodore, "Other
than being stupid enough to follow this megalomaniac prat, would you say your
father is of sound mind?"

"I..." Theodore seemed lost of words at Harry's casual insult and Voldemort's
response of only rolling his eyes in resigned annoyance.

"Little Lord, I would also like to remind you that I am one of My Lord's
faithful." Barty deadpanned, not even bothering to stop grading. Theodore
turned his head so fast Harry swore he heard a bone crack.

"Mad Eye Moody follows the Dark Lord?!" Theodore asked in a high voice.

Harry scoffed and waved his hand dismissively as he retorted, "Please, Barty.
You have this weird father-son relationship going with Tom. Anyone who deems
Tom as a good father figure is definitely crazy."

Barty finally raised his head to stare at Harry as he teased, "Would that make
you my future stepmother?"

"Don't make me order you to go to your room, Barty." Harry hissed, grinning at
him.

"We're already in my room, mother." Barty retorted immediately.

"Children, please!" Voldemort finally shouted, glaring at Barty and Harry.
Barty grinned sheepishly before returning to the parchments he needed to grade.

Harry glared at Barty and hissed, "Now look what you did! You made your father
angry!"

"Sorry, father." Barty drawled, unable to stop himself from grinning.

Voldemort sighed in resignation and rubbed his forehead. He turned towards the
only girl in the room and commented, "At least you're mature enough."

Luna slowly raised her head to smile dreamily at Voldemort as she said, "That's
because I'm mummy's favourite daughter."

Voldemort covered his eyes with his palm while Harry rubbed the top of her head
as he cooed, "Aawww, of course you are, my sweet dear Luna. You're mummy's
favourite daughter. Yes, you are."

Voldemort glared at Theodore as he asked in an annoyed clip tone, "Would
Theonel be able to come to the Hogsmeade day this coming Sunday?"

"Of course, My Lord! If it is by your order, my father would happily travel
across the world in your name." Theodore replied, feeling awkward at the casual
bantering happening around him.
 
“Dear Circe, this amount of fanatical loyalty should not be normal.” Harry
murmured, staring at Theodore with amusement. Harry grinned at Voldemort and
asked, “What's your secret?”
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow and deadpanned, “My nice neat hair and piercing red
eyes.”
 
Harry groaned and whined, “I'm screwed. All I have is a pair of Avada Kedavra
eyes and this cursed bird's nest they call Potter hair.”
 
“Personally I think your eyes are quite beautiful, Little Lord.” Barty
commented without looking up.

"Rise, Theodore." Voldemort ordered before he stood and walked towards Barty.
Theodore quickly stood, feeling terribly awkward at the playful banter
happening around him.
 
“You like using Avada Kedavra. Of course, you'll find my eyes beautiful.” Harry
whined, pouting at Barty.
 
Barty opened the second drawer of his desk and took out a parchment. He held it
towards Voldemort as he commented, “Wouldn't that mean My Lord also find Little
Lord's eyes beautiful?”
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes and grabbed the parchment. He turned to glare at
Harry and commented, “I find them so beautiful I want to pluck them out of your
sockets.”
 
Theodore choked a whimper and his eyes widened when Harry simply smirked and
retorted, “Your red eyes are as beautiful as the Crucio you throw, Tom. Maybe
we should pluck each other’s eyes, hhhmmm?”
 
Voldemort grabbed one of the quills on the table and wrote something at the top
before waving his hand over the parchment as he replied, “I'll give you an eye
if you give me one.”
 
Harry recognized it as a wandless and nonverbal drying charm as he commented,
“Oh, I've always wanted a right red eye. I think you'll look dashing with green
eyes, Tom.”
 
Barty sighed and asked, “Can we please not talk about exchanging eyes, My Lord?
The visuals... are very disturbing...”
 
Voldemort rolled the parchment and transfigured the quill he was using as a
gold ring shaped as a snake eating its own tail as he commented, “Be happy you
are not linked to Harry's mind, Barty. He has the most...”
 
Voldemort turned to stare at Harry who simply grinned at him as he continued,
“... detailed imagination.”
 
“Why you imagine such revolting muggle ways to exchange our eyes when we could
easily use magic is beyond me. We must really work on corrected that muggle
infested mine of yours, my dear.” Voldemort nonchalantly commented which made
Harry roll his eyes. Voldemort inserted the parchment into the ring before
handing it to Theodore and he ordered, "Send this to your father. If everything
goes according to plan, you will escort Harry Potter next Hogsmeade weekend to
meet your father and a family friend."

Theodore took the parchment, making sure to bow his head as he said, "As My
Lord commands."

Harry raised an eyebrow as he asked, "So this family friend... he wouldn't
happen to be the same prat who would have papers of being a Durmstrang graduate
and Gringotts certified fake identification papers, would he?"

Voldemort's feral grin made Theodore shiver in fear while it only made Harry
grow more interested, "Yes. His name is Marvolo Slytherin, the son of Lord
Voldemort."

Harry blinked for a second before finally asking, "You created a fake son named
after your new name?"

"Yes." Voldemort replied, walking towards Harry. He placed his hand on Harry's
chin and forced Harry to look up at him as he said, "Your meeting with Theodore
Nott is an attempt to ask for help in surviving the Triwizard Tournament.
Theodore Nott will ask help from his father who will introduce you to a
Durmstrang graduate named Marvolo Slytherin."

"Who will become my coach?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow when he noticed
Voldemort's grin become more malicious.

"He will start as a coach of sort but you, Harry Potter..." Voldemort caressed
Harry's bottom lip as he announced, "... will fall in love with the son of the
Dark Lord."
 
Chapter End Notes
     This was a super long chapter so I cut it into 2 normal length (by my
     standards) chapter.
     Plus, it just seems right to end it here with Theodore's part.
     That’s good news since that means I can update next week. After that…
     weeellll, we can only hope work doesn’t strangle me. XD
***** So Much For Peace and Quiet *****
Chapter Summary
     Luna tells her side of the story in the beginning and Ginny muses
     about the changes in Harry.
     The rest... well...
     Voldemort had only wanted Theodore Nott in his plans.
     The other snakes decided they wanted some of Harry's time as well.
     Harry is not amused.
Chapter Notes
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 more headcanons for Voldemort's Death Eaters (sorta) and about Luna
     (and magic)
     3 obviously, this is more like a series of disjointed short stories
     (like the previous 2 chapters)
     4 Again, Harry does not like the Malfoys
     5 I changed the Hogsmeade trip from Saturday to Sunday
     6 First two parts are set to focus character’s POV, the rest are set
     to Harry’s POV
See the end of the chapter for more notes
 
 
==============The Musing of Luna Lovegood==============
 

Luna Lovegood had always been able to see magic since she could remember.

Everyone's magic was unique and was quite fascinating to observe.

Most magic she could only see but there were some that Luna could smell. Some
even felt cold or warm.

Dumbledore's magic was warm and soothing yet it was also too blinding for those
who were not Light.

Luna, like the rest of the Lovegoods, was Neutral. It only meant they could use
both Light and Dark magic with enough practice and understanding yet they can
never produce a better spell than one that was inclined to either.

To Luna, Dumbledore's magic was too blinding to observe for far too long but
Luna noticed it usually took the shape of overly large pair of wings.

Lord Slytherin's magic, on the other hand, was so alluring and tempting that
Luna could lose herself if she stared far too long. The magic coiled around all
those around him like snakes gently choking their prey. It allured all,
regardless of their magical inclination.

Yet, even if Luna knew she was slowly being choked into submission, she paid it
no heed.

For the greatest magic of all was the sad song she always heard coming from her
lord.

Her little broken lord with his chained magic singing soft sad songs. He kept
his magic in his core and Luna only noticed it when it would lash out against
Lord Slytherin's magic. His magic did not like being forced out.

Her lord's magic did not tempt or allure anyone. Instead it sings and only the
magic of those compatible with her lord could hear it.

Her lord's magic which had been dark Grey even when she had been a first year
had turned into a darker shade of Grey during the latter part of his second
year. It was the same kind of dark hue she had seen in Ginevra Weasley before
it had returned to its fiery Light like the rest of the Weasley. It continued
to darken as time passes on but the song remained the same. She had heard a
more beautiful but still sad song during the latter half of her first year
though. It was when she saw the Dark magic oozing from her lord's bag. The same
Dark magic she had seen in Ginevra's bag during the first half of her first
year. It was also the same Dark magic she could see hiding in her lord's core,
weak and barely moving yet her lord's magic wrap around it like a treasured
child and the dark magic clung onto her lord's magic like a possessive new
born. It was the same Dark magic she saw around Lord Slytherin.
 
Lord Slytherin... was the one most compatible with her lord's magic. His magic
coiled around her lord in a possessive embrace, stroking and coaxing his magic
out. Her lord's magic lashes out most of the time but it would shiver as well.
Whenever they were near one another, her lord's magic sang sweeter songs. They
were still sad but there was a hint of hope in them.

The Nargles whispered to her ear that it may take some time but Lord Slytherin
was the only one who could truly coax her lord's magic out.

The Nargles had been hushed-hushed about how that would happen though.

Another person who had heard her lord's magic had been that muggle-born in
Gryffindor. She had seen the muggle-born's magic and how it had so desperately
tried to hold her lord's core into a loving embrace but could not. Her lord's
magic lashed out against the hold, identifying it as too Light, too pure and
too sickeningly sweet. Her lord's magic was just too Grey, bordering on dark
already, to find solace in the pure Light of the muggle-born. Oh, how her heart
break whenever she saw the muggle-born. There was so much potential, so many
possibility, in the poor ignorant muggle-born. She was too pure to remain by
her lord's side and her lord was too stubborn to paint her Light with the
specks of dark it needed to be Grey. Perhaps that Bulgarian Dark Wizard with
the strong fortress-like magic could help the muggle-born where her lord could
not?

The Bulgarian Dark Wizard's magic also heard her lord's magic. Out of all the
other champions, rather than the Light Hufflepuff or the Grey Quarter-Veela, it
was the Dark Bulgarian who heard it the most. Her lord's magic was more in tune
to Dark and dark Grey, it seemed. Luna, with her pure Grey magic, and the
Gryffindor muggle-born, with her pure Light magic, were the only exception as
far as Luna had observed.
 
There was an anomaly though.
 
Ginevra Weasley…
 
Luna did not know if the youngest Weasley’s magic could hear the song of her
lord’s magic but Luna had observed how her fiery Light magic would always move
towards her lord, yet always stop just a foot away. The wispy ends of her magic
seemed to turn to something quite similar to black ashes, drifting towards his
lord. The black ashes always reminded Luna of Lord Slytherin’s magic.
 
She still do not know if the red-haired Gryffindor could hear her lord’s magic
for her magic did not have the same rhythmic movements as the muggle-born
Gryffindor’s magic did. Her magic did not sway to the tune of her lord’s magic
as it gets closer. The magic that could hear her lord’s magic would
instinctively sway to the tune.

Just like the baby snakes, as her lord would 'lovingly' call them, who could
hear her lord's songs as well.

They had always heard it but it was only after her lord had started to become
more in tune with who he really is, with what his magic is really is, did the
baby snakes start to notice the quiet singing of her lord's magic and sway to
the tune of her lord’s magic.

Like Theodore...

Sweet lovely Theodore who the Nargles had whispered would become her lord's
first Knight.

Theodore had been ecstatic when Luna had told him about what the Nargles had
whispered to her.

Her lord had simply found it amusing while Lord Slytherin had simply raised an
eyebrow, not minding that the son of one of his most loyal follower was to
become his future consort’s ‘lackey’ (as her lord lovingly called the knights).

But Luna knew what it meant to be a Knight.

Theodore's magic was still developing but it was becoming formidable and
unyielding. Soon it would be as impenetrable as the Dark Bulgarian's. Theodore
was meant to be her lord's Knight, the shield her lord needed.

Theodore's magic was the direct opposite of Barty's wild sharp magic that
reminded Luna of thousands of swords, simply waiting to strike down on his
master's command. Barty was Lord Slytherin's Knight; there was no question
about it. Luna has seen Barty's magic would sometimes hover around her lord,
seemingly guarding her lord yet keeping its distance, out of respect for Lord
Slytherin. It was fascinating to watch. She knew Barty's magic could hear her
lord's song by the way Barty's magic would hover and move at the same slow
tempo as her lord's song.
 
She did find it sweet that Barty's magic would also circle around her when she
was near.
 
Such a sweet man...

Luna enjoyed watching how the magic of other people react to her lord's magic;
especially now that her lord's magic had begun singing louder.

The magic of most Light wizards and witches couldn't hear it. It was the magic
of Dark wizards and witches as well as the dark Grey wizards and witches who
could.

Most Slytherins have felt something different and they mainly observed yet most
of their magic try to reach out to her lord. The magic Lord Slytherin's magic
could not keep away were stopped by her lord's magic lashing out.

Her lord's magic really does not like being touched.

Yet it was because her lord's magic was so reserved that Luna could not help
but fall so deeply into its sad little hymn. The same hymn she would hum under
her breath in her lord's presence. She could see his lord's magic shiver in
response to her humming.

Everyone who seemed to hear her hum the same song seemed to recognize it in a
way. Theodore and Barty always relaxed whenever she hummed it. Lord Slytherin
seemed to always be in a better mood when he hears her hum it.

Her lord, on the other hand, seemed to look sad when he hears it. His magic
would sing with her but her lord would always get this sad look in his eyes.

Luna wondered if the song itself held some kind of meaning to her lord.

Luna wondered if she would ever know where her lord could have heard such a sad
song.
 
==============The Fear of Ginevra Weasley==============
 
Harry left the Gryffindor tower early again.

It had become his routine a few weeks after his name was called from the
goblet.

Ginny would always try to wake up just as early, try to catch up with Harry.

But she would always stop before she could call him. She would always run away
just when Harry would turn to look at her direction.

Ginny still couldn't muster enough courage to talk to Harry again.

And she always regretted it.

She had always been in love with Harry.

That wasn't correct.

She had always been in love with the idea of Harry Potter.

Growing up, she only heard the praises her parents and her parents' friends
gave to the Boy-Who-Lived.

He was like her dream prince who will take her away from this poor place and
make her a princess.

Looking back at it, Ginny realized how silly she had been.

She had never been in love with Harry Potter. She was in love with her dream
prince who will love her, cherish her and help her and her family.

It was an innocent naive look in life that was tolerated when done by a child.

But Ginny wasn't a child anymore.

That didn't mean she did not love Harry.

Her first year in Hogwarts, she met Tom.

Sweet, patient Tom... her first friend...

And, in the end, her rival for Harry's affections.

It might seem insane if she were to tell it to anyone (Merlin forbid, Ron and
the twins would tease her mercilessly if she ever told them) but no one else
had been possessed by Tom, no one else have the brief flashes of emotions and
feelings which were so dark, so deep, so twisted Ginny knew wasn't hers.

... didn't want to believe they were hers.

Looking back on it, her 'love' for Harry had been fuelled by Tom himself.

Tom always asked about Harry.

Did you see Harry today, Ginny?

How was Harry today, Ginny?

Wasn't your brother Harry's best mate, Ginny?

Can you describe Harry to me, Ginny?

What do you like most about Harry, Ginny?

There was never a day where Tom did not ask about Harry.

Because of Tom's questions, Ginny paid more attention to Harry, remembered him
clearer than anyone else.

Believed she knew him more than anyone else...

She had been devastated when she saw Harry had Tom's diary. She feared for
Harry's life, feared that Tom was using him just like he used Ginny.

But he didn't...

When Tom possessed her once more, she knew something was different with Tom.

The final days she had with the diary were vague at best but she never forgot
that deep, twisted feeling of possession, of wanting, of desire.

... for Harry...

Only for Harry...

Sometimes, she would look at Harry and she would remember those deep twisted
feelings.

Sometimes, she would forget and think those feelings were her own.

Then she would get angry at herself.

She would get angry at Tom.

Then she would just feel sad.

In the end... she still missed Tom.

Tom might have lied to her, might have simply used her, but he had still been
there for her when no else had been. He had still listened to her when no else
heard her. He had still understood how much she had fallen in love with Harry
Potter.

That's why, sometimes, she would call Harry 'Tom'. A slip of the tongue... an
embarrassing moment...

A second of absolute despair...

Because there was something about Harry that just reminded Ginny of Tom.

There was something about Harry that Ginny feared.

She didn't understand what it was. She had no idea what it could be.

She was just afraid that whatever it was... it would destroy Harry...

That's why she went to search for Harry for weeks since he started distancing
himself, disappearing for long periods of time.

Ginny was afraid that Harry was turning to Tom.

That's why she always looked at the girl's bathroom leading to the Chambers.
She would spend hours just sitting by the entrance, waiting for the entrance to
open and for Harry to come back.

He never did.

Ginny wondered if there was another entrance.

She wondered if Harry never came back to the Chambers.

No.

Ginny knew Harry would come back to the Chambers.

Because she knew Tom had been her rival for Harry's affections.

Because she knew Tom had been close to Harry.

Because she knew...

She knew...

Tom knew Harry more than she ever did.

It always came back to Tom.

Always, always, always, always...

Ginny hated Tom Riddle.

And she loved him.

Not as deep as she loved Harry, not as deep as Tom loved Harry...

A part of her would always think no one can love Harry as deep as Tom...

Because Tom's love for Harry was so deep, so strong that it was suffocating,
threatening to destroy all that Ginny ever felt and be devoured by Tom's
feelings alone.

Ginny knew Tom never understood his feelings as love.

But Ginny truly did believe it was love.

What other emotions would be that strong, that deep?

But Tom was no longer here. Tom was dead. Harry had killed him to save Ginny.

And Ginny believed it was her responsibility to shoulder it all.

Harry's pain over losing Tom...

Tom's unrequited feelings for Harry...

It was Ginny's duty to heal the pain left by Tom's absence and betrayal. It was
Ginny's duty to love Harry in Tom's stead. She might never be able to love
Harry as deep as Tom did but she did love Harry. She loves Harry more than
anyone in the entire world.

She loves Harry more than Hermione did...

She loves Harry more than Ron did...

She loves Harry more than Luna did...

More than Luna can ever love Harry...

Luna could never understand how to love Harry.

Luna wasn't there when Tom became part of Ginny'sHarry's life.

Luna wasn't the one Tom talked to about Harry.

Luna wasn't the one Tom possessed.

Luna wasn't the one who drowned in Tom's feelings for Harry.

Luna wasn't-

Luna wasn't TomGinny...
 
 
==============Social Niceties from Blaise Zabini and Daphne
Greengrass==============
 
 
It had started out as a very nice day.
 
The birds were chirping.
 
The sun was warm.
 
The breeze was cool.
 
And Harry was on his way to Barty's office, humming a muggle nursery rhyme
under his breath, imagining the gruesome fate of the poor baby as it falls down
from the tree top.
 
Voldemort seemed torn between being amused with his imagination and being
annoyed by the muggle nursery rhyme.
 
Overall, Harry was looking forward to a lazy Saturday, reading the boring pure-
blood etiquette book Voldemort had him borrow from the library while half-
listening to Voldemort and Barty talk about their Dark Lord plans as he rested
on Luna's lap. It seemed like he deserved it considering how he was pretty much
Voldemort’s errand boy ever since they became bound to one another and they had
a big 'event' to make tomorrow in Hogsmeade.
 
Of course, Fate just had to laugh at his attempt of normality and throw him a
curve ball in the shape of a snake.
 
“Litt- Harry!”
 
Harry stopped and turned around, grinning at Theodore's slip. After the Nott
heir was debriefed on Harry and Voldemort's relationship upgrade, he had been
calling Harry 'Little Lord', just like Barty. Harry didn't mind the slightly
insulting title, really.
 
“Theo.” Harry greeted once Theodore was right in front of him. Harry raised an
eyebrow and asked, “Sure you should be talking to Hogwarts’ Most Disliked
Person at the moment? You might get dragged into it.”
 
Theodore frowned and asked back, “What about Luna Lovegood? She's pretty much
attached to you.”
 
Harry shrugged and reasoned, “Luna doesn't have a standing in the Wizarding
world nor is she an heir to one of the most famous pure-blood families.”
 
Theodore straightened his back and raised his chin slightly as he proclaimed
proudly, “And as the heir of the Nott family, it is my familial duty to stand
by my allegiance.”
 
“My, my. Converting one of the most loyal families? I must say, I am impressed,
Potter.” Zabini's cool amused tone drifted from the second corner of the
hallway they were standing in. Harry turned around to face Zabini, noticing
that the elder Greengrass was walking next to him.
 
“Zabini. Lady Greengrass. A pleasant morning to both of you.” Harry greeted,
bowing slightly as he stared at Daphne.
 
Daphne curtsied as she greeted back, “A pleasant morning to you as well, Sir
Potter. You weren't in the Great Hall during breakfast.”
 
Harry wryly smiled as he admitted, “I've been avoiding the Great Hall since I
was forced into the tournament. Too many eyes I want to pluck.”
 
Zabini chuckled lowly and took a step towards Harry as he commented, “Your
honest tongue is also quite interesting.”
 
Theodore took a step forward, placing his hand on Zabini's chest and warned,
“Back off, Zabini.”
 
“Oh? Such protective tendencies, Nott.” Zabini's lips curved into an amused
smirk as he asked, “May I ask why?”
 
Theodore glared at Zabini as he hissed, “Lit- Harry is off-limits.”
 
“And is Potter off-limits because of you?” Zabini mused, his smirk becoming
more predatory as he commented, “Because that... can be arranged.”
 
“Easy, Blaise. You're starting to sound like your mother.” Daphne mockingly
chided before smiling pleasantly at Theodore as she admitted, “But your recent
behaviour does need some evaluation, Theodore. What has Potter done for you to
react with such... passion?”
 
“If I didn't know better, I would say Potter managed to convert you.” Zabini
added, leaning towards Theodore and tilting his head to be able to whisper to
Theodore's ear, “Are you betraying your Lord, Nott?”
 
“Potter is off-limits because he does not play with baby snakes. Theo is acting
like an overprotective hen because I'm a little fragile misunderstood boy.”
Harry drawled, shaking his head as he commented, “Honestly, you three act like
I'm not here. If you want to talk about me like I'm not here, please have this
conversation when I'm not here.”
 
Harry sighed and patted Theodore's back as he said, “Thank you, Theo, for
trying to shield me from the wicked baby snake. Stand down.”
 
Theodore opened his mouth to refuse but stopped when he saw Harry was simply
staring at him with a raised eyebrow. Theodore bowed his head in submission as
he mumbled, “As you wish...”
 
Zabini and Daphne stared at Theodore as the other boy stepped aside, glaring at
Zabini. Zabini turned his attention back at Harry and admitted, “Now you really
have my interest, Potter. I must ask for some of your time today.”
 
“Yeaaaahhh...” Harry drawled before smiling at him as he said, “No.”
 
“I can make it worth your while.” Zabini suggested which only made Harry's
smile turned into a mocking grin.
 
“I highly doubt it.” Harry retorted, shrugging as he bluntly said, “You don't
interest me, Zabini. Until you do or until we have use for you, I would rather
preserve our... amicable relationship as acquaintances.”  
 
Zabini stepped forward, grabbing Harry by the shoulder and pulling the shorter
boy towards him. Harry narrowed his eyes at Zabini and he felt Voldemort's
irritation through their mental link. Zabini tilted his head and whispered next
to Harry's ear, “I don't know what you've done to gain the loyalty of someone
with such fanatic loyalty as Nott but my interest in you is not enough for me
to not harm you for your cheek, Potter.”
 
Theodore took out his wand and aimed it at Zabini as he hissed, “Let go of him,
Zabini.”
 
Daphne took out her wand and aimed it at Theodore as she ordered, “Lower your
wand, Theodore. There is no need to be hasty.”
 
Daphne turned her head to glare at Zabini as she ordered, “Let go of Potter as
well, Blaise. There's no need to get riled up by his words.”
 
Zabini let go of Harry's shoulder and stepped away. The moment he stepped away,
Theodore stepped forward, shielding Harry from Zabini's gaze, his wand still
raised and aimed at Zabini. Theodore glared at Zabini and hissed, “You
shouldn't have done that, Zabini. Your actions have grave consequences.”
 
Zabini raised an eyebrow and took out his wand, aiming it lazily at Theodore as
he asked, “Is that so? And who would be my judge and executioner? You?”
 
“Oh, for the love of...” Harry growled in annoyance and smacked Theodore's back
as he ordered, “Lighten up! You are taking this whole 'protecting the Little
Lord like the bloody knight of Walpurgis' a little too seriously.”
 
Zabini's and Daphne's eyes widened when they heard the initial name of the
Inner Circle of Voldemort's Death Eaters.
 
“He's not going to go torture and kill Zabini just because the stupid prat
grabbed me by the shoulder and threatened me! He's a baby snake! You three are
baby snakes! You won't last three seconds under his favourite spell.” Harry
ranted, rubbing his forehead as he whined, “I wish that burning spell works on
you two. I seriously think you two need disciplinary actions.”
 
Harry glared at Theodore and ordered, “Stop acting like an overprotective
mother hen. I am not some stupid damsel-in-distress that you need to protect
from a stable boy.”
 
Zabini looked offended at that comparison but Harry beat him to it by glaring
at him and ordering, “You turn down the threatening and disturbing flirting a
notch. One, I've heard worse threats so yours are not going to make a dent in
my stone cold heart. Two, I'm not interested in you so flirting would get you
nowhere.”
 
“And you...” Harry glared at Daphne.
 
Then he stared at her.
 
A few seconds of awkward silence filled the air around the three students (and
the invisible Dark Lord).
 
Harry frowned and admitted, “You haven't done anything wrong so I'm not really
sure how I should... scold you...”
 
Daphne smirked at him and commented, “I am Blaise's voice of reason. On behalf
of Blaise, I would like to apologize, Sir Potter.”
 
“Shut it, Daphne.” Zabini hissed, glaring at Daphne.
 
“Oh, just close your mouth and look pretty, Blaise.” Daphne retorted with a
smirk, “Potter has us at a disadvantage. We're the ones curious about him and
he has made it clear that he does not find us interesting at all nor does he
want to spend time with us. You're only further antagonizing him by your
disrespectful manners which you probably got from spending too much time with
Draco.”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow and commented to Theodore, “Okay. I kinda like her.”
 
Harry smirked as he added while looking at Daphne with amused eyes, “Plus
points on making a jab at Malfoy during that speech.”
 
Daphne curtsied and said, “Why thank you. I do try to be pleasing.”
 
“As an apology, may we invite you to have afternoon tea with us this upcoming
Hogsmeade trip?” Daphne invited with a smile. She took a step forward and
tilted her head as she added, “I have already requested my mother to deliver
Treacle tarts from a famous pastry store. They say their tart is a piece of
heaven.”
 
Harry hummed and playfully said, “Tempting...”
 
“Blaise promises to behave.” Daphne narrowed her eyes at Zabini and asked in a
warning tone, “Isn't that right, Blaise?”
 
Zabini glared at Daphne for a second before smiling at Harry. He placed one
hand on his chest while he pressed his other hand against his lower back.
Zabini kept his eyes at Harry as he bowed and said pleasantly, “It will be our
pleasure to have even just a bit of your time.”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow out of amusement of Zabini's actions. That kind of bow
was a pure-blood etiquette that shows that the bower was of lower status than
the one the bower is bowing to.
 
Harry found he quite enjoyed the implication.
 
Harry smiled at Zabini and mused, “Well, since you asked nicely... I would love
to have afternoon tea with the two of you...”
 
Harry's smile turned a bit apologetic as he continued, “Unfortunately I have
already made plans for that Hogsmeade trip. If things go well, my entire
afternoon might be unavailable.”
 
Harry turned towards Daphne and asked, “How about an after dinner tea instead?
We can have tea till curfew.”
 
Daphne continued to smile pleasantly as she nodded, “That would be acceptable,
Sir Potter.”
 
Daphne stepped forward, curtsying as she said, “Thank you for granting us your
audience.”
 
Harry chuckled softly and shook his head as he replied playfully, “Don't make
me regret it, Daphne.”
 
Daphne's blue eyes shone with smugness when she heard him call her by her first
name. She bowed and proclaimed, “We shall do our best to not disappoint you.” 
 
 
 
 
==============Heart-to-Heart with Pansy Parkinson==============
 
“Hey! Potty!”
 
Harry really, really wanted to just continue walking but he felt Voldemort push
his shoulder to turn him around. Harry grimaced as he came face to face with a
determined Pansy who had her arms crossed.
 
Harry really, really wished Daphne and Zabini hadn't grabbed Theo away. Theo
would have been able to talk to Pansy instead of him.
 
The pure-blood glanced around before commenting in a haughty tone, “Oh? No
blood-traitor or mud-blood with you today? Or that crazy Ravenclaw? I see
Theodore isn't with you as well.”
 
Pansy smirked as she mocked, “Aaaww, Little Potty all alone.”
 
Harry sighed and drawled, “Unless your entire attention was to Baby Malfoy the
entire time, you should have noticed that Ron and Hermione are avoiding me,
just like the rest of the Gryffindors. Theo got dragged away by Zabini and
Daphne. I was on my way to meet up with Luna but then you called me using that
childish insult.”
 
Harry winced when he felt Voldemort smack him on the back silently.
 
“You're calling Daphne by her first name?” Pansy asked, staring at Harry with
wide eyes.
 
Harry shrugged and replied dismissively, “I like her.”
 
“WHY?!”
 
Harry winced at the shrieking quality of Pansy's voice.
 
“Because she's interesting?” Harry replied, unsure on why Pansy was asking.
 
Pansy stared at him with wide eyes and slacked jaw. It took a few seconds
before Pansy told him, “But she's a pure-blood like me!”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow and asked, “So?”
 
“How can you like her while you... you... you...”
 
Harry instinctively took a step back when Pansy began to cry. Pansy sniffed and
rubbed the tears off with sleeve of her robes as she continued, “The Greengrass
Family is lower than the Parkinson family! They stayed neutral in the first war
when they were Dark! We followed the Dark Lord up till the bitter end!”
 
“Weeelllll... your father did say he was Imperiused-”
 
“She was raised in the pure-blood ways like me!” Harry took another step back,
bumping into the invisible Voldemort, as Pansy took a step towards him, wailing
as she continued to cry, “She believes mud-bloods like your girlfriend and
half-bloods like you are weaker! She's just looking for a pure-blood from a
respectable family to marry into!”
 
“O... kay...?” Harry was seriously wondering why the hell Pansy was badmouthing
Daphne to him of all people.
 
And Luna, who was apparently his girlfriend, was a pure-blood.
 
… or was Pansy talking about Hermione?
 
“THEN WHY DO YOU LIKE HER BUT HATE ME?!!” Pansy wailed loudly, closing her eyes
and crying loudly.
 
Harry quickly looked around, mentally thanking whoever was listening that no
one was around to see the Boy-Who-Lived and a Slytherin who was having a mental
breakdown.
 
“IT'S BECAUSE SHE'S PRETTY, ISN'T IT?! IT'S BECAUSE SHE'S SMART?!” Pansy
continued to cry loudly and Harry could feel Voldemort's annoyance and anger
seeping through their link.
 
Harry rubbed his scar and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, before he
ordered, “Oh for the love of- Get a hold of yourself, Pansy Parkinson!”
 
Pansy stopped immediately out of surprise. She stared at Harry with teary eyes
and trembling lips. Once in a while, she would sniff loudly. Harry opened his
eyes and glared at Pansy as he hissed, “You go on and on about being a pure-
blood and all that but do you even understand how you look right now?”
 
Harry took a step forward and leaned his face towards Pansy as he hissed, “You
look like a whiny self-centred ignorant mud-blood who thinks she should be
coddled and spoiled by the Wizarding World.”
 
Pansy's jaw slacked once more when, not expecting the insult that came out of
the Light's precious Golden Boy. Harry stepped back and sneered at her, “I
don't like you because of that stupid self-centred mind-set of yours. I don't
like you because you hang around Malfoy's every word and would willingly crawl
on the ground he walks on if it means getting his attention.”
 
“Quite frankly?” Harry tried to mimic the face Voldemort made when he wants to
Crucio one of his followers for their stupidity as he sneered, “I think you're
a silly pathetic little girl who doesn't deserve to be a witch.”
 
“Only an idiot would believe in something as stupid as blood supremacy.” Harry
grabbed both of her cheeks, forcing the stupefied Slytherin to stare at him, as
he continued, “Blood means nothing, Parkinson. I am a half-blood and I can
defeat Malfoy. Albus Dumbledore is a half-blood and he defeated Grindelwald,
the Dark Lord only second to Voldemort. Blood means nothing, Parkinson.”
 
Harry leaned forward and whispered, “What matter is power. Power to protect
yourself. Power to protect others. Power to crush every obstacle in your path.”
 
Harry leaned back and hissed, “If you think you're ugly then do something about
it. If you think you're not smart enough then do something about.  There will
come a time when there will be nobody around you to help you. In the end, you
can only depend on yourself.” 
 
Harry dropped his hands and said nonchalantly, “I like Daphne because she's
interesting. I don't like you because I find you dull.”
 
Harry used Tom Riddle's smile, making Pansy's breath hitch, and he said, “If
you want me to like you, Parkinson, then stop following Malfoy like an overly
eager dog and show me that you're worth the attention.”
 
Harry turned around and dismissed, “Good day, Parkinson.”
 
Harry began walking, not bothering to stop when Pansy began shouting, “I'll
show you, Potter! I'll show you I can be prettier and smarter than Daphne! Then
I'll have your attention!”
 
Harry finally stopped when he was around the corner and turned his upper body
to look back at Pansy. Pansy's cheeks were still wet and red but she wasn't
crying anymore. She was staring at Harry with determined eyes and both of her
hands were on her sides, formed into fists with white knuckles. Harry smirked
and drawled, “Looking forward to it, Parkinson.”
 
 
==============The Dismissal of Draco Malfoy==============

"Oi! Potter!"

Harry really, really, really wanted to run far, far away.

But he knew Voldemort would scold him if he did.

So he took a deep breath, counted one to three slowly before turning around to
face the damn ferret that just won't get a clue.

Harry wanted to roll his eyes when he noticed that Malfoy Minions A and B were
with Baby Malfoy.

Of freaking course.

"Malfoy." Harry greeted in a bored tone before taking out his wand. Malfoy took
out his wand as well and aimed it at Harry while the two minions looked
confused. Now Harry really did roll his eyes before he waved his wand and
chanted, "Tempus."

Harry crossed his arms and said, "You have three minutes to tell me what you
want, Malfoy."

"How dare you-"

"Two minutes and fifty-six seconds." Harry interrupted, raising an eyebrow at
Malfoy as a silent challenge.

Malfoy stepped forward, glaring at him as he hissed, "What are you planning,
Potter?"

“Right now? A way to find some peace and quiet and to not be interrupted by
baby snakes." Harry drawled in the same bored tone he had been using ever since
Malfoy began talking to him.

"Stop pretending, Potter." Malfoy ordered, "You have Theodore dogging you like
some kind of love-sick puppy-"

"I prefer the term 'loyal guard dog'." Harry interrupted, caressing his wand
the same way Voldemort would subconsciously do, "A love-sick puppy would be
Pansy Parkinson grovelling all over your pathetic excuse of a pure-blood arse."

Malfoy pressed the tip of his wand at Harry's chin the same time Harry aimed
his wand on Malfoy's stomach. Harry grabbed the hand holding Malfoy's wand and
stepped closer to Malfoy, digging his wand against Malfoy's stomach and hissing
in the same tone Voldemort used when someone had displeased him (which is
usually followed by a Crucio), "Watch your next move, Malfoy. One wrong step
and it would be Daddy dearest who will pay for your foolishness."

"You think you can take the Malfoy House, Potter?" Malfoy hissed, pressing his
wand against Harry's chin.

"That's all you do, Malfoy." Harry hissed back, "You hide behind the name of
the Malfoy family and pretend it's your own power when you're nothing but an
average boy who can't even best a mud-blood and whine at daddy dearest for the
silliest of things. I am warning you, Malfoy. You and your father have made my
life more unbearable than it already is for years and remind me of two walruses
who are doing the same thing which does not bode well on both of you now."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Malfoy whispered and Harry couldn't help but
enjoy the fear playing in Malfoy's eyes.

Harry tilted his head to the side innocently and asked, "What do you mean?"

"You're acting bloody weird!" Malfoy shouted, pushing Harry away from him. Both
boys aimed their wands at one another and Harry tilted his head to the side
when he noticed Malfoy's hand was slightly trembling. Malfoy didn't seem to
notice the curious expression Harry had as he continued, "You've got Theodore
wrapped in your little fingers! Blaise and Daphne are interested in you! You
have that loony Ravenclaw following you and obeying you like-like-like-"

"Bellatrix Lestrange?" Harry suggested, raising an eyebrow. Malfoy's eyes
widened at the name and his hand began to tremble even harder. Harry's lips
curved to a wicked grin as he drawled, "You think I'm going Dark."

Harry took a step forward and tilted his head as he asked teasingly, "Is that
what the Slytherins think is happening? The Golden Boy of the Light is starting
to embrace the Dark?"

Harry took another step as he continued, "Perhaps something along the lines of
Harry Potter is trying to be the next Dark Lord?"

Harry leaned forward, staring at Malfoy's face as he asked sweetly, "Are you
afraid of me, Malfoy?"

"Of course not!" Malfoy stubbornly shouted but Harry noticed his voice was a
pitch higher than normal.

Harry grinned and said, "Sure, of course you aren't. Don't worry, Malfoy..."

Harry caressed Malfoy's cheek mockingly as he said sweetly, "Even if I do
become a Dark Lord, which I totally am not doing, you will never become one of
mine."

Harry patted Malfoy's cheek softly before turning around. He began walking away
as he said, "Tom can have you Malfoys. I have no use for arrogant prats who
have delusions of grandeur. Quite frankly...”
 
Harry stopped and glared at Malfoy, “You and your daddy dearest annoy me.
Remember this, Malfoy, for this is the only time I will say this out loud.”
 
Harry caressed his wand as he hissed with a predatory grin decorating his face,
“The only person keeping both of you from being my test subjects is your
precious Dark Lord so be sure to tell Daddy Dearest not to annoy Tom, okay?”
Chapter End Notes
     This is part 2 of the disjointed short stories... It's kinda...
     giving more character information, I suppose. XD
     I... have mixed feelings about Ginny's POV.
     Either she's going to be loyally insane like Bella or she's going to
     be one of the most insane enemies of the Dark side...
     Meh. We'll see. XD
     Again. I do adore Draco... (and I love Narcissa) but yeah, Harry does
     not like the Malfoys...
     The whole 'singing magic' thing was conceived because I was listening
     to Drakengard 3 OST and Kuroi_Uta_(クロイウタ)_International_Version_by
     Emi_Evans played and I remembered how important the singing was to
     that game. So that spawned this 'singing magic' which developed
     overtime to a sub-plot to the CaBR 'verse. So yeah... To be honest,
     'The Ultimate Weapon' or 'The Wretched Automatons' or 'Grandma' or
     'Kaine (Salvation)' from Nier would work better because the made-up
     language used for them has an ethereal feel to it.
     Or 'Room of Angels' (Silent Hill 4) or 'A Letter from the Lost Days'
     (Silent Hill 3) or 'Acceptance' (Silent Hill Shattered Memories) if
     you really want it to be English since those are sad songs that would
     work as well. (and I'm a Silent Hill trash as well ( = 3 = ) )
     Click any of the titles to go to a youtube link of the songs.
***** The Meeting of Marvolo Slytherin and Harry Potter *****
Chapter Summary
     Hogsmeade day... part 1.
     Also known as: The meeting of the Boy-Who-Lived and the Dark Lord's
     Son
Chapter Notes
     We’re back to our usual format as well. XD
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Voldemort will be called 'Marvolo' in the narration because he's
     acting as Marvolo Slytherin, the son of Lord Voldemort
     3 POV of Theonel Nott, father of Theodore Nott, but the Parseltongue
     part will still be translated
     4 Obligatory Death Eater musing
     5 Made-up (and modified) backstory of Theodore Nott's father (more
     information in the note below)
      
     Notes about Nott:
     According to Harry Potter wikia, Theodore's father is the Nott in the
     graveyard scene in Goblet and the same Nott that was part of Riddle's
     Knights of Walpurgis during his time in Hogwarts which makes no sense
     because according to wikia, Nott's father was born around the 1950s
     but Riddle was born around 1920s (obligatory age gap between Harry
     and Tom squick here for some people) which means Riddle couldn't have
     been in Hogwarts the same time as Nott's father. For the purpose of
     this fanfic, I have adjusted Lord Nott's birthyear to be around 1930s
     so that he would be a first year while Riddle is in his last year.
     This means he would be around 50s when he had Theodore which is
     possible (I know this as a fact since my father was on his late 40s
     and my mother was on her early 40s when they had me). The fact that
     Theodore was born from a middle aged couple would also make his
     mother's early death (which is canon) plausible. So yeah... hope that
     clears things up...
     Nott's father was never given a first name so I chose 'Theonel' for
     no real reason than I just thought it's a nice name. XD
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Theonel Nott couldn't sleep last night. It wasn't fear or nervousness that kept
the Head of the Nott family awake though. It was that immature giddiness and
child-like eagerness for tomorrow to come that kept his eyes awake.

That's why he was sitting in the small secluded corner of Three Broomsticks
Inn, waiting patiently while nursing a glass of warm tea and nibbling on a few
biscuits an hour and a half earlier than their promised time.

There had only been a few reasons that made him act in such a way even after he
had come to age. One had been the day his son, his dearly beloved Theodore,
came to his world. He had feared for his wife's health, of course, but his fear
had been clouded by the eagerness to meet his new-born child.

The only other time had been this giddy was when Tom Riddle, the lord he had
pledged his loyalty to, had taken Theodore in his arms and blessed him. He knew
his lord did not like children. He had refused to touch any of Orion's children
(of course, it probably didn't help that both boys could scream and cry like
their banshee mother back then) and he had grimaced when he had to pat Abraxas'
son on the head as a blessing. But with Theodore, his lord had held him, with
the same grace as he usually hold (although Theodore knew him long enough to
notice the hidden awkwardness in his movement), for a few seconds. It had
brought a ridiculous grin on Theonel's face. His lord, even in his snake-like
visage, still held his son. He knew his lord was humouring him, a... reward for
his loyalty, perhaps. Or maybe it was because Theonel was having a nervous
breakdown back then because the medi-witch had said that there had been
complication with his wife and his lord had been there when Theonel didn't know
what to do. Even still, Theonel felt like he was eleven again and Tom Riddle,
the Slytherin King, had acknowledged his potential and had offered a place in
his Knights. Theonel was the youngest of Tom's knights, together with Donolov.
Donolov had been in his second year while Theonel had been in his first year
when they became part of the Knight of Walpurgis. His lord was already in his
last year and had expanded his Knights to ensure that his reign in the
Slytherin house continued even after his departure.

Donolov and he were both enthralled by their king. His wife had more than once
joked about her jealousy over his loyalty and devotion to his lord. His wife
knew, of course. His loyalty to his lord was not romantic of nature. He was in
love, yes, but not with his lord himself.

He was in love with his lord's power.

He was in love with his lord's ambitions.

He was in love with his lord's vision of the future.

A future where Light and Dark did not matter

A future where magic is simply magic...

A future where traditions are preserved and honoured...

A future where every magical being prospered without the prejudiced of the
Light or the Dark...

A future where all magical children were protected and educated regardless of
their blood...

That was what the Knights of Walpurgis had stood for.

That was what his lord had stood for.

Before his hatred for Albus Dumbledore pushed him to the edge…

The tipping point had been when their old Transfiguration professor's refusal
to accept his lord as a professor.

Then the meddling fool had made sure every single one of their proposed laws
was denied.
 
Dumbledore did not trust them for they had sworn loyalty to Tom Riddle, the
half-blood who had made the entire Slytherin house bow down to his power.

The masses distrusted them simply because they were Slytherins, simply because
they were pure-bloods, simply because they were Dark and simply because
Dumbledore did not trust them.

The ignorant fools did not realize how stagnant their culture had become, how
deep Magical Britain had fallen compared to the other countries.

Dumbledore was too idealistic. He did not see the big picture. It was all about
cooperation and peace for him. He did not see how weak Magical Britain had
become because of the ignorance of the populace. He did not see that by banning
the Dark Arts, he was taking away the swords and shields they needed to protect
themselves from the other magical communities and the rapidly developing
muggles.

He did not see Tom Riddle as the change Magical Britain needed. He simply saw a
broken Slytherin child beloved by the Dark. He saw the second coming of
Grindelwald.

Or was it more accurate to say Dumbledore was still chained to the shadow of
Grindelwald?

And he had cast Tom Riddle as a Dark Lord who would fall to the same abyss as
Grindelwald...

They had become desperate back then.

The new Knights, the Death Eaters, were too blood-thirsty, too eager, and
too... young.

The old Knights had become jaded, cynical, and... vengeful.

And their lord...

His lord...

Tom Marvolo Riddle, the most powerful Slytherin King...

Their saviour...

... had fallen from grace, dragged by hatred and rage.

And from the ashes and bones of Tom Marvolo Riddle, emerged the most feared and
ruthless Dark Lord...

Lord Voldemort...

Theonel couldn't help the shiver that passed by his entire body by the mention
of that word alone.

Voldemort wasn't the lord he pledged his allegiance to.

He was... the corpse of Tom Riddle.

Driven by anger and rage, he was the personification of the Dark's hatred and
thirst for vengeance.

In his own ignorance, Dumbledore had herald the rise of Voldemort, the second
Grindelwald.

Perhaps the old fool believed this was the ending of Tom Riddle from the very
beginning but the Knights of Walpurgis refused to believe that.

For them, Dumbledore was the reason Tom Riddle died and reborn as Voldemort.

If Tom Riddle had been their lord, Voldemort was their master.

Theonel had served both of them loyally, just like the rest of his Knights.

If their lord fell then they would fall with him.

Their loyalty was disturbing to most but for Theonel and the rest of the
Knights, their loyalty was their pride.

They feared Voldemort as much as they revered Tom Riddle.

Theonel didn't like most of the Death Eaters. Most of them didn't know of Tom
Riddle, all they knew was Voldemort.

They joined because of fear, because of awe or simply because they wanted death
and destruction.
 
They were the ones who ushered the idea of pure-blood supremacy.
 
During the time of Tom Riddle, his Knights had pure-bloods, half-bloods and
even muggle-borns in their ranks. Tom Riddle charmed them all with his rational
thinking and his passionate desires. The pure-bloods loved him because he
wished to preserve tradition, the half-bloods loved him because he desired
equality based on talents and power, not wealth nor heritage (which the pure-
bloods didn’t deny since they thought their heritage made them more powerful by
default) and the muggle-borns rallied under him for his desire to include the
muggle-borns earlier and to protect the abused magical children from the
muggles who fear them or hated them for being different.
 
When Voldemort rose to power, the muggle-borns in their ranks were the first to
leave or betray them, driven away by the carnage the war brought. The main
causalities of the first war had been muggle-borns who blindly sided with the
Light. They died like flies against the more experienced wizards and witches in
Voldemort’s ranks.
 
This undeniable fact only made the pure-bloods believe that their blood was
more powerful.
 
But Theonel and the other remaining Knights knew it was simply because they had
more experience and had a wider arsenal of Magic. They used both Dark and Light
without any restriction. Power was power, regardless of its classification.
That was one of the things Tom Riddle and his Knights stood for.

He had been fond of the few in the Inner Circle though.

He had been fond of Barty, loyal young Barty. Had his lord remained as Tom
Riddle, he was sure his lord would have rewarded Barty by blood-adopting the
young lad.
 
He had been fond of the Lestranges brothers. They had their father's cool calm
exterior that hid a mischievous side. Rodolphus' wife, Bellatrix, was insane,
yes, but she was entertaining. She was also broken, like the rest of the
Blacks, and Theonel could not help but find that he did pity the childless
witch. He still kept Theodore away from her though.

Lucius had been ambitious but Theonel could see he had been trying so hard to
fill his father's shoes. Abraxas had always been their lord's second-in-
command, their lord's adviser and confidant. There was a time Theonel had been
jealous of Abraxas' position but seeing Lucius trying to keep that position,
trying to please their lord every single time...

Theonel pitied him. He pitied Narcissa who always worried about her husband's
safety and would always fear her son's future. He pitied Draco who is deluded
into thinking that Lucius' position is a privilege.

Theonel pitied them all.

They were forever chained to serve the beast that remained at the death of
their lord yet they still await his return, still wait for their second chance
to win.

Whether the one to return is their master or their lord though...

That was the real question.

"You're early."

Theonel almost got up his sit and knelt when he heard the familiar amused tone
of his lord. He raised his head and saw Tom Riddle in front of him. Whether it
was a glamour or his lord has truly regain his human appearance was a question
that plagued Theonel's mind but he still could not stop the grin that appeared
on his face and he felt like he was eleven again, talking animatedly to his
king.

"I couldn't sleep." Theonel admitted, unable to keep the grin off his face and
regain his pure-blood mask.

How long did Theonel waited for his lord to return?

How long did he waited and hoped for Tom Riddle to return?

His lord simply gave him an amused smirk as he replied, "Is that so?"

His lord removed his outer robe and placed it at the back of the chair he sat
on. He leaned back and kept his eyes by the door as he asked nonchalantly, "How
are you, Theonel?"

"I..."

Theonel couldn't find the correct words to use to show how he truly felt.

He knew he had to pretend that he wasn't his lord, that he was his lord's son,
Marvolo Slytherin, a Durmstrang graduate who he had taken care of and who he
had kept a secret from everyone but to a selected few as his lord has ordered.
That this man in front of him wasn't his king but a young man who had spent
most of his adult life traveling the world, trying to get away from the shadows
of his father, Voldemort.

"I always knew you would return." Theonel finally whispered, smiling at his
lord softly.

His lord finally turned to look at him and Theonel wanted to kneel once more,
to show his lord that he had remained loyal this entire time.

"I'm sorry I couldn't travel with you." Theonel blurted out, hoping his lord
would understand what he truly meant.

I beg your forgiveness for never looking for you, my lord.

Theonel's heart skipped a beat when his lord replied sombrely, "I understand,
Theonel."

Hope blossomed in Theonel's chest.

Voldemort would have punished him regardless of his reason.

But Tom Riddle...

Tom Riddle would have understood...

His lord's lips curved into a small smile as he said, "You had a son to take
care of. Your wife would have killed us both if you had travelled with me."

The mention of his late wife's well known temper brought a small grin on his
face as he mused, "Yes, she would. She would probably escape the Veil just to
haunt me, had I travelled with you."

His lord chuckled and turned his attention back to the door as he said, "And I
would rather not be haunted by her as well."

"Theodore has grown splendidly." His lord commented and pride and joy
threatened to burst from Theonel's chest. His lord turned to stare at him as he
said, "You've done a wonderful job raising him alone, Theonel."

To hear his lord complement his son, the reason why he could not look for his
lord, almost brought tears into his eyes.

Dear Merlin, he felt like he was eleven again.

It was embarrassing.

"I..." Theonel wanted to kneel in front of his lord, to show him how much his
words had affected Theonel but he knew it would only displease his lord, would
only shatter this act they needed to preserve.

All Theonel could do was whisper with a smile on his face, "Thank you... your
words means a lot to me."

It meant everything to him.

His lord simply nodded and turned to stare at the door once more.

Theonel took his lord's silence to finally look at him. He looked just as he
remembered Tom Riddle had looked before the Dark Rituals had taken away his
humanity yet he looked like he was in his 30s. He was paler than how he
remembered and his eyes were dark brown, almost dark red, instead of the blue
eyes Tom Riddle had. Once more, Theonel wondered if his lord was using glamour
and his eyes still had the same inhumane red eyes he had when he was Voldemort.
He wore a simple black robe that covered up to his neck and a pair of black
slacks. His ankle high boots was polished to a shiny black sheen.

That's when he noticed it.

Magic did not really have a corporal form. He had heard of some people who were
gifted in seeing the flow of magic. Many of them were known to have lost their
sanity, their mind broken by the gift they possessed.

But most wizards and witches, as well as the squibs with large magical cores,
were able to feel the magic coming from other magical beings.

Those who have the Mark also have an amplified sense towards their lord's
magic. The longer they've had the Mark, the more in tune to their lord's magic
they were.

His lord's magic which had always been intoxicating and overflowing, drowning
everyone near him in a constant state of dark allure that made everyone want to
bow down and submit to him. Even those who did not have his Mark would feel
that natural pull and that had been a factor in his charm as Tom Riddle.
Sometimes he would hide it, especially back when he was a student in Hogwarts,
but this wasn't the case. Even when he hid it before, the allure was still
there, tempting and silently whispering the promise of power. That's not what
Theonel felt around his lord right now. It felt as if his lord's magic is...
dying...

His magic was slowly being dragged back into his core...

"Marvolo..." He called out worriedly, causing his lord turn his head to stare
at him once more. He gulped and whispered, "Are you... alright...?"

His lord's lips curved into a small smirk as he replied, "I will be soon."

His lord's ominous reply seemed to have herald the door to open, the bell
attached to the door chiming the announcement of new patrons.

Theonel's entire froze when he felt his lord's magic burst out in delight,
seemingly honing towards the door. He heard his lord sigh softly... in relief?

His lord's magic was just as he remembered it. It wasn't Voldemort's corrupted,
suffocating magic. It was Tom Riddle's intoxicating alluring magic that makes
Theonel want to kneel and offer his undying loyalty. It was power at its most
regal form, not like the primal beast-like force of Voldemort's.

Most of his magic remained around him, covering Theonel in the nostalgic dark
allure he had been so used to when he had been in his lord's presence back when
they were still Knights and he was not yet Voldemort.

There was a part that Theonel knew had flowed farther away from them, towards
the door, as if instinctively trying to pull something closer.

"Father!" Theodore's energetic greeting finally stopped Theonel's musing. He
turned his head towards the door and smiled as he saw Theodore walking towards
them, a smaller boy following behind him. Both he and his lord stood in
greeting as the two Hogwarts students approached their table.

Theodore took a step to the side and bowed slightly towards the smaller boy,
one hand outstretched lightly towards Theonel as he introduced him, "Li-"

The smaller boy raised an eyebrow at Theodore and Theodore's cheeks reddened
slightly at the mistake before he said, "H-Harry, this is my father, Theonel
Nott, Lord of House Nott."

Theonel was surprised at how respectful his son was to this smaller boy. It
seemed like his son wanted to please Harry Potter and it reminded him of how he
had acted towards Tom Riddle back in Hogwarts. Theonel stared at the smaller
boy next to his son. The messy black locks that framed his face reminded him of
Charlus and his annoying spawn but the eyes hidden behind those hideous glasses
took his breath away. They were bright green that was the same shade as the
Killing Curse and they stared at him with the same mischievous boredom he
remembered seeing from Dorea Black almost constantly. They stared and silently
told him that he found this entire thing boring and they challenged Theonel to
amuse this boy in front him.

To show him he was worth the time...

That was when Theonel noticed how in tune he was to the boy's magic which was
strange by itself. In contrast to Tom Riddle's magic, the boy's magic felt weak
but the longer Theonel was around him, the more he realized that it wasn't
weak... it was being pushed down...

And his lord's magic, the part that had flowed away from them was surrounding
the boy like a coiling snake, prodding and coaxing the boy's magic to come out.
The boy's magic would lash out against the coil from time to time, like it was
swatting an annoying bug.

The boy's lips curved to a pleasant smile that sent shiver down Theonel's
spine. It was too perfect, too similar to Tom Riddle's smile. But his eyes
shone with amusement, as if he noticed Theonel's surprise and revelled in it.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lord Nott. I have heard so many-" He saw
those eyes glance at his lord quickly before returning to stare at him, "...
good things about you."

Pride blossomed in Theonel's chest as he realized that the boy had meant his
lord had talked about him in a good light. It seemed his reaction showed in his
face because the boy's lips curved into a more amused smile.

"And I have heard a lot about you, Mister Potter." Theonel greeted back with a
slight bow, out of respect. If the brief letter his lord had sent him and his
son's actions towards the Potter scion were any indication, it would be
beneficial to treat the young wizard with respect.

Harry's smile turned wryly as he commented, "Ah, not so flattering things, I
assume."

Theonel gave him a reassuring smile as he said, "I'm sure some of them are
exaggerated."

Theonel outstretched his hand slightly towards his lord and introduced, "May I
introduce a family friend of mine? This is Marvolo Slytherin, the man I believe
can help in your current endeavours."

Harry's head turned to stare at his lord and he greeted with a pleasant smile
while his eyes shone with amusement, "A pleasure to make your acquaintances,
Mister Slytherin."

"Please..." Theonel's eyes widened when he saw his lord gently grab Harry's
hand and raise it. His lord bowed slightly to kiss Harry's knuckles briefly
before whispering, "Call me 'Marvolo', Mister Potter."

Harry's cheeks reddened and he stuttered as he gave his lord a shy smile,
"Er... okay. Ca-call me Harry then... M-Marvolo.”
 
His lord... Marvolo smirked slightly, caressing Harry's fingers briefly with
his thumb before gently letting go. He straightened his back and suggested, "I
am sure we all have a lot to talk about but let us begin once we have all sat
and ordered, shall we?"

Theonel nodded and smiled as he said, "Of course."

Marvolo grabbed the chair next to him and gracefully slid it away from the
table. He bowed slightly towards Harry who continued to blush as he sat on the
offered seat, mumbling a soft "thank you". Theodore took the vacant seat
between Harry and Theonel, sitting across Marvolo.

Marvolo sat back on his seat while Theonel waved a server to get her attention
before sitting down. Theodore and Marvolo ordered a cup of hot tea while Harry
ordered a warm glass of Butterbeer and a slice of Treacle tart. The mention of
the tart seemed to bring a warning glance from Marvolo. Theonel ordered a
refill of his tea and another basket of biscuits as well. After the server left
with their orders, Harry turned to grin at Marvolo and asked, "Do you like
Treacle tarts, Marvolo?"

Marvolo turned to stare at him with a pleasant smile but Harry noticed the
slight annoyance in his eyes which only served to make Harry's grin larger, "I
find them nice but I am not quite fond of sweets, I'm afraid."

"What do you like then?" Harry asked, titling his head slightly out of
curiosity.

Marvolo seemed thoughtful for a few seconds before answering, "Dark
chocolate... its sweetness is not as prominent because of the bitterness it
also holds."

Harry wrinkled his nose and commented, "I don't like bitter things."

The server arrived with their orders, putting a halt to their small talk. Once
the server left once more, Marvolo smirked at Harry and suggested with a low
seductive drawl, "Perhaps I can help you acquire a liking to bitter substance,
Harry."

Theonel almost choked on his tea while Theodore's jaw slacked at the blatant
innuendo.

Harry grinned and replied coyly, "<< I don't know. I think it'll take a while
before I could... appreciate the bitterness you offer... Marvolo.  >>"
 
Marvolo's smirk turned more predatory as he whispered back, "<< I'm willing to
dedicate the time, Harry.  >>"

"Marvolo!" Theonel whispered worriedly. Marvolo turned to look at Theonel with
a raised eyebrow and Theonel whispered, "You used Parseltongue."

Marvolo's eyes widened briefly before he turned to stare at Harry. Harry cut a
small bite size piece of his Treacle tart and ate it, closing his eyes and
moaning in appreciation at the Treacle goodness melting in his mouth.

Aaahhhh.

Treacle tart was delicious.

But forbidden non-dessert Treacle tart was simply sinful.

The two Notts couldn't help but gulp at the innocent (was it?) display of
blissful appreciate in Harry's face while Marvolo narrowed his eyes, "You
tricked me."

Harry opened his eyes and placed his fork by his bottom lip coyly as he
replied, "I had to make sure."

"Make sure of what, Harry Potter?" Marvolo asked, making both Notts shiver at
the hiss-like quality of Marvolo's tone.

Harry leaned towards Marvolo and whispered softly, "I only know one wizard who
had a Marvolo in his name. He spoke the language of snakes as well, a direct
descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself."

Harry stared at Marvolo's reddish-brown eyes as he continued, "He was a bright
wizard and many thought he would change the Wizarding World for the better and
he did change the Wizarding World, just not for the better..."

Marvolo's eyes narrowed further and Theonel could feel his magic lashing out,
threatening to attack Harry. The magic coiled around Harry tightened, whether
to protect or to suffocate the young wizard's magic, Theonel did not know.

"He became the most feared Dark Lord of all times, his very name is said to
bring fear and sorrow to all who hear it." Harry placed his fork to his plate
as he asked, "Tell me, Marvolo. What is your relationship with Voldemort?"

Theonel and Theodore instinctively twitched at the sound of their lord's name.
Marvolo continued to glare at Harry for a moment, his magic tightening around
him as if to prepare to strike.

Finally, Marvolo sighed and leaned back, mumbling with a wry smile, "I am
unsure if you are brave or stupid, Harry Potter. Asking me such a thing point
blank."

Theonel's eyes widened when he felt his lord's magic finally relaxed but it did
moved towards Harry. Instead of attacking the boy, his lord's magic seemed to
caress the boy's own, wrapping around the boy in a loose embrace.

Harry shrugged and leaned back as well, cutting his Treacle tart once more as
he replied, "I'm a Gryffindor. Bravery and stupidity are both words associated
to my house."

"So it seems." Marvolo mumbled with amusement in his eyes. He stared at Harry
sombrely as he admitted, "According to my birth certificate, Voldemort is my
father."

Harry raised an eyebrow and repeated, "According to your birth certificate?"

Marvolo shrugged and said nonchalantly, "I was never raised by my father and I
hold no familial bond with him."

Marvolo turned to give a small smile to Theonel as he continued, "Theonel has
been more of a family for me than him."

Theonel returned it with a grateful smile. Marvolo turned his head back to face
Harry and raised an eyebrow when all Harry did was took another bite and smile
at the treacle goodness in his mouth. Harry noticed him staring and tilted his
head as a silent question. Marvolo couldn't help but smile at Harry's antics
and asked, "Are you not afraid of me, Harry Potter?"

"Should I be?" Harry asked back before taking a sip of his warm Butterbeer.

"I'm supposedly the son of the Dark Lord who tried to kill you." Marvolo
reminded him, staring at Harry's lips as the young wizard licked his upper lip
to rid of the sticky foam of the Butterbeer.

"So?" Harry retorted. Seeing everyone's ludicrous look, Harry raised an eyebrow
and asked Marvolo bluntly, "Do you want to kill me?"

"Of course not." Marvolo immediately replied, making Harry grin.

"Do you want to harm me?" Harry asked slicing his treacle tart with his fork
once more.

"No, I do not." Marvolo replied.

Harry stabbed the small portion and tilted his head as he said, "Then I don't
see the point in fearing or hating you, Marvolo."

Harry ate the small bite-sized portion and closed his eyes, sighing once more.
They all stared at him, unable to say anything until...

Marvolo let out an undignified snort.

Both Notts immediately turned their head towards the sound, jaw slacking out of
surprise.

Marvolo covered his mouth and tried to stifle his laughter, his shoulders
trembling slightly. It was futile and, before long, Marvolo let out an amused
carefree laugh.

Harry seemed surprised by the sound and he turned to stare at Marvolo, blinking
owlishly at the laughing man.

It took a few seconds before Marvolo finally managed to get a hold of himself,
taking deep breaths between the remaining chuckles. Marvolo smiled fondly at
Harry and said, "You are a strange wizard, Harry."

Harry grinned and retorted, "You're not so bad yourself, Marvolo."
 
Marvolo smirked and leaned towards Harry, conspiratorially whispering, "It is
fine with you? That your coach for this tournament is the Dark Lord's son?"

Harry hummed, seemingly thoughtful, before whispering back playfully, "I don't
know. Are you qualified to coach the Saviour of the Wizarding World?"

Marvolo's smirk only grew as he suggested in the same playful tone, "How about
a test run then, oh great saviour?"

Harry sighed and mumbled in a bored tone, "I suppose I can humour you."

Marvolo covered his mouth once more as he chuckled, leaning away from Harry. He
took out two pieces of parchment as he admitted, "You are not as I expected you
to be, Harry."

Harry snorted and stabbed the remaining tart on his plate as he mumbled, "Sorry
to disappoint you."

"Oh no, I'm not disappointed." Marvolo corrected, still smiling at Harry, as he
discreetly pushed one parchment towards Theonel. Theonel discreetly took the
parchment, hiding it in the sleeve of his robe while Marvolo unrolled the
remaining parchment as he continued, "You are so much better than I expected."

Harry's cheeks reddened at the blatant complement and mumbled a soft 'thanks'
before eating the remaining tart.

Marvolo placed the parchment next to Harry's empty plate. Harry stared at the
parchment, blinking a few times, before raising his eyes to stare at Marvolo
with questioning eyes. Marvolo tapped the parchment as he explained, "This is
the list of spells you are supposed to be familiar with by your fourth year
according to Hogwarts' curriculum. I also added a few spells from the
Durmstrang curriculum that I think would be useful to you in this tournament. I
would like you..."

Marvolo placed his hand on Harry's fork and caressed it once. Harry's eyes
widened when the fork transfigured to a quill and stared at Marvolo. Marvolo
simply smirked at his reaction as he continued, "... to put a circle next to
the name of each spell you know and can do or a triangle to each spell you know
but never tried or managed to do successfully. This way I can see where we need
to start."

Harry frowned slightly and grabbed the quill. As he began reading and adding
marks on the parchment, Theonel cleared his throat and proclaimed, "Well, as it
seems like you two are on to business, Theodore and I would leave you two to
it. I would like to walk around Hogsmeade and see for my eyes what has changed
over the years. Theodore, would you mind being my guide? I'm afraid I might get
lost by myself."

Theodore smiled at his father and replied, "Of course not, father. It would be
my pleasure."

Marvolo nodded and smiled at Theodore as he said, "Take care of your father,
Theodore. He tends to forget he is not as young as he really is."
 
Theonel laughed as he stood, grinning at Marvolo as he retorted, "You would
know, wouldn't you, Marvolo?"

Marvolo turned to smile at Theonel and said, "It was nice seeing you again,
Theonel. Take care of yourself."

Theonel nodded and bowed slightly as he whispered, "Call me if you ever need
anything... Marvolo."

Marvolo nodded and replied, "I will. Thank you."

Theonel turned towards Harry and said, "It was nice meeting you, Mister
Potter."

A small smirk appeared on Theonel's face as he said, "If it would not be too
much of a trouble, I would appreciate it if you dragged Marvolo around later.
He rarely gets out simply to... relax."

Marvolo narrowed his eyes and hissed, "Theonel."

Harry raised his head and grinned at Theonel as he said, "It was nice meeting
you as well, Lord Nott. I promise I'll take care of Marvolo."

Marvolo turned to glare at Harry and Harry simply grinned at him. Theonel
chuckled and said, "Thank you, Mister Potter. I look forward to meeting you
again."

Harry nodded and replied, "The feeling is mutual, Lord Nott."

Theodore got up and bowed to Marvolo, "It was a pleasure seeing you once
more... Marvolo."

Marvolo nodded at Theodore and replied, "You as well, Theodore."

Theodore turned to bow slightly at Harry and said, "Forgive me for leaving you
alone... Harry."

Harry turned to smile at Theodore and replied, "Its fine, Theo. Have fun with
your father."

"Thank you." Theodore smiled but worriedly stared at Harry as he said, "I will
wait for you by the gates. Please do not leave without me. And if Blaise and
the others find you alone, please promise me not to go with them. Especially
Blaise!"

Harry chuckled softly and lowered his head as he dismissed in a playful tone,
"Yes, yes. I promise not to play with other baby snakes without my Knight Theo
with me. Now shoo, Theo."

Theodore looked at Harry worriedly for a second before he offered his arm to
his father. His father gratefully wrapped his arm around Theodore's arm and,
with a silent nod from Marvolo, they walked out of Three Broomsticks Inn.

Once they were a few feet away, Theonel cast privacy and notice-me-not charms
around them wandlessly and non-verbally. They were a few spells that every
Knight was required to master. Theodore waited patiently for his father to
finish before sighing in relief. Theonel turned to look at his son and asked,
"I must admit, your... actions towards Mister Potter is quite interesting,
Theodore."

Theodore blushed and began leading his father to the main street of Hogsmeade
as he replied, "I'm sorry, father. I'm just so used to calling him 'Little
Lord' that I find it hard to say his first name."

"Little Lord?" Theonel raised an eyebrow at the title.

"That's the title Barty used for him. It simply stuck." Theodore explained with
a shrug.

"Barty? You mean Barty Crouch Junior? He's alive?!" Theonel whispered, quickly
casting a stronger privacy charm.

Theodore blinked and turned to look at Theonel as he said in a slight confused
tone, "Well, yes. Did our lord not write about him in the letter he ordered me
to send to you?"

Theonel shook his head an explained, "The letter simply gave a brief overview
of who Marvolo Slytherin is and instructions to meet him in Hogsmeade today as
well as informing me that you would be escorting Harry Potter to meet with us.
It also said that I am to drag you away as soon as our lord gives Harry Potter
a parchment."

"Er..." Theodore nervously muttered, subconsciously copying Harry, "I am...
unsure of how much I can tell then..."

"Everything, Theodore." Theonel replied immediately, "I must know what you know
so that I may be able to help our lord to the best of my capabilities."

Theodore gulped before nodding in resignation, "I understand..."

Theonel nodded and asked, "Now what is this act with Harry Potter? Is our lord
planning on swaying the boy to our side or is this an elaborate plan to kill
him?"

Theodore bit his bottom lip, rearranging his thoughts. Theonel waited patiently
as his son tried to find the correct words to use. Theodore sighed and stopped
walking, forcing Theonel to stop walking as well. Theodore turned his head to
stare at his father as he admitted, "There's really no good way to say this..."

Theonel raised an eyebrow but remained quiet, listening to his son attentively,
"So I will just summarize what I know and, hopefully, you can understand me."

Theodore took a deep breath before summarizing quickly, "Little Lord did a
ritual that gave our lord his body back but now they're bound to one another
until they have to do the magical marriage ritual and conceive an heir. Our
lord has been in Hogwarts for a week and has been making plans in ensuring
Little Lord's safety. Barty Crouch Junior is impersonating Moody as our defence
professor and knows about this. The other person who knows about this is a
Ravenclaw third year named Luna Lovegood who has pledged loyalty to Little
Lord. She's a bit eccentric but she's a nice girl and I heard she can see magic
and might be a seer but we're still unsure about that part. This entire act is
to give a plausible reason to our lord's reappearance as Marvolo Slytherin and
they plan this entire thing. This act will end with both Little Lord and
Marvolo Slytherin falling in love and getting married by Yule in secret. That's
as far as I know about their plan. Well... they plan on conceiving a child in
Yule and for Little Lord to finish this year but not return for his fifth year
but that's still up in air since Little Lord does not want to risk a
miscarriage."

Theodore sighed in relief and murmured, "That feels so good to say out loud
now."

While his son was relaxing, Theonel, on the other hand, was too busy trying to
process what his son had said.

His lord... was getting married?

To Harry Potter?

And they were going to be magically married?!

Oh Merlin...

He just met his lord's future consort...

His lord's consort...

Bound eternally to his lord, blessed by Magic herself, second only to his lord
himself...

Was he able to make a good impression?

Was he respectful enough?

Oh Morgana's tits!

That's why the boy- No! Not the boy!

That's why his lord's future consort had been observing him when they first
met.

He was measuring Theonel's worth.

Unknown to Theodore Nott, Theonel was having a nervous breakdown, fearing he
may have not passed the secret test of his lord's future consort.
 
 
 
 
 
Unknown to Theonel Nott, the reason why Harry was staring at him was simply
because he looked so much like Theodore that Harry had begun musing if Theodore
would grow up to look the same as Theonel.

Oh.

And he was also amused by the reverent look Theonel kept giving Voldemort and
was wondering what he had to do to get the same reaction from Theodore.
Chapter End Notes
     I seriously enjoyed writing this chapter. Theonel is just so fun to
     write.
     Harry and 'Marvolo' flirting was also fun to write.
     Next chapter would be more of the 'romantic story' of Harry and
     Marvolo. XD
     So… apparently Dorea and Charlus were not James’ parents (according
     to Pottermore). Unfortunately, I’ve already have plans for Harry that
     requires Dorea as his grandmother so in this ‘verse, Dory and
     Charchar still gave birth to James.
***** The Son of The Dark Lord *****
Chapter Summary
     Hogsmeade day... part 2.
     Also known as: Marvolo and Harry talking... most of the time XD
Chapter Notes
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Voldemort will be called 'Marvolo' in the narration because he's
     acting as Marvolo Slytherin, the son of Lord Voldemort
     3 Back to Harry's POV
     4 Non-canon explanation of the difference between Light and Dark
     magic
     5 This… might actually be a bit Sirius…
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Getting bored with frowning at his lack of knowledge in spells, Harry broke the
silence that came over their table after the Notts' departure with a nonchalant
question, "So what's it like being the Dark Lord's secret son?"

Marvolo raised an eyebrow at the question before asking back, "What's it like
being the vanquisher of the Dark Lord in question?"

Harry wryly smiled as he replied honestly, "Stressful. My entire life is
everyone's business. I can't talk to snakes without people thinking I'm the
next Dark Lord."

Marvolo chuckled softly and commented, "You? The next Dark Lord? And how will
you make the Wizarding World quiver in fear? By staring at them with those big
puppy dog eyes of yours?"

Harry snorted and retorted, "I would make a cute Dark Lord."

Harry raised his head and grinned at Marvolo as he proclaimed, "My mark would
be a head of an adorable puppy with big green eyes inside a crown of lilies
that yips each time I summon them."

Marvolo covered his mouth and his shoulders trembled as he tried to suppress
his laughter. Harry went back to writing on the parchment as he commented, "I
don't understand why you cover your mouth when you laugh. I bet you have a nice
smile."

Marvolo dropped his hand and stared at his untouched cup of tea. He wryly
smiled as he said, "Durmstrang has a more militaristic practice than
Hogwarts..."

Harry raised his head to stare at Marvolo as he asked curiously, "So why didn't
you just enrolled in Hogwarts?"

"The son of the Dark Lord that terrorized Magical Britain enrolling in a
Britain magical school?" Marvolo asked which made Harry frown.
 
"Good point." Harry smiled sadly as he mused, "They already antagonize me and I
supposedly saved them when I was a baby. They'll probably burn you alive."

"You don't sound like Britain is fond of you." Marvolo commented, staring at
Harry with an unreadable expression.

Harry raised his head to stare at Marvolo as he admitted, "They're not."

Harry cleared his throat and handed the parchment to Marvolo as he mumbled,
"I'm done."

Marvolo took the parchment from Harry's hand and skimmed through it. He frowned
slightly as he commented, "I expected that you wouldn't even know the spells
from Durmstrang. They are borderline Dark. Completely legal by Ministry
standard, of course, but it would be the type of spells you wouldn't see in a
Light-based curriculum as Hogwarts. The other spells which are parts of your
Defence of the Dark Arts curriculum though..."

Harry groaned and rested his forehead on the table as he explained, "They say
Hogwarts has never got a competent DADA professor for a long time now. They
always change every year. Some retire, some quit, some just... disappear."

"Aaah." Marvolo nodded as he remembered, "The rumoured DADA curse."

Marvolo chuckled before leaning towards Harry, eyes shining with merit, as he
conspiratorially whispered, "I heard from a very good source that it was the
Dark Lord who cursed the position."

"No!" Harry whispered back, his eyes widening. He leaned towards Marvolo, their
shoulders bumping into one another, as he asked, "Voldemort cursed the
position? Why? Did he finally snap over the blatant vilification of Dark
magic?"

Marvolo scoffed and shook his head. He pushed his sit towards Harry before
whispering, "No. He went back to Hogwarts to apply for the DADA position but he
was rejected by Albus Dumbledore."

Harry raised an eyebrow and asked, "Voldemort? As the DADA professor?"

Marvolo shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "Hogwarts was his home. He wanted to
near it, I suppose."

Harry wryly smiled as he added, "And Dumbledore thought he was planning
something evil by applying for the job."

Marvolo leaned back and replied, "Dumbledore never trusted Voldemort. He never
gave him the benefit of the doubt."

Harry stared at the man in front of him silently. Their link was silent but
Harry was more sensitive to the magic around them right now and he could feel
the slight quivering of the older wizard's magic. It was quivering in repressed
rage and some emotion Harry couldn't quite understand.

He supposed it was pain? Or was it sorrow?

Regardless, Harry couldn't pinpoint it because he did not fully understand
either emotional pain or sorrow.

That morning when Voldemort had left using his Invisibility Cloak and the
Marauder's Map, Harry had felt his magic slowly disappearing. It made Harry
feel so sick. His entire body felt sluggish and cold. His link with Voldemort
felt dead as well but there was... something.

Harry couldn't explain it well.

He felt as if something was tugging his magical core, trying to force the magic
out but couldn't.

When he tried to understand what it was he was feeling while waiting to be able
to go to Hogsmeade with Theo, his mind had simply conjured the image of a black
diary.

Harry had pretty much dragged Theo to their meeting place, his magical core
slowly releasing his magic as they came nearer to their destination.

When he had entered the inn, Harry's breath hitched and he almost moaned when
he felt the chains on his magic disappeared. He shivered when he felt
Voldemort's magic coil around him. He never recognized his magic before. He
knew what it felt like, true, but he never realized that his magic had been
coiling around him the entire time. It was only after they finally reunited
that he realized that he had become magically sensitive to Voldemort's magic.
That he had always been sensitive to Voldemort’s magic and simply did not pay
it any attention…

The truth was it took a few minutes for Harry to notice that he was slowly
losing access to his magic that morning since he had learned to push his magic
into his core since he was a child. He had done it instinctively, fuelled by
the desire to not do any 'freakishness'. He may have gotten used to the
physical pain his relatives inflicted when he did something 'freaky' but the
'punishment' he received was something he tried to avoid as much as possible.
He always feared that one day, his uncle would lose himself to the moment and
injure Harry more than he could possibly survive. That possibility was
something Harry would rather not find out as much as possible.

When he got to Hogwarts, suppressing his magic had become subconscious to
Harry. He only took as much as he needed to perform moderately at class. That
was not to say that he was hiding his true potential though. He had tried to
let his magic out once but his magic had lashed out at the sudden freedom and,
before he knew it, every item and furniture in the Gryffindor common room had
begun floating.

Harry had panicked. It had been in the middle of the Yule holidays and everyone
else was still asleep but Harry feared someone might wake up and see him, see
the freakiness around him. That panic had caused him to scribble frantically at
the diary that had been the one to push him to unleash his magic in the first
place. He had felt the diary's amusement at his current predication, a feeling
that Harry now recognized as something quite similar to how he could feel some
of Voldemort's feelings even if the older wizard wasn't trying.

Harry had threatened to throw him to the fireplace if he didn't give a
suggestion soon and, as if reading Harry's threat, the common room's fireplace
erupted to a big fire that roared like a lion. Harry swore he saw the flame
morphed into the face of a roaring lion when he heard the roar. Tom (Harry
couldn't help but call the weird diary Tom even now) had relented when Harry
wrote about the flaming lion.

Apparently he didn't want to experiment if Harry's accidental magical fire
would burn him.

With Tom's helpful suggestion of 'just calm down, you idiot', Harry managed to
force his magic back to his core slowly. As he continued to push most of his
magic down, the furniture and other items slowly floated down as well. The fire
had been the last to disappear.

After that display of untamed raw magic, Tom had concluded that Harry's
suppression of his magic had caused it to lash out. When Harry had begrudgingly
written (vaguely) why he suppressed his magic in the first place, Tom wrote
that his magic's growth may have been stunted because of what Harry had done.
As far as Harry's magic was concern, he was still back in his relatives' place
and everyone and everything in the vicinity was a threat. Harry's magic had
floated everything away from Harry except the diary which may mean that his
magic was instinctively keeping away everything it had considered a threat
(which turned out to be everything). They both deemed that it would be too
dangerous for Harry to release his magic for now. Tom had suggested trying
again once he was of age. By then, Harry should have enough experience with
magic in general to be able to control his own magic better.

Why it did not float the diary though... Harry and Tom never did find out a
plausible reason behind that one inconsistency. Tom had smugly joked that it
might mean Harry adored him. Harry had told him politely to shove it.

He did adore the diary but there was no way in seven hells he would write that.
There was no need to stroke the damn diary's already large ego.

The memory of the Tom Riddle inside the diary almost brought a nostalgic smile
on Harry's face.

He wasn't lying when he said the diary was a fountain of information he had
wished to keep but that wasn't the only reason why he had regretted destroying
the diary. He had become... fond of the Tom Riddle in the diary. When they had
started talking, he didn't trust the diary. The diary was too nice... too
understanding. He knew the diary had just been humouring him and making him
trust him but Harry had enjoyed their talks nevertheless. It was easy to just
be himself to a diary when the words he wrote disappeared. Tom Riddle had been
his secret back then. The first person he could talk with freely. He still kept
his mask most of the time even while writing but there were instances where his
mask fell, where he had written something impulsively simply because they were
conversing with one another and it had been easy to get along the flow when
talking to Tom.

He had loved those talks. His blatant teasing of Voldemort these past days were
because he looked like an older Tom Riddle, he sounded like a more easily riled
up Tom Riddle and his reactions were like a more composed Tom Riddle.

They were the same people and Harry felt like he had reunited with the diary
once more.

He never realized that he had grown this fond for the diary until now.

He never realized that he had grown this fond for Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"If..." Harry stared at MarvoloVoldemortTom and bit his bottom lip, staring at
the older man's lips before returning his gaze to those piercing dark brown
eyes that felt so wrong on his face, "If Dumbledore had given the position to
Voldemort... would he still have been a Dark Lord?"

Would Tom Riddle have died fallen?

Marvolo stared at Harry for a few seconds, his entire expression unreadable.
Harry wondered if he had stepped out of line.

A bitter smile appeared on Marvol-

No.

A bitter smile appeared on Voldemort's face and he admitted softly, "No. Lord
Voldemort would most probably never have terrorized Britain had he become a
professor of his beloved school."

Internally, Harry wondered what it felt like to be so attached to something
that his entire future depended on it.

He was fond of a lot of things.

Some greater than others.

His godfather, his werewolf, his owl...

His wand...

The broom his godfather presented him...

But they were all replaceable.

Perhaps not Hedwig, Sirius and Remus but Harry knew he could live without them,
he knew he could throw each of them to a cliff if it meant his survival.

He knew it was cruel. He knew he was messed up but Harry had stopped caring.

Harry had stopped trying to become too attached to anything.

When he told Voldemort about the betrayal of his 'friend', he didn't tell him
the entire truth. The truth that made Harry realized that it would just be so
much easier to not care. It would be harder for his relatives to hurt him if he
didn't care and Harry survived because of that ideology.

That's why he was confused about his own feelings at the knowledge that Tom
Riddle had been attached to Hogwarts.

That Tom Riddle had loved something so dearly his entire future could have
changed had circumstances been different.
 
Harry thought it was foolish yet he also felt a bit jealous that someone like
Tom Riddle could still form attachment when he himself could (would) not.

Does that make Tom RiddleVoldemortmore human?

Does that make himBoyFreak more inhuman?

Harry froze when he felt Voldemort place his free hand on top of Harry's.
Voldemort hissed softly, "<< You're still a child. Simply because you have not
found something you are attached to do not mean you won't.  >>"

Harry felt a pang of anger and his magic threatened to lash out at the thought
that Voldemort had been listening to his thoughts. He reined his magic back
before it could attack the man in front of him and tried to clear his thoughts.

Of course. Their link was open and everything Harry thought of was transmitted
to Voldemort.
 
He wondered if Voldemort had been able to hear his wandering thoughts
concerning his past… his past with the diary…

Harry pulled his hand out of Voldemort's grasp and leaned back, a blank
expression on his face that was betrayed by the bitterness in his hiss, "<<
Attachment makes us weak, Tom. We can't afford any weakness. >>"

A bitter smile appeared on Voldemort's face as he commented, "<< Perhaps... >>"

"You were able to cover most of your third year spell work for DADA." Voldemo-

Harry shook his head and tried to regain his composure.

Voldemort and Harry's conversation was over.

It left a bitter taste on Harry's mouth and he drowned it with his cooling
Butterbeer.

Voldemort didn't say those words. Marvolo did, staring at the parchment in his
hand. Marvolo raised his head to stare at Harry when Harry didn't answer him
and Harry placed his glass back on the table before answering with a grin, "Our
DADA professor during our third year was good."

Marvolo raised an eyebrow and said, "I heard he was a werewolf."

Harry raised his own eyebrow as he retorted, "So?"

"You don't think they're dangerous?" Marvolo asked which made Harry narrow his
eyes at him.

"Professor Lupin is one of the kindest wizards I have ever met. Just because
there are dangerous werewolves out there does not mean every werewolf is
dangerous." Harry defended, "That kind of thinking is the same as saying 'since
every evil wizards and witches are Dark then all Dark wizards and witches are
evil'."

"You don't think they are?" Marvolo asked sombrely.

"No." Harry replied immediately and shrugged as he expounded, "Sure, there are
some Dark wizards and witches who are arrogant prats but not all of them. Theo,
for example. I've only gotten close to Theo lately but he's been nothing but
kind and understanding. We have fun and we goof around like regular kids. Then
there's you."

"Me?" Marvolo repeated, raising an eyebrow once more.

"You're a Dark wizard, aren't you?" Harry asked and Marvolo silently nodded so
Harry continued, "But here you are, talking to me, helping me in surviving this
tournament."

Marvolo smiled as he mused, "Yes... I suppose that would make me a good Dark
wizard, wouldn't it?"

"I honestly don't understand the difference between a Dark wizard and a Light
wizard." Harry admitted with a shrug, "Dark, Light... it's all magic in the
end, right?"

"True." Marvolo nodded and explained, "The simplest explanation to their
difference would be... desire."

"Desire?" Harry repeated, tilting his head.

"Light magic require an actual picture of what you wish to do." Marvolo
explained, placing the parchment on table and took the quill from Harry's hand.
He circled the spell 'Wingardium Leviosa - Levitation Spell' before continuing,
"For example, the levitation charm requires you have a clear image on the thing
you want to levitate. It would be better to picture that thing floating as
well. Simply thinking about it does not mean you desire it with your entire
being. On the other hand..."

Marvolo circled the spell 'Crucio - Cruciatus Spell' before continuing, "The
Cruciatus spell, and the Unforgivables in general, requires the caster to wish
for their target to suffer. The spell does not need you to have a clear image
of your target writhing on the ground. It needs you to wish for it, to desire
it. It is that desire that channels your magic into fuelling the spell itself.
If your desire is not enough then you cannot cast the spell successfully. Dark
based spells are a lot harder to master because they don't just need you to
understand what they do; they need you to desire it with all your being. That's
why casting an Unforgivable means a life sentence in Azkaban. By casting an
Unforgivable, you are telling everyone that you desire with all your being for
your target to suffer, to die or to be under your control."

Harry frowned and asked, "I don't get it... What's the difference between
picturing it and desiring it? I mean... Okay, I can picture something without
actually desiring it but should that just be the only deciding factor for
something to be Light or Dark?"

Marvolo smiled wryly and said, "There is another more... controversial
explanation..."

"Oh?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Emotions." Marvolo said, making Harry tilt his head once more. Marvolo tapped
the quill over the levitation spell as he explained, "Light based magic does
not require emotions. They simply work because of a clear image just like I
explained while Dark based magic..."

Marvolo tapped the quill over the Cruciatus spell, "... require emotions, the
stronger the emotion, the more powerful the spell. But you must be able to
control your emotions at the same time. You must be able to bring out a strong
emotion without losing yourself to it. If you do lose yourself to your
emotions, either the spell wouldn't work or it will go out of control and may
even harm you."

"That... seems simpler..." Harry blinked before asking, "Why is it considered
controversial?"

"Because of its implication." Marvolo replied, "It would mean that Light
wizards and witches, those who have an easier time casting Light spells, are
more logical while Dark wizards and witches, those who have an easier time
casting Dark spells, are more emotional."

Harry raised an eyebrow before he hissed, "<< Or the Light wizards and witches
are less in control of their emotions and cannot use Dark spells because they
lack the needed control. >>"

Marvolo's smile turned into a smirk for a second before he continued, "And that
would mean some spells which are considered Light are actually Dark."

Marvolo placed the quill on top of another spell. Harry read the spell name and
his eyes widened. Marvolo's smirk grew and he asked, "Surprising, isn't it?"

"The Patronus charm?!" Harry shouted, making the other patrons turn to look at
him. Harry covered his mouth and Marvolo chuckled.

Marvolo circled the spell 'Expecto Patronum - Patronus Charm' as he explained,
"Dementors are considered Dark creatures because of their effect to others,
that unnerving gloom and despair... They affect the emotions of those around
them. By that way of reasoning, werewolves are also considered Dark creatures
because their emotions are affected during full moons. Their loss of sense and
humanity is because they revert back to the base emotions of their wolf. If
their wolf is angry then they become blood-thirsty werewolves. If their wolf is
content or happy then they become calm werewolves who only attack the
trespassers of their territory."

Marvolo tapped the Patronus charm as he backtracked, "Returning back to the
classification of the Patronus charm, the basic instruction given when learning
the Patronus charm is to remember the happiest memory you have, correct?"

Harry nodded, staring at Marvolo silently as the older wizard continued, "That
means this charm is fuelled by happiness, a kind of emotion. The success of
casting a Patronus does not depend on the memory itself but the emotion behind
it and the caster's control over their emotion. Losing yourself in your memory
would simply produce a wisp of light or nothing at all. Forcing too much
emotion into it will produce a larger Patronus. There have been cases of
wizards and witches producing a blinding light, sometimes accompanied by a
large but uncontrollable Patronus, as well. According to some Magic Theorists,
these cases happen because the wizards and witches force too much emotion into
the charm. It didn't need to be happy. The Patronus can easily be activated by
an initial bout of happiness and fuelled by other emotions such as desperation
or fear. That mixture of emotions is dangerous when casting Dark spells in
general. A mixture of emotions could mean a lack of control and your spell may
morph into something else. That's why the British Ministry of Magic forbid most
of Dark based spells. These spells, without proper control, will only go
berserk and cause harm to the caster and to those around them."

Marvolo placed the quill down and turned to look at Harry. Noticing Harry was
still staring at him owlishly, Marvolo tilted his head slightly and asked, "Is
there something on my face?"

"Huh?" Harry blinked dumbly, causing a smile to appear on Marvolo's face at the
adorable expression Harry had. Harry shook his head and confessed with red
cheeks, "N-no. It's just... Er... I was just thinking you make a good
teacher..."

Marvolo's smile turned more sardonically as he replied, "Is that so..."

"Er..." Harry scratched his cheek as he ranted, "Listening to your
explanation... well... The way I see it, Dark and Light shouldn't matter. We're
all wizards and witches. We have our strengths and our weaknesses. Sure, some
of us may not have enough control over our emotions or some of us may have
perfect control over them but that doesn't mean we're good or evil. We have our
good days and our bad days. But at the end of the day, we're all just...
people."
 
Harry shrugged as he said, "I guess I'm just saying... er... I don't think our
natural inclination should dictate us as good or evil. It's not about who we
are but what we do... I guess..."

Marvolo stared at him for a few seconds silently. Harry blinked when he saw
Marvolo's lips curved to a bitter smile and he froze when he felt Marvolo's
hand caress his cheek as the older man whispered, "I wished I had met you
sooner, Harry Potter."

"Eh?"

Marvolo dropped his hand and grabbed the quill once more. He began circling
certain spells on the parchment as he commented, "Perhaps you can be the change
our world needs. Perhaps... you can be the one who will finally unite both
Light and Dark."

Harry chuckled and replied, "I doubt it. I think someone like you would be a
better candidate."

Marvolo raised his head to smile sardonically as he retorted, "Magical Britain
has no place for the Dark Lord's son."

Harry tilted his head and asked, "Is that why you stayed away for so long?"

"It is one of the reasons, yes." Marvolo admitted, lowering his head to stare
at the parchment once more as he continued, "I also wished to see the world, to
gain more experience and knowledge."

"Then why are you here now?" Harry asked curiously, staring at Marvolo's face.

"I owe Theonel a lot." Marvolo's smile turned softer as he confessed, "But
saying that is simply an excuse. The truth is..."

Marvolo raised his head and stared at Harry as he said, "I simply wanted to
know you."

Harry smiled sardonically as he asked, "You wanted to know the Boy-Who-Lived?"

"No. I have no interest over the Boy-Who-Lived." Marvolo stared at Harry and
leaned forward as he whispered, "I want to know you, Harry Potter."
Chapter End Notes
     Yup. Ending this chapter here because... uuhh... no reason, really.
     XD
     Yes, this entire conversation was choked filled with half-truths and
     backstory hints underneath the blatant lies.
     Before anyone ask about the little inconsistency brought by Harry's
     Crucio being cold and without rage, that's actually an example to why
     there are two theories about the difference of Dark and Light magic
     at the moment. Voldemort's Crucio is an example of the Emotion theory
     while Harry's Crucio is an example of the Desire theory.
     In case anyone is wondering “How are you going to explain the House-
     elves as Dark creatures then?”
     My answer would be:
     Total Ministry of Magic bullshit. Dark creatures get a bad rep
     because they’re ‘Dark’ and the populace think Dark = evil. The
     Ministry simply want to regulate House-elf magic which is a dangerous
     thing. Although, one can also argue that House-elf magic is based on
     desire, making it an example of the Desire Theory. On the other hand,
     emotions are unnecessary in the process and only a clear picture of
     what must be done also fuels House-elf magic so it can also be argued
     that House-elves are Light magic. XD
***** A Fake Love Story *****
Chapter Summary
     Hogsmeade day... last part-ish.
Chapter Notes
     I suppose it’s sorta appropriate this gets posted during Valentine’s
     day… XD
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Voldemort will be called 'Marvolo' because he's acting as Marvolo
     Slytherin, the son of Lord Voldemort
     3 Most is in Harry's POV but kinda turns to Voldemort's POV towards
     the end
     4 Remember that most of their lines are half-truths or flat-out lies.
     Proceed with caution
See the end of the chapter for more notes
After that blatant expression of interest from Marvolo, Harry had awkwardly
segued the conversation back to what Harry needed to learn. Marvolo had written
numerous titles of books Harry needed to look at to get familiarized with the
spells Marvolo thought he needed to prioritize. The first in their agenda were
offensive spells since most of what Harry knew was defensive duelling spells.
Defence was good and all but that's not to say offensive spells would not help
Harry in the tournament.

When Marvolo had suggested they should meet once a week or, if it was not
feasible, they could owl each other once a week so Marvolo may know about
Harry's progress, Harry had simply grinned and said he can meet Marvolo once a
week. Marvolo was interested on how that could be possible but Harry simply
wrote a meeting place at the edge of the parchment they had been using. Once
Marvolo had read it, Harry cast a spell to make the words disappear.

Once their plan for next week was done, Harry noticed there was still an hour
before he needed to meet Theodore and he suggested they walk around the
Hogsmeade. Marvolo seemed a bit interested in seeing Hogsmeade so he agreed. On
the way to Honeydukes, Harry asked as they walk with their arms looped around
one another, "This the first time you've been to Hogsmeade?"

Harry had blushed at Marvolo's gesture back in the inn but could not find the
courage to reject the older wizard's advances. It seemed rude to reject the
older man’s gentleman advances (not that Harry had any real experience with
that in the first place).

"Yes." Marvolo replied, looking around as they walk, "I have never stayed in
Britain for too long."

"Oh?"

"It seemed too dangerous before." Marvolo admitted and leaned close to Harry to
whisper, "Britain would most definitely not like it if they knew the Dark
Lord's son was walking amid them."

"You're not your father." Harry reminded him with a frown.

Marvolo smiled wryly as he retorted, "Yet the sins of the father reflect back
to the son."

"That's just stupid." Harry wrinkled his nose and said, "Only a mindless sheep
would label someone without even trying to get to know them."

"Your idealistic view of the world should be treasured." Marvolo commented and
Harry grinned when he heard the hidden insult at the blatant lie,
"Unfortunately, the world is not as kind as you think it is."

"I know it isn't." Harry replied, staring straight ahead with a wry smile quite
similar to Marvolo's, "I just... I suppose I hope it had been as kind as I wish
it would be."

Marvolo stared at him as he asked, "You speak from experience."

Harry smiled bitterly as he cryptically replied, "Let's just say both the
muggle world and the magical world are not as kind as I wish they were."

Before Marvolo could reply, Harry had opened the door to Honeydukes and dragged
the older wizard inside. The shop was filled with so many students that Harry
was pushed towards Marvolo. Marvolo tightened his grip on Harry's arm to keep
the younger wizard from getting swept away from him. Harry dragged Marvolo
towards the chocolate section, not paying any mind to the fact that he was
getting pushed by and pushing back other students. Once they reached the
chocolate section, Harry grinned at Marvolo and said, "Pick one."

Marvolo simply raised an eyebrow at Harry's 'order'. Around them, many students
and other patrons were staring at them and some even dared whisper but neither
of the two paid attention.

Harry pouted and explained, "I'll buy you any chocolate you want as a thank you
for helping me."

Marvolo hummed for a moment before replying, "There's no need for you do such a
thing."

"I know I don't." Harry smiled shyly at Marvolo and said, "I just want to."

Marvolo chuckled softly and asked in an amused resigned tone, "You won't let
this go until I pick one, will you?"

"Nope." Harry replied with a grin.

"Very well. I shall humour you." Marvolo picked a piece of milk chocolate
shaped like a rose and handed it to Harry. Harry raised an eyebrow at the
choice but Marvolo simply pushed the chocolate rose to Harry's hands. Harry
shrugged and took the rose, dragging Marvolo towards the cashier. He grabbed a
few boxes of chocolate frogs along the way and paid for all of them. He handed
the milk chocolate rose to Marvolo and dragged him out of the store, continuing
to not pay any attention to the stares nor the increasing whispering they got
from the rest of the student body. He knew it won’t be long before the rumours
start but he paid no attention to it. His entire attention was to the older man
next to him.

Once they were back outside, Marvolo finally asked, "Is it normal for your
fellow schoolmates to stare at you?"

Harry shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "Yeah. It got old when I was in third
year but its back full force now because of the tournament."

Marvolo stared at Harry for a moment before saying, "You don't like the
attention."

Harry smiled wryly and turned to look at Marvolo as he asked, "What gave it
away?"

Marvolo returned Harry's wry smile with one of his own as he replied, "I know
the feeling."

Harry gave an ungraceful snort, covering his mouth immediately. He began
giggling as he led Marvolo towards the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Marvolo simply
stared at him with an amused smile playing on his lips, waiting for Harry to
finally say, "That's just... too funny."

"I do not see the humour you see, I'm afraid." Marvolo admitted but continued
to smile amusingly at Harry's antics.

"It's just..." Harry took deep breaths in between giggles before finally
choking out, "... funny... that... you would be the one to understand me. The
one to understand... the Boy-Who-Lived... is the son of the... Dark Lord he...
supposedly vanquished..."

Harry giggled for a few more seconds before finally sighing. They had stopped
in a clearing overlooking Hogsmeade. Harry leaned closer towards Marvolo for
warmth as he explained, "No one really understood me. How could they? They
don't know what it is like to be me."

"And who are you?" Marvolo asked, staring at Hogsmeade as well.

"I'm just Harry." Harry replied with a shrug, "I'm not this all-powerful
benevolent saviour. I'm not a selfish self-centred fame-whore."

Harry chuckled sadly and added, "I'm not even a normal child with a happy
childhood."

Harry turned to stare at Marvolo and admitted softly, "I'm a broken child that
doesn't know what it means to love or to be loved."

Harry chuckled emptily and turned to look at Hogsmeade. He smiled bitterly as
he mused, "I wonder why I'm telling you these things. I've never told these to
anyone."

"Maybe you felt that I would understand." Marvolo suggested softly, making
Harry turn to stare at Marvolo.

Harry's bitter smile turned to an empty cold smile as he whispered, "No one
will ever understand how I feel."

Harry pulled away from Marvolo and embraced himself to keep warm against the
cold as he said, "I think... I should leave now."

"Why?" Marvolo asked, staring at Harry but not moving from his spot.

"Because I've just met you and I'm already pouring my heart out to you like a
bloody cliché main character in an overly cliché romantic muggle cinema that
only has an hour and a half play time." Harry replied with a wry smile before
adding, "This isn't me. I have more restraint than this."

"I should have more restraint than this." Harry corrected in a cold hard tone.
Harry's smile wavered as he stared at Marvolo with sad eyes, "Maybe it's
because I've been alone for a while now because of this bloody tournament.
Maybe it's because my entire school is against me because of something I didn't
do. Maybe it's because you're... different... I don't know."

Harry shook his head and took a step back as he said, "I need some time. I need
to think about this."

"Of course." Marvolo nodded and said softly, "I will see you next week..."

Harry nodded and replied in a playful manner, "Yeah. I'll be sure to do my
homework."

Before Harry could turn around to leave, Marvolo called his name, "Harry."

Harry turned around to look back at Marvolo and the older wizard offered the
milk chocolate rose to him. Harry frowned and was about to speak when Marvolo
said, "Some say the Dark Lord does not know how to love."

Harry tilted his head at that sentence, unsure on what to say. Marvolo gently
grabbed Harry's wrist and placed the rose on Harry's cold palm as he continued,
"There was a rumour about how his mother had conceived him while his father was
under the influence of a love potion. Many wizards and witches believe that a
child conceived because of a love potion will never understand what it means to
love."

"That's stupid." Harry commented, rolling the chocolate rose in his hand,
"Unless you can prove that the ingredients of a love potion would influence the
development of the foetus, that seems more like an allegory of 'love potions
are bad so don't use them'."

"Perhaps..." Marvolo replied cryptically as he smiled softly, "I am here right
now, aren't I?"

Harry’s grip on the flower tightened without his permission. Unable to stop
himself, he raised his head to stare at Marvolo and hissed, "<< Don't pretend
you feel anything for me, Tom. >>"

"<< Do you believe I am incapable of love, Harry? >>" The older wizard asked,
staring intently at Harry.

Harry gave a bitter cold smile as he replied, "<< I believe that you're too
smart to confuse fondness for love. >>"

Harry took a step forward and whispered in a mocking soft tone, "<< I am fond
of you, Tom, and I am sure you have become fond of me as well but this act we
are doing? This fake love story between Harry Potter and Marvolo Slytherin? >>"

"<< It's all fake. >>" Harry harshly hissed and reminded him, "<< Don't get
caught up by it. Don’t you dare… >>"
 
Harry’s words faltered as he got a hold of himself.
 
Dare what?
 
Why was he reacting so negatively over MarvoloVoldemort’s fake declaration of
love?
 
Was it because…
 
Harry closed his eyes and whispered, “<< Please don’t promise me eternity… >>”

Not giving him any time to process those words which only meant something to
Harry, the younger wizard took a step back and gave Marvolo a soft sad smile as
he said, "Perhaps Voldemort being conceived by a love potion is just a rumour.
Maybe... I'm the one who had been conceived by a love potion instead."

"Why?" Marvolo asked, staring at Harry with soft eyes.

"Because I don't think I know how to love." Harry admitted, his words choking
slightly at the admission, before whispering, "Goodbye, Marvolo."

Harry turned around and walked away from Marvolo, following the path back to
Hogsmeade.

Marvolo continued to stare at Harry silently until he couldn't see him anymore.

Slowly, he felt his magic returning to his core.

He sighed tiredly and sat on one of the big rocks littering the desolated
clearing. He placed his hands on his kneecaps and stared at Hogsmeade as his
mind wandered.

Harry's link was slowly getting quieter but the young wizard's musing still
haunted him.

How can one so young be so... jaded?

He wondered if it was his fault. A part of him believed Harry would have been
better off dead that fateful Samhain night.

He remembered James Potter. He remembered Lily Potter nee Evans. They were both
idealistic fools who believed that the world is black and white.

Lily Potter also believed in redemption and change.

James Potter believed that Light is good.

But Harry James Potter...

Harry believed the world was a disgusting dark grey hue and everyone would
betray everyone sooner or later.

Redemption and change were both foreign concepts to Harry.

Light and Dark meant nothing to him. Good and evil were both part of mankind,
regardless of their magical inclination.

The boy's overly developed imagination was a defence mechanism.

The world was too cruel and painful so he hid in the colourful imaginations he
conjured. His magic was repressed into his core because he had been conditioned
to hide his gift.

He hid who he really was because he believed he was broken and no one wanted a
broken child.

Harry was too young but, at the same time, too old.

He was both mentally immature and mature at the same time.

Harry made Tom Riddle seem like a normal child in comparison.

He could not deny that he had grown... fond of the child this past week. It was
hard not to when Harry had been an entertaining companion and a fresh change to
the grovelling idiots and fanatic loyalists he had been surrounded with. Harry
seemed more or less in tune with him and he knew it was because Harry had
interacted with his diary, with Tom Riddle. Who was he but the remains of Tom
Riddle?

He didn't even have half of Tom Riddle's soul.

The Dark Rituals he had performed during the last years of the first Wizarding
War had destroyed his mind. In exchange for power, he had reverted to his
primal instinct of destroying all that had stand in his way.

But now...

He could still feel the power he had acquired coursing through his body but his
mind remained intact.

The ritual Harry Potter had performed had returned his body and mind back to
its prime state yet left the additional magical prowess he had obtained.

It almost seemed too good to be true.

His greatest enemy, the boy prophesied to end him, had been the one to give him
the greatest gift of all.

And both Tom Riddle and Voldemort rewarded those who aid them.

Harry Potter was to be rewarded.

But what can he give to a boy who simply wanted to survive?

It was a cruel twist of fate.

He knew Harry was not living. He was simply surviving, existing...

In retrospective, Harry was worse than Tom Riddle.

Tom Riddle wanted to be someone, wanted to be great.

Harry simply wanted to continue existing.

To what end?

From the way Harry's thought process worked, it seemed the boy did not even
have an answer to that question.

It infuriated him and, at the same time, it saddened him.

Here was a magical child who could become great if he wanted to but the boy did
not want any of it. To Harry, greatness is simply another burden, another pain.

But he would not let Harry fade into the background. He would pull Harry with
him at the top where they should be.

The Dark Lord and his Consort...

It wasn't love. He knew Harry was right about that.

Harry was a distorted mirror of what Tom Riddle could have been.

Harry was the personification of all of Tom Riddle's and Voldemort's mistakes.

Harry was his.

Voldemort's.

Tom Riddle's.

Marvolo Slytherin's.

Perhaps for Harry, the love story between Marvolo Slytherin and Harry Potter
was fake.

It was fake.

But not all of it.

Harry's loose lips were not because he was pretending to be the sweet naive but
abused Boy-Who-Lived. His loose lips were because he was talking to both
Marvolo and Voldemort.

Because he was talking to Tom Riddle.

Tom Riddle, Voldemort and Marvolo Slytherin were all broken parts of the same
person.

Tom Riddle was the past.

Voldemort was the present.

Marvolo Slytherin was the future.

"Marvolo..."

He turned around and smirked as he saw Theonel walking towards him. Marvolo
nodded as he greeted back, "Theonel."

Once his loyal Knight was right beside him and had cast all the necessary
privacy charms, he asked, "How was Hogsmeade?"

"Busier." Theonel replied with a sigh, "Walking around made me feel old."

Marvolo chuckled and reminded him playfully, "You are old."

Theonel grinned as he retorted, "I honestly do not want to hear that from you."

Marvolo gave him a small smirk and they both stared at Hogsmeade. Marvolo stood
and asked, "Is Theodore with Harry?"

"Yes. We saw him waiting by the gates. He was..." Theonel pursed his lips as he
tried to find the correct word to use the solemn look his lord's consort had,
"... lost in thoughts."

"I am not surprised." Marvolo admitted, smiling wryly as he asked, "Do you
remember what the Knights' stand on magical children was?"

"Of course." Theonel replied proudly.

"Harry is a child that the Knights should have protected." Marvolo said, making
Theonel's eyes widened. Marvolo turned to smile wryly at Theonel as he mused,
"Perhaps this is Magic's way of punishing me for my foolishness. Right in front
of me is the very child I and you, my Knights, have wished to save. A child I
had pushed into the very direction I wanted to keep everyone away from."

"My lord..." Theonel could not help it. It wasn't Marvolo, son of Voldemort,
who was talking anymore. It was Tom Riddle, his king, his lord.

It seemed so cruel now.

His lord was to marry a magical child he had wanted to save but, instead, had
helped destroyed.

"Perhaps..." Theonel's throat felt dry as he suggested, "This is for the best?"

His lord's magic flared threateningly around Theonel and the Lord of House Nott
is reminded that his lord was still as cruel as before, was still unforgiving
to those who cross the line.

Theonel wanted to kneel but stopped himself as he continued, "Harry Potter can
be the anchor that keeps you from spiralling out of control."

His lord's magic stilled at those words and Theonel pressed on, "Tom Riddle
fell because there was no one to hold him up. Voldemort continued to fall until
he had fallen too deep to crawl out of the abyss. But you... Marvolo Slytherin
still has a chance. Harry Potter may be the very child Tom Riddle had failed to
save and the same child Voldemort had condemned to hell but he could be a
reminder to Marvolo Slytherin. He can be the one who would keep Marvolo
Slytherin from falling like Tom Riddle, from falling too deep like Voldemort."

His lord's lips curved into an amused wry smile as he commented, "You think too
highly of Harry. That little menace would simply let me fall if it meant his
survival. Theodore's image of Harry is quite skewered."

Theonel chuckled and admitted, "Theodore's actions towards Harry Potter
reminded me too much of my actions towards Tom Riddle. I am both pleased and
very embarrassed."

His lord chuckled softly before explaining, "It's that handmaiden of his. She
told Theodore that he would be Harry's first Knight. Your son gobbled the idea
eagerly."

"Handmaiden? Ah. Luna Lovegood, I assume?" Theonel raised an eyebrow as he
commented, "I have heard some interesting things about her from Theodore."

"I am not surprised." His lord commented, "That girl is quite fascinating. Her
loyalty to Harry is quite similar to Bella yet she seems so harmless. Her
abilities are still under scrutiny, of course, but Harry already adores her."

"Oh?"

"Do not mistake Harry for a normal child, Theonel." His lord warned, "He
detaches himself from everything. Adoration and fondness for him are merely
fleeting emotions that he can easily discard if necessary."

Theonel wryly smiled and stared at his lord as he commented, "Sounds like
someone I know."

His lord also gave a wry smile as he commented, "Yes, I suppose it does."

They turned to stare at Hogsmeade silently for a few minutes before his lord
ordered with one word, "Theonel."

Without another word, Theonel took out his wand and aimed it to his right as he
chanted the Homorphus charm.

His spell hit a nearby beetle and it began to fall to the ground, slowly
morphing into the form of a woman. The woman fell to the ground with a loud
thud and Theonel immediately bound her with a nonverbal binding spell. Marvolo
watched silently as the woman in front of them began shivering uncontrollably
out of shock and fear. He tilted his head slightly as he greeted pleasantly,
"Hello, Miss Skeeter."

"H-hello, Mister Slytherin." Rita forced out a frightened whisper, whimpering
when she felt the binds around her tighten.

"As I'm sure you have your... how do they call it?" Marvolo pondered for a
second before a condescending smirk appeared on his face as he finally
remembered, "Ah, yes, your scoop. I would like to propose a business...
arrangement. One you might find to your advantage."

Rita's lips curved into a wobbly smirk as she said, "I-I'm listening..."

"An exclusive coverage over the developing relationship of the Boy-Who-Lived
and the Dark Lord's son." Rita's eyes widened at the implication of Marvolo's
words while Marvolo simply continued to smirk at her, "Quite a fantastic deal,
do you not agree, Miss Skeeter? The story of the year, some might say."

Rita's eyes shone with predatory gleam and she forced her body to sit, the pain
of the bind seemingly non-existent at the prospect of such a big story, "What's
the catch?"

"Oh, nothing much." Marvolo shrugged as he casually said, "Simply that Theonel
Nott or any other associate of mine will edit your writings before you send
them to your editor."

Marvolo took a few steps towards Rita and looked down at her as he said
pleasantly, "I simply cannot, in my honest conscience, let you vilify my dear
Harry any longer. Do you understand, Miss Skeeter?"

Rita shivered as she heard the hidden warning in his words and she nodded,
gulping before answering verbally, "Of course. Harry is such a sweet boy and
very intelligent-"

"Enough, Miss Skeeter." Marvolo ordered in a bored drawl before narrowing his
eyes as he hissed, "Do understand that you are easily replaceable."

"Yes! I understand, my lord!" Rita replied immediately, bowing so lowly her
forehead was touching the muddy ground.

Marvolo looked at her with disgust but did not say anything to her. Instead, he
turned his head to nod at Theonel before saying, "Take care of the rest,
Theonel."

Theonel bowed as he replied, "As you command."

With that said, Marvolo covered himself with Harry's Invisibility Cloak and
walked away. His instructions were already written on the parchment he had
given Theonel earlier.

His steps were brisk and silent. He could feel his magic slowly being released
from the confines of his magical core the nearer he becomes to Harry. The
sooner he reached the young wizard, the better.

This entire act made him want to take Harry away right now, hide him in Riddle
manor and keep him far away from the Light and Magical Britain itself.

But the risk was too great.

While the bind had restored him to his former glory, he was still too weak. He
did not have enough force to protect Harry and take down both the Ministry of
Magic and Albus Dumbledore at the same time. Every letter he sent to the
goblins inquiring about his financial and magical properties as the new
Slytherin lord had been denied. As long as he has not yet taken the ring of the
Slytherin head, the goblins were unable to send any information pertaining to
the Slytherin line. Without any real evidence that the Slytherin line did
possess loyalty oaths from other families, he didn’t want to risk it.

This... play was the safest way to protect Harry and give them more time to
plan. Using the Daily Prophet, especially the talented Rita Skeeter, to weave
the lies of the Boy-Who-Lived and the son of the Dark Lord would keep most
people from realizing that the Dark Lord was back. Pretending to be the son of
the Dark Lord would place doubt in the darkening of the mark as it could easily
be misunderstood as the harkening of the return of the son instead. It was
normal for children to have similar cores with their parents. That was the main
reason why Life Debts would pass from parents to children in the first place.

It might require more deceit and time but they had time.

Tom Riddle used up all his time.

Voldemort never had the time.

But Marvolo Slytherin had all the time in the world.

For both the Magical World and for Harry Potter.
Chapter End Notes
     Wow... this turned out a bit angst-y than I expected.
     I hope it wasn't too fast.
     Weeeeelllllll... Marvolo Slytherin and Harry Potter's 'love story' is
     meant to be fast-paced though...
     Meh. Just tell me what you guys think XD
***** The Forgotten and The Determined *****
Chapter Summary
     Harry remembers something important and they get sorta ambushed by
     Three Gryffindors
Chapter Notes
     By the way, I posted an oneshot that is not part of CaBR because… the
     plot stabbed me on the back while I was ill last week. So check it
     out if you want, it's called "The Dysfunctional Riddle Family" XD
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Voldemort is back to being called Voldemort in the narration
     3 Messing up canon~
     4 Lack of Harry and Voldemort interaction (I promise next chapter has
     some)
     5 Slight Ron bashing (sorry, Ron TTATT)
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Harry didn't get into any trouble when he had run away from Marvolo. He tried
to keep his thoughts empty until he was far away from
MarvoloVoldemortTomwhatever.

When he had felt his magic fully contained, he began to think about his past
actions as he waited for Theodore to come pick him up. They had agreed to meet
up by the gates of Hogsmeade and Harry was fine standing in the cold. He didn’t
bother casting any warming charms around him. The cold helped him think.

His first thought was that he wanted to hit his head... preferably on a hard
surface... repeatedly.

He was becoming too attached to Voldemort.

He had only start to know the man just a week ago, for Merlin's sake!

That... wasn't exactly true though...

He had met Voldemort back in his first year. Yes, their first meeting had not
been the best way to meet but Voldemort had remained truthful the entire time.
He had shown he wasn't above manipulating people and had no qualms showing it.
His words were littered with half-truths and easily misunderstood words but he
did not utter one single blatant lie.

Voldemort had been refreshing to Harry who had spent his entire first year
living a lie, pretending to be someone he wasn't.
 
He was the first person to shout out “He's lying!” to Harry.
 
No one ever realized Harry had been acting before him...

Then there was Tom.

He might have only had the diary for a few months but those few months were
already the best months Harry had his entire life.

It felt so good to simply talk to someone without pretending to be the Golden
Boy. He still kept most of his mask, true, but he had broken down some of the
walls when he talked to Tom.

Tom was different. Tom was his secret, his...

... confidant?

... friend?

Harry wasn't even sure anymore.

If he had been normal, perhaps he would have fallen in love with Tom. It seemed
like the cliché thing to happen. Tom had been blatant over his obsession over
Harry during the last few weeks they've been together (oh, didn't that just
sound weird when worded like that?).

Harry had felt amusement over Tom's desire of an 'eternity' but he had also
felt annoyed, frustrated on how stubborn the stupid diary had been on how it
was possible to achieve an eternity of them together.

That had been the main reason why he grew stupid and baited Tom back in the
Chambers.

He simply wanted to see Tom lose all that composure. See him frustrated and
angry just like how Harry had felt over his words.

It had escalated back then and he had to choose between Tom and his survival.
Choose between the promise of eternity and his life.

He never regretted his choice.

Tom had been too foolish, too idealistic. It almost seemed strange that he was
actually Voldemort when he had been ruled by his emotions, by his anger.

Oh, Voldemort was ruled by his emotions at times. He hadn't been lying when he
told Voldemort that between the two of them, Harry was the more inhumane one.
It was human to be ruled by emotions. It was human to lose oneself to the flow.

And that was why Harry was inhumane. He rarely got ruled by his emotions. Being
ruled by his emotions lost him Tom. He rarely lost himself to the flow. It was
because he went along the flow that he missed his chance to talk to Tom.

He would usually remember Tom whenever he felt like he was getting carried
away. Tom was his greatest mistake after all.

That's why Harry was frustrated at himself right now. Even if it was meant to
be an act, he still lost himself at times when he had been talking to
MarvoloVoldemortTom back in Hogsmeade. He was making the same mistakes he had
made with Tom.

And this time, eternity seemed set on stone.

Harry wanted to laugh, wanted to scream, and wanted to cast Crucio on the first
person he sees...

Tom had been a fool. He had been an idealistic fool.

Voldemort was still Tom Riddle. Even with all those experiences, even with all
that power, in the end, he was still Tom.

He didn't feel the same as Tom did for Harry but he still held that disturbing
kindness that seemed so out of place in his Dark Lord visage. It was the
kindness Tom Riddle had, Harry supposed.

It was the same kindness that twisted into promises of eternity by that damn
diary.

It was the same kindness that seemed to be twisting Voldemort into becoming
fond of Harry.

Harry should find this a good thing. Thinking about this by weighing the pros
and cons, this was a good result. A kind and, dare he say it, loving husband
was better than a husband who tolerated him. This had been the best case end
result Harry had for his plan of making someone love him and take him away from
the Dursleys before he learned he was a wizard.

But Tom's feelings had been frustrating.

It made Harry feel guilty.

He knew he couldn't love. He didn't know how to love.

Knowing he could never return Tom's obsession made Harry feel guilty, feel
disgusted over his inability to love someone who wanted to spend eternity with
him.

Fondness and adoration were different from love. Harry had never been consumed
by the disturbing desire to simply be there for anyone, to plan his entire life
with someone, or to sacrifice everything for that one person.

He had felt guilty it couldn't be Tom. A part of him wanted it to be Tom.

Sometimes, Harry would think he wouldn't have mind pretending that he did love
Tom as deeply as the obsession the diary had held for him. Perhaps if he
pretended hard enough, he would forget it was a lie and would truly believe
that he did love Tom.

And here he was... repeating the same dance with Voldemort.

He wasn't sure if Voldemort realized it himself but he was becoming kinder…
nicer. His blatant disregard for Harry's personal space was becoming
increasingly obvious. Harry had taken them all in stride. He had only seen the
pros in Voldemort's gradual change of behaviour.

It was when he was talking to Marvolo, when Voldemort had been telling about
himself by carefully wording his responses, did Harry understood the greatest
con in this new behaviour.

Voldemort could easily give Harry the cruellest torture of all.

Harry would know. Tom had been very proficient in using it on Harry.
 
Harry stared at the milk chocolate rose in this hand. He began rolling it
slowly, debating whether to throw it or to eat it. It would be a problem if he
did throw it and people found out. He knew Voldemort was planning on making his
and Marvolo Slytherin's relationship public as soon as possible. That was why
they acted like they didn’t know each other. The more people who can
collaborate that they saw the two of them together in their act, the better it
would be. Their conversations would be published by Rita Skeeter of all people,
much to Harry's annoyance.
 
He had hoped Voldemort would find no use for her so Harry could use her for
his... experiments.
 
He blamed Voldemort for teaching him Crucio. Now, his nonchalant curiosity
towards the Dark Arts has turned into a more pressing desire in forms of...
experiments.
 
Harry took a deep breath and placed the rose by his lips. It was still covered
by a transparent plastic bag which seemed to be charmed with a cooling spell.
He let his lips graze over one of the petals while he focused. This was the
only time he could think by himself while Voldemort was far away, making their
mind link inoperable.
 
How should he proceed?
 
Voldemort's fondness will only grow. That was the logical assumption. Harry had
no plans to antagonize him and they were going to have to stay near one another
until Yule at the earliest.
 
He was to marry Voldemort as well. An amicable relationship would be best to
their situation. Even if they didn't need to be in the same room all the time
anymore, they would still have a child together. For their child's sake, they
should at least be civil to one another.
 
Unless Harry vilifies Voldemort in their child's eyes and run away.
 
… He could use Sirius and Remus. He could execute the plan he had mused about
in the Chambers during his first night with Voldemort. The four of them could
try to run away from Britain and Voldemort. Let Voldemort take care of
Dumbledore.
 
… Harry could use the Magical Oath Voldemort gave. As long as he does not give
his permission, Voldemort could not leave Magical Britain. Harry could, in
theory, imprison Voldemort in Magical Britain while he lives his life in some
random country far away from Voldemort.
 
But... does he want to?
 
Does he want to leave Voldemort?
 
Harry bit back a painful laugh at the answer he received from his mind.
 
No.
 
He wanted to stay with Voldemort.
 
He wanted to stay with Tom Riddle.
 
This was strange.
 
He was growing attached to the Dark Lord far too fast.
 
He never got attached to anything or anyone this fast before.
 
Not even to Sirius or to Hermione...
 
This was definitely strange.
 
But was it 'bad strange' or 'good strange'?
 
Harry didn't have the time to answer that question when he heard his name being
called. Harry turned his head and gave a soft smile as Theodore ran towards
him, followed by his father. Harry hid the rose inside the sleeve of his robes
and greeted, “Hello, Theo. Did you have fun?”
 
“Yes.” Theodore showed him a bag filled with different kinds of sweets as he
explained, “Father bought us lots of sweets. I heard Luna likes Sweet Crystals
and our friend enjoys Glacial Snow Flakes so I got them those. I also bought a
few Treacle fudge since you like Treacle Tarts, I assume-”
 
“How rude!” Harry interrupted and huffed, “I do not like Treacle Tarts.”
 
Harry grinned as he corrected, “I love them.”
 
Theodore grinned back and bowed as he mockingly said, “My apologies, Little
Lord. I stand corrected.”
 
Harry glanced at Theodore's silent father and asked, “So... Theo has told you
about me?”
 
Theonel nodded and said in a respectful tone, “Yes. I must apologize for my
lack of respect back in the in-”
 
Harry waved his hand in a dismissing manner before he said, “You weren't
disrespectful, don't worry. As far as I am concern, I already like you. If I
could, I would ask our dear Lord to replace Malfoy with you.”
 
Theonel chuckled softly and shook his head as he replied, “I would very much to
ask you don't, Little Lord. Lucius position is very stressful. I'd rather not
have it.”
 
Harry's grin grew bigger as he commented, “Smart man.”
 
Harry rolled his hidden chocolate rose on his fingers as he stated, “It might
be better if you meet with Tom now. I left him in an open field overlooking
Hogsmeade.”
 
Harry turned to point at the road leading to Hogsmeade station as he
instructed, “Just follow that road and pass the station. You won't miss the
open field.”
 
Theonel bowed slightly at Harry as he said, “Thank you, Little Lord. I shall be
on my way.”
 
Harry hummed and grinned at Theonel as he said, “It was nice meeting you,
Theonel.”
 
“The pleasure was all mine, Little Lord.” Theonel replied with a small bow
before turning to face Theodore. He placed a hand on Theodore's shoulder and
squeezed it lightly as he whispered, “Keep yourself and our Little Lord safe,
understand?”
 
“Yes, father.” Theodore straighten his back as he proclaimed, “I will bring
honour to our family name and to our allegiance.”
 
Theonel smiled softly and whispered, “I know you will.”
 
Theonel bowed at Harry once more before walking away. Harry and Theodore
watched Theonel walk away, neither saying anything until Theonel was no longer
in their sight.
 
Harry continued to stare at the road Theonel had disappeared to as he asked
Theodore, “Do you think he is a good person?”
 
Theodore frowned slightly and turned to his head to stare at Harry as he asked,
“My father?”
 
Harry chuckled softly and shook his head before clarifying, “No. Your lord.”
 
Theodore's eyes widened and he looked around. There were still a lot of
Hogwarts students loitering but no one was close enough to hear the two of them
yet Theodore still took out his wand and chanted the strongest privacy spell he
knew. After casting the spell, Theodore mulled over his words for a few seconds
before answering, “I do not know...”
 
Harry finally turned to look at Theodore and he raised an eyebrow. Theodore
shifted his weight to his other leg, leaning closer towards Harry as he
whispered, “I have heard stories about him from my father and some of them
were... strange. At times, my father spoke about him like he was the greatest
wizard. Other times, my father would speak like he was telling me a scary
story.”
 
“We remain faithful, of course.” Theodore hurriedly added before looking down
at the snowy ground, “But... well... I suppose you can say we still fear him.
Father said he wasn't always like that, that there was a time he had been more
than the Dark Lord everyone seems to know about. Now... we don't know...”
 
“Everyone has a breaking point.” Harry said softly, a bitter smile appearing on
his face, “He simply broke while you and everyone else broke alongside him.
It's an endless cycle. We break people just as people break us.”
 
“What do you mean?” Theodore turned his head to stare at Harry once more.
 
Harry bit the inside of his mouth when he saw Theodore's innocent curiosity.
 
Theodore may be kind and may have accepted Harry for what he is but he wasn't
broken. He wasn't like Harry.
 
He wasn't like Voldemort.
 
Theodore's brows furrowed when Harry let out a chuckle.
 
Harry crossed his arms and looked away from Theodore.
 
Ah.
 
It all seemed clear now.
 
Harry was broken.
 
Voldemort was broken.
 
The two of them were both broken.
 
Harry broke when he was a child and continued to break even now.
 
Voldemort was cracked when he was a child but he broke when he was an adult.
 
That's why Voldemort was more human than Harry.
 
Harry wasn't jealous of him.
 
It was that humanity which remained even after Voldemort broke that interested
Harry.
 
“I see.” Harry murmured, a broken smile appearing on his face.
 
He wasn't going to leave Voldemort.
 
Not yet.
 
He would stay by that man's side.
 
Let Voldemort grow fonder of him.
 
Let Voldemort delude himself into thinking he was falling in love with Harry.
 
Harry wouldn't lie to him. He wouldn't pretend to be anything but the broken
child that he was. He wouldn’t pretend to fall in love with him.
 
Harry would stay with Voldemort and watch him, observe him.
 
Harry has never been ambitious. Ambition always dragged hope with it. Hope
would ultimately lead to despair. It was better to not have ambition. It was
better to not have hope.
 
But Voldemort had ambitions. He wanted to rule the world. He wanted so many
things.
 
Harry wanted to see, see if the Dark Lord Voldemort (the broken man Tom Riddle)
can actually, against all odds, achieve his ambitions.
 
So he will stay, stay by Voldemort's side. Be his consort and help him if
needed.
 
But if Voldemort does fall...
 
… well...
 
Harry already let go of his attachments to the diary of the man.
 
How hard could it be to let go of his growing attachment to the man himself?
 
Harry bit back a moan as he felt his magic return to him, indicating Voldemort
was nearing them already. Harry's lips curved into a smile and he leaned
forward, whispering to Theodore's ear, “Keep this a secret from my dear fiancé,
okay?”
 
Harry stepped back and whispered conspiratorially, “You know he can be a bit...
impulsive.”
 
Theodore's face turned a shade paler which only made Harry grin and wink at him
before taking out the chocolate rose from the sleeve of his robes. He untied
the ribbon keeping the plastic on and grinned. He took a step forward Theodore
and tied the pink ribbon on his hair, just below his right ear. Theodore's
didn't move his head and moved his eyes to stare at the pink ribbon.
 
Harry felt a hand on his back, a silent announcement that Voldemort was right
behind him, hidden in his Invisibility Cloak. Harry leaned closer, grinning as
he asked his invisible fiancé while staring at Theodore, “What do you think? I
think I'll make all my knights wear pink ribbons on their hair. Beats marking
them with a snake tattoo, you know?”   
 
Voldemort smacked his back lightly to show his annoyance, making Harry grin.
Harry couldn’t help but release a pleasant shiver as Voldemort chanted a
nonverbal and wandless warming charm around them. He unwrapped the chocolate
rose and turned around, facing Voldemort as he placed one of the petals by his
bottom lip. Harry's lips curved into a playful grin as he said, “Well then.
Time to go back to my cage, don't you agree?”
 
Harry licked the chocolaty goodness as he stared where Voldemort was most
probably standing.
 
The surprise he felt through their link brought a wicked grin on his face. He
started nibbling on the chocolate rose in his hand as he walked back to the
castle, followed closely by Theodore and Voldemort. Harry made sure to clear
his mind of all his previous thoughts, focusing his mind in imagining Theodore
with different ribbons tied to his hair.
 
He felt Voldemort's annoyance at that but kept on imagining it.
 
If Theodore was going to be his knight, he'll make sure he'll have a pretty
knight.
 
He was so not going to make the same mistake as Mister Dark Lord did over his
lackeys' dreadful black robes and weird masks.
 
He didn't need their mental link to feel Voldemort glaring at him.
 
When they reached the gates of Hogwarts, Harry blinked and tilted his head
slightly. Just a few feet from the gates, Luna was standing in warm black robes
to counter the harsh winds. On her shoulder was a brown owl of some kind,
staring unblinking at them. Luna waved at them and Harry started walking
faster.
 
When he finally reached Luna, he noticed the young girl's cheeks and nose were
red while her lips were paler than usual. Harry frowned and took off his robes
as he asked, “How long have you been waiting for us?”
 
“Not too long, My Lord.” Luna replied dreamily, tilting her head as she
suggested, “I think a green ribbon would suit us more than pink. The same hue
as your killing eyes will be more symbolic than a rose.”
 
A small smile appeared on Harry's face at Luna's suggestion. The owl flew off
Luna's shoulders as Harry wrapped his robes around the smaller girl. Luna
shivered and clung onto the robes, smiling as she said softly, “Thank you, My
Lord.”
 
The owl began circling above them while Theodore rushed towards the two of
them, taking off his own robes as he shouted, “Little Lord! You'll catch a
cold!”
 
Harry slightly grimaced when he felt Theodore place his robes around his
shoulders, reminding him that he was far too small compared to his own year
mate. He didn’t even bother to tell them that Voldemort’s warming charm was
still enveloped around him and just kept quiet. Luna buttoned Theodore's robes
on her Lord while Theodore fussed, “Please take better care of yourself, Little
Lord! You're already far too skinny and your complexion is quite pale to be
normal! If you catch a cold-”
 
“So... what's the deal with the owl?” Harry interrupted Theodore's mother hen
mode to stare at the owl still circling around them.
 
“Oh, yes.” Luna raised her arm and the owl flapped towards her, gently resting
on her offered arm. Luna stroked the owl, making it preen under her soft
caress, as she explained, “This precious little darling came looking for you,
My Lord. I saw him while I was in the Owlery to receive my father's package.”
 
She maneuvered her body so the owl could be in front of Harry. The owl jutted
out one of his legs and Harry finally noticed the rolled parchment tied to his
leg. Harry untied the parchment and unrolled it. Theodore opened his mouth to
warn Harry about the possibility that the letter might be cursed but stopped
when Luna smiled sweetly at him and softly explained, “It’s alright. There are
no spells on the letter other than a spell that prevents everyone but our Lord
in reading it.”
 
Theodore’s lips curved into a slight frown but relented, “If Lady Lovegood says
so…”
 
“Oh.” Harry's eyes widened as he skimmed the letter addressed to him, making
both of his subordinates turn to look at him, “Oh dear. I honestly forgot about
him. Well, forgot to write to him anyway…”
 
“Forgot about who, Little Lord?” Theodore asked but did not try peek, unlike a
certain Gryffindor Harry knew all to well.
 
“My dear adorable godfather.” Harry gave a fond smile as he mused, “Dear old
Padfoot must be worried.”
 
Harry turned towards Theodore and asked, “Theo, can you be a dear and ask
Zabini and Daphne where we will be having our after dinner tea later then come
get me in Barty's quarters after dinner? I'm afraid I must write a reply as
soon as I can.”
 
“Of course, Little Lord.” Theodore bowed lightly as he said, “I shall as soon
as I can.”
 
Harry hummed and turned to look at the owl, remembering Sirius' letter. He
raised an eyebrow and asked, “You're not going to bite me, right?”
 
As if to answer his question, Harry immediately backed away when the owl tried
to peck him, bumping onto Voldemort who grabbed him by the waist to stop him
from losing his balance. Harry glared at the owl and hissed, “I'll send my
reply to a cuter more adorable owl.”
 
Harry waved his hand in a dismissing manner as he hissed, “Shoo!”
 
The owl looked like he was glaring at Harry as it flew off Luna's arm with what
Harry assumed was the owl equivalent to a huff. Luna waved goodbye to the owl
while Harry began walking back to the castle. Luna and Theodore followed him
inside with Luna walking on his right while Theodore walked on his left. As
they walked the large corridor, Harry asked Luna without turning his head, “Why
would you receive your package in the Owlery? Don't owls normally just drop the
packages in the Great Halls?”
 
Luna giggled softly before reminding Harry, “We haven't been eating in the
Great Halls for weeks now, My Lord. Our poor family owl most probably couldn't
find me so the Nargles whispered that she was waiting for me in the Owlery.”
 
Harry sheepishly smiled as he commented, “Oh, right. I honestly forgot about
that.”
 
Luna smiled sweetly as she proclaimed, “It’s quite alright. I love having
dinners with the four of us.”
 
“There have been rumours about where you two run off during meal times. Some
say you mail order food. Others think you sneak out to Hogsmeade. There's even
a rumour going on that you already know how to apparate and use that to eat
anywhere you want.” Theodore informed them, being the only one who still went
to the Great Halls to eat. It wasn't like he wanted to but it was Slytherin
tradition to always appear in the Great Halls for meals. From how Theodore
explained it, Harry concluded that Slytherin valued their image of a united
house. All conflicts within housemates were kept inside the dormitories.
 
Theodore had been a fountain of information about that one.
 
Apparently, the Slytherin house was divided by years. Each year had an
appointed leader who coordinates with the other leaders. A Seventh Year is the
de facto leader of the entire house, most often the Seventh Year Prefect or the
Head Boy or Girl if they were a Slytherin. There were, of course, exceptions to
the rule.
 
Theodore's eyes shifting towards Voldemort when he said that was already an
indication on who he was talking about.
 
Voldemort was more than happy to send a short memory of the entire Slytherin
house bowing down before what Harry could only assume to be either a thirteen
or fourteen years old Tom Riddle.
 
… smug arrogant prat...
 
The most interesting titbit Theodore had told him was about the current
hierarchy of their Slytherin year mates.
 
While Malfoy was the de facto leader of their year, there seemed to be some
kind of power see-saw happening this year.
 
The opposition?
 
Daphne Greengrass...
 
Harry had been surprised at that. He had assumed it was Blaise Zabini who would
be Malfoy's opposition. He was one of the few Slytherins in his year that stood
out both in theoretical and practical application of magic. Sure, Malfoy was
louder but, when one looked at the points distributions, Zabini's name was
actually closer to Hermione than Malfoy.
 
But Harry supposed there was a reason why Daphne could oppose Malfoy. According
to Voldemort and Theodore, the Greengrass was one of the more prominent Dark
Families. While they were not as influential or as rich as the Malfoys, they
were still a respected and well known family. According to Theodore, it seemed
like Daphne was supported by Zabini (no surprise there), Millicent Bullstrode
(all Harry remembered is that she looked very similar to the Hag illustrated in
Lockhart's book), Tracey Davis (yeeaaahh, nope, Harry can't remember her) and
some other girl whose name now evaded Harry's memory. On the other hand, Malfoy
had the support of Pansy Parkinson and his two minions.
 
It should have been easy for Daphne to overthrow Malfoy in the internal
hierarchy but, according to Theodore, she couldn't because of the influence of
the Malfoy family.
 
But if she had Theodore's support...
 
It seemed so blatant now why Daphne was keen on talking to him.
 
Theodore's support was neither to Draco Malfoy or Daphne Greengrass. It now
belonged to Harry Potter.
 
Does that make him an honorary Slytherin?
 
When Voldemort heard that, Harry could feel the gears of Voldemort's cunning
mind moving but the older wizard was not forthcoming about his thoughts so
Harry assumed it was still being processed and revised. For now, Harry wouldn't
mind having tea with Daphne and Zabini. It would be nice to have a pleasant
conversation with the one opposing Malfoy from the inside.
 
And free Treacle tarts Voldemort couldn't forbid...
 
That was the best part.
 
Harry's musing came to a halt when he felt Luna tug the sleeve of Theodore's
robes. He blinked and turned his head to stare at the younger Ravenclaw who
seemed to be looking behind him. Harry turned around and a wry smile appeared
on his face.
 
Three Gryffindors were following them, the overhead candles creating a fiery
shine to the hair of the two of them. It was the non-red haired one who
approached them.
 
“Hermione...” Harry greeted with a slight nod.
 
Hermione's eyes seemed blinked rapidly for a moment and her lips trembled
before she stammered, “Harry, I...”
 
Hermione's words were cut off by Ron clearing his throat.
 
… Loudly...
 
Theodore narrowed his eyes at Ron and hissed, “If you have something to say,
Weasley, then say it yourself. Don't order Granger to do it for you like a
spoiled little brat.”
 
Ron stared at Harry with an expression Harry couldn’t exactly understand. It
was like Ron was waiting for Harry to defend him or something equally
Gryffindor.
 
Harry honestly cannot understand why Ron would look at him like that.
 
“I have nothing to say to slimy snakes!”  Ron finally growled after a few
seconds, glaring at Theodore.
 
Theodore took a step forward but stopped when he felt Harry grab his forearm
and pull him lightly. Theodore kept his glare at Ron but stepped back,
instinctively standing so near to Harry their shoulders were touching. Luna
kept her hand on Harry's sleeve but her eyes were to the other red head that
stood farthest from Harry.
 
“Any reason why you would be following us?” Harry asked, keeping his voice calm
and pleasant.
 
Which seemed to only distress Hermione if the slight trembling of her shoulders
were any indication.
 
How strange...
 
Hermione bit her bottom lip and turned to look at Ron who pursed his lips and
nudged his head towards Harry's direction. Hermione turned back around and her
eyes rose to stare at the ceiling as she recited, “Ronald would like me to tell
you that Seamus told him that Dean was told by Parvati that Hagrid was looking
for you.”
 
…
 
…
 
Oh, now that's just plain childish!
 
Harry blinked owlishly at Hermione for a couple of seconds while Theodore
turned his head to stare at Hermione with an expression that can only mean
either 'did you seriously just say that?' or 'are you so foolish to let Weasley
rope you into saying that?'...
 
Harry was betting on the latter interpretation.
 
“I'm sorry...” Harry tilted his head as he asked, “What?”
 
“Um...” Hermione actually walked back towards Ron who began whispering to her.
Hermione groaned and walked towards Harry and recited, “Dean was told...”
 
Hermione sighed tiredly and begged, “Please don't make me repeat it. Hagrid's
looking for you.”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow as he commented, “I'm more surprised that you'll even
take the time to recite such a confusing and childish sentence, Hermione.”
 
Ron glared at him while Hermione gave him a wobbly small smile. Harry nodded
and smiled at Hermione, “Thank you for indulging Ron, Hermione. I will try to
make time to see him tonight.”
 
“Why not go already?!” Ron shouted from where he was standing. He glared at
Theodore as he growled, “Hagrid's our friend. He deserves your time more than a
slimy snake like Nott.”
 
Theodore glared at him but did not move from his spot, knowing Harry would not
be pleased. Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead, his fingers grazing over his
scar, as he felt Voldemort's growing irritation for the red head boy. Harry
stared at Ron with a displeased expression as he stated in a calm modulated
tone, “How I spend my day is none of your concern, Ronald. It has never been
your concern and it sure as hell not going to be your concern no matter what.
Calling Theo a slimy snake is rich coming from you...”
 
“Mate.” Harry hissed as he glared at Ron, finding satisfaction in seeing the
three Gryffindors flinch. Harry crossed his arms and sneered, “There's a muggle
saying that I think would suit you quite well, my own personal Brute. When
you're pointing a finger to someone, always remember there are three fingers
pointing back at you.”
 
Ron looked confused while Hermione was surprised by those words.
 
Maybe she never expected something a bit profound to come out of Harry Potter's
mouth?
 
Pffftt.
 
Harry wrinkled his nose as he hissed, “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more
pressing matters to attend to.”
 
… like keeping an irritated Dark Lord from Crucioing Ron and destroying their
cover...
 
Harry didn't bother to wait for their reply and turned around, walking briskly
away from them. Theodore followed him immediately while Luna remained, staring
at the look of utter despair on Hermione's face. Luna gently grabbed the
trembling hand of the older Gryffindor and squeezed it gently. Hermione stared
at Luna and blinked rapidly, trying to force the tears threatening to fall from
her eyes to disappear.
 
“He didn't mean you.” Luna whispered softly and gave Hermione a soft smile,
“All you have to do is be the Gryffindor you are and confront him.”
 
“I...” Hermione's lips trembled and tears began to fall from her eyes.
 
Luna's eyes softened when Hermione was pulled away from her by Ginny who was
glaring at her. Ginny whispered to Hermione, “Come on, Hermione.”
 
Luna smiled sadly at Ginny as she watched her gently push Hermione to Ron. When
both Hermione and Ron began walking away, Luna whispered, “It is not yours to
bear, Ginny.”
 
Ginny turned around to frown at her and snapped, “I don't know what you're
talking about.”
 
“His love is not yours to bear.” Luna clarified, her eyes softening as she
whispered, “You are chained by the obsession he had.”
 
Ginny froze at those words but Luna didn't pay her rigid posture any heed as
she continued, “You are drowning in them... Drowning in the delusion that his
obsession is yours to cradle, to nurture and to present to Harry Potter.”
 
“You don't understand. You'll never understand.” Ginny hissed, “I have to. I
need to. Tom needs me-”
 
Luna's smile disappeared as she warned, “If you continue down this path, you'll
break.”
 
Ginny's eyes shone with determination as she hissed, “Then so be it. I won't
fail Harry.”
 
Luna's heart ached when she heard Ginny's declaration, “I won't fail Tom.”
 
 
Chapter End Notes
     Cruellest torture of all can be found in Musing of a Hocrux Diary...
     The unnamed Slytherin girl in Harry's year is canon. There is one
     more Slytherin girl who has never been named XD
     The Slytherin hierarchy is pure fanon.
     “Ronald would like me to tell you that Seamus told him that Dean was
     told by Parvati that Hagrid was looking for you.” is a direct quote
     from Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire movie.
     “When you're pointing a finger to someone, always remember there are
     three fingers pointing back at you.” - I tried looking for the origin
     of this saying but I couldn't find it. Eeerr... Hopefully, it didn't
     mess up the timeline? I personally heard it first from my Religion
     teacher back in High School so yeeaaahhhh...
***** True Loyalty, Tea and Treacle Tarts *****
Chapter Summary
     Harry realizes something. There’s tea and Treacle Tarts as well,
     which is nice.
Chapter Notes
     Before anything else. Just a few announcements:
     - Dysfunctional Riddle Family is now multi-chapter'ed. The 2nd
     chapter (Tom) has already been uploaded.
     - I also uploaded two oneshots from two different non-CaBR universe:
     Congratulatory Pancake (non-magical Tomarry oneshot in Ginny's POV)
     and Black Family Reunion (magical Tomarry oneshot in Regulus' POV) so
     check them out if you guys want.
     ... This is what happens when I don't have internet connection for
     the weekends. XD
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 a bit Sirius (maybe more than a bit Sirius)
     3 Two short-ish chapters made into one long chapter
See the end of the chapter for more notes
===== True Loyalty =====
 
Harry managed to get to Barty’s quarters without any other incidents. Theodore
had stayed by the door, bowing at both him and Voldemort as he announced he
would be returning to the Slytherin common rooms to wait for Daphne and Zabini.
Harry had simply nodded while Voldemort waved a dismissing hand towards him.
Harry sat on the chair Barty would use when he was grading the students’
assignments and grabbed a blank parchment without bothering to ask permission
from Barty. It was only when he had dipped the quill he had ‘borrowed’ into the
ink bottle next to the parchment did it finally dawned to his mind a very
unpleasant revelation he wished he never realized.
 
“Should I tell Sirius about you?” Harry asked, staring at the blank parchment.
 
Voldemort, who had been conversing with Barty, stopped and turned to face Harry
as he asked back, “About me or about Marvolo Slytherin?”
 
Harry raised his head and replied unsurely, “Both?”
 
“Is it necessary?” Voldemort pressed on.
 
Harry sighed and returned to staring at the blank parchment as he replied, “I
don’t know…”
 
Voldemort walked towards him and placed a hand on the back of the chair as he
leaned towards Harry, bending slightly as he reminded him, “They will have to
know the truth, in the end. If you wish to continue to have them by your side,
they must know who you really are.”
 
“I know that.” Harry tiredly admitted, leaning back to his chair and sighing,
“I know they are part of our negotiations. But…”
 
Voldemort turned his head to stare at the mulling boy as he observed, “You’re
having doubts.”
 
“I…” Harry closed his mouth and stared at the parchment for a moment. He raised
his head and ordered Barty, “Barty, would you be a dear and check up on Luna
for me? She should have been here by now already.”
 
Barty was surprised by the sudden order and turned to look at his master.
Voldemort nodded slightly and Barty turned to stare at Harry once more. He
bowed and replied, “As you wish, Little Lord.”
 
Barty walked out of the room slowly, Moody’s wooden leg making him slower than
usual. Once he was out of the room, Voldemort waved his hand towards the chair
Harry was sitting on, making it turn around towards Voldemort using a wandless
and nonverbal spell. Voldemort straightened his back as he ordered, “Talk.”
 
Harry raised his head to stare at Voldemort, relaxing on his chair as he
admitted, “I asked for their… ‘pardon’ because I adore them but I just realized
that…”
 
Harry bit his bottom lip, grinding his upper teeth against his bottom lip.
Voldemort placed his hand on Harry’s chin, the end of his thumb pressing
against Harry’s bottom lip. Voldemort pulled Harry’s bottom lip down as he
ordered, “Stop that.”
 
Harry sighed once more and rubbed his forehead, his fingers grazing his scar
lightly as he looked down at the floor, “I think they may be too much of an
unknown variable right now. I mean… you did kill their closest friends.”
 
“And this is only dawning onto you now?” Voldemort asked, raising an eyebrow as
he continued to stare down at the younger man sitting in front of him.
 
Harry’s lips curved into a slight pout as he admitted, “I know, I know. It
seemed like a huge oversight on my part but that time, when I said that their
loyalty is to me, I really did believe it is…”
 
Voldemort noticed the grimace that paved its way towards Harry’s face as he
corrected, “… was…”
 
Voldemort pushed Harry by the chin, forcing the boy to raise his head once
more, with a force that was definitely forceful if it was a normal person but
seemingly gentle as far as Harry was concern. Voldemort stared at him as he
asked (demanded), “And what has changed your mind?”
 
“You.”
 
There was no hesitation in Harry’s voice. He stared at Voldemort with clear
green eyes, his tone even and calm yet held the same tired tone he had been
using for the entirety of their conversation, “Or I suppose it would be more
accurate to say: your loyal dog, Theonel Nott, has changed my mind.”
 
“Theonel?” There was a hint of surprise in Voldemort’s tone. Harry had simply
assumed that he had been surprised by the idea that a single meeting with him
could change his mind.
 
Unlike Voldemort who had full knowledge of Harry’s mind, Harry did not have
access to the Dark Lord’s mind and, thus, did not hear the real reason for
Voldemort’s surprise.
 
Voldemort had been surprised because the first thought that came into his mind
was to punish Theonel for making Harry doubt himself, for making the young boy
in front of him look so tired and resigned to whatever fate he seemed to have
conjured up after meeting Theonel. Voldemort knew his initial reaction was
strange yet he did not show it to Harry. This was something he should think
about by himself. There was no need to let Harry knew about this… strange
feeling.
 
Harry simply sighed once more and grabbed the wrist of the hand currently
holding him by the chin. He did not make any attempts to pull it away, not yet
anyway, and simply explained, “I saw how… loyal he was to you, even after these
years, even when you were, as you said, out of your mind and mad with rage and
carnage. He still looked at you like you were the second coming of Merlin
himself or the messiah that this boring annoying world needs. Barty does the
same thing.”
 
Harry chuckled as he corrected, “Barty is actually worse. He looks at you like
the world revolves around you and that it is his destiny, his… ‘privilege’ to
be your follower, to cater to your every order and desire.”
 
Harry’s eyes softened and glistened slightly as he continued, “Then I remember
how my godfather looks at me. How Remus looks at me. They look at me with such
sadness in their eyes. They look at me and they don’t see me.”
 
Voldemort didn’t know what came over him. His body moved by its own when it
suddenly knelt in front of Harry. His hands moved without his consent when they
cupped Harry’s cheeks, his thumbs caressing Harry’s soft skin. Harry grabbed
Voldemort’s other wrist as he whispered, “They look at me and they see their
dead friends. They don’t know the real me and they delude themselves into
thinking they love me when all they are doing is atoning for the sins they
think they have committed.”
 
“Then let them continue to delude themselves.” Voldemort suggested, “You have
already said these things before. This is what you were counting on when you
asked for their pardon to me.”
 
“Because that’s what I thought loyalty looked like!” Harry snapped, gripping
Voldemort tightly, “I thought that would be enough!”
 
Harry finally pushed Voldemort’s hands away and got up, making the chair creak
against the wood as it skidded away from Harry. Harry used the small space
between the chair and Voldemort to walk away from the Dark Lord. He ran his
hands through his hair in frustrations as he explained, “I never met anyone
like Barty or Theonel before all of these. The only loyalty I saw had been
Hagrid and the rest of the professors towards Dumbledore but they weren’t that
different from Sirius and Remus’ loyalty towards me! Snape seems like he’s only
loyal to himself. The only thing Malfoy ever did that seemed to be some form of
loyalty towards you was giving Tom to Ginny and that seemed to be more like him
protecting his own hide than wanting to remind the world that you still exist.”
 
Harry stopped right next to the only window in the room, charmed to be a one-
way mirror. He turned to face Voldemort with crossed arms as he sarcastically
added, “And the Death Eaters who thought it would be a good idea to wreak havoc
during the Quidditch World Cup look more like adrenaline junkies and sadistic
bullies than your loyal supporters.” 
 
Harry turned around to stare at the window as he finished his rant, “Then Barty
and Theonel showed me how true loyalty looked like.”
 
Voldemort walked towards Harry and stopped right next to him. He stared at the
window as well, watching various students laze around the ground level of
Hogwarts without a care in the world. He placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder,
pulling the younger man closer to him until Harry’s shoulder bumped against his
rib cage. Voldemort continued to stare at the window as he suggested, “Then
write to them, tell them to meet you.”
 
“Then what?” Harry asked softly, staring at the window as well.
 
“You tell them the truth.” Voldemort replied, finally turning his head to look
at Harry.
 
Harry raised his head to look at Voldemort as he asked, “And if they decide
their hatred for you is greater than their loyalty to me?”
 
“Then we deal with them.” Voldemort replied in a cold tone that sent shivers
down Harry’s spine, “Kill them or obliviate them, you decide their fate.”
 
“Me?” Harry’s brows furrowed. He had been willing to let Voldemort decide what
happened to them. He was the dominant one in their relationship. All Harry had
was the ability to plead and suggest his case.
 
“They are your dogs, Harry, not mine.” Voldemort lowered his head and hissed,
“I put down all the dogs that dare to bite me…”
 
Voldemort’s voice became a gentle whisper as he finished, “… but that does not
need to be how you handle your dogs.”
 
“No messing with their memories.” The words were out of Harry’s lips before he
knew what he was saying, “Sirius’ mind might actually finally break if you mess
with his memories.”
 
Voldemort remained silent and listened to Harry as the boy continued, “We
incapacitate them, throw them in a cell or something.”
 
“For how long?”
 
“Until I’m safely away from Dumbledore and the Light. Until the end of this
tournament.” Harry’s words were soft as he said, “Then we let them go. My final
thank you for their kindness and misguided loyalty…”
 
“And if they stand in our way? If they side with the Light?” Voldemort pressed
yet his tone was neither angry nor annoyed. It was calm.
 
It calmed Harry as well.
 
How ironic that the only person to be able to calm Harry down this fast would
be the one who had spent most of Harry’s life trying to kill him.
 
“Then you do what you must do to win.” Harry whispered with clear green eyes
staring at Voldemort’s, “My mercy is only once. The moment they leave, they are
no longer mine to protect.”
 
If Voldemort had anything to say to that, he did not voice it out as the door
opened loudly behind them. Voldemort and Harry turned to face the door and saw
Barty, who was still polyjuiced to look like Moody, look… quite surprised and a
bit fearful.
 
It only took a moment for Harry to realize Barty had probably thought they were
having a ‘moment’ which he had interrupted. The fact that Voldemort’s arm was
still around him and they had been staring at each other’s eyes probably only
helped fuelled that idea in Barty’s mind. Voldemort snorted at that thought and
Harry grinned, enjoying the awkward petrified look in Barty’s (Moody’s) face.
 
Feeling a bit kind over his fiancé's follower who had shown a more genuine
loyalty to him than his godfather and honourable godfather, Harry asked
pleasantly with only a hint of playfulness, “Is something the matter, Barty?”
 
“I-uh… Well… pardon for the intrusion, I didn’t mean- I mean-“
 
“It’s time for dinner, My Lord.” Luna announced as she walked in, patting
Barty’s shoulder twice before walking towards the couches. The moment she
stepped on the carpet, the couches instantly transfigured to a dining table and
chairs. Dobby appeared behind Luna with a pop and he clicked his fingers
together, summoning mountains of food and drinks.
 
“Oh, I totally forgot the time.” Harry turned to grin at Voldemort and made
sure to rest his head against Voldemort’s upper arm as he asked, “Time sure
does fly when we’re having heart to heart conversations, doesn’t it, Love
Tart?”
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes at Harry’s obvious attempts to further traumatize
Barty and simply led Harry towards the dining table. He pulled the chair and
waited for Harry to sit before taking his usual seat at the head of the table
with Harry on his left. Luna sat on Harry’s left, filling Harry’s goblet with
orange juice while Harry began filling his plate with mashed potato and
chicken. Voldemort handed the bowl of sautéed broccoli to Harry as a silent
order to eat some vegetables as he ordered, “Stop making a fool of yourself and
sit down, Barty.”
 
“Ye-yes, Master.” Barty immediately sat on Voldemort’s right and grabbed the
nearest wine bottle. He filled his goblet almost to the brink and drank the
entire content in one swing, making Harry and Luna giggle and Voldemort shake
his head in resignation.
 
If Barty never learns to get used to Harry rubbing their relationship on his
poor follower’s face, then the rest of his followers were screwed.
 
 
===== Tea and Treacle Tarts =====
 
 
After the filling dinner, Harry had been reading one of the pamphlets Luna’s
father had given him about wizard pregnancy while Voldemort was looking quite
thoughtful over the letter included in the package Mister Lovegood (or was it
Lord Lovegood?) had given.
 
Harry was about to ask if Voldemort had gotten a new supporter or lackey when
the door opened once more. Theodore bowed at them as he announced, “Good
evening, My Lord. I am here to escort Little Lord for tea.”
 
Harry folded the pamphlet close and placed it next to the other pamphlets
inside the small box next to him while Voldemort threw the letter to the
fireplace. Voldemort turned to face Luna who had been reading Quibbler but
raised her head the moment Voldemort turned towards her. He nodded as he said,
“I accept your father’s gracious offer.”
 
Luna smiled dreamily as she replied, “Father will be pleased.”
 
Voldemort didn’t have time to reply because Harry had walked towards him,
holding out the box Luna’s father delivered for him. Voldemort raised an
eyebrow and Harry explained Voldemort’s silent question, “I don’t have a bag
and my pockets aren’t bigger on the inside.”
 
Voldemort sighed and took out Harry’s wand from his pocket and nonverbally cast
the shrinking spell over the box. The box shrunk until it was as small as
Harry’s thumb and Harry placed it between his thumb and forefinger. He raised
it over his head and inspected the small box as he asked, “Interesting. Will
that spell work on living things such as other witches and wizards?”
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow at the question and replied as he took out Harry’s
invisibility cloak, “I have yet to meet a wizard or a witch that chanted that
spell against their opponent.”
 
Harry turned to look at him as he pocketed the box and asked, “Wanna try?”
 
“Add it to the list of spells you wish to practice on Wormtail.” Voldemort said
in a dismissing manner, casting his nonverbal disillusions and notice-me-not
charms.
 
Harry took another step forward and grabbed both ends of his Invisibility
Cloak, adjusting it slightly so that it would be on the middle. Harry raised
his head to stare at Voldemort as he reminded the older man, “Try to rein your
temper while I socialize with Zabini, okay? I’m sure you wouldn’t want to
accidently hex a potential lackey.”
 
“Do not patronize me, my dear.” Voldemort sneered, returning the wand inside
Harry’s pocket once he finished all of his usual spells, “I am more than
capable to hold my temper.”
 
Harry grinned and playfully pushed, “I don’t know about that. Your control
seemed to lessen whenever it concerns me.”
 
Both Barty and Theodore became increasingly awkward at the implication of those
words.
 
“Of course I would be.” Voldemort bended slightly, his face just a few inches
away from Harry’s as he reminded, “I’ve always been possessive over what I
consider to be mine.”
 
Harry mentally wondered when Voldemort had decided that he was his. The slight
twitching of Voldemort’s left eye told him that the older wizard didn’t expect
to say that out loud. Did that mean it had been a spur of the moment or had he
been hiding his possessiveness from the very beginning?
 
Harry supposed it was natural for Voldemort to think of Harry as his.
 
Before this, Harry was Voldemort’s to kill.
 
Now, Harry was Voldemort’s…
 
To what?
 
Sensing Voldemort’s red eyes staring intently at him, Harry halted his thoughts
before it dwelled deeper than necessary. He felt Voldemort freeze when a stray
thought (a traitorous thought) managed to escape from the deepest part of his
mind and into the link they both shared.
 
I know you enough to know I want you by my side, to share my future with you.
 
Not wanting to let Voldemort say anything about that stray thought, Harry
chuckled and pushed Voldemort away gently, walking towards Luna as he
commented, “Some would say that’s a sign of an unhealthy relationship.”
 
He offered his hand towards Luna who took it with a soft smile. Harry gently
pulled Luna to stand up as Harry added, “Not that I mind, of course.”
 
Harry turned his upper body to face Voldemort as he playfully said, “We’re not
exactly like the common folks so what they may consider unhealthy may just be…
fun to us.”
 
Voldemort stared at him silently for a few seconds and Harry wondered if he
would ask, if he would demand answers. His thought had been precise, had been
clear, and he knew Voldemort recognized Tom Riddle’s handwriting. Yet he did
not say anything and simply covered his head with the hood. He disappeared in
front of their eyes and Harry began walking towards the door with his arm
linked with Luna’s, not bothering to hide his surprise in their link. Voldemort
will talk when he wanted to. As far as Harry was concern, the longer he didn’t
have to talk about Tom, the better. He grinned at Barty as he said, “I’ll see
you tomorrow, Barty.”
 
“Have a pleasant evening, Little Lord, My Lord.” Barty bowed towards them. Once
he was next to Theodore, Harry linked his other arm around Theodore’s own arm.
Theodore blinked for a moment in surprise before grinning proudly. He began
guiding Harry and Luna out of the room, Voldemort silently walking behind them.
 
They walked silently with Harry’s face frozen to the perfect angelic smile of
Tom Riddle which he used to every student they passed by while Luna hummed the
same song that was nostalgic to Harry but he never understood why. He tried
remembering where he could have heard the song but only came up empty. At least
it was a good distraction from his previous thoughts. When they had reached the
moving staircases, Luna unhooked her arm from Harry and curtsied as she said,
“Good night, My Lord, Lord Slytherin, Theodore.”
 
“Good night, Luna.” Harry returned with a small smile, patting the top of
Luna’s head. Luna took out the quick letter he had written for Sirius from
inside the front pocket of his pants, slightly surprising Harry.
 
Luna smiled at him as she said, “I will deliver this to the Owlery on my way,
My Lord.”
 
Harry chuckled and patted Luna’s head once more as he said, “Thank you, Luna. I
appreciate it.”
 
“I live to serve you, My Lord.” Luna curtsied once more before she skipped to a
moving staircase while Theodore continued to lead Harry towards the courtyard.
A cold breeze caused Harry to shiver once involuntarily. Fortunately, their
evening tea was stationed in the long hallway overlooking the courtyard and not
the courtyard itself. A glass table and four white chairs looked so out of
place in the empty hallway but both Slytherins looked composed and regal as
they sat, whispering to one another. It was Daphne who noticed Harry and
Theodore first. Both Slytherins stood and waited for Harry and Theodore to
approach them.
 
Harry blinked when he noticed that the air was warmer around the glass table.
 
An area-wide warming charm perhaps?
 
Zabini bowed slightly while Daphne curtsied as they greeted, “A pleasant
evening, Sir Potter.”
 
To Theodore, they simply nodded as Zabini said “Nott” while Daphne greeted with
a smile “Theodore”.
 
Theodore nodded at them as he greeted back, “A pleasant evening to you as well,
Zabini, Daphne.”
 
Harry had read about this kind of greeting yesterday. Purebloods greet each
other differently. Those in the same stature would nod at one another while
they would bow or curtsied to those they admit to be of higher standing than
them.
 
This only made Harry more amused.
 
“Pleasant evenings to both of you.” Harry greeted nonchalantly. He let Theodore
grab a seat and pull it. When Theodore bowed slightly, Harry sat on the pulled
seat. He stared at the three standing Slytherins for a moment before waving his
hand with the palm showing towards the remaining seats in a slightly bored
manner as he said, “Please, do sit down.”
 
The three purebloods sat on their respective seats with Theodore on Harry’s
left, Daphne on his right and Zabini in front of him.
 
Harry mentally thanked Voldemort for making him read pureblood etiquettes and
Wizarding traditions as he kept quiet, watching Daphne silently as she poured
tea to the four cups on the table.  He was pretty sure he would have made a
fool of himself is he had been left to his own devices.
 
“This tea was brewed with a blend of both non-magical and magical leaves,
creating a unique rich taste.” Daphne said with a pleasant smile. The first cup
she poured was the cup nearest to her before she poured another cup. She placed
the cup in front of Blaise. Blaise nodded at her but did not take the cup.
 
“It will definitely go well with the treacle tarts.” Daphne continued to
explain pleasantly as she poured the third cup. She placed it in front of
Theodore who nodded at her.
 
As she was pouring the fourth cup, Theodore reached out to grab the small
container of sugar cubes. He dropped two cubes on his tea as Daphne placed the
final cup in front of Harry, “I do hope it is to your liking, Sir Potter.”
 
The first person to speak was the host of the tea party.
 
No exception.
 
“It does smell quite nice.” Harry replied with a small smile.
 
The next person to speak was always the guest of honour.
 
“Would you like milk or sugar in your tea, Sir Potter?” Daphne asked, smiling
at him.
 
Harry nodded and replied, “A cube of sugar and a drizzle of milk if you would
be so kind, Daphne.”
 
“It would be my pleasure.” Daphne bowed before grabbing the small milk
container. She poured the milk to Harry’s cup in a counter clockwise motion
twice before stopping. She placed the container back to its previous location
before taking a cube of sugar from the sugar container. She gently dropped the
sugar in the cup and grabbed the tea spoon next to the coaster. She mixed
Harry’s tea in the same counter clockwise motion until the sugar fully
dissolved into the tea before returning the tea spoon next to the coaster.
 
All three waited for Harry to sip his tea first before they all sipped their
own tea.
 
Once they had returned the cup back to its coaster, a plate with a slice of
treacle tart appeared in front of them. Harry had to stop himself from
attacking the sinful goodness in front of him immediately. It would not be the
proper etiquette and he was sure Voldemort would give him an earful if he makes
an embarrassing mistake now.
 
“This tea is delicious, Daphne.” Harry complemented which only made Daphne
smile at him. Harry stared at her as he added, “Better than most tea I’ve had
the pleasure in having.”
 
“I am delighted it is to your liking, Sir Potter. My mother had suggested it
and she would truly be delighted to learn it is to your satisfaction.” Daphne
replied, regally grabbing the teapot. She poured more tea in Harry’s cup as she
said pleasantly, “I did hear quite an interesting rumour today.”
 
Aaaannnddd there’s the go signal.
 
“Oh?” Harry nonchalantly said as he nodded his thanks to Daphne after she had
finished refilling his cup. He sipped it once more and listened.
 
“Some of our fellow school-mates seemed to have seen you in the presence of an
older man today.” Daphne explained, a small smile gracing her face as she
asked, “Does that rumour have even a hint of truth to it?”
 
Harry could feel Zabini’s silent stare. Harry grabbed the fork next to the
Treacle Tart in front of him, silently debating how he should proceed.
 
Tea between traditional pure-bloods was, according to Voldemort, like this. It
wasn’t like the casual conversations his fellow Gryffindors and the Weasley
family enjoy. Every word was planned in advanced. It wasn’t just social
niceties. It was how they gauged everyone’s side, their worth, and what buttons
they can push to have an advantage.
  
Harry sliced a small bite-sized portion as he replied calmly, “It’s true. I had
the pleasure of meeting an interesting man today.”
 
“Oh?” Daphne asked, sipping her tea.
 
Harry waited for Zabini to sip his tea as well before he said, “Marvolo
Slytherin, Voldemort’s son.”
 
A wicked smirk appeared on his face when he saw Zabini cough and Daphne almost
drop her cup. The Greengrass heir stared at him with an open mouth.
 
“You lie.” Zabini hissed, causing Daphne to finally get a hold of herself, “The
Dark Lord has no son.”
 
“The identity of Lord Slytherin was a secret only a few people were privy too.”
Theodore finally spoke, glaring at Zabini, “Our Lord made sure he was safe from
the war. Lord Slytherin has been a ward of House Nott since his birth.”
 
“House Nott?” Zabini glared at Theodore as he sneered, “Are you saying that
House Nott was given the privilege to raise the Dark Lord’s son instead of the
Malfoys or the Blacks?”
 
“What would you know, Zabini?” Theodore sneered back, “Your House wasn’t on our
side. You stayed in the side-line, waiting for one side to destroy the other.”
 
“Marvolo Slytherin.” Daphne repeated the name, stopping whatever Zabini had to
say. She sat regally as she stared at Harry, “It is a great name worthy of his
stature.”
 
Harry could feel Voldemort staring at Daphne and wondered if it was a good
thing the Greengrass heir had gotten the Dark Lord’s attention.
 
“It is not such a stretch to think the Dark Lord had a son. He is… was…”
 
Harry could not help the small smirk that appeared on his face at Daphne’s
slip.
 
“… the last descendant of the Slytherin line. It is our responsibility to
ensure our line does not die out.” Daphne finished, watching Harry eat the
piece of Treacle Tart he had sliced, “House Nott has always been one of the
most loyal families and their House do not grace the front page of the Daily
Prophet on a daily basis, unlike the Malfoys or the Blacks. They would be the
one of the best candidate to nurture and protect the Dark Lord’s son in
secret.”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow. That had been the same reasoning Voldemort had
prepared in case anyone asked why it was Theonel Nott who raised the Dark
Lord’s son and not any of the other more prominent Dark families rumoured to
have been loyal to the Dark Lord.
 
“But it is quite strange we have not heard anything about the Dark Lord’s son
for a long time.” Daphne innocently commented yet everyone knew that she was
trying to poke holes in the story, trying to find the validity of the claim.
 
“He graduated from Durmstrang.” Theodore replied calmly.
 
“Ah.” Daphne nodded in understanding, “Communications between Magical Bulgaria
and Magical Britain had been almost non-existent since the fall of the Dark
Lord. It is not a stretch to believe that Durmstrang and, by extension, Magical
Bulgaria, would not forward the information of the Dark Lord’s son to Magical
Britain.”
 
“Not many also know that the Dark Lord was the last of the Slytherin line. Most
people don’t even know his real name anymore.” Theodore added, glaring at both
pure-bloods. Only the remaining Knights and a few of those in the Inner Circle
remember his real name. On the side of the Light, only Dumbledore and a few of
his cronies remembered.  Harry was inwardly impressed. Theodore may act kind
and sweet to Harry but he was still able to make indirect insults like the rest
of the purebloods. Neither the Greengrass family nor the Zabini family would be
privy to Voldemort’s real name. While the three pure-bloods were having their
silent stare-off, Harry began attacking his Treacle Tart with forced grace that
only hid the urge to devour as many of this sinful goodness while he still
could.
 
Voldemort was annoyed by that.
 
… which only fuelled Harry’s desire to eat until he couldn’t lift the fork
anymore.
 
He was also silently punishing Voldemort for not giving him the two treacle
tarts he deserved yesterday.
 
“He had been travelling the world since his graduation.” Theodore concluded
before sipping his tea.
 
“And he decided to return to Britain now?” Zabini sceptically asked.
 
“He wanted to meet me.” Harry nonchalantly explained, licking his lips as he
placed the fork next to the empty plate. There was the tell-tale sound of a
House-elf’s pop and another Treacle Tart appeared on his plate. Harry turned to
stare at Zabini as he explained, “He is to be my coach in this Tournament.”
 
“The Dark Lord’s son as the coach of the Boy-who-Lived?” Zabini asked with
amusement.
 
“I’m a fourth year forced to participate in a deadly tournament for seventh
years. I need all the help I can get.” Harry narrowed his eyes as he calmly
stated, “Regardless of their magical inclination or past…”
 
“Dumbledore would not approve.” Daphne stated and both pure-blood heirs stared
at him.
 
Harry knew this was what this entire conversation was leading to.
 
His standing in the cold war between Light and Dark…
 
His standing in the Magical World…
 
Aaawwww.
 
Aren’t these baby snakes so adorable, thinking they could play this game?
 
Well, if they wanted to play, Harry would indulge them for a bit.
 
Voldemort sent his approval when he read Harry’s plan.
 
Harry almost grinned mischievously but kept his face void of any expression.
 
“I am not Dumbledore’s pet.” Harry stated coldly, letting a bit of his magic
lash out towards the two Slytherins. Both Zabini and Daphne froze at the sudden
drop of temperature around them and the magic wrapping around them, leaving
them cold and petrified.
 
It was like they were some kind of small animal staring at a dangerous snake
ready to gobble them up.
 
“I had assumed the two of you would be more intelligent than the rest. I am not
what I appear to be.” Harry’s lips curved into a small smirk as he said, “I am
not anyone’s saviour.”
 
“Then who are you, Harry Potter?” Daphne’s voice was slightly pitchy and she
could feel her heart beating so fast it felt like it would burst any second.
 
No magic had ever made her feel like this.
 
She both feared yet desired it. She knew Zabini felt the same thing. The way
the boy’s eyes had narrowed slightly and how his fingers twitched were
indication enough to her. She knew Zabini well and she knew that Zabini knew
her well too.
 
“War is coming, heirs of the families who did not take the mark.” Harry warned,
tilting his head in mock innocence, “And this time there will be a winner.”
 
“And do you know who the winner would be then?” Daphne pressed, trying to keep
her calm exterior. She knew Zabini was just waiting for her. If she cracked
now, Zabini would do everything he can to take her away.
 
Away from Harry Potter…
 
It almost seemed so foolish now to think they could make Harry Potter dance to
their tune. She should have realized something stranger, deeper and more
complex was happening to Harry Potter. Theodore’s sudden interest and behaviour
should have tipped her off.
 
How foolish of her.
 
Her ancestors would have been disappointed.
 
Harry’s lips curved into a predatory grin as he replied, “The side I would be
on, of course.”
 
Daphne’s breath hitched and Zabini’s hands twitched when Harry gently grabbed
her hand. Harry stared at her with eyes silently telling her to be careful of
her next words, to think of how she would answer the question forming in
Harry’s lips.
 
“The real question now is… which side are you on?”
Chapter End Notes
     Hahahahahaha.
     I guess Daphne and Zabini’s plan backfired? XD
     The shrinking spell Voldemort performed is Diminuendo from Order of
     the Phoenix. Timeline-wise, I took in consideration it made its first
     appearance in Order of The Phoenix and assumed that it’s a fifth year
     spell. Please correct me if there is any canon material that would
     suggest otherwise.
***** Written in Stones *****
Chapter Summary
     Harry continues to play with the baby snakes. Voldemort approves.
Chapter Notes
     Due to the fact I had no internet last week and I found some of my
     unfinished Harrymort fanfiction lying around so I finished them,
     there will be a few more uploads today. Yey?
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 starts not that Sirius then goes VERY VERY SIRIUS AT THE END
     3 Prepare your heart, guys. The end may very well hurt some of you
     (as the writer, I hope it does XD)
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Harry waited patiently, staring intently at Daphne. He could feel the cold
sweat leaving the pureblood’s hand yet Harry continued to hold her hand, his
fingers pressing lightly against the part of her wrist where he could feel her
heartbeat. He could feel Daphne’s elevated heart rate and could hear her heavy
breathing which only served to amuse him.
 
It took a few seconds before Daphne’s heart rate returned to normal. Her eyes
had narrowed slightly yet her voice remained calm and pleasant as she asked,
“And what would be required from our families to be accepted to your side, Lord
Potter?”
 
One of Harry’s eyebrows rose at the new title as he stared at Daphne. When
Daphne remained silent, Harry used his free hand to cut a bite-sized piece from
the new treacle tart on his plate. He let the two pure-bloods warily stare at
him as he ate the bite-sized piece. Harry casually chewed the treacle goodness
in his mouth, letting the two Slytherins stew silently. When he finished the
piece in his mouth, Harry lowered his eyes to stare at his plate as he cut
another bite-sized portion. As he lazily stabbed the new portion with his fork,
Harry asked, “Why do you wish to overthrow Draco?”
 
Daphne was mildly surprised by the sudden question but only took a second to
recovery and answered, “My father and Lucius Malfoy wish to tighten our
families’ alliance through marriage.”
 
Harry raised his head and asked, “You and Malfoy?”
 
Daphne’s lips curved into a slight scowl as she replied, “I would rather not be
tied down to Draco if possible.”
 
“Oh?”
 
“He has the potential to be a great pure-blood leader and he is growing up to
be qualified to be the head of the Malfoy family but…” Daphne sighed and turned
slightly to the side, staring at the empty courtyard as she admitted, “He and I
do not… agree on many things.”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow at that statement.
 
“Draco grew up with a traditional pure-blood mother. Narcissa Malfoy is a
wonderful woman and a talented witch but her strength lies on…” Daphne’s lips
curved into a slight frown as she finished, “… the domestic side.”
 
“Like taking care of the house and gossiping?” Harry asked with amusement
dancing in his eyes.
 
“Yes.” Daphne turned to face Harry and explained, “Draco expects his future
wife to be someone who takes care of the house, attends tea parties to gossip
with other pure-blood wives, and appear like a dressed up doll while he
strengthens the political hold of the Malfoy family in the Ministry.”
 
“And you don’t want to be that kind of wife.” Harry concluded before eating the
piece on his fork.
 
“No.” Daphne sneered, “Tea parties are fun once in a while but spending my
entire life having to listen to other pure-blood wives gossip about who is
cheating with whom or who is rumoured to have sired a squib is not the future I
desire for myself.”
 
Internally, Harry wondered if he would be expected to be like that. He tried
imagining it but he only managed to imagine having tea with Molly Weasley and
Hermione, both of which won’t shut up about topics Harry could care less.
 
Voldemort pushed the word “NO” towards their mental link and it took a lot of
willpower not to outwardly grin at the hint of disgust coming from Voldemort.
 
“Taking the leadership from Draco would force my father to back down from
arranging a marriage between us.” Daphne explained, “A Greengrass lady will not
marry those inferior to them.”
 
An amused smirk appeared on Harry’s lips at the image of Draco being inferior
to someone as pleasant and lovely as Daphne.
 
“But then your family would have problems finding you a fiancé.” Theodore
countered and Harry took another piece, letting his Knight talk for him, “If
you take Malfoy’s leadership, you would need to find a partner who has a higher
standing than the Malfoys. That is a very small candidate list.”
 
“I know.” Daphne calmly said to Theodore before turning to stare at Harry as
she proposed, “Will you consider being married to me, Lord Potter?”
 
Harry’s eyebrows rose as he asked ludicrously, “Excuse me?” 
 
Harry’s surprise was not simply because of Daphne’s sudden proposal but because
of the flair of emotion he felt from Voldemort.
 
Anger…
 
Voldemort was angry at Daphne’s proposal.
 
Past experience with the diary made Harry realize easily enough that the anger
was because Voldemort considered Harry as his.
 
Voldemort was a possessive person, Harry knew that.
 
He knew that very well…
 
“The Potter family is one of the most respected old Noble Houses. While you are
a half-blood, the blood of the Black family runs in your vein as well and you
have the highest possibility of being the next head of House Black since your
godfather, Sirius Black, is the current Lord Black.” Daphne explained, causing
Harry’s thoughts to return to the real world and not in the depths of his
memories.
 
Wait. Sirius was the head of House Black?
 
That was news to Harry.
 
From the surprise he felt coming from Voldemort, it seemed that information was
also news to the Dark Lord.
 
“House Black is one of the noble and most ancient Houses in Magical Britain.
Their lineage is said to be as old as the Slytherin line itself.” Daphne
continued to explain, not noticing how her words have affected both Harry and
Voldemort.
 
Sirius’ family was as old as the Slytherin line?!
 
“As such, you have a greater standing than Draco will ever have as the next
head of House Potter and House Black.” Daphne’s eyes stared at Harry seriously
as she added, “Marrying me will be beneficial to you.”
 
“And why is that?” Harry asked, staring at the young heiress in front of him as
he finished his treacle tart.
 
“If I receive Theodore’s support, I can take the leadership from Draco, the
future head of House Malfoy. This will further my standing in our community.”
Daphne leaned forward, just as another treacle tart popped on Harry’s plate,
and continued, “The Greengrass family is a respectable House that has not
earned as much ire from the populace, unlike other pure-blood families. By
marrying me, you would have access to the Dark families without being
ostracized by the Light families.”
 
Harry leaned forward as well and asked, “Why would I want that?”
 
Daphne seemed surprised by that question and it took a second before she could
ask back, “Is that not what you desire? To have the support of both the Light
and the Dark families?”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow at that question and Theodore looked a bit confused.
 
“Do you honestly believe having the blind loyalty of the fickle Light families
would be enough to become the leader of Magical Britain?” Daphne asked
ludicrously.
 
Harry blinked.
 
Once.
 
Twice.
 
He snorted.
 
Harry quickly covered his mouth but couldn’t stop the bubbling laughter
threatening to escape his lips.
 
A second later and he finally lost it.
 
Harry laughed loudly, leaning back as his shoulders began to tremble at the
force of his laughter.
 
He could feel the annoyance and amusement of Voldemort through their link.
 
It took a couple of seconds before Harry finally calmed enough to ask between
gasps of air, “You think… I want… to lead this shithole?”
 
The three Slytherins were both surprised by the vulgar word that slipped
Harry’s lips.  Voldemort was only a bit annoyed at the lack of decorum his
future consort had but did not go into a fit. He knew better than to push one
of the buttons that unleashes the mini-Walburga.
 
Harry didn’t bother apologizing and simply continued with an amused smile, “I
have no desire to lead a community filled with unruly selfish arrogant
children.”
 
“Excuse me?” Daphne’s tone was a pitch higher and that only made Harry’s smile
grown.
 
He remembered he said similar things to Voldemort, losing his temper because
Voldemort was being stupid. Fortunately for Daphne, Harry saw both of them as
children who do not know enough. Voldemort had no excuse.
 
Voldemort only shoved his annoyance in their mental link. Harry retorted with a
mental image of him sticking his tongue out.
 
“This magical community can’t even decide if they hate me or love me. One
moment, I’m a sweet innocent saviour. The next moment, I’m a fame-seeking
attention whore.” Harry explained, cutting a bite sized portion from his new
treacle tart, “I don’t have the patience nor am I kind enough to lead this
fickle community. I have no desire to waste my life trying to keep the populace
in line.”
 
“What about the advancement of the people, of our people?” Zabini hissed,
glaring at Harry as he ate the piece.
 
Harry shrugged and replied lazily as he cut another bite-sized portion, “Not my
problem.”
 
Advancement of the Magical Community and leading the populace were Voldemort’s
desires.
 
Harry would help Voldemort if needed but he will not be in the frontline with
the politicians or the populace.
 
Voldemort gave him a mental question in the same elegant writing as the
diary’s.
 
How will you help then?
 
…
 
…
 
Moral support?
 
Harry mentally heard countless snakes hissing angrily at him which only made
his smile grow.
 
Harry finished his treacle tart before continuing, “There are other people more
qualified in leading this community. I’m just a fourteen year old boy. I don’t
have the proper training in politics and economy to even lead a town, let alone
a whole community. Not to mention…”
 
Harry tapped his fork against his plate, making another treacle tart appear on
it, as he licked his lips. Theodore stared at Harry’s plate with wide eyes,
debating if he should ask his Little Lord to stop. He was pretty sure his Lord
will not approve of his future consort’s gluttonous appetite.
 
“I’m more incline to Crucio everyone rather than negotiate and flatter them.”
Harry admitted with a predatory grin. Both Daphne and Zabini straightened their
back at that sentence and Theodore’s widened eyes rose to stare at Harry.
 
Voldemort supposed it was an improvement that Harry would rather torture now
than right out kill them like the Mini-Walburga had warned a few days before.
 
“As for the more your proposal, Daphne…” Harry mused as he cut a bite sized
piece of his new treacle tart.
 
“If, and this is a big if…” Harry emphasized before continued, “I wanted to
marry into a magical family, I would pick a more…”
 
Harry grinned mischievously as he finished, “… controversial one.”
 
Daphne’s eyes widened as she realized what he meant. It was Zabini who finally
asked as Harry ate the piece, “The Dark Lord’s son?! Are you insane?!”
 
Harry continued to grin at Zabini as he replied, “Why not? He and I had a
fantastic time just a few hours ago. He and I…”
 
Harry pretended to think for a few seconds before he continued, “… shared a
connection. A strange but profound bond, you might even say.”
 
“But he’s the Dark Lord’s son. Even you would be able to realize how dangerous
it would be to marry him.” Zabini hissed, leaning forward. His eyebrow twitched
at how nonchalant Harry simply cut another piece of his treacle tart.
 
“Why?” Harry drawled before eating the bite size portion, keeping the tip of
his fork gently pressed against his bottom lip as he stared innocently at
Zabini.
 
“Why?! Because his father tried to kill you and you had supposedly vanquished
him!” Zabini’s voice continued to grow louder as he continued, “He could easily
be planning to gain your trus-“
 
“The side you are on…” Daphne cut Zabini off before her childhood friend could
dig himself a deeper grave. She had seen the anger simmering in Theodore’s eyes
and managed to piece Harry’s little breadcrumbs together, “… it’s the Dark,
isn’t it?”
 
Harry’s grin turned more predatory as he commented, “Good to know one of you
thinks.”
 
“Is…” Daphne took a deep breath before asking, “Is Marvolo Slytherin following
his father’s footsteps?”
 
“Is he a Dark Lord?” Harry bluntly asked what Daphne really meant. Daphne gave
a grave nod and Harry finished his treacle tart as he thought about how to
answer Daphne’s question.
 
Harry stared at Daphne silently.
 
He remembered the weak parasite on the back of Quirrel’s head.
 
He remembered the arrogant emotional boy.
 
He remembered the man he was now being forced to marry.
 
Harry’s lips curved into a smile.
 
“He is so much more.” He said softly, a soft smile on his face. His smile
turned more mischievous as he continued, “He’s more powerful, smarter, and he
will do what the Dark Lord couldn’t.”
 
What Tom Marvolo Riddle couldn’t do…
 
“And what must we do to be on the winning side?” Daphne asked calmly yet Harry
felt her heartbeat go faster.
 
“I don’t know.” Harry casually said as he shrugged before he asked in a
slightly bored tone, “What can you offer?”
 
“The Greengrass family and the Zabini family are both respectable Houses-“
 
“-that did not take the Dark Lord’s mark last time.” Harry cut her off,
stabbing his remaining treacle tart. Harry stared at Daphne as he casually
asked, “Your Houses are not loyal to the Dark. You are loyal to yourselves. Why
would we need you?”
 
Both Zabini and Daphne stared at him silently yet Harry knew that Zabini was
close to getting his wand. He could see the slight twitching of his dominant
wand. On his side, Theodore was already holding his wand, hidden by the sleeve
of his robes.
 
Not that Harry needed it.
 
He had a big bad Dark Lord behind him, ready to wandlessly and nonverbally hex
anyone who would dare try to attack Harry.
 
“What about if we swear our loyalty to you?” Daphne asked, making all three
boys (and one Dark Lord) stare at her. Harry raised an eyebrow at that question
so Daphne explained, “Yes, we did not swear our loyalty to the Dark Lord during
the first war but what about now? What if we swear our loyalty to you?”
 
“To me?” Harry repeated with a hint of amusement.
 
“It doesn’t take a genius to see that the Lovegood heir has sworn her loyalty
to you. There is a difference between how she treats you and how you were
treated by the blood traitors and that mud-blood of ours.” Daphne explained,
her voice pleasant even when her words were insults. Harry was impressed and
wondered if he could sound just as pleasant while insulting people. Daphne
twisted the hand Harry was holding so that she was holding Harry’s hand instead
of Harry holding her wrist. Her palm was cold yet her voice was warm as she
continued, “Blaise and I, the heirs of our Houses, will swear our loyalty to
you. Doing so will gain you the loyalty of our Houses, prominent Dark families
of similar standings as the Malfoys.”
 
“But you wish to swear your loyalty to me, not to my future husband?” Harry
asked with a small amused smile while Zabini narrowed his eyes.
 
“We are not even sure if you would marry-“
 
“I will.” Harry cut Zabini in midsentence while keeping his eyes at Daphne,
“Marvolo Slytherin and I will marry this Yule. As far as the populace is
concern, today is our first meeting but we already made plans.”
 
Harry wondered if he was giving too much information yet Voldemort did not send
him any warning or any orders to stop so he simply continued, “That is the
undeniable and irrefutable fact.”
 
“A marriage of convenience and allegiance then.” Daphne commented pleasantly.
 
Harry’s lips curved into a smirk as he retorted, “Or love at first sight.”
 
“Please do not insult my intelligence, Lord Potter.” Daphne said pleasantly,
“There is no such thing as love at first sight.”
 
“Now you’re just being cynical.” Harry teased.
 
“And you are definitely not a romantic.” Daphne retorted with a smile, “You are
as Slytherin as everyone else in this table. You might wear the crest of the
lion on your robes but we know a fellow snake when we see one. You don’t
believe in love at first sight.”
 
Daphne’s brows slightly furrowed as she asked, “Do you even believe in love,
Lord Potter?”
 
Harry’s smile froze as his mind pushed a memory he desperately wished to bury
deep inside him.
 
There is only one person I have felt very strongly for.
 
Harry pushed the memory off a mental cliff, letting it fall into a black abyss.
He knew Voldemort read that thought, recognized the handwriting yet Harry paid
him no attention.
 
“No.” His tone was confident and calm as he continued, “I don’t.”
 
“Then you must realize the risk of marrying a Dark Lord.” Daphne pressed,
tightening her grip on Harry’s hand lightly, “He would have the loyalty of many
Dark families.”
 
“House Nott among them.” Daphne reminded him with a glance towards Theodore.
 
Theodore’s eyes narrowed and he hissed, “Be careful of your next words,
Greengrass.”
 
“You only have House Lovegood on your side.” Daphne leaned closer and
whispered, “And it doesn’t take a genius to know that you would be the lesser
one in your marriage with Lord Slytherin. Having two prominent Dark families
loyal to you would be beneficial to you.”
 
“You make it sound like there will come a time when my future husband and I
would get a divorce.” Harry teased playfully but he was internally wondering if
Daphne was going too far. He liked her. She knew what she wanted and did what
was needed to get it. It would be a shame for her to disappear because she had
angered Voldemort.
 
“It’s always a possibility.” Daphne replied softly, “It’s not practiced
frequently in the Magical Community but it does happen. A marriage of
convenience such as yours could easily fall prey to such an end. I simply wish
to ensure you do not drown in the middle of a sea because of lack of… allies…”
 
“Allies?” Harry repeated before commenting, “If you do swear loyalty to me, we
won’t be allies. You would be my lackeys and I don’t know if I want lackeys who
only swore their loyalty to me because they want to save their own hides. Quite
frankly-“
 
“Take them.”
 
Harry’s rant came to a halt and the three Slytherins’ eyes widened at the new
voice. Voldemort removed the cloak around him gracefully and Theodore
immediately knelt in front of him as he proclaimed, “My Lord!”
 
Daphne and Zabini hurriedly stood but froze when Voldemort lazily waved a hand
towards them, silently and wandlessly freezing them before they could say or do
anything. Harry pouted and leaned back, letting Voldemort sit on Theodore’s
seat while Theodore stood behind them, as the younger wizard said, “I was
having fun, you know.”
 
“Yes, I know.” Voldemort waved his hand towards Harry, making Harry’s seat
creak in protest as it skid towards Voldemort. Voldemort turned his upper body
slightly so he was facing the pouting boy and said as he caressed Harry’s
cheek, “If I let you go on with this charade, you would have spent the entire
night, waiting for either heir to finally crack and do something foolish all
for your own entertainment.”
 
Harry turned to grin at Voldemort and leaned closer as he commented, “It was
fun making them lose their pure-blood mask.”
 
“Yes, I suppose it is.” Voldemort affectionately replied, making Harry wonder
if Voldemort was pretending to be a loving fiancé or he finally… broke. The
narrowing of Voldemort’s eyes answered Harry’s question.
 
The first one… definitely the first one…
 
Voldemort turned to face the two frozen Slytherins and commented, “House Zabini
and House Greengrass would both be beneficial to my plans.”
 
Harry shrugged as he lazily suggested, “Then you mark them.”
 
“No. They wish for their loyalties to be with you.” Voldemort retorted
casually, “Take them.”
 
Harry pouted and replied, “I really don’t want puppies who want me because I’m
the… non-Dark Lord one.”
 
“Regardless of their dubious reasons for becoming loyal to you, a loyalty oath
cannot be broken.” Voldemort explained, grabbing Harry’s hand before the boy
could stab the remaining Treacle Tart on his plate. Harry pouted but let
Voldemort pull his hand to rest on the table, between the two of them. To their
audience, it might seem like an affectionate gesture but Harry knew Voldemort
only wanted him to stop eating the sinful goodness in front of him.  Voldemort
absently caressed the back of Harry’s palm with his thumb as he explained, “It
will be beneficial to you to have more loyalty oaths, especially loyalty oaths
of heirs here in Hogwarts.”
 
Harry turned to face Voldemort and asked, “More insurance after Yule?”
 
“Yes.” Voldemort nodded and added, “Besides, the Malfoy heir will be peeved
once he learned of their new allegiance.”
 
Harry’s lips curved into a smirk as he commented, “Well, when you put it that
way…”
 
Harry grinned at Daphne and said, “Congratulations, Daphne. You got your wish.”
 
Voldemort let go of Harry’s hand and waved at the two Slytherins, unfreezing
them. Both of them took an involuntarily step back while Harry stood, grinning
at both of them as he congratulated, “Welcome to the winning side.”
 
Daphne and Zabini immediately knelt in front of them and Daphne replied, “It is
an honour to be in your service, My Lord.”
 
Harry walked towards the two and shrugged before dismissing, “Yes, yes. I feel
your gratitude. My loyalty oaths, if you would…”
 
Daphne immediately took out her wand and proclaimed, “I, Daphne Greengrass,
heir of House Greengrass, hereby declare Harry James Potter, heir of House
Potter, as My Lord and as the Lord of my future descendants until time exist no
more. So mote it be.”
 
Harry took a deep breath as soft light enveloped both him and Daphne for a
moment. He waited for the light to fully dissipate before turning to stare at
Zabini. Zabini took out his wand as well and proclaimed, “I, Blaise Zabini,
heir of the House Zabini, hereby declare Harry James Potter, heir of House
Potter, as My Lord and as the Lord of my future descendants until time exist no
more. So mote it be.”
 
Soft light enveloped both Harry and Zabini. Once that dissipated, Daphne gently
grabbed Harry’s hand and kissed his knuckle before whispering with a bow, “My
Lord.”
 
One of Harry’s eyebrow rose when Zabini grabbed his hand as well and kissed his
knuckle before whispering with the same bow, “My Lord.”
 
He turned towards Voldemort with a questioning gaze. Behind the Dark Lord,
Theodore was beaming proudly at Harry. Voldemort leaned against his seat as he
explained, “That is how most witches and wizards greet the lord they proclaim
their loyalty to. Your precious puppy lacks proper decorum.”
 
Harry wrinkled his nose and replied, “I rather like how Luna greets me.”
 
Harry patted both Zabini’s and Daphne’s head like they were dogs and ordered,
“Get up, you two, and next time you greet me, just bow or curtsy to me. No need
to be on your knees and kiss my hand.”
 
Harry grinned as he added, “Unlike some egotistic self-centred prats I know, I
don’t need people grovelling all over me.”
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes while Zabini and Daphne stood stiffly. Daphne was the
one who whispered, “We thank you for your kindness, My Lord.”
 
Harry clicked his tongue in annoyance and grabbed Daphne by the chin. He pushed
her head up so she was forced to stare at him as he ordered, “Stop acting like
I’m going to Crucio you if you look at me. I like you when you had that fire in
your eyes. I don’t need grovelling frightened puppies.”
 
Daphne’s lips curved into a small smile as she replied with growing confidence,
“Forgive me, My Lord, I will endeavour not to disappoint you again.”
 
Harry chuckled and replied, “Make sure you don’t.”
 
Harry stepped away from Daphne and turned towards Zabini, He crossed his arms
as he asked, “You finally going to stop with the creepy flirting?”
 
Zabini’s lips curved into a small smirk as he replied, “Forgive me, My Lord,
but creepy flirting is a family trait, I’m afraid.”
 
Voldemort didn’t bother to hide his angry growl as he glared at Zabini. Zabini
immediately looked down at the floor once more while Daphne painfully elbowed
him on the ribs, eliciting a cute grunt from the Zabini heir.
 
Harry laughed, turning to smile at Voldemort as he said, “I like him now.”
 
“You like him because of my reactions.” Voldemort growled with obvious
displeasure.
 
“You know I belong only to you, Love Tart.” Harry cheekily teased while
Voldemort glared at him.
 
“Don’t push me, luv. I will kill your precious puppy if he so much as touches
you.” Voldemort warned with false pleasantry.
 
“He already did.” Harry reminded him in a singsong manner, wiggling the hand
that Zabini kissed just a moment ago. Voldemort actually rose from his seat,
only making Harry’s grin grow while Zabini took another step back and Daphne
froze. Harry stepped in front of Zabini, effectively making himself a human
shield, as he placated his possessive fiancé, “Relax, you overly possessive
prat. Zabini promises not to touch me inappropriately anymore. Don’t you,
Zabini?”
 
“I promise, My Lord.” Zabini immediately replied.
 
“Excellent.” Harry grinned and asked Voldemort giddily, “Do you have any
errands for my new puppies, luv? ‘Cause if you don’t, I have some errands for
them.”
 
Harry batted his eyelashes as he sweetly added, “I promise it won’t get in the
way with your plans.”
 
Voldemort sat back on his seat and waved his hand dismissively as he said, “Do
what you wish. My current plans do not need them as of yet.”
 
“Fantastic!” Harry turned to grin at the two Slytherins. He turned towards
Daphne and ordered gleefully, “Theo’s going to support your claim over the
leadership of your year mates. Take it away from Malfoy as soon as possible,
preferably in front of many witnesses with future political inclination.”
 
Daphne bowed as she replied with the same gleefulness Harry had, “It would be
my pleasure, My Lord.”
 
“Zabini…” Harry looked at the ceiling in mock thoughtfulness before asking,
“Have you tried your creepy flirting with Parkinson?”
 
Zabini raised an eyebrow and replied casually, “No, My Lord. Draco is all Pansy
sees, I’m afraid, and she is not… that pleasing as a decoration and as a
companion, I’m afraid.”
 
“But…” Harry stared at Zabini and smirked as he asked, “If she was to, let’s
say, stop grovelling all over Malfoy and begin showing promise, will you be
able to take her away from Malfoy?”
 
Zabini’s lips curved into a small smirk as he asked, “Does My Lord wish to have
Pansy’s loyalty?”
 
Harry snorted before replying, “No, Parkinson is my fiancé’s followers. I
simply wish to…”
 
“… help maintain Daphne’s leadership.” Harry casually said, making Zabini’s
smirk grew.
 
“Away from Draco?” Zabini added with amusement.
 
“Yes.” Harry replied, grinning as he asked, “You won’t let me down, will you,
Zabini? No need to make her fall in love with you or procure a marriage
contract. I simply think it would be easier to get Parkinson to Daphne’s side
if it was you and not Daphne.”
 
Harry turned to comment at Daphne with furrowed confused brows, “The girl
seemed to have some problems with you.”
 
“She doesn’t like that I have a higher chance of being Draco’s wife, I’m
afraid.” Daphne explained with small resigned smile, “The poor girl has been
pining over Draco since we were children.”
 
“Merlin knows why though.” Harry mumbled with a roll of his eyes.
 
“Is that all, Harry?” Voldemort cut him off, making Harry turn to grin at him
and nod.
 
“Yup. I’m okay now.” Harry giddily replied, making Voldemort nod.
 
“Good because I remembered that we forgot to tell your new puppies one small
detail before they gave their loyalty oath.” Voldemort said, his lips curving
into a sadistic smirk, “My marriage with Harry will be a magical one.”
 
Both Slytherins’ eyes widened at that.
 
“As such, we cannot be separated by something as weak as a divorce and…”
Voldemort’s smirk turned more predatory as he added, “… all of our magical
properties, such as loyalty oaths, will be shared once we marry.”
 
Harry almost grinned as he saw how pale the two Slytherins became. He cooed,
“So sorry. I totally forgot about that little detail.”
 
“Leave us.” Voldemort ordered abruptly, making both heirs jump slightly.
 
“Yes, My Lord.” All three Slytherins immediately replied, bowing at them.
Daphne and Zabini hurriedly walked away, making Harry cover his mouth to muffle
his chuckling at the poor baby snakes. Before Theodore could follow them,
Voldemort stopped him, “Theodore.”
 
Theodore turned around to face both Harry and Voldemort and bowed as he asked,
“Yes, My Lord?”
 
“Do not tell them who I truly am or why I am here. As far as they are concerned
I am Marvolo Slytherin. If they ask why I am here, tell them Harry had
suggested I hide in his invisible cloak and see my supposed father’s school.”
Voldemort ordered.
 
“That’s a flimsy reason.” Harry commented, sitting on Daphne’s seat and
devouring her untouched treacle tart.
 
Voldemort glared at him as he retorted, “They’re magical. Magical people rarely
are logical.”
 
Harry shrugged as he agreed, “Fair enough.”
 
“Besides, even if they manage to think it is flimsy, they will be too afraid to
voice their comments.” Voldemort added with a roll of his eyes. He stared at
Theodore as he dismissed him, “Goodnight, Theodore.”
 
Theodore bowed at the two of them once more as he replied, “Goodnight, My Lord,
Little Lord.”
 
Voldemort watched Theodore leave while Harry finished Daphne’s treacle tart.
Once her plate was clean, he leaned forward to grab Zabini’s but stopped when
Voldemort solemnly proclaimed, “We need to talk, Harry.”
 
Harry remained silent.
 
“About my diary.”
 
“I don’t want to talk about him.” Harry immediately said, leaning against the
backrest of his seat.
 
“For someone who said the diary meant nothing to him, your thoughts seem to go
to that diary far too often.” Voldemort pressed on regardless with a clipped
tone.
 
“Don’t you know, Tom? People lie.” Harry retorted with the same clipped tone.
 
“I do and I would prefer if you don’t lie to me.” Voldemort sneered, glaring at
Harry.
 
“I do not wish to talk about Tom.” Harry turned his head to stare the courtyard
outside.
 
“Which Tom?” Voldemort sneered, “Me or my diary? It gets quite confusing at
times which Tom you are referring to in your thoughts and in your words.”
 
Harry sighed tiredly before he snapped, “Does it matter?”
 
“It does when I feel the pain that accompanies your memories of my diary.”
Voldemort’s voice rose slightly.
 
Harry turned to glare at Voldemort as he sarcastically snapped at him, “Oh, so
sorry you had to feel that. If only you couldn’t read my bloody thoughts.”
 
“Do not be cheeky with me, Harry.” Voldemort snapped back, “I have a right to
know about your relationship with my diary.”
 
“Why? Jealous?” Harry sneered.
 
“If I say yes, would you stop being such an annoying brat and answer my
question?” There was a hint of resignation in Voldemort’s annoyed question.
 
Harry paused at that answer, staring at the glaring Dark Lord. Harry sighed and
shook his head as he said solemnly, “No.”
 
“Why not?”
 
“Because I can’t! I can’t talk about Tom!” Harry shouted before sighing and
rubbing his forehead as he softly explained, “I don’t want to talk about Tom.
Not yet. Not for a very long time.”
 
“Why?”
 
Harry stared at Voldemort for a moment before he finally stood. He walked
towards him, walking around the table. He stopped right in front of Voldemort
and whispered, “Tom is… was my cruellest torturer.”
 
Harry knelt in front of Voldemort and placed both of his hands on Voldemort’s
knees as he continued, “If you knew what he did, if you knew what happened
between us… I fear that you would take his place.”
 
“I will not harm you, Harry.” Voldemort whispered, covering both of Harry’s
hands with gentleness he didn’t even know he possessed.
 
“Not yet.” Harry corrected and solemnly continued, “But you will. You will harm
me and give me the cruellest torture of all and, when that time comes, I fear I
will not be able to heal. The scars Tom left are still here, festering like
disgusting infected wounds with no treatment. All I can do is pretend it’s not
there but I can feel it. The simplest things will remind me of the wounds left
by Tom and I can’t… stop it…”
 
“So please, don’t ask about him, don’t react to any of my thoughts of him and
let’s just pretend he doesn’t exist.” Harry let his head rest on Voldemort’s
lap as he pleaded, “Please, let’s pretend you won’t be my cruellest torturer in
the future.”
 
“… Please…”
 
Voldemort could only caress Harry’s hair as he felt Harry’s pain and sorrow
over their link. He didn’t know if all the pain and sorrow in their link was
Harry’s alone or if he was also in pain and in sorrow for the boy in front of
him.
 
The only emotion that Voldemort was absolutely sure was his was the anger.
 
Anger towards his diary Hocrux for causing such pain to his Harry…
 
“If that is your desire, I will honour it.” Voldemort leaned closer as he
warned, “For now.”
 
“Thank you.” Harry whispered softly.
 
“But remember this, Harry.” Voldemort stared at Harry with clear red eyes, “I
will not harm you.”
 
Harry’s lips curved into a sad broken smile as he corrected, “You wouldn’t want
to but you will.”
 
Harry raised his head and stared at Voldemort’s clear red eyes with his broken
green eyes. He placed his hands on Voldemort’s cheeks as he whispered with a
fond broken smile, “You will become my greatest cruellest torturer, my dear
Dark Lord.”
Chapter End Notes
     The first thought I had after writing this was “How many treacle
     tarts did Harry eat? XD”
     Okay. Just to clear things up, the cruellest torture Harry means is
     in Musing of a Diary Hocrux and Harry means ‘hope’. Calling Tom his
     cruellest torturer is because Tom gave him hope, gave him his
     greatest hope and he knows Voldemort would do the same thing soon
     enough.
     Voldemort, on the other hand, thinks the diary did something really,
     really bad (which he did, according to Harry, because Harry thinks
     HOPE IS BAD).
***** Dual surprises *****
Chapter Summary
     Harry remembers not everything can be cured by adding a spoonful of
     sugar and… apparently wants to be Sleeping Beauty?
     (also known as the chapter summary the author couldn’t think of
     without giving too much away)
Chapter Notes
     Sorry for the delay. Life (and by life, I meant work) caught up with
     me and started chocking me these past weeks. The torture is still
     ongoing so I have no idea when the next chapter will be posted. Sorry
     TTATT
     Usual Warnings:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 god, it’s still a bit Sirius
     3 we have fluff as well? I guess?
See the end of the chapter for more notes
There was something quite calming and relaxing just kneeling on the floor with
his head on Voldemort’s lap. Harry knew his neck would hurt tomorrow and his
legs were staring to fall asleep but the soft caresses of Voldemort’s hand on
his messy locks and the relaxed silence between the two of them seemed so worth
it in Harry’s mind right now. He knew that he had just prolonged the inevitable
but if it meant being able to just relax like this then he’d take it. He knew
that nothing in the world would continue to be as peaceful as their current
predication right now but he honestly didn’t care at the moment. He knew that
Voldemort was silently mulling over his words, probably planning something to
keep his promise.
 
A promise Harry knew Voldemort will be unable to keep.
 
It was always going to be the end game of Voldemort, of Tom Riddle. There was
no other ways it would end.
 
Voldemort’s soft caresses froze at Harry’s thought yet Harry didn’t even feel
bad that Voldemort had heard his thoughts. Harry simply sighed and rubbed his
cheek against Voldemort’s lap, silently asking for the return of that soothing
touch.
 
He had never felt anything so calming before.
 
That thought seemed to have unfreeze Voldemort and the older wizard continued
his soft caresses.
 
If this continued, Harry might actually fall asleep in this very awkward
position.
 
He deserved it anyway. The amount of acting he had to do for the entire day was
draining. If he could, he would very much like to just sleep tomorrow away
without a care in the world. Their ‘date’ would most probably get published on
tomorrow’s papers anyway. It might be easier to just feign sickness than have
to go through the entire day being the focus of Hogwarts’ latest gossip.
 
Just as he was about to actually fall asleep, he heard the sounds of a pair of
hurried footsteps. Voldemort hissed and Harry groaned in protest when he was
pulled up immediately. Harry wobbled, trying to get his legs to carry his
weight while Voldemort hurriedly wrapped the Invisibility Cloak around him.
Harry leaned against one of the walls, sighing tiredly as he rubbed his eyes.
The hurried footsteps were growing louder, telling Harry that they were coming
closer. Harry closed his eyes and slowly counted to ten as he tried to regain
his normal expression.
 
Before he even managed to get to five, the footsteps began running towards his
direction. Harry hid his wand inside his outer robe and opened his eyes. He
blinked when he recognized who were running towards him. Harry gasped as he was
suddenly grabbed by both arms and dragged backwards, a sense of déjà vu
suddenly overcoming him for a split second.
 
“He-hey!” Harry shouted as he continued to be dragged out of the courtyard.
Sensing his dear Dark Lord’s growing anger, Harry flailed as he ordered, “Let
go! Fred! George!”
 
“Sorry, Harrykins.” Fred replied with a playful grin.
 
“Not going to happen.” George continued.
 
Honestly, Harry didn’t even know which one was Fred and which one was George.
He just had the habit of mentally calling the first twin to talk as Fred every
time they conversed. He didn’t even call them by names anymore in the first
place. It was just easier to stare at one of them if he ever needed to ask
something than try to guess who was who.
 
“If we let you go now…” The twin Harry was mentally calling Fred at the moment
started which Harry knew would be finished by…
 
“… you’ll disappear before we can catch you again.” By the other twin Harry was
now mentally calling George.
 
Harry rolled his eyes and deadpanned as he stared at the castle which was
getting smaller and smaller as he got dragged, “That doesn’t mean you guys have
to drag me around wherever the bloody hell you want.”
 
Harry tried to turn around to look at where they were going as he asked, “Where
are you dragging me to anyway?”
 
“The Forbidden Forest.” The twins replied in unison, making Harry’s eyes
widened.
 
“Why?” Harry’s tone was a pitch higher and he could feel Voldemort’s anger
growing. Trying to defuse his fiancé’s explosive temper, Harry sarcastically
asked, “Did you guys forget something?”
 
“Hear that, Gred?” Fred grinned, “Harrykins’ snarking at us.”
 
“I heard, Forge.” George nodded in mocked horror, “What has happened to our
sweet innocent baby Harrykins?”
 
Harry rolled his eyes and deadpanned, “Probably got sucked into another world
by a magic mirror.”
 
The twins chuckled at Harry’s reply, finding it amusing even if they didn’t get
the muggle related reference. Harry was growing a bit wary when he noticed that
they didenter the Forbidden Forest. The twins navigated the bushy forest with
ease, making Harry wonder just how often these two pranksters would traverse
the said forest. The twins were talking about how adorable Harry was when he
had been eleven. Or was it twelve? Harry stopped paying attention to whatever
they were saying the moment they had entered the forest, focusing on memorizing
the way they were going in case he needed to make a quick escape.
 
Harry wouldn’t lie. Among the Weasleys he had met, the twins were the ones
Harry had always paid close attention to. It was partially because they were
fun to observe when they were pranking someone but it was mostly because the
twins were the most unpredictable of the bunch. They were mischievous at heart
and Harry knew that it was the thinking types who were most often the observant
ones. As such, he made sure to keep a close tab on the twins to ensure he
wouldn’t get caught being… well, himself…
 
That didn’t mean he would spend his entire time listening to whatever topic the
twins decided to talk about. Some were fun to listen to but Harry was too tired
to even try and find out what they were talking about now. He just wanted to
rest.
 
Preferably on Voldemort’s lap…
 
Damn it.
 
The Dark Lord was spoiling him!
 
Harry’s lips curved into a small grin as he felt Voldemort’s annoyance at his
thoughts.
 
The twins finally stopped and made Harry turn around to face them. Harry
crossed his arms and glared at the twins as he asked, “If I ask what I’m doing
here, would you answer?”
 
“Do you have your Invisibility Cloak with you?” Fred asked seriously, making
Harry blink at the twins.
 
They were both staring at Harry with serious expressions on their faces and
that only made Harry wary.
 
“Do I have it with me?” Harry clarified and the twins nodded. Harry shrugged
before shaking his head as he replied, “No. I don’t.”
 
It wasn’t technically with him since his dear Dark Lord was currently using it.
 
“I guess we improvise then.” George commented before they grabbed Harry’s arms
again. They quickly went towards the bushes and pretty much pushed Harry to sit
on one of the thicker bushes around them.
 
Harry was about to hiss at them for manhandling him but both older boys shushed
him and Fred whispered, “Just be quiet for a bit, okay?”
 
Not waiting for Harry to reply, the twins rushed out of the bushes and stood
just on the other side of the bush where Harry was currently crouching on.
Harry turned slightly so that he was facing the way the twins had dragged him
from when he heard one of the twins shout, “HEY! CHARLIE!”
 
Harry froze, trying to remember where he had heard of that name before. It
sounded too familiar.
 
Well… Charlie, in general, was a very common name. He could already name at
least five people named Charlie or Charles who had the nickname Charlie in
muggle London alone.
 
It took a few seconds before a third voice shouted, “FRED?! GEORGE?!”
 
Harry tilted his head and frowned, noticing that the voice was slightly
familiar. Against his better judgement, Harry turned around towards the bushes
and tried to part the leaves and branches in front of him so he would have a
clear view of what was in front of him. Harry saw that the twins stood a bit
far away from usual, giving Harry an unobstructed view of what was in front of
the twins. It was almost as if the twins knew Harry would part the bush where
he was crouching in the first place. An older red haired man was running
towards the twins. When he had stopped in front of the twins, Harry recognized
enough resemblance from the other red heads he had met to realize that the man
was another Weasley.
 
That’s when the name clicked.
 
Charlie Weasley… the other Hogwarts graduate who was now…
 
… a dragon tamer…
 
That last part only made Harry warier.
 
“Hey, Charlie. Just wanted to see you…” Fred greeted cheerfully.
 
“… before we go to sleep. We did miss you.” George continued with the same
cheerfulness.
 
Charlie looked at them sceptically as he asked, “Even though you guys just
talked to me this afternoon? With Ron and Ginny in fact.”
 
Ron and Ginny?
 
Fred and George shrugged simultaneously before Fred suggested, “Maybe we wanted
to see those wicked dragons again.”
 
……………… Did he just say dragons?
 
As in… the plural term for dragon?
 
“Oh yeah. It seemed so dangerous to have the Triwizard’s first task about
dragons, you know.” George added.
 
Harry felt as if his entire blood just turned freezing cold at those words.
 
DRAGONS!!!?
 
DRAGONS WERE THE FIRST TASK!!!?
 
“You guys are acting weird.” Charlie commented with an amused tone, “You two
already knew about that. I told you when you guys visited me with Ron and
Ginny. Ron even looked like he was about to throw up when he heard and Ginny
looked ready to faint.”
 
If Harry hadn’t already been frozen by the fact that he was going to deal with
dragons for the first bloody task, he would have been annoyed by the fact that
his supposed best mate had known and didn’t even bother to tell him anything.
 
Unfortunately, Harry was too preoccupied trying not to hyperventilate there and
then. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned his head. Voldemort’s floating
hand would have been funny if it hadn’t been for the fact that he just learned
that DRAGONS WERE INVOLVED IN THE DAMN FIRST TASK!!!
 
Harry could feel his restraints loosing. Honestly, it felt more like he was
just a shy away from actually screaming his head off and running far, far away.
 
So he did.
 
Harry didn’t even bother to be quiet and just ran off. He heard Charlie shout
something similar to the word ‘hey’ but paid it no attention, running as fast
as his legs could carry him.
 
Instead of returning to the castle, he began running towards the gates.
 
“HARRY! STOP!”
 
The loud commanding voice of Voldemort made Harry actually stop in his tracks.
If he had been his usual calm self, he would have wondered why Voldemort’s
voice managed to stop him instantly. He turned around and saw Voldemort walking
towards him briskly. Harry snorted. Of course, the big bad Dark Lord wouldn’t
run. It would be undignified!
 
Harry didn’t even bother to question how stupid Voldemort was right now,
walking towards him without the safety of the cloak. Anyone would be able to
see him. Harry didn’t even understand why Voldemort would take off the cloak in
the first place. He could ask. It would seem like the kind of weird random
question he would ask. Voldemort was already nearing him anyway. Just a few
more steps and he would be in arm’s length.
 
When Voldemort was close enough that Harry could touch him if he outstretched
his arm, the first words that came out of his mouth was not a question about
Voldemort’s rationality but a demand in the words of “Take me away.”
 
Voldemort actually looked taken back by Harry’s words. Harry wrapped his arms
around himself and begged, “Just take me away now, Tom! Take me away from all
these!”
 
Voldemort’s hand reached out towards Harry but stopped before his fingers could
even graze Harry’s arm. Voldemort’s hands formed into knuckles and he dropped
his hands as he replied solemnly, “I can’t. Not yet. You need to remain here in
Hogwarts.”
 
“Why?!” Harry exploded, unable to keep himself together, “I’m tired and I just
found out I would have to face dragons for the first task! I bet my entire
trust fund we’re not going to sing A Spoon Full of Sugar and then do a dance
number with them! What other ways can these unimaginative magical idiots think
on using dragons than to try and make them eat children!?”
 
“What does a spoon full of sugar have anything to do with dragons?” Voldemort
asked in a slightly annoyed tone before ordering, “Calm down, Harry!”
 
“Calm down?! Calm down?!” Harry repeated, eyes wide as he ranted, “I just found
out I have to fight dragons! I just found out I would have fight a freaking
dragon!!”
 
“You don’t even know if you do have to fight a dragon.” Voldemort reminded him
in a cool calm tone, “All you know dragons are involved.”
 
“And what other ways could you use a dragon in an event called a ‘task’ than to
freaking sic them on poor innocent children like the sadistic bullies this
entire community is!” Harry snarled, “I’m screwed! You hear me?! I’m so
freaking screwed! I’m gonna have a Maleficent up on my arse and I happen to be
the stupid love-sick prince dumb enough to try and go to a cursed castle
because of the possibility I might get laid by a sleeping girl who in the
original folklore was most probably centuries older than him anyway!”
 
Harry let out a frustrated scream before asking, “Why can’t I be Sleeping
Beauty?! Why can’t I just sleep my days away and let some other poor stupid
fool try and kill the dragon?! I’m fourteen, for Godric’s sake! I can’t fight a
dragon! I don’t even know how to fight a dragon in the first place! I-“
 
Harry’s words came to sudden halt when Voldemort suddenly grabbed him by the
arm. Voldemort pulled Harry towards him and Harry let out an unmanly yelp when
his face collided with Voldemort’s chest, making his glasses dig against his
skin and his nose was painfully pressed against Voldemort’s chest. Harry didn’t
move, too surprised by the sudden contact, and only managed to deadpan, “Ow.”
 
 Voldemort wrapped an arm around Harry while another caressed Harry’s hair as
he ordered in a slightly soft tone, “Calm down. I won’t let anything happen to
you.”
 
“Then get me out of here.” Harry’s words were mumbled by the fabric of
Voldemort’s robes.
 
“I cannot. Even if I do take you out of Hogwarts, you will still be bound to
participate in this tournament.” Voldemort reminded him, “Failure to
participate when you are able to will result to your death.”
 
“Can’t you argue that I’m unable to participate? I’m fourteen! My magical
knowledge is worse than a pure-blood toddler!” Harry whined, punching Voldemort
on the side when he heard the older wizard chuckle at the comparison.
 
“As long as you are breathing and able to perform magic, you will be considered
as able.” Voldemort clarified as he continued to caress Harry’s hair. Harry
turned his head so that his cheek was the one pressing against Voldemort’s
chest instead of his nose and glasses.
 
Harry pouted as he mumbled, getting relaxed by the insistent soft caresses on
his hair, “I don’t want to fight Maleficent.”
 
“You don’t have to.” Voldemort whispered softly, “We’ll think of something
together.”
 
Harry closed his eyes and mumbled, “Why can’t you just think of something and
just tell me what to do?”
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes and replied, “A relationship between two people only
works if both of them work together.”
 
Harry tiredly laughed and commented, “That’s rich, coming from the big bad Dark
Lord.”
 
Voldemort grabbed Harry’s hair and tugged it. It wasn’t too hard to actually be
painful by Harry’s standard but it was hard enough to make Harry stop laughing
and pull him away from Voldemort’s chest. Harry grinned at Voldemort as he
commented, “That actually made me feel better.”
 
“Did it now?” Voldemort drawled and pushed Harry away gently.
 
Harry rubbed his tired eyes and asked, “Did you… intentionally say that to make
me laugh?”
 
Instead of replying, Voldemort asked back with raised eyebrow, “Do I look like
the type of person to talk about relationships in general?”
 
Harry grinned at him but did not say anything else. He felt it would cheapen
the moment if he did so he kept quiet. Voldemort stared at him silently for a
moment before raising his hand to touch Harry’s cheek. Harry leaned to the
touch, staring at Voldemort’s red eyes as the older man whispered, “You have
such horrid glasses.”
 
Harry blinked for a couple of seconds before commenting in an amused tone,
“Really, Tom? We were having a moment and you find it to be the proper time to
take about my ugly glasses?”
 
“They’re absolutely horrible.” Voldemort reasoned, shaking his head in mild
disgust, as he continued, “They hide those mesmerizing eyes of yours.”
 
Harry snickered and commented back, “Next time we get a moment like this, don’t
comment about the glasses and just say I have nice eyes, okay?”
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes and declared, “You’ll need to get rid of them as soon
as possible.”
 
Harry shook his head and deadpanned, “Unless you want me to be blind, I really
can’t get rid of them.”
 
“There are rituals to correct one’s eyesight. There is even one ritual to
heighten-“ Voldemort’s words came to a halt when they both heard the twins’
calling Harry’s name. They were still far enough to not see Voldemort but it
wouldn’t be long before they catch up. Voldemort growled in annoyance and Harry
grinned at the annoyed look his fiancé was currently sporting. Voldemort’s
thumb caressed Harry’s cheek twice as he leaned forward. Harry froze as their
faces came close to one another. A part of him wondered if Voldemort was
actually going to kiss him. Voldemort froze once that thought entered their
shared link.
 
“It’s… kinda the cliché thing to do.” Harry reasoned, wanting to hit his head
repeatedly for sounding so out of breath as he stared at Voldemort’s lips. He
heard Voldemort’s sharp intake of breath as Harry subconsciously bit his bottom
lip.
 
They both stared at each other’s lips for an awkward amount of time, the only
other sound to reach them were the insistent shouting of the Weasley twins.
Once the shouting sounded like it was coming horribly closer than safe,
Voldemort finally leaned in. Harry’s eyes closed instinctively as he felt
Voldemort’s lips against his forehead. A soft almost inaudible whisper of
“soon” against his forehead was all Harry managed to hear before Voldemort
abruptly pulled away and hid under the invisibility cloak once more.
 
A few minutes later and Harry finally saw the silhouettes of the twins running
towards him. Harry sighed tiredly and begrudgingly walked towards the castle
once more. The twins managed to catch up to him just as he was about to enter
the castle and they walked on both sides of Harry, silently staring at the
quiet boy as they walked back to the dormitories.
 
Dear Godric.
 
Harry just wanted to go to sleep and not get up.
 
Preferably for the rest of the week…
 
He was so tired and drained by what he just learned that he didn’t even bother
trying to understand why Voldemort had suddenly kissed his forehead. Some form
of comfort perhaps?
 
It was only when they finally reached the portrait of the fat lady did Harry
whispered, “Thanks.”
 
Both twins turned to stare at him while the fat lady stared at the three of
them with curious boredom adorning her face.
 
“Animagi.” Harry stated the password and the portrait creaked open for the
three of them (and the invisible Dark Lord behind them). They walked inside and
Harry noticed that the common room was empty, a miracle by itself.
 
The twins patted both of Harry’s shoulders as Fred whispered, “Get some rest,
mate.”
 
“You look like you’re going to drop already.” George commented, making Harry
chuckle weakly.
 
“It has been a tiring day.” Harry admitted.
 
Understatement of the day if Harry was being honest…
 
Just as the twins were about to walk up the stairs leading to the dormitories,
the words left Harry’s lips before he could stop himself, “Why help me?”
 
The twins stared at him with slightly confused expressions on their face. It
was George who asked back, “Why shouldn’t we?”
 
“Ron seems okay just leaving me alone.” Harry commented with a nonchalant
shrug. He really did not even mind that his supposed best mate had pretty much
thrown him over the cliff. His feelings for Ron weren’t that strong, in the
first place. He was easy to get along with and was pretty predictable. He
wasn’t that observant and was also quite self-centred. It all made Harry’s
acting easier. The less people bothered observing him, the less chance they
would see his mask slip.
 
“We’re not our brother dear.” George countered with a fond smile.
 
“We care about you.” Fred continued, grinning at Harry.
 
Harry’s lips curved into a small frown.
 
“And we’re sure our brother dear also care.” George added with a shrug.
 
“He’s just stupid.” Fred continued with an overly exaggerated sigh, “He can be
a bit selfish-“
 
“-also a bit too dense-“ George cut off with the same overly exaggerated sigh,
“but we know he cares.“
 
“You’re his best mate.” Fred grinned at Harry.
 
“Yup. His best mate.” George grinned at Harry as well, “Just give him some
time.”
 
“He’ll come around.” Fred continued.
 
“You probably shouldn’t.” Harry warned, trying to fight of the start of a
migraine originating from the annoyance seeping from Voldemort’s side of their
link. The twins tilted their head slightly to the side. Harry sighed and rubbed
his forehead tiredly as he elaborated, “You probably shouldn’t care about me.”
 
“Why shouldn’t we?” Both George and Fred asked at the same time.
 
“I’m not who you think I am.” Harry explained vaguely, not really in the mood
to even pretend. He just wanted to go upstairs, get on his bed and sleep.
 
He was going to have to deal with a bloody dragon, for Merlin’s sake!
 
Having a few hours of sleep seemed like the least he could have before having
to think of a way to survive without being Maleficent food.
 
“You mean you’re not this weird socially awkward teenager who’s bored with
everything around him…” George started.
 
“And likes pranking everyone without letting anyone know?” Fred concluded.
 
“Yes.” Harry immediately replied before shaking his head and hurriedly
correcting, “I mean… no.”
 
Harry frowned lightly, mulling over the twin’s description for a moment before
admitting, “Actually… that does sound like me.”
 
The twin grinned at Harry.
 
Harry smiled fondly at them but softly warned, “But that’s not all I am.”
 
“Maybe we want to know the real you.” Fred countered with a fond smile that was
exactly mirrored on George’s face.
 
“You might regret it.” Harry warned them, wrapping his arms around himself.
 
“Let us be the judge to that.” George replied with Fred nodding.
 
Harry sighed and relented, “Fine. I will… think about it.”
 
Both twins grinned at Harry’s words.
 
“But no promises.” Harry added immediately.
 
“Good enough.” George and Fred shrugged before grabbing Harry and pulling him
into a three-way hug that only made Harry awkward. George and Fred patted
Harry’s back before saying at the same time, “Good night, Harry.”
 
Harry pulled away and nodded as he mumbled, “Good night.”
 
Harry watched as the twins ascended the stairs leading to the dormitories. He
waited for a few minutes before he ascended the stairs as well. He quietly went
inside his dorm room and immediately went to his bed. All the others were
already sound asleep, most of them snoring in varying volume. Harry jumped on
his bed, letting Voldemort wandlessly and nonverbally slide the curtains close.
 
Harry had been changing into his pyjama pants, not bothered by the lack of
privacy, when he heard Voldemort asked in a slightly annoyed tone, “Are you
planning to adopt more wayward puppies, my dear?”
 
Harry smiled sadly as he replied, “I’m not sure…”
 
Harry sighed tiredly as he buttoned his pyjama shirt, “The Weasley family is
too deeply tied with Dumbledore. I know Arthur and Molly will definitely not
side with us. Fred and George… they may be the mischievous ones but they care
about their family. Between me and their family, I’m pretty sure they would
pick their family.”
 
“Some relationships are deeper than blood.” Voldemort stared at Harry as he
reminded him, “All hope is not lost.”
 
“Perhaps.” Harry shrugged as he commented, “If they choose me, I will accept
them with open arms. If not, I won’t be surprised.”
 
Harry finally turned to stare at Voldemort as he explained, “They think Ron
will come around. I know Ron will come around. He might be a bit thick at times
but he’s a good person. He’s a child and children are bound to make mistakes.
This is just one of them.”
 
“You are a child as well.” Voldemort reminded him, making Harry smile
sardonically.
 
“Yes but I am not…” Harry debated slightly over his next word for a few seconds
before finally finishing, “… normal.”
 
“You don’t have to be.” Voldemort commented, making Harry tilt his head
slightly to the side in silent question. Voldemort shrugged as he said, “Being
normal is dull.”
 
Harry grinned and agreed, “Yeah. Normal is boring.”
Chapter End Notes
     The Disney animation of Sleeping Beauty was released in 1959 while
     Mary Poppins was released in 1964.
     I hope this sates a few of you guys who wanted the twins to be part
     of Harry’s ‘court’. I do have plans for the twins (kinda) but I’m
     gonna hush hush about what they are for now.
     But hey, at least, Harry finally knows about the dragons XD
     By the way, I uploaded a Batman-inspired Superhero Vigilante AU one-
     shot today as well. I swear it was not because of SvB. It was
     actually because of The Prestige… weirdly enough.
***** An Eventful Breakfast *****
Chapter Summary
     Theodore was eating breakfast and conversing with Daphne’s circle
     when the newspaper came
Chapter Notes
     Sorry for the late update. Work has been hectic. Hopefully it will
     slow down next week.
     ………………………. Hopefully…
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 starts of Theo’s POV because you guys… will want to know what
     happens when all hell breaks lose
     3 pretty sure I couldn’t copy Rita’s way of writing well, sorry TTATT
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Breakfast in the Great Halls had started as boring as it usually was. Theodore
kept quiet during the start of breakfast but did spend a certain amount of time
talking to Daphne about nothing of importance. The fact that he was holding a
conversation with Daphne instead of just grunting or ignoring her already spoke
much of the sudden shift of the power balance in their year. Just by talking to
her, every snake had realized that he was now supporting Daphne Greengrass.
Malfoy actually looked betrayed by Theodore’s actions. He supposed it made
sense. He and the Malfoy heir had been… close acquaintances. He would say they
were friends but Slytherins did not have friends. They had allies and minions,
never friends. As far as Theodore was concern, Daphne and Zabini were his
allies and he was theirs.
 
So Theodore politely talked to them. Zabini tried to bait him and he politely
told him to shove off.
 
Daphne had simply looked amused at the two of them.
 
The rest of Daphne’s supporters tried to talk to Theodore during the middle of
breakfast when Theodore had begun poking his mashed potato in complete boredom.
He knew that he was becoming a sort of outcast in the Slytherin hierarchy due
to his ‘relationship’ with Harry Potter but, by showing support to Daphne,
Theodore has now become part of Daphne’s ‘circle’, so to speak. Due to this,
the three Slytherin girls supporting Daphne tried conversing with him. Tracey
Davis even had the galls to say that she liked Theodore more because he was a
gentleman, not like Zabini who she called ‘the creepy cousin you always try to
avoid during family reunions’. That comment actually made Theodore snort. Since
pure-bloods tend to marry other pure-bloods, it won’t really be a surprised if
Zabini was really someone’s ‘creepy cousin’. Zabini only took it in stride and
pretended to be hurt in an overly dramatic manner.
 
Their circle had begun a casual debate over the best time to have a gala with
Tracey passionately supporting Yule while Zabini was debating for Ostara.
Theodore had taken Zabini’s side since he had always enjoyed the smaller Ostara
parties. Whenever someone talks about Yule parties, the first thing that
Theodore would always think about was the famous Malfoy Yule ball which was
both too grand and too big for Theodore’s taste. It was when Theodore had been
the one debating with Tracey while Zabini just watched them in amusement that
the owls began flying in.
 
The thing about the Daily Prophet newspaper was that every subscription was
sent at the same time. The used of a very specific timed spell would release
all owls carrying the newspaper at the same time. This meant that it was normal
for thousands of owls to leave the Daily Prophet owlery every day and it was
also normal for all the Daily Prophet owls to join the personal owls in
invading the middle of breakfast in Hogwarts.
 
Newspapers were dropped unceremoniously on the table, charmed with a liquid,
fire and other common paper damaging material repellent charms. Most Slytherins
would get a copy of the Daily Prophet as well as the Ravenclaws. The one with
least subscriptions were the lions who would usually huddle together to read
one instead of just doing the more sensible thing and get their own
subscription. Theodore’s copy of the Daily Prophet dropped on his poor mashed
potato. It made a splattering sound that Theodore took as a sign that he was
done eating breakfast. Right in front of him, Zabini managed to grab Daphne’s
copy of the Daily Prophet in mid drop, saving Daphne’s cup of tea, in exchange
of sacrificing his own omelette to the same fate as Theodore’s mashed potato.
 
The first sound to come from the snake’s table was the audible gasp of Pansy
Parkinson, followed by the loud whispering coming from the eagle’s table. The
rest of the Slytherins who mostly thought it was more pressing to finish their
breakfast than read the news finally looked at their own copy after hearing one
loud Gryffindor shout, “Harry’s in the Daily Prophet!!!”
 
Instead of reading more amusing stories at the expense of the Boy-Who-Lived,
the entire Slytherin table turned deadly pale and silent as they read the front
cover of today’s Daily Prophet.
 
The Boy-Who-Lived meets You-Know-Who’s Secret Son
 
The horrible unimaginative title was followed by:
 
A look at the not so perfect life of two unfortunate souls
 
Theodore wanted to gag but refrained from doing so. He quickly skimmed through
the entire newspaper. The entire thing was filled with stories about his Little
Lord and his Lord. He returned to the front page and tried reading Rita
Skeeter’s article.
 
The weekly outings to Hogsmeade are usually for the relaxation of the students
after a week of study. A day to walk the quiet streets of the magical town near
their lovely school and just be the sweet innocent children they were.
 
It was during this day of relaxation that the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry James
Potter, was seen conversing with an older wizard by the name of Marvolo
Slytherin, the son of You-Know-Who.
 
Now, my dear readers, I know it might come as a shock to read such a thing.
You-Know-Who has a son? Even I, your humble writer, had been surprised to hear
about this dashing young man’s true heritage. How could I not be? Marvolo
Slytherin had been nothing but a gentleman the entire time he was in Harry
Potter’s presence.
 
Theodore had to admit. The magical picture of Harry and Marvolo on the front
page did bring a good light to Marvolo. It was taken from Three Broomsticks
Inn. They were leaning towards one another, their shoulders bumping with
Marvolo smiling in obvious merit while Harry was grinning. Both of them didn’t
look like they were planning world domination or anything nefarious and more
like they were talking about something funny. Theodore won’t be surprised if
that something funny happened to be at the expense of someone else.
 
And he did not hide the fact that he was the son of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
The moment they met, Marvolo Slytherin had introduced who he really was to our
dear Harry Potter.
 
Theodore had to bite his bottom lip. He was there when that supposed cat was
out of the bag and it was more of his Little Lord pretty much being blunt than
the supposed Dark Lord’s son being honest.
 
Did you know what our dear Saviour said to him?
 
Instead of shunning him or even cursing him, sweet young Harry simply smiled
and introduced himself.
 
By this time, Theodore was almost trying very hard not to comment out loud.
 
Harry and Marvolo spent the entire day together, getting to know one another.
What could they talk about, you might ask. Well, my dear readers, I am here to
report the truth and the truth itself is so astonishing that this humble writer
could rarely believe it!
 
It seemed that we have been fooled for so long!
 
Harry Potter confided to Marvolo Slytherin that he had been forced to
participating in the Triwizard Tournament against his free will!
 
When I heard of this, I confess, I was sceptical. You might remember my
previous coverage of the tournament and how Harry Potter had seemed to be
thriving and enjoying this tournament, even going as far as bending the rules
to be able to participate.
 
Oh, my dear readers, I have been so wrong!
 
It seemed that dear Harry Potter had been forced into participating after some
unknown person had the audacity of putting his name in the cup without Mister
Potter’s knowledge. This young innocent fourteen
 
At least, the damn reporter finally got Little Lord’s age right.
 
boy was now forced to participate in this dreadful tournament and everyone
assume that he had done it himself. Can you imagine just how that would make
him feel? Knowing he did nothing wrong yet we all assume he was at the wrong?
 
My dear readers, I must confess. My heart broke when I heard Mister Potter talk
to Mister Slytherin about his current predicament and how he believes, and I
quote, “They already antagonize me and I supposedly saved them when I was a
baby.”
 
Who do we blame for such cruel words leaving the Boy-Who-Lived but ourselves
for not trusting him and simply injecting our own ideas to this poor
misunderstood
 
Theodore couldn’t read anymore. He quickly skimmed through the rest of the
story as it continued to make Little Lord look like a cute abused puppy which
has been kicked so many times while painting a mysterious air towards his Lord.
The article barely even talked about how Marvolo was now Harry’s coach, instead
focusing on how quickly Harry and Marvolo ‘bonded’ over Magical Britain’s
treatment over them. The rest of the paper was dedicated to other smaller
articles concerning Harry and Marvolo. There was even a separate article about
Marvolo Slytherin. Theodore quickly skimmed through that one. It was a simple
informative article of Marvolo Slytherin’s background. He was a Durmstrang
graduate, son of You-Know-Who and an unnamed pure-blood witch who died in
childbirth, a ward of House Nott and well known as one of the best duellist in
his class. They even managed to get small interviews from other Durmstrang
graduates to collaborate Marvolo Slytherin’s background.
 
“He was usually quiet, quite a loner. Can’t say I can blame him though. But
honestly? He’s probably one of politest person I ever known. He didn’t mind
helping the younger years too. Always had a penchant for teaching, I think.”
 
“He was quiet and I don’t think he really had any friends, you know? But he was
always helpful if you asked. Never saw him turn down anyone who wanted to be
tutored. Always thought he would be a professor. He certainly would have made
some of our professors a run for their money.”
 
“Mister Slytherin wasn’t close to anyone but everyone knew him. It was hard not
to considering his background but everyone respected his privacy. He wasn’t one
for rowdy conversations or even pranking. He was a very studious person and he
also had a talent for teaching. I was quite surprised to hear he had been
traveling the world instead of applying for a teaching position here in
Durmstrang. We would have been more than glad to have him.”
 
Theodore almost choked when he read one interesting interview from Victor Krum
himself.
 
“I have not known Marvolo that long since he was years ahead of me but he was
one of the people who tutored me when I had problems with the more complex
subjects. He’s polite and honest but he always kept his distance. I don’t think
he ever had a close friend.”
 
Theodore skipped the rest of the small comments, mentally wondering how his
Lord managed to get Durmstrang students, graduates and faculty members to lie
for him. A quick glance around showed him that every member of Durmstrang were
silently reading the paper while every Beauxbatons were whispering to one
another, similar to their own eagles. Theodore lowered his head once more to
read and his eyes widened when he read the article on the fourth page.
 
Boy-Who-Lived is actually Boy-Unloved?!
 
Theodore’s jaw slackened as he quickly skimmed the small article. It was by
Rita Skeeter and she started with apologizing to the readers how small the
article was and said it was because she only had a few hours to research about
this tip but she believed everyone should know as soon as possible. Theodore
could only read in confusion and disbelief as Rita began talking how a certain
quote his Little Lord had mentioned about not understanding love made her dig a
little deeper to the Boy-Who-Lived’s past.
 
And what did I learn? Why, our dear saviour was raised by his muggle relatives
who hated magic! I could not believe it myself, my dear readers, but it only
took me a few minutes to talk to Harry Potter’s supposed guardian, his aunt,
and she called him a freak and that he was, and, as painful as this was to
write down, I quote “My family is a perfectly normal family! He’s a freak like
all the rest of you and we never wanted him in the first place! We tried
beating it out of him but it wouldn’t go away!”
 
My dear readers, I will do my very best to get to the bottom of this. If his
aunt, the woman who shared his blood, looked at him with such disgust, just how
sure are we that Dumbledore’s words to us in the past that our dear saviour was
in safe loving hands was really true?    
 
I think we can all agree that we must all find out the truth of what has
happened to Harry Potter. It is our duty as responsible wizards and witches.
 
Theodore closed the newspaper, quickly glancing around him. Draco and his
circle were whispering softly at one another. Pansy looked hysterical while
Draco was hissing in anger. His own circle was whispering softly to one another
as well and Zabini looked like he was trying to calm them down while Daphne
continued to read in silence. Over at the Gryffindor table, the mudblood was
reading the paper with the same intensity as Daphne. The youngest Weasley boy
was loudly talking to the rest of his Gryffindor year-mates about how Rita
Skeeter was a liar and should not be taken seriously. The Weasley girl was
staring intently at the front page with wide eyes and shaking hands. She looked
ready to hyperventilate or faint. Theodore turned his attention towards the
teacher’s table who were whispering among themselves. McGonagall looked worried
while Snape looked so pale Theodore actually thought he might already be dead.
Even Dumbledore looked surprised; staring at the front page with a look that
seemed both like he was seeing a ghost and a strange unknown creature that only
Luna Lovegood would probably know. McGonagall kept trying to catch his
attention, her paper folded to the article about Marvolo Slytherin. Theodore
didn’t know what she was worried about but she kept pointing at what Theodore
assumed to be Marvolo Slytherin’s portrait from Durmstrang.
 
Dumbledore’s brows furrowed and he got up, whispering to McGonagall for a few
seconds before turning to look at Moody. Moody immediately nodded and got up,
leaving the Great Hall through the side door near the teacher’s table, while
Dumbledore turned his stare towards Snape. It took a moment before Snape met
his eyes and Dumbledore nodded before leaving through the same side door.
McGonagall immediately followed him. Snape waited for a few minutes before
standing up and walking towards the door. Theodore continued to discreetly
watch the rest of the teachers as they read the paper with varying degrees of
surprise and disbelief. Theodore’s observation came to a halt when Daphne
closed her copy and got up. Everyone in the snake’s table turned to look at her
as she walked towards the lion’s table with a blank pure-blood mask hiding the
dignity of a pure-blood witch out for blood.
 
Daphne stopped right in front of Hermione and showed her copy of the prophet as
she asked, “Is this true?”
 
Hermione looked too surprised to answer her which prompted Ron answer for her
in righteous fury, “Of course not! Skeeter always lies!”
 
Daphne turned to glare at Ron as she asked, “So Harry Potter was not abused by
his muggle relatives?”
 
Everyone’s eyes now turned towards the Gryffindor’s table, staring intently at
the three. Ron seemed lost at words, opening his mouth but not uttering a
single sound. Hermione gripped her own copy of the newspaper as she whispered,
“We-we didn’t know it was this serious. He-he-he never told us they bea-beat
him…”
 
Daphne turned to glare at her as she asked, “Do you really think a person who
has spent his entire life being beaten would tell people about it?”
 
Ron looked frustrated and angry as he shouted, “He should have told us! We’re
his friends!”
 
“Friends?” Daphne hissed the word, turning to glare at Ron as she hissed,
“You’ve been friends with him for four years and you never saw the signs? You
never noticed how different he is? I’ve only known Harry personally for a week
and I could see how he would keep his distance from everyone and how he seemed
to pull away from physical contact. Just how blind are you that you could not
see him for who he really is? Are you all so self-centred that you cannot see
what was right in front of you the whole time?”
 
At those words, Hermione began crying, covering her face as she sobbed. Ron
looked at the table as he stuttered weakly, his own eyes glistening, “I-I… I
never… He never…”
 
Daphne glared at her Gryffindor year-mates as she hissed, “And you call
yourselves the defender of good and justice.”
 
With that horrible damage done in the face of the entire Hogwarts populace,
Daphne walked out of the Great Hall. Zabini immediately went after her,
followed closely by the three girls. Tracey grabbed Theodore on her way,
dragging him out of the Great Hall and missing how tears fell from the youngest
Weasley as she whispered, “Tom…”
 
The three girls and Theodore managed to catch up to Zabini. Together, they
managed to catch up to Daphne who looked like she was walking towards the
Gryffindor tower. Zabini began walking next to her while the rest walked behind
them. Theodore was fine walking behind them since he didn’t really care if he
looked like he was follower instead of a leader like Daphne or an advisor like
Zabini.
 
“Impressive acting, my dear.” Zabini complemented playfully as he kept a
straight face.
 
“Did you see how easily they crumpled?” Daphne whispered giddily while keeping
her face expressionless, “That was so fun.”
 
“Little Lord would approve.” Theodore commented, making Daphne turn around and
smile happily at Theodore.
 
“Will he really?” Daphne asked, taking a step towards Theodore. Theodore
instinctively took a step back, “Was my actions correct? I mean, I wasn’t sure
if Rita Skeeter’s articles were part of their plan but I-“
 
“Oh? It’s out already?” A bored voice asked, making Daphne turn around.
 
Zabini bowed slightly while Daphne curtsied slightly as they greeted, “My
Lord.”
 
In contrast, Theodore only smiled and nodded as he greeted, “Good morning,
Little Lord.”
 
Harry nodded back at Theodore and greeted back casually, “’Morning, Theo.”
 
Harry turned to look at the two leading Slytherins and reminded them, “I told
you not to do that.”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow as he saw the three girls behind the two Slytherins. A
pleasant smile appeared on Daphne’s face as she informed him, “They are my
comrades, My Lord, and I believe you would find them to your approval.”
 
Harry’s lips curved into a small amused smirk as he said, “We’ll see about
that. Have they been briefed?”
 
“Only that I and Blaise have sworn our loyalty to you, My Lord.” Daphne
immediately replied, walking next to Harry while Harry made his way towards
another corridor. Zabini fell behind Daphne while Theodore took Harry’s other
side. The three girls silently followed the four as Daphne asked politely, “May
I ask a personal question, My Lord?”
 
Harry shrugged as he nonchalantly permitted, “Sure, go ahead.”
 
“Were you truly abused by your muggle relatives?” Everyone stopped when Harry
suddenly halted. Harry turned to stare at Daphne, making the pure-blood heir
stand straighter.
 
“Why are you asking that?” Harry asked with a blank expression on his face.
 
“Rita Skeeter wrote a small article implying you had been abused.” Daphne
offered her copy of the newspaper to Harry, the paper already folded to show
the small article she had used to attack the Gryffindors.
 
Harry took the paper from her and quickly read the small article. He snorted
before drawling, “I’m surprised my dear aunt even bothered answering the door.”
 
Daphne remained calm as she asked, “So it is true?”
 
Harry returned the paper to Daphne and began walking once more, making the rest
of the Slytherins follow him. Harry began ascending the stairs to the owlery as
he replied in a disinterested tone, “Yes, they did try to beat the freakiness
out of me. They still do sometimes but it’s mostly my cousin and his gang who
tries. It’s mostly just my uncle slamming me into walls or into my room now.”
 
Everyone was surprised by that admission and was even more surprised when Harry
continued in the same uninterested tone, “They also treat me like their
personal house-elf. I’m sure Rita would find that out soon enough.”
 
Harry hummed as he commented in an absent manner, “My uncle’s probably going to
beat me once he learned about that. Maybe do his usual ‘lock-me-in-my-room-
without-food-for-days’ routine. He’s not really creative.”
 
Harry entered the owlery and smiled when he noticed someone already inside the
owlery so he greeted, “Good morning, my dear.”
 
Luna smiled dreamily at him as she curtsied, “A pleasant morning to you, My
Lord.”
 
Harry walked towards Luna, his smile brightening when he saw Hedwig was already
perched on Luna’s shoulder. Harry rubbed Hedwig’s neck as he cooed, “Hello, my
girl. I see you’ve met my new puppy.”
 
Hedwig preened against his rubbing. Harry continued showering Hedwig with
affection as he asked, “Did the Nargles also tell you to go here?”
 
“Oh yes. They were whispering so many things to me this morning.” Luna turned
towards the Slytherins by the door for a moment before turning to Harry and
congratulating him, “Congratulations on your new knights, My Lord.”
 
Harry grinned at Luna as he joked, “I might have to owl-order green ribbons
soon.”
 
Luna’s smile turned more playful as she suggested, “And perhaps a cute uniform
to go with it?”
 
Harry snickered as he whispered conspiratorially, “Maybe I’ll get robes more
dreadful than Dumbledore’s.”
 
Luna giggled and whispered back, “Lord Slytherin will not be pleased.”
 
Harry grinned as he whispered, “He already is.”
 
Harry tied the letter he had been hiding to Hedwig’s leg before whispering,
“Get this to Theonel Nott as fast as you can, okay, girl?”
 
Hedwig hooted energetically at him, happy to finally have something to deliver.
Harry chuckled and petted Hedwig one last time before taking a step back.
Hedwig flapped her wings twice before hovering off Luna’s shoulder. Hedwig
hooted at Harry once more then flew out of the window. Both Harry and Luna
stared at the window Hedwig had chosen to fly out of as Harry asked, “How did
everyone take the news?”
 
“The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were in an uproar.” Daphne informed him
calmly, “The Ravenclaws were more subdued but even they had fallen prey to
whispering too loudly. Slytherins were also in an uproar but we kept it to a
bare minimum.”
 
“Except Malfoy and his circle.” Zabini added with amusement.
 
Millicent giggled before adding gleefully, “Pansy was hysterical.”
 
Harry turned to raise an eyebrow at Millicent. Zabini smiled sweetly as he
explained, “Forgive her, My Lord. Millicent and Pansy have never seen eye-to-
eye before.”
 
Millicent sneered, “She thinks she’s above us because she’s a Parkinson.”
 
“Well you better learn to try and get along with her since we’re planning on
taking her to Daphne’s side.” Harry casually ordered with a smile before asking
Zabini, “Isn’t that right, my dear Cassanova?”
 
Zabini bowed as he replied with a predatory smirk, “My Lord’s command is
absolute.”
 
Millicent actually had the decency to blush in embarrassment. She stared at the
floor as she mumbled, “I shall do my best, M-My Lord.”
 
Harry waved her off as he said, “Don’t worry about it. I’m not a real fan of
having underlings anyway. As far as I’m concern, you three are Daphne’s
lackeys-“
 
“Allies, My Lord.” Daphne corrected with a pleasant smile.
 
Harry grinned as he said, “Right, Allies. I stand corrected.”
 
Harry cleared his throat before saying, “As much as I enjoy talking to all of
you, isn’t it about time you all scurry towards your first class?”
 
Tracey gasped and she shouted, “Merlin, I almost forgot! We have potions
first!”
 
Harry grinned as he said, “You guys should get going before Snape swoops in and
bathe in your blood.”
 
“Will you not be joining?” Daphne asked, making Harry shake his head with a
smile.
 
“Nah. I’m going to skivvy the entire day.” Harry’s smile turned to a grin as he
informed them, “If anyone ask, just say I’m hiding from everyone because of the
newspaper.”
 
“As you wish, My Lord.” Daphne bowed.
 
Harry patted Luna’s head and ordered softly, “Go with Daphne and the others for
now, my dear.”
 
“Will you be joining us for lunch?” Luna asked yet Harry could see in her
pretty blue eyes she already knew the answer to her question.
 
“Perhaps. We will have to see.” Harry grinned and patted Luna’s cheek as he
added, “Give his dear eagle my love if I don’t, okay?”
 
Luna giggled and nodded, “I shall endeavour to do so, My Lord.”
 
Luna happily skipped towards the Slytherins and stopped next to Theodore. She
linked their arms and smiled at Theodore who smiled politely back. Theodore
turned towards Harry and finally informed him, “I have tried observing
everyone’s reactions. I could make it a pensieve memory so you may view it.”
 
Harry grinned at Theodore as he commented, “You know me too well, Theo.”
 
“It is my duty as your knight to ensure your happiness, Little Lord.” Theodore
replied with a bow, making Harry chuckle.
 
“I’m looking forward to watching it later.” Harry said with a big grin on his
face.
 
When she noticed Theodore didn’t say anything back, Daphne stated, “Then we
shall be off, My Lord. Please excuse us.”
 
Harry waved his hand in a dismissing manner. The boys bowed while the girls
curtsied. They started leaving the owlery but stopped when Harry said, “I would
love to talk to your circle more, Daphne. Perhaps while drinking tea and eating
Treacle Tarts…”
 
Daphne smiled at him and replied, “I will plan it as soon as possible, My
Lord.”
 
Harry smirked at her but no longer said anything. Zabini was the first to
leave, followed immediately by Tracey and Millicent. Before the third girl
left, Harry called out, “Hey, quiet one.”
 
The young girl with shoulder length auburn hair and dark brown eyes stopped and
turned towards Harry, amusing Harry for knowing immediately he meant her.
Everyone else stared at her. Harry tilted his head as he admitted without a
hint of embarrassment or shame, “I forgot your name.”
 
The girl looked at the floor as she informed him shyly, “My name is Lily Moon,
My Lord.”
 
“Lily.” Harry tested the name on his lips, humming for a moment. Harry shrugged
and gave the meek girl his Tom Riddle smile as he greeted, “It’s nice to meet
you, Lily.”
 
Lily’s cheeks reddened and she stuttered, “T-t-the pleasure is all mine, My
Lord.”
 
“You don’t mind if I call you Lils, do you?” Harry’s lips turned a bit softer
as he said, “It’s kinda hard for me to call you by the same name my late mother
had.”
 
Lils’ eyes widened more a moment before she hastily replied, “It’s no problem
at all, My Lord! I-in fact, I li-like the name!”
 
It always amused Harry how easy it was to get what he wants if he played the
‘Dead Parents’ card.
 
“Thank you for understanding.” Harry said with the same Tom Riddle smile,
making the poor girl look incredible red.
 
Feeling sorry for the girl, Daphne linked her arms around Lils’ own and
reminded her, “Come along now, Lils. We’ll be late for class.”
 
“Ye-yes. O-of course.” Lils nodded in embarrassment, letting Daphne drag her
away from that sinful smile.
 
Theodore shook his head in amusement and led Luna out as well, leaving Harry
alone in the owlery. Harry continued to stare at the door leading to the
staircase out of the owlery as he hissed, “ << Well, it seems your plan is
working. >> ”
 
“ << Yes. >> “ Harry was amused to hear how the ‘s’ sound get dragged into a
hissing sound as Voldemort continued, “ << But this is only the beginning. I
hope you are ready for more acting later, my dear. >> “
 
Harry raised an eyebrow as he asked, “ << What are you planning now? >> “
 
“ << I promise we will spend more time finding a way for you to deal with your
first task but I will have a surprise for you later. >> “ Voldemort’s
disembodied voice sounded too amused and smug for comfort, “ << But I shall
keep it a secret for now. You need to be honestly surprised for it to work. >>
“
 
Harry snorted as he commented, “ << I highly doubt you can surprise me more
than I have already been today. >> “
 
Voldemort’s laughter held a hissing tone to it and Harry wondered if Voldemort
sounding more ‘snakey’ than usual was a sign that he was having fun. Harry
shivered when he felt Voldemort’s breath right by his ear as the invisible man
whispered, “ << I shall take that as a challenge, my dear fiancé. >> “
Chapter End Notes
     Kudos to itachisgurl193 for mentioning Lily Moon. Since the girl’s
     still unnamed officially, I’ll be using Lily Moon (a canon year-mate
     of Harry whose House is unknown) instead.
     I know a lot of you guys have been waiting for this. I do hope
     Dumbledore’s reaction wasn’t a disappointment. Honestly, that’s how I
     think canon!Dumbledore would react to suddenly reading all the
     articles.
     If it’s not enough, please do remember that they’re most probably
     having a secret meeting… with ‘Moody’ present. XD
***** 1st Task Planning *****
Chapter Summary
     Marvolo and Harry hang out in a café. Kinda...
Chapter Notes
     Just a warning, something came up and I need to go to our province
     later this week so I might not be able to update next week. MIGHT.
     There still exist a possibility but I'm not going to promise
     anything. Sorry.
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Voldemort is back to being Marvolo in the narration again… for a
     bit
     3 More non-canon magic theory stuff
     PS: I just found out this person:
     https://www.quotev.com/vertxgo
     is uploading all of Harry Potter fics. Let's be clear. I'm cool if
     you wanna translate my works as long as:
     1. You credit me as the writer and add the AO3 link. Not make it your
     own (dude, that's not cool.)
     2. You tell me if you wanna translate it so I can paste the link of
     your translation here.
     But reposting and making it your own? Dude. Not cool. Please don't.
     I mean, I can't believe I have to write this. I had assumed people to
     be mature enough not to do something like that but, apparently, I do
     have to. I am now giving you my forced "god-I-am-so-sick-of-humanity"
     smile. Congratulations.
     Since you've reposted all my works, I'm gonna post this in my notes
     so everyone who reads it here sees it because I'm petty like that. XD
     I have actually become good enough to get reposted without
     permission. Yay. Stop it.
     Write your own story. Who knows, you might be a better writer than
     me.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Theonel’s reply came half an hour later and it was mildly surprising to see the
familiar neat handwriting of Tom Riddle with the simple line of “Meeting place,
10 am”.
 
Before Harry could react, Voldemort had covered him with his Invisibility Cloak
and both of them traversed the halls of Hogwarts, managing to not run into any
professors or Flitch since class was still on-going.
 
They only had half an hour till 10 to get out of Hogwarts and they managed to
reach the Whomping Willow without any real problems. They remained in
comfortable silence the entire way to the Shrieking Shack where Voldemort took
off the Invisibility Cloak on Harry.  Harry turned to where Voldemort had been
standing as Voldemort’s disembodied voice ordered, “Stay here and wait for me.”
 
“Don’t you mean Marvolo?” Harry asked with a grin. His grin faltered when
Voldemort did not reply and he felt Voldemort’s eyes on him.
 
It took a few seconds before Voldemort finally answered, “Yes. Wait for
Marvolo.”
 
Harry heard the soft sounds of Voldemort’s footsteps, emitting creaks at some
of the more dubious wood on the floor. Harry remained quiet, letting the slow
disappearance of his magical core guide him to the distance between him and
Voldemort. Harry leaned against the wall, not even bothered by the way the
shack creaked against his weight. He closed his eyes and began to hum the same
tune Luna always hummed. He wasn’t sure how long he was waiting but his hum
slowly turned to a song with words he didn’t understand. There were some words
which sounded like English, French and other languages Harry was unfamiliar
with. It almost sounded like the entire song was composed of different
languages meshed together.
 
He could feel his magic begin to slowly leave his core but he had been too
immersed with the song that he didn’t stop. It felt as if he was actually
pulling something closer to him and he had a strong feeling that it wasn’t
Voldemort.
 
It was only when his magic finally returned to its original state did he
stopped, opening his eyes. He turned to look at the door and saw Marvolo
leaning against the doorway, staring at him with a thoughtful look on his face.
They stared at each other for a few seconds before Marvolo finally said, “I
apologize for intruding.”
 
Harry shrugged as he replied, “If you didn’t, I’d probably repeat the same song
over and over again until I lose my voice.”
 
“I’ve never heard such a language before.” Marvolo admitted, walking towards
Harry. Marvolo stopped right in front of Harry and observed the boy with
obvious interest as he commented, “Some of the words I recognized as French,
Scottish Gaelic and Italian. Perhaps even Portuguese, Japanese and Spanish but
I can’t be quite sure.”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow as he asked, “You recognized that much?”
 
Marvolo shrugged as he commented, “Traveling the world exposed me to many
languages.”
 
Marvolo paused for a moment as he lowered his head. Harry blinked when Marvolo
kept his eyes glued to the floor and lowered his head to look at whatever
suddenly got Marvolo’s reaction. Harry blinked when he saw a piece of wood
between them had a bud growing out of it. It looked so out of place with its
vibrant green colour and Harry was sure it wasn’t there before but Harry didn’t
have time to wonder where such a thing could have come from because Marvolo
suddenly continued, “I will not say I am fluent at all of them but I can handle
conversation quite well without the help of a translation charm.”
 
Harry raised his head to stare at Marvolo, seeing the man was now staring at
him once more. He smirked as he commented playfully, “Sounds like a prodigy to
me.”
 
Marvolo’s own smirk was too smug to be an act. Harry chuckled lightly before
taking a step forward. The shack creaked once more and Harry shuddered as he
suggested, “Let’s go outside.”
 
Marvolo took a step to the side and bowed lightly as he said, “After you.”
 
Harry grinned at the gentleman action and replied as he walked past Marvolo,
“Why thank you.”
 
Marvolo followed Harry out of the shack as he asked, “May I ask where you have
learned such a song?”
 
Harry shrugged, shivering slightly when they got out of the shack and into the
cold breeze of Hogsmeade. Marvolo removed his dark reddish brown outer robes
and placed it on Harry’s shoulders, making Harry sigh as the warming charm
battled the harsh breeze around them. He turned to look at Marvolo, smiling
slightly when he saw that the man didn’t even seem to notice the cold. He most
probably already casted another warming charm around him. Harry continued to
stare at him as he finally replied, “I don’t know. I didn’t even know I knew
the lyrics to that song before I began singing it.”
 
Marvolo stared at him silently for a few moments and Harry knew that it wasn’t
Marvolo anymore. Voldemort was staring at him and he didn’t know what was going
on in the older wizard’s mind right now.
 
A few weeks ago, that fact would have made Harry wary. Right now, it simply
made him curious.
 
He wanted to know what Voldemort was thinking.
 
How strange…
 
“I simply think it’s curious that you would remember a song with such
interesting lyrics.” Marvolo suddenly explained and Harry knew that the man was
actually answering his internal musing.
 
Harry took a step forward and asked, “Why would it be such a curious thing?”
 
Marvolo smiled slightly as he replied, “I admit, I think I find most things
about you quite curious.”
 
“You do?” Harry asked, tilting his head slightly.
 
“Yes.” Marvolo nodded, taking a step forward towards him, their faces just a
few inches away as he explained, “You are a very fascinating person. Your mind
works so different from others and I find myself feeling… relaxed in your
presence.”
 
“Why do I get the feeling that you don’t normally feel relax around people?”
Harry whispered, staring at Marvolo’s eyes and finding that he was missing
those familiar red eyes.
 
“Do you?” Marvolo asked back, making Harry’s lips curved into a sardonic smile.
 
“I never did feel relaxed enough with other people.” Harry admitted, “I always
wonder when the ball is going to drop.”
 
Harry slowly grazed his fingers against Marvolo’s own as he mused out loud,
“What makes you so different? Why do I always feel so relaxed around you?”
 
Marvolo’s head lowered slowly, obliterating the gap between their lips in such
a slow pace it was almost torture. Marvolo stopped just an inch from Harry’s
lips, making Harry shiver as he whispered, “This isn’t normal, is it?”
 
“No, it’s not.” Harry whispered back, biting his bottom lip. He grinded his
upper teeth against his lip for a moment before he asked, “It’s strange I don’t
want you to stop.”
 
Marvolo chuckled softly as he whispered with an amused tone, “You’re attracted
to me.”
 
Harry finally took a step back as he retorted with the same amusement in his
tone, “I can say the same to you.”
 
Marvolo smirked at him as he replied, “Yes, I am.”
 
Harry didn’t have the time to reply to that because Marvolo suddenly offered
his hand as he asked, “Have you tried side-apparating before?”
 
Harry shook his head but took Marvolo’s hand as he commented with an amused
tone, “I haven’t but I feel like I won’t like it as well. For some reason,
magical people’s way of transportation is always so… uncomfortable to me.”
 
Marvolo chuckled and pulled Harry gently towards him. He stared at Harry’s eyes
as he admitted, “A lot of people would feel queasy when apparating but they
usually get used to it.”
 
“Like floo and portkeys?” Harry asked with a sarcastic grin.
 
“Yes, very much like those.” Marvolo replied before placing his free hand on
Harry’s waist. Before Harry could say anything, he suddenly felt something akin
to that time when he had accidently used his magic to teleport to the roof of
their school to get away from Dudley and his gang.
 
The entire experience only lasted a second yet Harry’s stomach and head felt
like they had been in one wild rollercoaster ride with too much loops. Harry
pretty much lost his balance and the only thing keeping him from sprawling head
first on the ground was Marvolo’s hands on his waist and his hand. Harry
blinked a couple of times before finally becoming lucid enough to notice they
were in a magical community not that very different from Diagon Alley. The
entire alley was buzzing with numerous conversations in a language Harry did
not understand. There were many bat and dragon decorations as well. There was
even a shop with its front window filled with small moving dragons of different
shapes and sizes. It took a moment before Harry realized that the miniature
dragons were made of colourful fabric and not actual small dragons.
 
Harry continued to stare at the dragons and he tilted his head as he asked,
“Where are we?”
 
“Romania.” Marvolo’s answer only made Harry’s eyes widen and he turned to stare
at Marvolo.
 
“Romania?” Harry repeated, his voice a pitch higher than usual. Marvolo seemed
to find that amusing as he began walking, dragging Harry by their entwined
fingers. Harry curiously looked around the bustling foreign magical community
as he asked, “You actually teleported us to Romania?”
 
Marvolo turned his head back to smirk at Harry as a reply, making Harry burst
out laughing as he ran towards Marvolo. He pressed his body against Marvolo’s
arm as he commented, “You are a very strange man.”
 
“Am I?” Marvolo asked with mirth dancing in his eyes as he led Harry towards
one of the more secluded cafes.
 
Harry nodded as he commented, “Normal people don’t suddenly kidnap minors and
take them to Romania.”
 
Marvolo chuckled and leaned towards Harry, whispering softly, “It can’t be
kidnap when you’re willing.”
 
Harry’s grin grew while a woman wearing the café’s uniform approached them.
Marvolo spoke in a foreign language Harry did not understand but, if he had to
guess, it was most probably Romanian. The woman nodded at both of them and led
them towards the back of the café. Harry looked around curiously, finding it
interesting that the theme of the café were dragons of different origins.
 
The woman opened a mahogany door and stepped to the side, bowing slightly at
Marvolo and Harry. Marvolo nodded once while telling the woman something before
leading Harry inside.
 
Harry’s eyes widened when he noticed all four walls of the room he was ushered
inside were filled with books from top to bottom.
 
Dear Merlin. If Hermione was here, she would probably have lit up like a
commercial Christmas tree.
 
The door closed behind Marvolo and the older wizard wandlessly and non-verbally
ended his glamour, his eerie red eyes focused on the young wizard currently
walking from one bookcase to another, simply reading the title of each book.
Voldemort walked towards the centre of the room where a comfortable couch and a
round table were located. The carpet underneath was soft and pillows were
scattered all over the carpet and couch. Voldemort grabbed the menu on the
table as he asked, “Is there anything specific you would like to have for
lunch?”
 
Harry finally turned to face Voldemort and his eyes widened when he saw that
Voldemort had removed his glamour, making him exclaim, “You removed your
glamour!”
 
Voldemort continued to stare at the menu in his hands as he explained
dismissively, “This is a private room with some of the highest privacy charms
around it. Not even Dumbledore would be able to eavesdrop on us.”
 
“What about…” Harry looked around as he mumbled, “… you know…”
 
Voldemort finally raised his head to stare at Harry. It took a second before
Voldemort could understand what Harry meant by ‘you know’ and he replied, “Ah.
Miss Skeeter was not on you or me when I apparated us. Either she’ll stay in
Hogsmeade and wait for our return or she’ll be the annoying piece of garbage
that she is and try to find another scope in Hogwarts.”
 
Harry hummed before skipping towards Voldemort. Instead of standing next to
Voldemort, Harry jumped on the couch, chuckling when he bounced slightly which
only made Voldemort roll his eyes. Harry grabbed one of the pillows and hugged
it, resting his chin on the pillow as he answered Voldemort’s original
question, “Whatever you want, I guess. I’ve never had Romanian food before.”
 
Voldemort hummed, returning his attention at the menu as he sat on the couch
without any verbal response to Harry’s answer. Harry turned to the side so that
his back was against one of the couch armrest as he watched Voldemort.
Voldemort used his point finger to tap at certain locations of the menu which
Harry assumed was a name in the menu. From where he was sitting, it was a bit
hard to see the menu itself. It took only a minute for Voldemort to finish and
he placed the menu on the table. He stood at the centre of the room and raised
his hand till it was the same height as his stomach. Harry felt Voldemort’s
magic envelop the entire room, shivering without his consent as the pleasant
dark magic gently wrapping around him. Two seconds passed by in silence then
numerous books suddenly whizzed out of their respective bookcases at a
dangerous speed. They all stopped a foot away from Voldemort, floating around
him as they slowly turned continuously. Voldemort turned to face Harry and
pointed his outstretched hand towards the table. The books quickly stacked up
on top of the table while Harry quickly got off the couch and briskly walked
towards Voldemort, dodging some of the books currently on their way to the
table.
 
Harry mostly did it because he wanted to be next to Voldemort, to observe the
man as he did such magical feat without any signs of exhaustion and flawlessly.
He had also always wanted to try dodging fast things.
 
… It was pretty fun.
 
Harry stood next to Voldemort, observing the older wizard with childlike
curiosity. It was hard not to be curious about such a powerful wizard who was
willing to educate him (or would gloat be a more accurate term?).
 
“Mastering spells wandlessly and non-verbally may be difficult but the payoff
in doing such a thing greatly outweighs the time spent in mastering each
spell.” Voldemort explained, pride blossoming in him when he felt Harry’s
entire attention on him. Voldemort turned to face Harry as he explained, “While
it is easy to cast spells consecutively with a wand, one still spends time
doing the correct wand movement and saying the correct pronunciation of the
spell. It is also possible for their opponent to dodge as well as cast a shield
or a counter-spell during that time. By using wandless and non-verbal spells,
one can rapidly cast spells and surprise their opponent. Those with great
mastery over wandless and non-verbal spells may also be able to cast their
spell while announcing a different spell to confuse their opponent.”
 
Harry titled his head as he asked, “Then why don’t I see many people do it? I
mean, I only see you blatantly showing off.”
 
Dumbledore also enjoyed doing such a thing but he knew mentioning the
Headmaster will only put Voldemort in a foul mood.
 
“The official reason would be that it is hard to master. Each spell must be
mastered individually. Not everyone has the dedication or the talent for such a
long activity.” Harry could clearly hear the sarcasm in Voldemort’s tone but
remained silent as the older wizard continued, “But that is what most Ministry
of Magic propagate to their mindless flock.”
 
“So what’s the real reason?” Harry asked, staring at Voldemort curiously.
 
“They propagate it to ensure their hold over each and every one of us.”
Voldemort explained in an angry hiss, “By ensuring our dependency in our wand,
they will be able to keep us all in line. They break the wand as punishment if
we are found guilty and, without mastery over at least wandless spells, we will
be easily subdued and rendered almost a squib.”
 
Harry hummed and turned to stare at the stacks of books in front of him as he
commented, “So, in some way, they are oppressing the possibility of being
better because they needed to ensure their hold on us?”
 
“Chaining progress in the name of order…” Voldemort sneered, “It’s pathetic.”
 
“But isn’t the alternative worse?” Harry asked, turning to stare at Voldemort,
“If people learn to master wandless and nonverbal spells, it will become harder
to catch and detained them when necessary.”
 
“Only if the government and their enforcers are weak.” Voldemort hissed
passionately, “If the flock is strong then the shepherds must be stronger. We
can only protect and defend those weaker than us. Those stronger than us will
either be our greatest allies or our hardest enemies. The only way to continue
to maintain a progressing flock is to always be stronger than them.”
 
“Might is right?” Harry recalled a very famous muggle saying which only made
Voldemort roll his eyes.
 
“Might alone does not make one powerful. Might is a tool. What makes someone
right or wrong is the law and morality of their society.” Voldemort stared at
Harry’s vibrant green eyes as he continued, “I have done a lot of things that
are considered wrong by the law and the morality of our community. I will not
make any excuses for them. I will do everything in my capabilities to rule
Magical Britain.”
 
Harry observed and listened silently as Voldemort continued, “I will admit,
using force was not my first choice. I had been prepared to use my connections
and work my way up but Dumbledore and his merry bands of blind ignorant
supporters thwarted each and every carefully laid out plan we had. I was a
fool.”
 
Voldemort turned away from Harry, glaring at the floor with furious red eyes as
he admitted, “I realized that the only way to rule our community is by taking
it by force. I had become bitter and driven by rage and frustration. I
researched deeper into the most forbidden of the Dark Arts, exchanging my
sanity and rationality with more might.”
 
Voldemort’s lips curved into a grimace and he suddenly grew silent. Harry
didn’t say anything, finding the little creases in Voldemort’s mask
fascinating. His intense vibrant red eyes gave his real emotions away but it
was hard to spot. Harry was sure the only reason why he even saw it was because
he had been focusing his attention to the older wizard for days now.
 
Voldemort shook his head as he mumbled, “Now isn’t truly the time for such
thoughts.”
 
Harry hummed at that comment but did not say anything. Voldemort turned to
stare at Harry as he concluded, “Gellert Grindelwald, the Dark Lord defeated by
Dumbledore, was known for his mantra of ‘for the greater good’. I find that as
an excuse to justify his actions.”
 
“Are you not the same?” Harry finally spoke, slightly surprising Voldemort.
There was no judgment in his voice. As far as Voldemort could see, Harry was
just truly curious as he commented, “Do you not see yourself as the ‘necessary
evil’ to revolutionize this world?”
 
Voldemort’s lips curved into an amused smirk as he clarified, “We are all evil.
The ministry is evil hiding behind its power and hold over the masses.
Dumbledore is evil hiding behind the same words of ‘for the greater good’. And
I am evil.”
 
Voldemort shrugged as he continued, “I just happened to not be a coward hiding
behind anything.”
 
Harry grinned as he commented, “And thus you were given the villainous role.”
 
Voldemort countered with a roll of his eyes, “Every person in the entire world
is the protagonist of their own story, a supporting character in some and the
antagonist in the rest.”
 
“It suits you.” Harry commented with a playful grin, earning a scoff from
Voldemort.
 
Instead of continuing their current conversation, Voldemort pointed at the
stacks of books in front of them with his palm up as he explained, “These are
all the books containing all five dragons to be used in the first task.”
 
“All five?!” Harry repeated with wide eyes.
 
“Calm down.” Voldemort ordered before explaining, “Each champion will only have
to face one dragon. The dragon to be faced will be decided by the champions
drawing a miniature replica of their dragon from a bag. Each dragon has their
own characteristics and behaviour. They are also all fire-breathing female
dragons. Our best course of action is to create a general strategy that will be
effective against all five dragons so that the random factor of which dragon
you will draw will be meaningless. This general strategy should be based on
what you are good at.”
 
It took a moment before Harry connected the dots. He turned to stare at
Voldemort as he announced, "You knew."
 
"Yes, I did." Voldemort replied, making Harry's eyes narrowed when he noticed
the lack of embarrassment or guilt in Voldemort's tone.
 
Harry blinked for a moment before asking in a slightly sarcastic tone, "Where
you ever planning on telling me or where you just hoping my unnatural luck
would help me survive a dragon attack?"
 
Voldemort's brows furrowed as he replied, "I wanted to ensure that your
knowledge of the first task will be... easily believed and tracked."
 
Harry's own brows furrowed as he retorted, "What makes you think I won't
believe you if you just flat out told me?"
 
There was a second of silence between the two of them before Harry blinked and
mused, "Oh. Oh! OH!"
 
Voldemort watched with amusement as Harry clicked his point finger and thumb
together. Harry poked Voldemort on the arm as he mused out loud, "You don't
mean me! You meant Dumbledore! You wanted to make sure that Dumbledore could
track down where I would have gotten the information and believe that it was
plausible that my source would help me!"
 
Harry tilted his head to the side as he asked, "But how did you make sure Forge
and Gred will tell me?"
 
"I thought their names were George and Fred?" Voldemort asked back with a
grimace, obviously disliking the names Harry had said.
 
Harry rolled his eyes as he explained quickly, "Yeah, it's really Fred and
George but they sometimes use Forge and Gred. It's a habit I got from them."
 
Harry waved his hand dismissingly as he continued, "Anyway, spill. How did you
get the twins to tell me?"
 
"I didn't." Voldemort replied, staring at Harry intently.
 
Harry tilted his head once more as he repeated, "You didn't?"
 
Voldemort nodded as he explained, "I had ordered Barty to suggest to Hagrid
about showing you the dragons. That oaf is easy to manipulate and he is quite
fond of the boy called 'Harry Potter'."
 
Harry nodded as he placed his hand by his chin, "And that's why Hagrid asked
Ron to tell me he wants to talk to me. He was going to show me the dragons."
 
Voldemort turned to face the stacks of books in front of them as he continued,
"I did not expect that the tea party between your puppies would take that much
time. I also did not take into consideration our..."
 
Harry noticed the slight hesitation in Voldemort's tone as the older wizard
continued, "... conversation."
 
Wanting to stay far away from that reminder at all cause, Harry shrugged as he
commented, "Oh well. At least the twins hound me and I learned the dragons from
them. If Dumbledore ever checked, my source will be fool-proof since it didn't
even come from Barty."
 
"Yes." Voldemort's lips curved into an amused slight smile as he commented, "I
suppose your annoying luck has once again saved you from future troubles."
 
Harry grinned as he asked, "Does it feel nice being in the same side of this
so-called annoying luck?"
 
"Very." Voldemort drawled before suggesting, "Perhaps we can try and harness
that luck in my plans to rule Magical Britain?"
 
Harry scoffed and retorted, "Sorry, love tart, I can't even control this luck
of mine and..."
 
Harry's lips curved into a mischievous grin as he added, "I think you're the
type of person who doesn't rely on things like luck."
 
Voldemort chuckled softly as he replied, "I will admit, I do not like leaving
things to chance."
 
Harry continued to grin as he reminded Voldemort, "You never did tell me what
the first task was."
 
"I was about to but you interrupted.” Voldemort defended, making Harry roll his
eyes.
 
“Sorry about that.” Harry drawled, “May I please know how my life will be in
danger now?”
 
“There will be a golden egg among the egg nest of each mother dragon. You will
be tasked in retrieving the golden egg which the dragon will believe to be one
of hers." Voldemort summarized, making Harry's eyes widened.
 
"I hope I'm wrong about this but wouldn't a mother dragon be extra dangerous
when she's protecting her eggs?" Harry asked with a frown.
 
"A mother dragon protecting her eggs is most common cause of deaths of rookie
Dragon tamers." Voldemort informed Harry.
 
"Sounds like a fabulous task for school children." Harry sarcastically
commented, glaring at the books once more as he asked, "Okay then. I'm all for
a general strategy but why does it need to be something I am good at?"
 
"The first task is tomorrow." Voldemort reminded Harry, making Harry blink
dumbly at him. Voldemort raised an eyebrow as he asked, "You do remember that
it is tomorrow, correct?"
 
Harry pointed at his face as he deadpanned, "You see this face? This isn't the
face of 'I understand what you are saying'. This is the face of 'oh Godric, I
forgot about my impending death' face."
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes as he drawled, "I will endeavour to remember that."
 
Harry grinned while Voldemort finally continued, "As you can see, we do not
have time to have you study advance magic. It is also more important that you
strengthen your bonds with your new dogs, as well as acquire a less negative
impression from your fellow champions and schoolmates."
 
Harry turned to stare at Voldemort, silently observing the older wizard for a
couple of minutes before asking, "Are you telling me to tell my fellow
champions about the first task?"
 
"Yes." Voldemort replied with a nod.
 
"Do I have to?" Harry grumbled and pouted slightly as he admitted, "I was
really looking forward to seeing their frightened faces when it's announced
that dragons will be the first task."
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes as he retorted, "Victor Krum and Fleur Delacour most
probably already knows about the dragons. Only your fellow champion, that
Hufflepuff, is probably in the dark."
 
Harry raised an eyebrow as he asked, "How can you be sure?"
 
Voldemort's expression could only be described as a fusion of annoyance and
resigned adoration as he asked back, "Do you honestly believe that the other
schools will not do anything to gain an upper hand in this tournament and that
they will leave their champion in the dark?"
 
Harry shrugged as he replied, "Dumbledore seems incline to do just that to me
and Cedric."
 
"Dumbledore is an old manipulative goat who is using you to find out who placed
your name in the goblet." Voldemort retorted heatedly, "He won't support either
of you in this tournament, the same way he did not help you in getting out of
this tournament, the same way he did not help you when I tried to steal the
stone and the same way he did not help me wh-"
 
Voldemort halted in mid-sentence, breathing heavily. Harry stared at him
silently as he turned away from Harry. Voldemort placed his hand by his
forehead as he calmly continued, "He will be using this first task to both
observe you and those around you. I'm sure he will find some way to think of
this as some sort of test for you and for the greater good."
 
"Sounds like the old goat." Harry nonchalantly commented with a shrug. Harry
turned to stare at the books as he asked, "So... how am I supposed to get an
egg from a fire-breathing nasty dragon? You seem to already have a plan in
mind…"
 
Voldemort turned to face Harry, a malicious smirk decorating his face, as he
replied, "I'm sure you will enjoy what I have in mind, my dear."
Chapter End Notes
     I don’t know where the whole “you are the protagonist of your story
     and the supporting character, love interest, antagonist or cameo in
     the others’ story” originated from. I read it over my many years of
     lurking around the different corners of the internet. Maybe it’s from
     tumblr. Maybe it’s from 9gag. Pretty sure it’s not from facebook
     since I never checked my facebook wall anyway. Let’s just say it’s
     from the internet and leave it at that. XD
***** Ouroboros *****
Chapter Summary
     The end of Harry and Marvolo’s date
Chapter Notes
     Sorry for the delay. Just a heads up, I will be going to Baler next,
     next week so I might not be able to update this week (due to
     preparation) and next, next week (due to the vacation itself) but I
     might find the time since I do not like going to the beach while the
     sun is up anyway so… not going to promise anything XD
      
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Voldemort is back to being Marvolo in the narration again…
     3 This might give you the feelz?
     Thank you PottersoftheFuture and Aaonnah for correcting my grammar XD
See the end of the chapter for more notes
After spending the rest of the morning practicing and debating with Voldemort,
the two ate a delicious and fulfilling lunch. Harry’s favourite had been the
cabbage rolls and he had wondered if Dobby would be able to make that dish if
he asked. Voldemort had commented that, even if he didn’t know how, the loyal
house-elf would simply obsess over learning it like it was the key to saving
the world. Harry had laughed and agreed with him.
 
It was these times that Harry enjoyed himself too much. When Voldemort had
returned his glamour as Marvolo Slytherin, Harry actually felt disappointed but
he didn’t say anything and quietly followed Marvolo out of the café. Once they
were outside of the café, Marvolo offered his hand to Harry which he took,
entwining their fingers. A second later, Harry was losing his balance and
almost lost his lunch as well on the snowy ground of Hogsmeade. Marvolo grabbed
him by his other arm, helping him maintain his balance while Harry took deep
breaths and gulps. He didn’t want to throw up such a fantastic lunch.
 
That would be a waste.
 
When he felt that his lunch wouldn’t make a comeback, he turned to grimace at
Marvolo as he mumbled, “Sorry. This teleport thingie makes my stomach queasy.”
 
“The proper term is Apparation.” Marvolo corrected with an amused smile, “And I
shall remember never to apparate us immediately after eating next time.”
 
Harry nodded and straightened his back. He took a deep breath and smiled at
Marvolo as he commented, “A walk after lunch would be good. I mean, I would
have enjoyed touring Magical Romanian a bit before returning to my cage.”
 
Marvolo’s knuckles and the back of his fingers caressed Harry’s cheek gently as
he promised, “I will tour you when we returned to Romania in the near future.”
 
Harry knew Voldemort was the one speaking and he meant it not as the son of the
Dark Lord and the Boy-Who-Lived but the Dark Lord himself and his Consort.
 
… huh?
 
How strange.
 
When did his impending future as the Dark Lord’s consort become such a normal
thing to think about?
 
"Mister Potter!" McGonagall called out loudly. Both Harry and Marvolo turned to
where the voice had come from. Harry kept his expression blank as he stared at
the three professors walking briskly towards them. McGonagall was leading the
'charge', a frown decorating her face. Snape was just behind her, scowling as
usual, while Barty masquerading as Moody lagged behind. They all stopped in a
few feet away from the two as McGonagall scolded, "Skipping classes and leaving
school grounds are against the rules. A hundred points from Gryffindor and
three weeks detention with Professor Snape."
 
Both Harry and Snape grimaced at the punishment.
 
"Now, come along, Mister Potter." McGonagall ordered, glancing at Marvolo but
not saying anything.
 
Harry sighed and turned to face Marvolo which made Snape sneered, "Did you not
hear what your Head of House just said, Mister Potter?"
 
Harry turned to smile his Tom Riddle smile, which made McGonagall freeze for a
moment and amused Marvolo, at Snape as he explained, "I would just like to say
goodbye, Professor. It would be rude to simply walk away without saying
anything."
 
Snape glared at him but kept his mouth shut, something Harry was quite grateful
about. Harry turned to face Marvolo and smiled apologetically as he admitted,
"I had fun."
 
Marvolo softly smiled back and Harry saw in the corner of his eyes the way
McGonagall's posture grew stiffer as she stared at Marvolo. Harry kept his
attention at Marvolo as the older wizard replied, "I also had fun."
 
Marvolo clasped his hands together as he continued, "Although I would have
liked to do this in a more private setting."
 
Harry tilted his head curiously, watching Marvolo as he went down in one knee
before he raised his closed right hand till it was the same height as Harry's
chest. He opened his hand and turned it so that Harry could see his palm. A
flash of blinding light erupted on top of his palm, making McGonagall take a
step back while Snape took a step towards Harry. Once the flash disappeared and
everyone's vision returned to normal, Harry stared in amusement at the silver
bracelet currently in Marvolo's palm. The three professors also stared at the
bracelet.
 
Marvolo observed Harry as he leaned forward, tilting side to side in an attempt
to observe the bracelet without touching it. Marvolo's lips curved to a
slightly amused smile as he explained, "This is a Slytherin heirloom. It's not
as prominent as the Slytherin Locket but the engraving-"
 
Marvolo grabbed the bracelet with his other hand and showed it to Harry
vertically as he continued, "As you can see, is a snake eating its own tail."
 
Harry nodded as he stared at the engraving of the snake's head. Two small green
gems were used for the snake's eyes and they glimmered against the sunlight.
Harry leaned forward as Marvolo explained, "They call this the Ouroboros
bracelet. They say it represented the eternity Salazar Slytherin promised his
consort."
 
Harry froze at those words. Harry lowered his head to stare at Marvolo, keeping
his face frozen to a curious naive look while he desperately kept his memories
tucked deeply inside. Harry knew the older wizard saw glimpses of his memories,
of the promise of eternity a diary gave him, because Marvolo's left eye
twitched. Marvolo’s other hand grabbed one of Harry’s hand, his grip almost
bruising yet it felt comfortable for Harry. It felt… real.
 
“I wish to court you, Harry Potter.” Marvolo announced, making both McGonagall
and Snape freeze.
 
Wait.
 
What?!
 
 “Excuse me?” Harry couldn’t help but squeak his words out.
 
 “I know this may seem too fast but…” Marvolo stared intently at Harry as he
entwined their fingers, “This connection we have… I have never felt such a
thing before. You are special, Harry, and that is not because of your name or
your fame. The more I know you, the more I find myself…”
 
Marvolo hesitated and Harry could see the hidden confusion in Marv- no, in
Voldemort’s eyes. Harry tightened his grip on his hand, making the older wizard
close his mouth as Harry admitted, “I feel the same way. This connection… this
strange feeling that seems to come out of nowhere… I have never felt it
before.”
 
Harry placed his free hand on the man’s cheek as he whispered, “And I wish to
know more about you. I wish to…”
 
Harry tightened his grip on his hand tightened as the older man was suddenly
replaced by a sixteen years old boy wearing Slytherin robes as he whispered so
low it was almost inaudible, “I want to be with you.”
 
Harry blinked, his vision returning to show the handsome man known as Marvolo
Slytherin. His face was blank yet Harry could feel those dark brown eyes
piercing right through him.
 
Once more, his memories had betrayed him.
 
Harry’s lips curved into a shy smile as he covered the hand holding the
bracelet before whispering, “I accept, Marvolo Slytherin.”
 
McGonagall gasped and Snape’s eyes widened as the hands covering the bracelet
glowed for a moment. The glow disappeared after a second and Marvolo’s lips
erupted into a cheerful grin. Harry’s lips curved into a grin as well as
Marvolo hurriedly stood. He let go of Harry’s hand and took the bracelet with
both hands. Harry offered his left hand towards Marvolo. All of them watched as
Marvolo slid the bracelet on Harry’s wrist. Harry’s eyes lowered towards the
bracelet when he felt it tightened. The snake head began eating more of its
tail until the diameter of the entire bracelet was only one inch away from
touching his wrist. Marvolo caressed the bracelet once, his touch lingering on
Harry’s wrist. Marvolo gently grabbed Harry’s hand and lifted it towards his
lips. He continued to stare at Harry as he kissed the back of his lips. Harry’s
cheeks reddened at the contact while Marvolo’s lips curved into an amused smirk
as he whispered, “I shall see you next week then, Harry.”
 
“That will not be possible-“ McGonagall started.
 
“I’m afraid Mister Slytherin has the right to.” Snape cut her words off,
grimacing at the pair as he informed everyone, “Mister Slytherin and Mister
Potter invoked a contract magic of courtship. Magic has deemed the contract
official and it is now required that both Mister Slytherin and Mister Potter
meet every seven days or earlier as how traditional courtship practices.”
 
McGonagall turned to stare at Snape while the dour potion professor continued,
“Failure to uphold the magical contract will prove disastrous to everyone
involved. That includes the three of us since the contract magic has deemed us
most probably as witnesses.”
 
“Failure to comply can lead to losing our magic or death.” Barty, as Moody,
added, “Potter and this man needs to complete their courtship.”
 
McGonagall opened her mouth, most probably to argue, when Marvolo cut her off,
smiling gently at Harry as he said, “Then I shall see you next week, Harry.”
 
Harry almost laughed. He had planned this. He had planned on doing this in
front of so many witnesses in the first place. Harry’s cheeks reddened when
Marvolo kissed him on the cheek before whispering, “You will do fine in the
first task. I believe in you.”
 
Marvolo nodded at the three professors before apparating out of Hogsmeade.
Harry sucked a deep breath as he felt his magic suddenly returned to his core
like it had been vacuumed without any warning. Harry turned to stare at the
three professors, wrapping his arms around the robes he remembered he never
returned to Marvolo. Snape glared at him but he kept his eyes towards
McGonagall instead. McGonagall frowned at him as she reminded him, “Professor
Dumbledore will not be happy with your actions, Mister Potter.”
 
“Professor Dumbledore has not shown any reactions, positive or negative,
towards any of my actions since my name came out of the goblet.” Harry retorted
with narrowed eyes, “Forgive me for not crying a river over his future
reaction.”
 
“Fifty points from Gryffindor for your cheek.” McGonagall announced which only
made Harry want to roll his eyes but he refrained from doing so. McGonagall
turned towards Snape as she ordered, “Please take Mister Potter back to
Hogwarts. Professor Moody and I have more pressing business to attend to.”
 
Snape and Harry grimaced at the idea of spending more time together but Snape
forced himself to nod. He glared at Harry as he ordered, “Come along now,
Mister Potter. It’s time to return.”
 
Harry hummed and followed Snape back to the castle, leaving McGonagall to talk
to his defence professor in whispers. It was when Harry and Snape were nearing
the gates of Hogwarts at the dour professor finally turned to glare at Harry as
he hissed, “Are you insane?!”
 
Harry took a step back but remained quiet, observing the seething older wizard
as he hissed, “Accepting a courtship from an obvious Dark wizard?! Do you have
a death wish?!”
 
Harry shook his head as he replied in a deadpan tone, “Of course not. I’ve
already sacrificed so much just to stay alive. Why in Merlin’s name would I
throw it all away?”
 
Those words froze Snape dead on his track. Realizing the implication of his
words, Harry added, “Don’t misunderstand me, professor. Everyone sacrifices
something to remain alive. I just happened to sacrifice more than most people.”
 
“What do you mean by that? What sacrifices did you have to make?” Snape’s tone
was soft and almost out of breath.
 
Harry tilted his head as he stared at Snape, keeping his eyes on Snape’s
forehead instead of the man’s eyes as Voldemort had instructed, “Why do you
care, Professor?”
 
Harry’s brows furrowed as he asked, “You hate me, don’t you?”
 
“I-“
 
“Please don’t bother giving excuses. I knew that you hated me my first day in
your class. I never understood why and I never cared knowing why because I’m
used to it.” Harry nonchalantly explained, shrugging as he added, “You are just
like the rest of my life in the muggle world. Everyone hates me and I’ve given
up wondering why. It’s just so much easier to accept the hatred than find the
reason why and amend relationships which never existed in the first place.”
 
“Then it is true? You lived with Petunia?” Snape asked in a whisper. Harry
could detect a foreign emotion in his professor’s voice that he never heard
before yet it didn’t interest him. He wasn’t even interested in knowing why
Snape called his aunt by her first name. It just seemed like a waste of time
trying to understand someone hell-bent on hating him.
 
“Does it matter to you?” Harry asked back instead, slowly feeling his magic
seeping out of his core, yet he kept his mind away from anything concerning
Voldemort as he continued, “Why bother asking such questions to a person you
hate?”
 
Harry shook his head lightly as he commented, “You seem completely sure about
your hatred for me. There is no need to pretend to care when we both know you
don’t.”
 
“So what if I accepted a courtship from Marvolo? He’s kind to me, he cares
about me and he wants to know me as myself, as Harry, not as the Boy-Who-Lived,
not as Harry Potter.” Harry took a step forward, finally staring at Snape’s
eyes as he kept his mind focused on all the interactions he had with the potion
professor, and he informed in a detached tone, “You don’t have any reasons to
question my decisions or berate me about them when they are not connected to my
studies here in Hogwarts. Why would I care what you think? You made it
perfectly clear that everything I do is wrong. Everything I say is wrong.”
 
Harry’s lips curved into an empty smile as he whispered, “Please keep your
opinions to yourself, professor. I find listening to the opinions of people who
hate me a waste of time.”
 
Without letting the older wizard say anything back, Harry walked passed him,
keeping his face blank.
 
Hopefully, Rita had managed to hear their conversation. It would make a juicy
article and it would paint one of his most prominent bullies here in Hogwarts
in a bad light.
 
Harry was looking forward to that.
 
Chapter End Notes
     I actually researched about Ouroboros because of the fighting game
     Blazblue XD
     This isn’t the end of Snape’s torment. I honestly love the man (and
     the actor) but the things he did to Harry during all those years? He
     kinda deserves some bitchslaps. Sorry XD
***** The Day Before Maleficent - Daytime *****
Chapter Summary
     How the rest of Harry’s day went (daytime)
Chapter Notes
     Sorry for the delay, guys. I was able to write this and the latest
     chapter of ASC while on vacation (it really helps but I don’t wanna
     go to the beach while the sun is up) but I couldn’t put this up
     earlier because I was too tired. Sorry. TTATT
     Anyway, enjoy this short chapter. Sorry for the shortness.
     I’ve also uploaded a non-magical ‘verse Tomarry one-shot called A
     Sound in An Isolated Bridge so go check that out as well. ^w^
     Just a head’s up, this is part 1 of two parts divided due to time
     skip (from day to night)
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Well… lack of Voldemort, I guess?
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Harry managed to get away from Snape soon after that. Actually, it would be
more accurate to believe that the man did not bother to chase after him. A
quick chant of Tempus showed that the first class after lunch would end in
about ten minutes. Harry bit his bottom lip as he quickly tried to remember if
he knew what Diggory’s class was by this time.
 
Nope. Not at all.
 
Why would he anyway? It wasn’t like Diggory interested him.
 
Contrary to what the majority of the students and school staff may believe,
Harry didn’t feel any bitterness over his lost to the Hufflepuff seeker. He
wasn’t a competitive person. In all honesty, he became a seeker because of the
rush he gets whenever he was flying.
 
… and the elation he feels whenever he gets someone to do something stupid
during their matches.
 
Hell, given a chance, Harry would most definitely like to try being a beater.
Any excuse inflicting pain unto others without consequences sounded like a
fabulous activity for him.
 
He could feel Voldemort’s amusement at that thought.
 
Harry stopped by the courtyard, noticing Fleur with her usual band of… friends,
Harry supposed that would be the proper term. Taking a deep breath, Harry
briskly walked towards Fleur. One of her friends turned to stare at him,
causing a chain reaction for all the rest to turn to his direction.
 
Harry gave a small awkward wave as he mumbled, “Hey. Can I… talk to you for a
moment, Miss Delacour?”
 
Fleur stared at him for a moment before nodding, “Of course.”
 
Fleur got up and followed Harry as they walked away from her friends. Harry
stopped by the tree where her friends could still see her yet wouldn’t be able
to hear them. Harry didn’t bother putting up any privacy charms or the like. He
honestly didn’t care if people hear their conversation. The whole talking
‘privately’ was more for show than anything deep.
 
Harry took a deep breath before blurting out in a whisper, “The first task is
about dragons.”
 
Fleur blinked at him for a few seconds before asking, “Excuse me?”
 
“The first task.” Harry repeated, trying very hard not to roll his eyes as he
kept his face to look half-nervous and half-determine, “Dragons are part of it.
I don’t know how or what they want us to do. All I know is there are four
dragons and there are four champions so we’re most probably going to face one
each.”
 
Fleur stared at him without saying anything, a confused look smearing her
beautiful face. Harry pursed his lips as he mumbled, “You don’t believe me.”
 
“That’s not it!” Fleur immediately replied but Harry shook his head.
 
“It’s okay. I understand.” Harry backed away from Fleur, shrugging as he
nonchalantly said, “Why would you believe me anyway. I’m a rival champion and a
well-known liar according to the newspaper.”
 
Harry’s lips curved into a bitter smile as he mumbled, “Good luck with the
first trial, Miss Delacour.”
 
“’Arry!” Fleur called out but Harry had broken into a run, not bothering to
look back or stop. The worried and pained tone of Fleur’s voice almost made
Harry mimic Luna and skip but he refrained from doing so. It wouldn’t paint a
good picture now, would it?
 
Well, with that done, he had an excuse to act withdrawn and a bit bitter which
suited him more. He could only act like a kicked puppy for so long.
 
Harry ran towards the library, only stopping when the librarian glared at him
again. Harry ducked his head and briskly walked towards the table where Krum
was currently reading some kind of book Harry couldn’t read from where he was.
When he neared the table, he realized that Krum was sitting across Hermione.
 
Oh. Well. This just turned out to be more awkward now.
 
Harry sighed tiredly before walking towards them. Harry didn’t bother to say
anything and simply sat next to Krum, making both of them raise their head to
stare at him. Hermione’s eyes widened while Krum simply stared at him with a
blank expression in his face. Harry propped his arm up and rested his cheek
against his palm as he asked Hermione, “Do you know Diggory’s next class?”
 
“Harry, I-“
 
Harry grimaced at the quivering tone and cut her off, “I’m sorry, Hermione, I
really have no time for idle chitchat. It would be a great help if you know
Diggory’s next class.”
 
Hermione closed her quivering mouth and her eyes began to water. Harry sighed
and turned towards Krum as he asked, “You wouldn’t happen to know, would you?”
 
Krum stared at Hermione for a moment before turning his attention back at
Harry. Harry noticed the restrained anger hidden in his eyes as he ordered in a
calm tone, “Apologize to her.”
 
“No.” Harry retorted nonchalantly, surprising both of them. Harry leaned
towards Krum as he whispered, “It’s not my fault she’s going to cry over
something I don’t even understand. Do you even understand why she’s crying?
Because I honestly don’t. Merlin forbids I ever understand her with all her
mood swings.”
 
Harry turned towards Hermione and whispered, “If you ever get the chance to
control your emotion enough to actually explain to me why you always look like
I killed your favourite puppy then, by all means, talk to me. Maybe we can
finally lay this fake friendship to rest.”
 
Hermione’s eyes widened at those words but she remained silent while Harry
turned to stare at Krum as he whispered, “The first task is about dragons.
There are four of them and there are four of us so I assume we’ll be dealing
with one each but don’t quote me on that.”
 
Harry got up and announced in a slightly annoyed tone, “Now, if you’ll excuse
me, I have to look for my fellow Hogwarts champion and tell him that.”
 
Harry was about to walk away when Hermione finally whispered, “Harry!”
 
Harry turned to look at her as she tried to stop the tears falling from her
eyes. Her voice was full of desperation and anguish as she asked, “Do you… do
you really think our friendship was fake?”
 
Harry stared at her with a blank expression as he replied, “I heard that true
friends stay with one another against all odds.”
 
Harry’s lips curved into a bitter smile as he mused, “You guys never stayed.”
 
“Harry…” Tears fell freely from Hermione’s eyes.
 
“Goodbye, Granger.” Harry softly said, “It was fun while it lasted. Best of
luck with Ron.”
 
Hermione could only watch as Harry walked out of the library, tears silently
falling from her eyes. She blinked when she felt Krum’s hand grasp hers gently.
Hermione bit her bottom lip, shaking her head furiously while Krum stood and
walked towards her. When he was right in front of her, Hermione finally cried.
 
While Hermione cried on Krum’s arms, Harry finally tracked down Diggory using
the Marauder’s Map. They were walking out of the greenhouse and Harry briskly
walked towards them. He stopped in front of them and greeted with a slight
frown, “Diggory, good afternoon. May I have a moment with you privately?”
 
Diggory’s friends turned to stare at him with obviously distrustful eyes. One
of them even have the audacity to sneer, “Why don’t you just go back to your
snake boyfriend and leave Cedric alone, Potter? He’s not interested.”
 
Diggory’s eyes widened but Harry retorted immediately in a deadpan tone, “I’m
not interested in Diggory that way.”
 
Harry shrugged as he added nonchalantly, “And Marvolo Slytherin is not my
boyfriend. He just asked to court me a few minutes ago so I suppose, by
Wizarding traditions, he wouldn’t become my boyfriend anyway. When I do say
yes, he’ll immediately be my fiancé.”
 
All of Diggory’s friends stared at him with confused expressions on their face.
It was only Diggory who actually stared at him with a slacked jaw.
 
Apparently pure-blood Cedric Diggory enjoyed the company of muggle-borns or
muggle-raised magical people.
 
Harry rolled his eyes and asked Diggory, “A minute? Please.”
 
Okay, maybe ordered with the same tone Voldemort used when he’s about to Crucio
someone for being so stupid was more accurate to his tone right now.
 
“Y-yeah, sure.” Diggory finally replied, walking towards Harry. Harry turned
around and briskly walked a few feet away from Diggory’s friends.
 
He stopped by one of the many windows littering the hallway and waited for
Diggory to stand right next to him. Harry saw Diggory open his mouth so he beat
him to it by quickly summarizing, “The first task concerns dragons. There are
four dragons in the forbidden forest and I heard they will be part of the task.
They didn’t tell me what the task was but I suppose part of it is pitting us
with one of them.”
 
Harry tilted his head slightly, enjoying the slack jaw currently sporting
Cedric’s face as he asked, “Do you still need to say something or can I leave
you to be dumbfounded by your lonesome now?”
 
Harry sucked his lips in his mouth and internally counted. Once he reached
sixty, he opened his mouth, making a popping sound, before answering his own
question, “Leaving you alone it is.”
 
Harry turned around to leave but Diggory suddenly grabbed his wrist as he
shouted, “Wait!”
 
Harry slowly turned to face Diggory, lowering his eyes to stare at the hand
gripping him as he commented, “You really need to stop grabbing me like this.”
 
Harry raised his head as he continued in a deadpan tone, “People will start
talking.”
 
Diggory spluttered as he immediately let go of Harry’s hand as if it had burned
him. Harry flicked his wrist twice before observing Diggory as he asked, “Well?
What’s your reason for holding me up?”
 
“Did you really agree to a magical courtship?” Diggory asked in a whisper,
leaning closer to Harry.
 
Harry instinctively backed away as he replied, “Yes, I did.”
 
“That’s…” Diggory seem to think of the proper word to use before finally
asking, “Isn’t that too fast? The papers said you only met him yesterday.”
 
Harry rolled his eyes as he deadpanned, “I really don’t see why this is any of
your concern, Diggory.”
 
“I’m worried about you.” Diggory placed a hand on Harry’s upper arm as he took
another step towards Harry. Harry stared at the offending hand, confused to the
growing anger he felt from Voldemort, while Diggory whispered, “He’s obviously
a Dark wizard and-“
 
“Spare me your Light propaganda, Diggory.” Harry slapped Diggory’s offending
hand off him. He glared at Diggory as he hissed, “Light and Dark are simply
classification of magic based on various magical theories. It’s not a
classification of good or bad.”
 
Harry took a step forward, his head raised as he glared at Diggory, his voice
turning slightly screechy as he continued, “Only an ignorant idiot would
summarize a person as good or evil based on their magical inclination. What
makes us good or evil is what we do, not what we are.”
 
Harry focused his magic on his palm and slapped Diggory on the lower arm,
making Diggory hiss in discomfort. Apparently, he had performed some kind of
nonverbal and wandless stinging hex. Harry backed away as he mockingly said,
“Good luck with the first task, oh champion of Light.”
 
Without bothering to wait for Diggory’s reaction, Harry briskly walked away
from him and hurriedly went to Moody’s private chambers. He quickly said the
password and went inside, the portrait closing behind him. Harry sighed tiredly
and ungracefully sat on his favourite armchair. He watched as Voldemort took
off his invisibility cloak, realizing that Barty was still not back. Voldemort
folded the cloak then put it in the inside pocket of his robes before he walked
towards Harry. Harry watched as Voldemort walked towards him and knelt right in
front of him. Voldemort wrapped his hand around Harry’s upper arm. Harry
observed the hand for a couple of seconds before finally asking in an amused
tone, “Are you… trying to cover Diggory’s touch with your own?”
 
Voldemort continued to remain quiet but glared at him, making Harry’s lips
curved into an amused grin. Harry chuckled as he commented, “You’re
unbelievable.”
 
Harry’s grin turned more mischievous as he suggested, “Trying rubbing it. That
will clearly destroy all of Diggory’s cooties.”
 
Harry could only laugh when he saw the stinging hex from Voldemort dissolve
right between the two of them.
 
 
Chapter End Notes
     Yup. Ending it here. XD
     Stay tune for night time where Harry interacts with baby snakes. And
     Barty finally returns which means… dun, dun, dun… pensieve XD
***** The Day Before Maleficent – Night Time Part 1 *****
Chapter Summary
     How the rest of Harry’s day went (night time) Part 1
Chapter Notes
     Sorry this was a bit late. Work has been destructive so be warned
     that updates will be slowing down (I will still do my best to at
     least make it once a month but no promises)
     Also, I apologize. I promised baby snakes last chapter but I wanted
     to post this for you guys and adding the baby snakes would have taken
     too much time so I cut this chapter into two (the baby snakes will
     make an appearance in the next chapter). Sorry.
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 What you’ve been waiting for… the pensieve memories from a certain
     loyal dog
     3 Uuummm… might contain foreshadowing?
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Barty did not appear until a few minutes after they were finishing eating
dinner. As usual, Harry was sitting on his favourite armchair while Luna sat on
the floor next to him, resting the side of her head against one of the legs of
Harry’s chair. Voldemort was sitting on the work desk’s chair, writing on a
parchment, while Dobby placed cups of filled with warm tea next to everyone.
Dobby also left a bowl of soup and a plate filled with mashed potato, grilled
chicken and two pieces of bread on the table, both charmed to be warm for a
couple of hours. When Barty entered the room, he bowed at Voldemort and Harry
hurriedly, “My Lord, Little Lord.”
 
Barty rushed towards the other room, opening it loudly and entering as fast as
Moody’s wooden leg could permit him. Harry simply watched in amusement while
Voldemort continued to write on the piece of parchment. Luna stood and walked
inside the other room, making Harry more curious at what was happening on the
other room. A moment later and both Barty and Luna walked out, holding a metal-
like basin on either side. They placed the basin on the table next to Harry and
Barty took out his wand, placing it by his temple. Barty closed his eyes and
took a deep breath, the tip of his wand shining in a white light. Slowly he
removed his wand from his temple and placed it in the basin. The basin began to
emit a wispy silver coloured substance that reminded Harry of clouds and fog.
From that description, Harry realized that he was looking at a pensieve. Barty
knelt towards Voldemort as he announced, “I have placed my memories concerning
the meeting Dumbledore had with McGonagall, Snape and I this morning.”
 
Voldemort finally raised his head to stare at Barty as he asked, “And what
about the supposed errand you had with McGonagall this afternoon?”
 
Barty continued to bow as he summarized, “We spent the entire afternoon
contacting previous members of Dumbledore’s Order as well as prospect members.”
 
Voldemort slowly stood as he asked, “His merry band of mindless birds are on
the move then?”
 
“Not quite.” Barty replied, “Most of them still do not believe that it is
necessary to do so.”
 
Harry cleared his throat, making both men turn towards him. Harry waved his
hand as he said, “Okay, two things. One-“
 
Harry pointed at the metal basin as he asked, “Can we look at that now? And
two-“
 
Harry titled his head as he continued, “What do you mean by merry band of
mindless birds?”
 
Voldemort sighed before explaining as he walked towards them, “During the first
war, Dumbledore created his own army called the Order of the Phoenix. The
members were mostly fools who were stupidly loyal to Dumbledore… including your
parents.”
 
“Oh.” Harry replied with a nod, not really feeling anything over the fact
Voldemort just called his parents fools. When Voldemort offered his hand
towards Harry, Harry placed his hand over the offered hand and let the older
wizard pull him to his feet.
 
They walked towards the metal basin and stopped right in front of it. Voldemort
kept his eyes at the basin as he ordered Barty, “I need a list of all the fools
you met as well as the ones you know Minerva met.”
 
Barty bowed once more as he replied, “Yes, Master.”
 
Voldemort turned to look at Harry and Harry stared back at him. Harry felt
Voldemort’s hand caress the back of his head before suddenly pushing his head
towards the basin without any warning.
 
Harry gasped and opened his eyes, confused why he had them close in the
beginning. Harry looked around, noticing that he and Voldemort, who kept his
hand on the back of Harry’s head, were in Dumbledore’s office. Dumbledore was
sitting on his desk while McGonagall and Snape were on the other side of the
desk, standing in front of Dumbledore. Barty, in the disguise of Moody, was
standing on the corner with a clear view of the entire room, far away from the
door and the windows.
 
Harry was about to open his mouth to tell Voldemort that it was not okay to
suddenly just push one’s head without any warning but stopped when he heard
someone shout.
 
“He has a son, Albus!” McGonagall’s frantic voice was quite a sight to see for
Harry. He had never seen the Head of his House loose her cool exterior before.
 
“We cannot be certain of that, Minerva.” Dumbledore’s voice was composed and
soft as he stared at McGonagall in that calm understanding grandfather look he
had that Harry remembered most during his first two years in Hogwarts.
 
McGonagall slammed the paper on the table, pointing at the picture of Marvolo
Slytherin as she hissed, “How can you say that when his son is right there!?”
 
“Minerva, please calm down.” Dumbledore placed a gentle hand on top of Minerva
as he reminded, “This is Tom we are talking about. He has never shown any
interest in love before. You know that.”
 
Harry felt Voldemort’s grip on his hair tightened but he didn’t say anything.
 
“What if we were wrong, Albus?” Minerva whispered, “What if he was never the
monster we thought he was?”
 
“I wish I could believe that. I wish that could be true.” Dumbledore whispered
back, sadness lacing his tone, yet Harry could feel the fury Voldemort was
trying to rein in at those words.
 
“You do not have to be in love to have a child.” Snape added with obvious
disgust, “Sometimes, lust is all that is needed.”
 
Barty snorted and asked as he glared at Snape, “Does the Dark Lord look like
the type of person to be blinded by lust?”
 
“We are not even sure if he is Voldemort’s son.” Dumbledore reminded everyone.
 
“He looks like You-Know-Who.” McGonagall argued, pointing at the picture once
more.
 
Dumbledore stared at McGonagall gravely as he retorted in a soft tone, “Yes, a
bit too much, wouldn’t you agree?”
 
“You think he’s the Dark Lord?” Snape asked, glaring at Dumbledore.
 
“It is in the realm of possibility.” Dumbledore replied vaguely, making Snape
narrow his eyes.
 
“If he was the Dark Lord, why would he bother with this pretence?” Snape
sneered, “He could just as easily summon his followers and start rebuilding his
forces. Contacting Potter in Hogsmeade of all places is too risky. He pretty
much announced his very existence to the entire world.”
 
“Not to mention it would put him under your radar.” Barty added gruffly.
 
“That is quite true.” Dumbledore mumbled, staring at the picture silently for a
couple of minutes before finally raising his head to stare at the three
professors in his office, “Let us then say he is who he say he is. That he is
Voldemort’s son…”
 
Dumbledore turned to ask Snape, “Would Voldemort entrust his son to the Notts?”
 
Snape grimaced as he replied, “Lord Nott is one of the sanest followers in the
Inner Circle. He is also one of the oldest and one of the original Knights. It
would explain why he would renounce his loyalty at the end of the war even
though he was one of the most loyal of the Death Eaters. The Dark Lord could
have ordered him to ensure his son’s safety first. House Nott also does not
receive as much limelight as House Malfoy. Among the Inner Circle, I can see
the Dark Lord entrusting his supposed son to Lord Nott or the late Bartemius
Crouch Junior the most.”
 
Moody’s hand twitched but he remained silent as Snape continued, “The
Lestranges would have been easily compromised. Not to mention, Bellatrix
Lestrange would never renounce the Dark Lord, even if it was to survive.
Rabastian could have been a candidate but he is too close to both his brother
and his sister-in-law. Any crimes committed by the two would paint a giant
arrow on his back. Dolohov is too rough. The idea of him even being near
children should be avoided at all cause. The man would easily kill a weak child
with his disciplinary actions and traumatize any children who survived under
his care.”
 
“What about Lucius Malfoy?” McGonagall asked.
 
Snape immediately shook his head before replying, “House Malfoy is too well
known and too easily noticed. Their personal life is an open book to the
public. Receiving a ward would be very hard to hide, even if said ward went to
Durmstrang.”
 
Snape crossed his arms before continuing, “It would also make Igor’s sudden
betrayal and change of career to Headmaster of Durmstrang that more
suspicious.”
 
“You believe he betrayed the Death Eaters to ensure the boy gets to
Durmstrang?” Dumbledore asked, raising an eyebrow at the idea.
 
Snape scoffed at the idea before retorting, “No, Igor most definitely betrayed
the Dark Lord but his sudden career change could easily done after a long…
enlightening talk with Lord Nott.”
 
Dumbledore rubbed the bridge of his nose as he asked, “Is it possible for
Marvolo Slytherin to be continuing his father’s work?”
 
“I cannot be sure.” Snape replied with a frown, “The darkening of our marks
could easily be because he had arrived in Britain soil. A child’s magical
signature closely resembles their parents and is the reason why Life Debts are
inherited. I am unsure if the similarity between their cores would be enough
for him to access us using our mark. If he was continuing his father’s work…
well, I see no point in announcing his very existence to the public right now.”
 
Harry could hear the obvious anger in Snape’s voice when he said the words
‘Life Debts’ but remained quiet as Snape continued, “Perhaps your fear that the
Dark Lord was returning had been false. It could have easily been the arrival
of his son.”
 
“If he is Voldemort’s son.” Dumbledore reminded them before placing his hand on
top of his other hand as he said, “Regardless, we must find out more about this
Marvolo Slytherin.”
 
Dumbledore turned to stare at Snape as he asked, “Will you be able to ask the
headmaster of Durmstrang about Marvolo Slytherin? Try to ask him if he knew
about the existence of the boy and his parentage. As well as inquire about him
from Nott?”
 
“It seemed Durmstrang itself knew but if it will make you less irritating then
I will endeavour to do so.” Snape drawled with a frown, “Lord Nott, on the
other hand, may be close to impossible. He has shown his obvious dislike over
me ever since you came to my defence.”
 
“Even if you say that you are spying on us?” Dumbledore inquired with his brows
slightly furrowing.
 
“He will not listen.” Snape shook his head before adding, “Lucius had tried to
talk to him on my behalf but Lord Nott refused to listen. It seems any
affiliation with you is deemed as a disgusting contagious disease.”
 
“Then perhaps you can suggest to Lucius Malfoy to inquire instead?” Dumbledore
suggested with twinkling eyes.
 
Snape’s grimace grew as he drawled, “I will try.”
 
Dumbledore turned towards McGonagall as he asked, “Can you ask our friends in
the Ministry to check if there is anything about Marvolo Slytherin? Perhaps
they have someone who works in Foreign Affairs that can ask around Magical
Bulgaria?”
 
McGonagall nodded before taking the newspaper. Dumbledore turned to look at
Barty and was about to speak when McGonagall interjected, “These two might not
know him when he was a Hogwarts student but I do, Albus. If he was still Tom
Riddle when the war started… if this boy is like Tom Riddle for even just a
sliver-“
 
“Tom Riddle pretended to be who you wanted him to be, Minerva.” Dumbledore cut
her off gently, staring at her sadly as he continued, “The darkness in that boy
was too much. It had always been too much. He was lost even before he entered
Hogwarts. He charmed everyone with his lies-”
 
“Not everything was a lie, Albus!” McGonagall shouted. A moment later and her
eyes widened as she realized what she had done. McGonagall gripped the papers
tightly as she mumbled, “I-I’m sorry. I… I have to get to my class.”
 
Without waiting for anyone to say anything, McGonagall turned around and left
the office quickly; making all three men stare at the door where she had
briskly walked out from. Barty turned to stare at Dumbledore as he commented,
“She could be compromised, Albus.”
 
“Minerva is simply too kind. Even till now, she still wants to believe that the
boy she knew existed in the first place.” Dumbledore defended with a sigh and
Harry felt Voldemort’s grip on his hair tightened once more. Dumbledore shook
his head before adding, “She knows what is right and she will fight for it. We
can trust her.”
 
Snape glared at Dumbledore as he argued, “Right and wrong are subjective. What
can be right to you may be wrong for her.”
 
Barty scoffed before sneering at Snape, “That’s rich, coming from you.”
 
Snape turned to glare at Barty while Dumbledore tried to keep them in check by
telling Barty, “Harry seems to be spending a lot of time in your office.”
 
Barty nodded and explained, “We’ve been going over some offensive and defensive
spells he might need in the tournament. Merlin knows the boy needs all the help
he can get.”
 
“The boy needs all the help he can get simply getting up.” Snape sneered with
disdain, “You spoil him too much.”
 
Barty glared at Snape as he growled, “You don’t know the boy the way I do. You
might think I’m spoiling him but I disagree with you. That boy needs every help
I can give him.”
 
“Yes, he does.” Dumbledore agreed, stopping Barty from saying more, and nodded
before asking, “May I ask you to ask Harry why he had agreed to meet with
Marvolo Slytherin in the first place?”
 
Barty waited for a few seconds for another question but Dumbledore remained
quiet, staring at him. Barty raised an eyebrow as he asked, “You’re not going
to ask me to ask the boy if what was written in the papers were true?”
 
“What do you mean?” Dumbledore asked.
 
“The implied abuse, Albus.” Barty hissed, making Snape freeze with his words,
“Rita Skeeter interviewed his aunt-“
 
“Rita Skeeter dramatized too many things, my friend.” Dumbledore cut off and
Harry furrowed his brows when he noticed that Dumbledore had turned to stare at
Snape when he said that line. Dumbledore’s eyes were soft and his voice was
gentle as he added, “Harry is safe in his relatives’ house. No one with ill
intent can get to him there. He is protected by his mother’s love.”
 
Snape’s eyes hardened and he hissed, “Do not forget that muggles are humans as
well, Dumbledore.”
 
With that said, Snape turned around and stormed out of the office, his robes
billowing as usual. Dumbledore stared at Snape with soft sad eyes before
sighing tiredly. He lowered his head and asked, “What do you think, Alastor?”
 
“We’re caught in a very bad position right now.” Barty replied dutifully,
“Whether this man is the son of the Dark Lord or not, you can rest assure that
his very existence has thrown everything into chaos. The Ministry alone will be
divided about his very existence. Not to mention, the Ministry and you yourself
were not written in such a good light in today’s papers.”
 
“Yes, I realize that.” Dumbledore stared at the newspaper again before asking,
“It might be better to call upon our allies once more.”
 
“Better now than later.” Barty agreed gruffly, “Constant vigilance is
necessary, now more than ever.”
 
Dumbledore nodded and stated gravely, “Whether Marvolo Slytherin is truly who
he says he is or not, his very presence here in Britain will surely disrupt our
current situation.”
 
Barty began walking towards the door but stopped when Dumbledore called softly,
“Alastor.”
 
Barty turned to stare at Dumbledore who stared back at him with his gentle
grandfatherly eyes, “Harry seems to trust you most of all right now. Be there
for him, help him. Make sure he doesn’t get hurt.”
 
At those words, Harry couldn’t help but scoff.
 
Barty stared at Dumbledore for a moment before replying, “I’m his professor,
Albus, not his guardian. It is my responsibility to teach him, not hold his
hand. But… the boy is strong, Albus. He is perhaps even stronger than you
assume.”
 
“I know Harry is a strong boy.” Dumbledore nodded but his lips curled into a
slight frown as he continued, “But he has been distant to his friends and, now,
he is making friends with the heirs of Greengrass and Zabini after being
friends with Young Nott.”
 
Barty opened his mouth but stopped. He closed his mouth and remained quiet for
a second before grunting, “I’ll look out for the boy.”
 
“Thank you, my friend.” Dumbledore said softly, earning a nod from Barty.
 
The office and Dumbledore slowly began to turn into white mist, heralding the
end of the memory.
 
Harry couldn’t explain it but something inside him made him turn his head
towards the disappearing bookshelf. He kept his eyes at the bookshelf as it
disappeared, wondering why he had the sudden urge to stare at that space on the
first place.
 
Harry blinked twice, his visions returning to show Barty’s office as they
straightened their back. Voldemort’s grip on his hair remained and Harry turned
to stare at him, noticing the emotionless mask he had placed. Harry tilted his
head as a silent question. Voldemort turned to stare at him.
 
“<< Did you feel it? >>” Voldemort hissed, making Harry curious to why he had
decided to speak in serpent’s tongue.
 
“<< Feel what? >>” Harry asked back.
 
“<< The call. My- >>” Voldemort stopped and stared at Harry silently for a
couple of seconds. The grip on his hair loosened and Harry felt Voldemort’s
hand rest at the back of his neck. He felt Voldemort’s thumb caressed the skin
at the back of his ear for a moment before he dropped his hand as he mumbled,
“Never mind. It’s not important right now.”
 
Harry didn’t pry, trusting Voldemort’s words.
 
Huh.
 
When did he start trusting Voldemort’s words completely?
Chapter End Notes
     Weeeeelllllllll… I guess you guys would understand what Voldemort
     meant.
     … Right? XD
***** The Day Before Maleficent – Night time Part 2 *****
Chapter Summary
     How the rest of Harry’s day went (night time) part 2
Chapter Notes
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 What you’ve been waiting for… more baby snakes…
     3 WE HAVE FLUFF! I repeat! WE HAVE FLUFF!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Theodore knocked on the door an hour after Voldemort and Harry had watched
Barty’s memories. Harry had been busy reading more about wizard pregnancies
while Voldemort continued to write on different pieces of parchments. There
were already two growing stacks on the table next to where he was writing. The
taller stack was slowly being distributed into three smaller stacks on the
floor by Barty and Luna. How Luna knew which stack each one was supposed to go
since Barty was the one unrolling them to scan the contents before handing it
to the only witch in the room without saying anything, Harry did not know and
was too lazy to understand.
 
If the two Ravenclaws happen to be able to communicate telepathically, Harry
would be pleased since that would require less instruction.
 
“Good evening, My Lord, Little Lord.” Theodore greeted after going inside and
ensuring the door was closed behind him. He continued to bow at Voldemort as he
announced, “Daphne Greengrass requested Little Lord’s presence in the Slytherin
Common Room.”
 
All three wizards raise their head to stare at Theodore, all having different
expressions in their face. Barty had a curious look while Voldemort had a
calculating look and Harry looked like he didn’t really want to go. Harry
turned to look at Voldemort and asked, “Can I not go?”
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow as he replied, “Only if you can give a good
reason.”
 
“You’re obviously busy writing Dark Lord related stuff.” Harry reasoned, making
Voldemort’s raised eyebrow rise up some more, “And if I go, you’ll be forced to
go.”
 
“You don’t care about any of my Dark Lord related ‘stuff’.” Voldemort drawled,
flicking Harry’s wand towards the parchment he was currently writing on to dry
the ink, “Try again, luv.”
 
“Slytherins don’t like me.” Harry whispered conspiratorially with big wide
green eyes. Theodore almost cut in but stopped himself in time.
 
“As the current Lord Slytherin, I would have to deny that allegation.”
Voldemort drawled once more, rolling the parchment.
 
“Of course you would, you love me.” Harry batted his eyes coyly. Barty covered
his mouth with the parchment he was currently holding to hide his smile while
Theodore bit the inside of his mouth to stop his lips from forming into a
treacherous smile of his own. Only Luna smiled as she nodded happily at
Voldemort.
 
“Yes, I do.” Voldemort immediately retorted in the same bored drawl he had been
using the entire time, “I would gladly torture and maim every single person who
had even looked at you negatively just to show how much I love you.”
 
“You mean you’d use it as an excuse to be the sadistic megalomaniac we all know
you are.” Harry grinned as he retorted, “And if you do that, I’m afraid you
would be killing almost all the magical people in Britain.”
 
“Now we can’t have that.” Voldemort mockingly looked thoughtful as he said, “I
do need subjects in my quest to rule the world.”
 
“Don’t you mean slaves?” Harry drawled. Voldemort placed the rolled parchment
in the inside pocket of his robes as he stood. Harry pouted as he asked, “Do I
really have to? Can’t we just continue our playful conversation?”
 
“I believe talking about how Magical Britain’s populace will fare under my rule
is not a playful conversation.” Voldemort drawled, walking towards Harry. He
offered his hand towards Harry who simply pouted at him. Voldemort raised an
eyebrow as he ordered calmly, “Stand up, Harry.”
 
“I don’t want to.” Harry petulantly replied.  
 
“Your loyal puppy requires your presence in the Slytherin Common Room.”
Voldemort explained patiently, “I believe she plans to usurp the Malfoy’s heir
tonight in your presence.”
 
Harry immediately perked up at that thought as he asked, “Really?”   
 
“I believe so.” Voldemort replied, “Although I could be wrong.”
 
Harry grinned and grabbed Voldemort’s hand. He pushed himself up as he replied,
“The possibility is enough for me.”
 
Harry began jumping slightly in his place as he urged hurriedly, “Well come on.
Hurry up. Put on my Invisibility Cloak and do your paranoid bibidi-babidi-boo
so we can go. Chop-chop. My loyal dogs are waiting.”
 
“There is no such spell that uses such ridiculous incantation.” Voldemort
commented with furrowed brows.
 
“Come on, wear it already.” Harry urged, waving their hands together wildly.
 
“I cannot wear your cloak unless you let go of my hand, luv.” Voldemort finally
told him with amusement laced in his tone. Harry immediately dropped his hand
and Voldemort chuckled softly as he took out the cloak from the inside pocket
of his robes. Harry grabbed the cloak and wrapped it around Voldemort quickly.
 Harry continued to impatiently stare at where Voldemort was standing while
Voldemort chanted all his usual spells. Finally, he offered the wand to Harry
who took it hurriedly and pocketed it. Inwardly, Voldemort added ‘wand sheath’
to the growing list of things he needed to procure for his future consort. Luna
stood and followed Harry as he walked towards the door, smiling at Barty as she
waved while Harry quickly said, “Bye, Barty, wish me luck tomorrow.”
 
“I’m sure you won’t need it, Little Lord.” Barty commented before bowing as he
said, “Good night, My Lord, Little Lord.”
 
Theodore opened the door and stepped the side, waiting patiently for Harry and
Luna to step out. There was a huge gap between Luna and Harry which Theodore
deduced as where the Dark Lord was currently standing. Harry waited by the
corridor as Theodore closed the door behind him. Luna was on his left and he
could feel Voldemort’s presence on his right. He let Theodore lead the way
towards the dungeons.
 
There were so many twists and turns that Harry just gave up trying to remember
how to get there. He had the Marauder’s Map anyway. If he ever needed to visit
the Slytherin Common Room once more, he would just use that.
 
Or ask Voldemort to lead the way.
 
Maybe even Luna. She seemed to know a lot about the crooks and crannies of
Hogwarts.
 
They stopped in front of a stone wall in some part of the dungeon that Harry
wasn’t sure if he ever been to.
 
In his defence, the entirety of the dungeon all looked alike.
 
“Parseltongue.” Theodore announced and Harry raised an eyebrow at the password
as the wall moved to show the entrance to the Common Room. Theodore continued
to walk ahead, his face hard and threatening to every single Slytherin who
stared at Harry. Harry didn’t pay them any attention, quickly looking around
and realizing that the Common Room was once more the same as he had seen when
he ‘infiltrated’ it with Ron during the whole ‘Heir of the Slytherin’ fiasco.
 
One of the things different this time around was the same glass table and
chairs they had used when he had tea with Daphne and Blaise were now in the
middle of the Common Room. There were more chairs now and all of Daphne’s
‘allies’ were already sitting there, chatting quietly among one another. Daphne
was the first to notice them and she smiled gently as she stood, “Lord Harry. I
am quite delighted you could come.”
 
The rest of her allies stood as well and waited for the three to reach the
table. Harry raised an eyebrow at Daphne and she smiled coyly, “Do forgive the
sudden change of scenery. We had wished to have tea in the courtyard once more
but that awful squib shooed us like we were common stray cats.”
 
“A common stray cat would have more manners than that squib and his horrid ball
of fur combined.” Millicent sneered.
 
Harry turned towards Millicent and commented in an amused tone, “You like to
sneer a lot, don’t you?”
 
Millicent blushed and lowered her head while Daphne chuckled softly before
replying, “Forgive her, Lord Harry. The squib’s cat tried to… court her cat
last year.”
 
“Court?” Millicent parroted in a high pitch tone, “You mean that horrible
monster tried to rape my precious Mister Snugglepuff!”
 
“Snugglepuff?” Harry whispered towards Theodore who was on his left.
 
Theodore whispered back, “I didn’t even know she had a cat.”
 
“Of course you don’t. You barely paid any of us any attention.” Tracey
whispered towards Theodore before whispering to Harry, “Millie’s little sister
named the cat.”
 
“I guess I could understand that.” Harry shrugged before turning to stare at
Theodore. He smiled gently at Theodore while tilting his head towards the chair
in front of him. Theodore got the message and walked towards the chair. Harry
took a few steps to the side so that Theodore could pull it. Harry nodded at
Theodore before sitting. Everyone waited while Harry made sure his robes wasn’t
in disarray. Harry finally raised his head to stare at everyone and smiled as
he said in a tone that was similar to Voldemort whenever he was mockingly
pleasant to someone, “Please sit.”
 
Everyone sat on their respective places. Theodore sat on his left while Daphne
sat on his right. On Daphne’s right was Zabini, who had been quiet for quite
some time now. Tracey was on Zabini’s right while Millicent was between Tracey
and Lils. Luna sat on the floor between Theodore and Harry, resting her head on
the side of Harry’s chair. Daphne’s eyes widened and she stood, immediately
apologizing, “Forgive me, Lady Lovegood. I seemed to have mistaken the number
of chairs we needed-“
 
“It’s quite alright.” Luna replied without standing up. She turned to face
Daphne and placed her chin on Harry’s thigh as she replied, “I am right where I
am supposed to be: next to my Lord as his favourite puppy.”
 
Harry chuckled and patted Luna’s head as he commented, “That doesn’t mean I
need you grovelling by my feet, my dear.”
 
Luna pouted as she replied, “But I love it here. May I please stay here, My
Lord?”
 
Harry sighed and patted Luna’s head once more as he replied, “Very well. But
only today, okay?”
 
“Thank you, My Lord.” Luna smiled before resting her head against the chair
once more. She took out a small notebook from the inside pocket of her robes
and tear out a piece of paper. She began folding the paper while humming
softly.
 
Harry patted Luna’s head once more before turning to face Daphne as he said,
“Just prepare another chair next time.”
 
“Of course.” Daphne nodded before turning towards Luna once more as she
repeated, “I am truly sorry for the inconvenience, Lady Lovegood.”
 
Luna turned to face Daphne once more and said, “Please call me Luna, Daphne. We
are of similar status.”
 
Daphne’s lips curved into an amused smile as she replied, “Yes, you are quite
right… Luna.”
 
Luna nodded before turning away once more, focusing on how she kept folding the
paper. Daphne grabbed the tea pot and poured it on Harry’s cup as she
explained, “This is a different blend from before, Lord Harry, and many of our
associates would complement this blend with cakes and other sweet pastries. My
sister loves this blend. She always drinks it whenever she would eat something
sweet.”
 
“Your sister… her name is Astoria, correct?” Harry asked, even though he knew
he was correct. One of the things that Voldemort made him do during their
‘date’ had been to memorize all the immediate family members of Daphne’s
allies.
 
“Yes, Lord Harry.” Daphne replied a smile before raising her head to look
around the common room. Theodore grabbed the milk pot and placed a generous
amount of drizzle on Harry’s cup while Harry looked around the common room as
well. Almost all of the Slytherins in the common room were pretending not to
pay attention to them but he could see the quick glances they would give every
other second. Some of the lower years were even openly gaping at them and some
of the higher years were staring at them with calculating and curious eyes. One
of them even had the courage to stare at Harry and, when their eyes met, a
small smirk appeared on the older wizard’s face.
 
“Ah, there she is.” Daphne’s sweet voice made Harry turn to where Daphne was
now staring while Theodore dropped a cube of sugar on Harry’s tea. Daphne
placed the teapot on the table and offered a hand towards a young brown-haired
witch with similar facial structure to Daphne while Theodore mixed the tea with
the teaspoon next to the coaster. Harry noted that Astoria had a more delicate
face than her sister and had the same hazel eyes Daphne had. While Daphne had a
regal air around her, Astoria reminded Harry of that small kitten he saw when
he was a child.
 
The same kitten that got hit by a car just a few seconds after Harry saw it.
 
“Come, my dear sister. I want you to meet Lord Harry.” Daphne sweetly ordered
and Harry could easily feel just how much Daphne truly did adore her sister.
 
Astoria slowly stood but a hand quickly grabbed her wrist, forcing her to sit
once more. Harry finally tore his eyes away from sweet little Astoria and saw
Draco openly glaring at him. A quick glance showed Harry that Malfoy Minion A
and B were sitting behind him as usual, both having confused look on their
face.
 
It was interesting to see that Pansy was nowhere around. A quick glance at the
common room showed that she wasn’t in the common room in the first place.
 
Now, wasn’t that just interesting?
 
Daphne’s tone carried a hint of frozen rage as she repeated, “Sister, come
here.”
 
“Astoria will not be coming near traitors such as all of you.” Draco hissed at
Daphne.
 
Harry finally grabbed the tea Theodore had prepared for him and sipped,
enjoying the show, while Theodore grabbed the teapot and began pouring it to
each cup. Everyone else kept their attention at the two heirs. Daphne’s eyes
narrowed as she warned, “Be careful of your next words, Draco, less you desire
to have more enemies than you already have.”
 
“And who would those be?” Draco sneered as he stood, glaring at Daphne before
turning his glare towards Zabini, “The son of a murderous witch who happily
kills every single man she beds with?”
 
“That is a rumour milling around the gossiping housewives and it’s actually
about my mother killing all her late husbands, not everyone she sleeps with.
There would be more dead wizards and witches if it had been everyone she slept
with, including Daddy Dearest.” Zabini looked more amused than angry at those
words while Theodore offered his own cup of tea to Luna who smiled dreamily at
him as she took the cup.
 
“A half-blood who is only good at potions?” Draco sneered at Tracey who glared
at him yet Harry could see that he was a bit shook up at Zabini’s last two
words.
 
“How good?” Harry asked Tracey, wondering if he could just ask Voldemort to
replace Snape with her if she showed promise. Godric knows, he would rather not
drink anything brewed by Snape.
 
Tracey seemed surprised by the question and could only turn to stare at Harry
as he began eating the treacle tart that magically appeared on his plate once
Theodore began pouring tea to everyone’s cup. Tracey didn’t have a chance to
say anything because Draco continued, glaring at Millicent, “An ugly witch
whose twin can be seen in Lockhart’s book about hags?”
 
Millicent’s cheeks became red and she gripped the fabric of her robes tightly
but remained quiet while Harry ate another piece.
 
“A pure-blood from a family already in the brink of extinction and financial
bankruptcy?” Draco sneered as he glared at Lils. Lils, for her part, kept her
face blank as a porcelain doll but Harry could see how her eyes seemed to
glisten slightly.
 
“And a bloody traitor.” Draco sneered as he glared at Theodore. Theodore turned
to glare back at Draco.
   
Harry waited for a moment, letting the two baby snakes have their silent
glaring contest before asking, “That’s all?”
 
Everyone turned their head to stare at Harry as Harry sipped his tea. Harry
lightly dragged his fork across the plate as he drawled, “You insulted almost
everyone in this table except Daphne, Luna and me. Then when you got to Theo,
all you can say is a ‘bloody traitor’?”
 
“Get out, Potter. You don’t belong here.” Draco sneered, glaring at Harry.
 
Harry sipped his tea once more before replying, “Believe me, Malfoy, I do not
enjoy the presence of your almighty ego but I happen to enjoy the cold
atmosphere of this place. Quite comfy, if you ask me.”
 
“Potter-“
 
“Shut up, Malfoy.” Harry ordered, placing his cup on the coaster. He leaned
back and stared at Draco as he casually stated, “I have warned you time and
time again to be careful of your actions but you never listen. You don’t ever
listen. I don’t know if you’re just acting like this for some weird reason or
if you were truly raised to be such a spoiled rotten little brat which would
really just shows how right I am for giving my scepticisms over your mother’s
capabilities, Black blood or not.”
 
“Don’t talk about my mother-“
 
“Like that?” Harry finished for him with a drawl. Harry rolled his eyes when he
saw Draco open his mouth and he cut him off, “Don’t even bother to say
something along the lines of ‘my father will hear about this’. Honestly,
Malfoy, you say ‘my father will hear about this’ so many times I’m sure there
are students out there who have a betting pool on how many times you say it in
a day and no one votes for the number zero.”
 
Some of the Slytherins covered their mouth to hide their smiles.
 
“And I will talk about your mother any way I wish to. The moment you have shown
just how much of an unruly child you are, you had opened your parents for
criticism. Salazar knows-“ Harry turned towards the only painting of a bald man
with a long thin beard as he added hurriedly, “Not that I know if you do. It’s
just a figure of speech or something like that.”
 
The painting of Salazar Slytherin raise an eyebrow and some of the other baby
snakes openly gaped, not realizing that there had been a portrait of Salazar
Slytherin in their common room in the first place. The only reason Harry knew
that he was Salazar Slytherin was because there was a portrait of him in one of
the rooms in the chambers. It had been an unfinished portrait and there had
been a man drawn together with him.
 
Now that Harry remembered it, that man had worn the same bracelet Harry was
currently wearing. The same bracelet Salazar’s painting had been eyeing ever
since he came in.
 
“The main point is…” There was a beat before Harry admitted, “I forgot my main
point. Salazar kinda threw me off my game.”
 
Salazar simply raised an eyebrow, reminding Harry of Voldemort’s own habit.
 
“To summarize…” Harry stared at Draco as he said, “We all know the truth.
You’re throwing a tantrum over losing your leadership to Daphne and you should
stop because you are embarrassing yourself.”
 
“WHAT?!” Draco’s voice carried a higher pitch.
 
Harry blinked and turned towards Daphne who smiled at him as she admitted, “I
have yet to take the leadership.”
 
“Oh.” Harry nodded and waved his hand as he ordered sheepishly, “I guess… do it
now?”
 
“With pleasure.” Daphne’s smile became more predatory and she turned towards
the higher years who had been watching the entire commotion, “Slytherin House,
I, Daphne Greengrass, would like to claim leadership over my fellow Slytherin
year-mates.”
 
Daphne waved her hand towards the table as she added, “Everyone in this table
supports my claim.”
 
One of the higher years, a young man who seemed to be Cedric’s age with dark
brown hair asked in a slightly teasing tone, “Does the current leader have any
objection?”
 
Harry realized it was the same young man who had the audacity to smirk at him.
It took a moment before Draco could actually answer, “O-o-of course I have a
bloody objection!”
 
Daphne turned to stare at Draco with a disappointed expression as she said, “Do
have some decorum, Draco. My claim is indisputable. I have more support than
you.”
 
“And one of them is Potter!” Draco hissed before turning towards the higher
years, “Do you really want to accept the claims of a traitor?! Or have you
forgotten Potter is the reason why we Dark wizards and witches are currently
hiding in the shadows?! Have you all forgotten-”
 
Draco turned to glare at Theodore as he hissed, “Your loyalties?!”
 
“My loyalty and my family’s loyalty have and always will be to the Dark Lord.”
Theodore proclaimed calmly, eliciting gasps from some of the other Slytherins.
 
“Then tell me why you’re consorting with the enemy?” Draco hissed angrily.
 
Harry finally lost it.
 
He laughed.
 
He laughed so loud everyone thought he lost it.
 
Luna flicked her wand towards the paper eagle she had created and let it soar
towards the ceiling while everyone stared at Harry.
 
It took a few minutes but Harry was finally able to calm himself down. He
stared at Draco with mirth in his eyes as he said, “It is so precious. It is
just… Dear Godric-“
 
Salazar’s painting finally cleared his throat, glaring warningly at Harry for
uttering such a name.
 
Harry raised his hands in surrender towards the painting, “Okay, no mentioning
of that name.”
 
Harry turned towards Draco and commented, “This is what this was all about?
Because you think Theo betrayed you for me?”
 
Draco opened his mouth but Harry beat him to it, “Theonel has been by
Voldemort’s side since the very beginning, one of the two remaining Knights. Do
you really think that the sob story of a pathetic boy named Harry Potter would
be enough to destroy such loyalty?”
 
Everyone seemed to freeze on their place, surprised more by Harry’s intimate
knowledge of the Dark Lord’s history than the fact that he had uttered the
forbidden name.
 
“It shows just how much you Malfoys place your loyalty towards him, won’t you
say?” Harry continued, smirking at Draco and enjoying the growing anger
Voldemort was repressing.
 
“How dare you-“
 
“Enough, Malfoy.” Harry ordered, mimicking Voldemort’s tone when he was about
to Crucio someone. Some of the Slytherins including Theodore himself
immediately straighten. Harry knew that Theodore was shown penseive memories of
Voldemort by his father so he assumed some of the other Slytherins who had the
similar reactions were also shown such memories. Harry leaned back as he turned
towards the higher years, “I am being courted by Marvolo Slytherin and I have
already planned to accept his offer of marriage before Yule.”
 
That announcement made almost everyone gape at him.
 
Even Draco looked a shade paler.
 
“As such, I will become the Consort to Lord Slytherin.” Harry’s lips curved
into a predatory smirk as he turned towards the young man he assumed was the
leader of the higher years, “I assume that will clear my dear Daphne’s…
loyalty?”
 
The young man smirked as well as he replied, “Yes it has, Lord… Harry.”
 
Harry was amused to hear a hint of respect in the young man’s voice. The young
man turned towards Draco and asked in a teasing tone, “Do you have any other
reasons to challenge Daphne Greengrass’ claims, Malfoy?”
 
Draco gaped at the young man for a moment before shouting, “You can’t be
serious, Carrow!?”
 
The young man named Carrow smirked at Draco as he replied, “I assure you, I
take my role as the acting Slytherin King quite seriously.”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow at the word ‘acting’ but remained quiet.
 
Draco’s cheeks reddened and he warned, “My father will hear about this!”
 
Some of the Slytherins quietly snickered.
 
“Feel free to tell your father everything, Malfoy.” Carrow shrugged as he
continued to smirk at Draco, “Including how you have insulted the court of Lord
Slytherin’s future consort. I am sure your father would…”
 
Carrow’s smirk was downright sadistic as he finished, “… like to know just how
much damage his precious little boy created towards the Malfoy’s standing in
regards to Lord Slytherin.”
 
Draco paled at those words, turning to stare at Harry. Harry could clearly see
that the ferret finally understood the gravity of his actions.
 
Another dark brown haired man that Harry felt like he should know for some
reason whispered something in Carrow’s ear and Carrow nodded, patting the man’s
kneecap once before standing. He walked towards Daphne and bowed lightly,
taking Daphne’s hand and kissing the back of her hand before announcing,
“Congratulations, Lady Greengrass, in taking claim of what is rightfully
yours.”
 
Daphne’s lips curved into a pleasant smile as she replied, “Thank you, Lord
Carrow.”
 
Carrow straightened his back as he whispered, “I will be expecting more from
you, Lady Greengrass. Perhaps you might even usurp me soon enough.”
 
Daphne’s smile turned more predatory as she replied, “That is the plan.”
 
Carrow chuckled before turning towards Harry. He bowed until his upper body was
almost parallel to the ground as he took Harry’s hand and kissed the back of
Harry’s hand. Harry could see the eyes of some Slytherins widening and a few of
them gasped, including Astoria.
 
Carrow raised his head to stare at Harry as he announced, “Forgive my lateness,
Lord Harry. Welcome to the Slytherin Common Room.”
 
Harry stared at Carrow and gauged Voldemort’s reaction to the young man’s
actions. Voldemort didn’t seem to give of any powerful emotions at the moment
so he was most probably calculating how to use this to their advantage. Harry,
on the other hand, simply smiled and replied, “It is quite alright, Lord
Carrow. Thank you for the welcome nonetheless.”
 
Carrow straightened his back and the other brown haired young man stood. Carrow
continued to smirk as he continued, “As much as I would like to let you
continue your tea party, I must remind you that curfew will soon be starting.
My fellow prefect, Adrian Pucey-“
 
The other brown haired young man that Harry finally recognized as one of the
chasers in the Slytherin team nodded while Carrow continued, “-and I will
escort both you and Luna Lovegood to your respective common room.”
 
“Thank you, Lord Carrow.” Harry stood, offering his hand towards Luna who took
it. Everyone else around the table stood together with Luna. A second later,
some of the Slytherins also stood, including Astoria who looked like she was
trying to silently beg forgiveness to Draco with her big hazel eyes.
 
“Perhaps another tea party tomorrow?” Harry asked Daphne who smiled at him.
 
“Of course, Lord Harry.” Daphne nodded at him.
 
Harry patted Theodore’s shoulder once before telling everyone, “A pleasant
evening to all of you then.”
 
“Good night, Lord Harry.” All of the Slytherins who stood chorused.
 
Harry made sure to smile at Draco, enjoying the almost corpse-like colour the
poor snake was now sporting as he was led outside together with Luna.
 
When they passed Salazar’s portrait, the old wizard called out, “Child.”
 
Harry stopped and turned towards the portrait, making everyone stop and stare
at the portrait. Salazar continued to stare at Harry’s Ouroboros bracelet as he
asked, “This Lord Slytherin… is he Tom’s grandchild?”
 
Harry blinked, surprised that Salazar even knew about Voldemort in the first
place.
 
He felt nothing between the link so he walked closer to Salazar and whispered,
“<< Lord Slytherin is Tom. >>”
 
Salazar’s eyes widened at the use of the serpent’s tongue while the younger
Slytherins openly gaped at Harry. Harry grinned at Salazar and walked back
towards Carrow and Pucey who were simply staring at him. That was when Salazar
began to laugh. Everyone could only stare at Salazar. The only ones who didn’t
pay him attention were Harry and Luna who was busy playing with her charmed
paper eagle.
 
“<< Child. >>” Salazar hissed, making Harry turn around once more, “<< Tell
that boy to visit me whenever he has the chance. Now that he has taken the
Slytherin name, the wards of Hogwarts cannot deny him, no matter how much that
foolish lion child tries. There are things we must discuss concerning his
responsibility as my successor. >>”
 
“<< I’m sure he’ll find a way to talk to you. >>” Harry replied with a grin
before walking out of the common room. Once he was out, he saw Pansy walking
briskly towards him.
 
Well, he assumed she had been walking towards him but she seemed to be
surprised to see him when she stopped right in front of him, “Potter?!”
 
“Parkinson.” Harry replied with a nod.
 
“What are you doing here?!” Pansy asked, almost losing her grip on the five
books in her arms.
 
“Visiting.” Harry replied with a shrug.
 
“Parkinson.” Carrow called out from behind Harry, making Pansy straightened her
back.
 
“Ca-Carrow.” Pansy looked a bit afraid as she stuttered, “I’ve just returned
from the library. Curfew hasn’t started yet so I’m not breaking any-“
 
“Enough.” Carrow cut her off, waving her dismissively as he ordered, “Go
inside, Parkinson.”
 
“Yes, sir.” Pansy hurriedly walked inside while Carrow turned to face the
entrance.
 
“Flora, Hestia, I’m leaving you two in charge.” Carrow ordered.
 
Harry heard two girls reply in unison, “Yes, dear cousin.”
 
With that said, the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room became blocked by a
wall. Carrow and Adrian walked in front of Harry and Luna. Carrow smiled at the
two as he said, “Adrian will escort Luna Lovegood to Ravenclaw Tower. I will
escort you to Gryffindor Tower, Lord Harry.”
 
Harry turned to Luna who nodded and smiled at him. Harry nodded back and patted
Luna’s head as he said, “Good night, Luna.”
 
Luna curtsied as she replied, “Good night, My Lord.”    
 
Carrow nodded at Adrian who nodded back. Adrian turned towards Luna and said,
“Follow me, Lovegood. I know a shortcut to your tower.”
 
“Okay.” Luna replied dreamily and let Adrian lead the way.
 
Harry and Carrow watched the two until they turned a corner, effectively
blocking them from Carrow and Harry’s sight. Carrow turned to face Harry and
took out his wand. Harry stared at Carrow, not moving an inch. Carrow’s lips
curved into a smirk as he asked, “Are you not worried, Lord… Harry?”
 
“I’d like to see you try.” Harry drawled, knowing that Voldemort would
retaliate immediately.
 
Carrow chuckled before replying, “I’m afraid I will not be able to grant such a
wish. My self-preservation is too high.”
 
Harry realized that Carrow had chanted a powerful privacy charm, something he
remembered Barty did every day. Carrow hid his wand in the inside of his sleeve
and Harry caught a glimpse of a leather-like strap around Carrow’s wrist.
 
Wand sheath for the arm, mostly used by duellists
 
Harry heard Voldemort’s explanation inside his head, nodding as a reply and
letting the older boy lead him. Carrow was silent for a few minutes but finally
introduced himself, “I am Alastor Carrow, nephew of Amycus and Alecto Carrow.”
 
Harry recognized the names and noted, “The two Carrows who denounced their
loyalty during Voldemort’s disappearance.”
 
Carrow scoffed before replying, “Yes, currently the blight in our family name.”
 
“Oh?”
 
“They are not the smartest of us Carrows, I’m afraid. My father, the current
head of the Carrows and their older brother, needed to put a leash on them
since the Dark Lord’s disappearance. We would have been more than happy had
they remained loyal and sent to Azkaban instead of denying their support to the
Dark Lord.”
 
“Really?” Harry asked, walking next to Carrow.
 
Carrow stopped and stared at Harry, keeping a respectable distance between them
as he explained, “They are mad dogs who are only good at causing carnage, the
perfect pawns in the latter parts of the first Wizarding war. My father never
took the mark because he believed he could do more as a silent supporter for
the Dark and he gave information to my aunt and my uncle to report to the Dark
Lord. He was the one who ordered my aunt and my uncle to approach the Dark Lord
and serve him in the first place. They were to the Dark Lord’s standards and
were in the front lines more often than not. Merlin knows that’s their only
talent.”
 
“Why are you telling me this?” Harry tilted his head curiously.
 
“Because my aunt and my uncle are fools who tell everything to my father which
he passed down to me.” Carrow replied, his lips curving into a smirk as he
continued, “The Dark Lord has never shown any interest to anyone, man or woman,
even before his descent into madness. We were all inferior to him and we knew
that. That’s what seduced us in the first place. He was unattainable to us, a
higher being akin to a god.”
 
Harry didn’t need their bond to know that Carrow’s words were seriously
stroking Voldemort’s ego right now.
 
“The idea of him siring a son is preposterous. That only means one thing…”
Carrow leaned forward, whispering in Harry’s ear, “Our lord is back and he is
Marvolo Slytherin.”
 
Carrow took a step back and continued, “And you are on his side.”
 
Harry watched him silently as he continued, “If our lord was to even consider
taking a consort, the only person I can think of who would even be close would
be you, his supposed vanquisher.”
 
Carrow smirked as he finalized, “That is why it would be to the betterment of
House Carrow if I ensure your satisfaction during my reign as acting Slytherin
King.”
 
Harry stared at Carrow for a moment before asking, “Who else do you think would
have the same preposterous idea you have?”
 
Carrow continued to smirk as he shrugged, “Perhaps only me. Malfoy is too self-
centred and sheltered to even think of such a thing. Parkinson rarely even
talks to her father. I don’t believe they even talk about the Dark Lord. My
cousins would most probably never know unless I share this to them. The other
children related to supposed supporters of the Dark Lord may or may not have
the same idea. It really depends on their intellects and their relatives’
current status in the previous ‘hierarchy’.”
 
Carrow’s smirk grew as he added, “Do not worry about it, Lord Harry. I’m sure
if they have the brains to reach the same ‘preposterous’ conclusion as I have,
they would have enough brains to realize that keeping quiet and ensuring they
stay in your good graces will be enough to stop them from running their mouth.”
 
“My good graces, huh.” Harry repeated in a drawl, earning a small chuckle from
Carrow.
 
“This way, Lord Harry.” Carrow began walking once more and Harry followed him
up the stairs.
 
“What do you mean by ‘acting’ Slytherin King?” Harry finally asked.
 
Carrow didn’t bother to turn around as he replied, “The last actual Slytherin
King’s reign ended in 1945. After that year, the title became more of a
reminder.”
 
“A reminder?” Harry repeated as he tried to remember when Tom Riddle graduated.
 
He supposed 1945 would be a close year to bet on.
 
“A reminder that the true king kept the tradition out of whim.” Carrow replied
with a smirk, “The privileges and responsibilities that came with the empty
title remains but all kings and queens bow down to our real king.”
 
Harry continued to stare at Carrow’s back for a moment before asking, “And that
is alright with you? Being second to someone you never even met before?”
 
Carrow chuckled before finally stopping. Harry stopped as well, realizing that
they were just in front of the staircase that will lead to the Gryffindor
Tower. Carrow finally turned to stare at Harry as he replied, “Who’s to say I
am not the third? The fourth? The fifth? In the end, they are all numbers
making up a hierarchy. One can rise up or fall down and I, for one, wishes to
see just how high up I can climb.”
 
Harry stared at Carrow silently as the older boy continued, “A few gracious
words from the future consort himself would benefit my ambition, will it not?”
 
“Perhaps.” Harry shrugged, “Not really sure how he would react to me singing
praise about another person.”
 
Harry grinned as he added, “He is a very possessive prat.”
 
“I’m sure what I have done today is not worth singing praises about.” Carrow
replied with a smirk although Harry saw the slight fear hidden in his eyes when
Harry had joked about the Dark Lord’s possessiveness. Carrow kept a respectable
distance as he continued, “All I ask is that you say the truth about me when I
present myself to the Dark Lord. That’s all.”
 
“I can do that.” Harry replied, mentally adding that he didn’t have to do that
since Voldemort was right there with them.
 
“Thank you, Lord Harry.” Carrow nodded as he said, “Have a pleasant evening and
good luck tomorrow.”
 
“Thank you, Carrow.” Harry drawled, earning another smirk from the older boy.
Carrow walked passed him and Harry assumed he was starting his rounds. Harry
shrugged and walked up the stairs, entering the common room after saying the
password ‘Quidditch’, all the while wondering whoever decided the passwords for
all the Common Rooms since they were so easy to guess.
 
Harry walked up the stairs, not paying any attention to the other occupants of
the Common Room, including the entirety of his year-mates. Harry went to his
dorm room, placed his bag on the edge of the bed and took off his robes. He
grabbed his toiletries and a set of cotton blue pyjamas before walking towards
the bathroom.
 
After doing his nightly rituals, Harry returned to the dorm room and jumped on
the bed. The curtains immediately covered the entire bed and Harry watched as
Voldemort began casting his same spells he would use to ensure no one bothered
them or see them in Harry’s bed. Harry folded his Invisibility Cloak and placed
it next to his bag. He stared at Voldemort as the older man rested his back
against the headrest of Harry’s bed, the parchment he had hidden before
currently in front of him while a quill wrote against it, willed by Voldemort’s
magic.
 
“Do you even brush your teeth?” Harry asked randomly, making Voldemort stare at
him while the quill stop writing in mid-air.
 
“I use spells.” Voldemort replied, returning his attention to the quill and
parchment as he added absentmindedly, “I also do not have a toothbrush or any
other kind of toiletries with me right now.”
 
“But what about when you have to go?” Harry asked, staring at Voldemort.
 
The quill stopped once more and Voldemort stared at Harry again as he replied,
“There are also spells for that.”
 
“Really?” Harry raised an eyebrow.
 
“Yes but they are painful.” Voldemort warned, “The spells are quite invasive as
you can feel your magic clean your insides. Naturally expelling your waste is a
better alternative. Unfortunately, I do not have that option at the moment so I
am force to use such spells.”
 
“How painful?” Harry asked curiously.
 
“A mild discomfort for us considering our high pain tolerance.” Voldemort
replied, returning to his quill and parchment once more, before adding
absentmindedly, “You might not even feel anything considering you have a higher
pain tolerance than me it seems.”
 
Harry hollowed his cheeks for a moment as he contemplated his next words,
letting Voldemort write a few sentence in before finally saying, “I would like
to do something.”
 
“I will give you books about those spells on a later date.” Voldemort said with
a sigh as Harry crawled towards him.
 
“Not about that.” Harry replied with a chuckle as Voldemort turned towards him,
frowning when Harry grabbed the parchment floating in mid-air. Harry straddled
Voldemort’s thighs, his bum resting against Voldemort’s kneecaps, and rolled
the parchment as he said, “I think my experiment will be beneficial to both of
us.”
 
Voldemort raised one of his eyebrows and placed his quill on the empty space
next to him as he commented, “I will not say no in participating in sexual
activities.”
 
Harry scoffed as he threw the parchment towards his open bag before commenting,
“I’m honestly thinking that you do have repressed sexual desires.”
 
“I simply understand the benefit of such an act.” Voldemort retorted, letting
Harry push him against the bed. Voldemort moved slightly to the left, letting
his head rest against the fluffy pillow. Voldemort noticed that Harry was
staring intently at him and asked, “What?”
 
“Hm?” Harry blinked for a couple of seconds before finally answering, “Oh. It’s
nothing, really. I’m just surprised you let me do this to you.”
 
“Do you think it shows a lack of power?” Voldemort asked, staring intently at
Harry as he placed his hands on Harry’s hips.
 
Harry tilted his head to the side as he asked back, “Don’t you think so?”
 
Voldemort dug his fingers against Harry’s clothed hips as he whispered, “I can
easily push you off.”
 
“But you’re not.” Harry retorted curiously.
 
“Because I want you to stay where you are. I’m letting you stay where you are.”
Voldemort explained, digging his fingers deeper. Harry didn’t flinch even when
he knew those fingertips would leave a mark on his poor skin.
 
Harry leaned forward, his face just inches away from Voldemort as he asked,
“Ah, so this would be you giving up power?”
 
“For now.” Voldemort added with a slight hiss in his tone.
 
“Aren’t you… worried?” Harry asked, finally resting his entire body on
Voldemort’s chest. He placed his arms against Voldemort’s chest, resting his
chin against the back of his hands, while he lifted his lower legs up, slightly
swaying them. Voldemort looked down on Harry as the younger wizard explained,
“I mean, you don’t look like the type to share power.”
 
“I’m not.” Voldemort agreed, grabbing Harry’s eyeglasses and plucking them off
the boy’s face. Harry squinted for a moment before finally giving up in finding
any kind of clarity. Voldemort grabbed Harry by his bangs, staring at the
lightning bolt scar as he asked, “But you’ll never use my own power against me,
would you, my dear?”
 
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Love Tart.” Harry replied with a slight grin, “It’s not
like this bind will let me anyway.”
 
“Then I see no reason to not share my power with you.” Voldemort’s grip on the
cursed Potter hair turned into a caress as he continued, “If I can trust anyone
in this world with my power, it would be you.”
 
“Then is this…” Harry rested his cheek against the back of his hand as he
whispered, “Is this the bind as well?”
 
“What is?” Voldemort asked, rolling strands of Harry’s hair between his
fingers.
 
“This.” Harry waved his hand absentmindedly, “This feeling of security,
relaxation and strange… comfort…”
 
Voldemort’s hand froze at those words and Harry closed his eyes as he mumbled,
“Don’t stop.”
 
“Is this your experiment?” Voldemort asked with a hint of ludicrousness in his
tone, “You want to see if being around one another would bring such feelings?”
 
Harry closed his eyes as he replied tiredly, “A bit.”
 
Harry shifted his hands to rest on the sides and let his head fall onto
Voldemort’s chest. Harry let the sound of Voldemort’s heartbeat slowly lure him
to sleep as he mumbled, “I also just wanted an excuse… to feel this…”
 
Voldemort stared at Harry’s relaxed face for a couple of seconds, letting their
link tell him that the boy had fallen asleep on top of him.
 
… on top of the greatest Dark Lord to ever walk this earth.
 
With a resigned sigh, Voldemort pinched the cheek that wasn’t pressed against
his chest. Voldemort hissed when Harry suddenly slapped the offending hand.
Harry grumbled something unintelligent before turning his head to the other
side. Harry rubbed the cheek that Voldemort had just pinched against his
assailant’s chest, earning another sigh from Voldemort. Voldemort placed his
hand on the back of Harry’s head, rubbing it slowly as he raised his other
hand, palm up, towards the bag. The rolled parchment Harry had thrown flew
towards Voldemort and stopped to float on top of Voldemort’s hand. Voldemort
flicked his hand and the parchment unrolled by itself, floating right next to
Harry. While absentmindedly caressing Harry’s hair, Voldemort willed the quill
he had been using to float towards the parchment, writing in the same elegant
handwriting Voldemort had.
 
While Voldemort did feel like sleeping was the better option, he still needed
to work as the Dark Lord.    
 
 
 
Chapter End Notes
     Yeeaaahh. This was fluffy. I have no idea why. XD
     Bibidi-babidi-boo is part of the lyrics (and the name of the song
     itself) sung by the Fairy Godmother in Disney’s 1950 Cinderella. The
     fact that Bellatrix Lestrange’s actress played said Godmother in the
     live-action version is purely coincidence. I just remembered the
     entire song (shuddap, I remember a lot of Disney songs, okay?) and
     thought it made sense that Harry would use such ridiculous words. God
     knows I enjoy singing it during work because of how weird it is.
     Alastor Carrow is pretty much an OC. The only known Carrow during
     Harry’s time were Hestia and Flora. Alastor is Greek for ‘avenger’.
     He’s not going to have a big impact on the story (I think… maybe… I
     don’t know) but he will have a bit more scenes, mostly with other
     Slytherins.
     Astoria Greengrass may or may not have been sorted to Slytherin. For
     the purpose of this story, she is on Slytherin. She does have a crush
     on Draco. Draco may or may not realize it.
     I don’t remember if there really was a portrait of Salazar in the
     Common Area. It’s been a long time since I played any of the Harry
     Potter games and I’m too lazy to play any of the Lego Harry Potter
     games when I could be playing Uncharted Nathan Drake Collection
     instead (damn you, Crushing difficulty). For the sake of this fanfic,
     let’s say there is, they just never realized it. XD
     Speaking Salazar, the identity of the man wearing the Ouroboros
     bracelet is pretty much given if you read the epilogue of A Single
     Change (remember, they technically have the same universe)
***** How to Survive Maleficent *****
Chapter Summary
     Harry now faces the first trial
Chapter Notes
     I hope this doesn’t disappoint you guys. XD
     Heads up and I’m so sorry, instead of writing a sequel to The Riddle
     and The Warning Star, I posted a new multi-chaptered Tomarry/
     Harrymort fanfic called ‘Light House’ and it’s heavily influenced by
     Criminal Minds so check that out (meaning I got hit by a plot bunny
     while watching how many ways people can kill/torture/kidnap/etc other
     people so instead of writing a new chapter of The Riddle and The
     Warning Star, I’m writing a mystery thingie. So sorry. It’ll probably
     be as short or even shorter than A Single Change so the next chapter
     of The Riddle and The Warning Star will be pushed until I finish this
     new fanfic)
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 What you’ve been waiting for… the first trial
See the end of the chapter for more notes
It was a cloudy day so Harry decided to get some light reading by the Great
Lake. No one bothered to reprimand him for skipping his classes to read more
about magical traditions and etiquette.
 
It was a boring book but Harry enjoyed the distraction.
 
Not to mention, he was sure he was going to get an earful if he accidently
grabbed the wrong fork during dinner with the pompous pure-bloods when he
finally becomes Voldemort's Consort. Quite frankly, Harry would have no qualm
being hidden in some secret manor like Voldemort's dirty secret instead. 
 
The silence and lack of socializing would be paradise in Harry's opinion.
 
Unfortunately, Voldemort wanted him to stand on the limelight with him so he
was forced to read books like this that was a bit interesting but also a bit
boring at the same time. 
 
He was just reading about the common magical practices about children when a
shadow loomed over him. The bushy shadow of where the head should be pretty
much told Harry who was now standing next to him. He flipped the page as he
asked nonchalantly, "Do you need anything, Granger?"
 
There was a few seconds of silence which Harry used to read more sentences
about how it was traditional for magical couple to have two children: the heir
and the backup. It was common to have two to three children and the non-heir
would be used to strengthen political status and allegiance with other
families. Four was not that common but wasn't unheard of. Five above though...
 
"Professor McGonagall was looking for you." Hermione finally got the courage to
proclaim. 
 
Harry closed his book before raising his head to stare at the lake. He took a
second before turning to face her, craning his neck to be able to stare at her
face. Her face was impassive yet Harry could see the slight glistening of her
eyes. He sighed and got up, placing the book in his messenger bag. Hermione
opened her mouth but stopped, closing it as she stared at the ground. Harry
closed his messenger bag and waited for her. She raised her head to stare at
Harry and Harry stared back.
 
They stared at each other for a few seconds before Harry finally asked in a
slightly bored tone, "And where should I meet Professor McGonagall?"
 
Those words finally snapped Hermione out of her reverie and her cheeks reddened
as she stuttered, "Oh, right! I-I'm so sorry. Arena! I mean- there's this arena
that was-!"
 
"Yes, I saw the arena." Harry interrupted, having seen the arena when he and
Luna were looking for a quiet place to eat lunch since Barty was eating in the
Great Halls at that time. Harry waited for a second before asking for
confirmation, "So she's waiting for me in the arena?"
 
Hermione lowered her hands and exclaimed, "No! I mean yes! I mean-"  
 
Hermione groaned and turned away from Harry. She began murmuring some words
Harry didn't get before taking a deep breath. She exhaled slowly before turning
around so fast Harry was surprised she didn't break the sound barrier. She kept
her hands by her side, gripping the fabric of her robes tightly as she
clarified, "Professor McGonagall asked me to escort you to the arena when she
couldn't find you in the Great Halls."
 
Harry almost rolled his eyes at the slightly reprimanding tone Hermione had
used as she talked about Harry's 'absence'. But it wasn't the proper etiquette
so he simply stared at her with a bored expression.
 
Look at him, pretending to be a good mannered wizard.
 
Voldemort should be proud. 
 
"So I guess the first task will be held there." Harry mused, not really
surprised. The arena was big enough to house one dragon at a time, he supposed.
 
Hermione turned paler at those words and her grip on her robes tightened. Harry
nodded at her as he said, "Thanks, Granger."
 
Not bothering to wait for her to reply, Harry began walking to the direction
that will lead him to the arena faster. It took a few seconds before Hermione
began walking briskly to follow him. She caught up easily and she called out,
"Harry, please!"
 
Harry didn't bother slowing down nor looking at her as he asked, "Please what?"
 
"Talk to me!" Hermione begged, walking next to him.
 
"I am talking to you, Granger." Harry drawled.
 
"No, you're not!" Hermione persisted, "You're not talking to me. You're-"
 
Harry finally stopped and turned to face her. He stared at her frantic eyes as
he asked calmly, "I am talking to you, Granger. You're the one not talking to
me."
 
"Wha-"
 
Harry took a step forward and whispered, "You knew, didn't you? You're a smart
girl, you would have seen the signs."
 
"I didn't." She whispered back, tears threatening to fall from her eyes, "I
didn't see the abuse. Even when they were staring right at me, I di-"
 
"I'm not talking about the abuse." Harry cut her off, taking another step
forward as he stated calmly, "I'm used to people not seeing them. The Dursleys
perfected their act by the time I was five and people rarely try to see the
truth happening around them if it's painful. It's easier to swallow a sweet lie
than look hard enough to see the bitter truth."
 
Those words silenced her immediately and Harry wondered if it was because of
his emotionless detachment towards his abuse or the fact that he used such
'flowery' words in front of her. Just because he rarely said anything
'profound' didn't mean he can't. It was simply easier to pretend to be shallow.
Less people were interested in shallow people.
 
"I'm talking about who I am." Harry continued, tilting his head slightly, "Who
I really am."
 
"And who are you, Harry?" Hermione whispered, her tone slightly frantic.
 
Harry's lips curved into a small smile as he replied, "I'm not who you want me
to be. I'm not the Harry Potter everyone wants me to be. I pretend to be him. I
try so hard to pretend to be him."
 
Harry backed away as he mused, "Perhaps I put too much faith in you and Ron. I
thought you two would have realized the truth by now. I guess the fame of the
Boy-Who-Lived was simply too much for the two of you to see the real me."
 
"How can we pretend to see the real you when you hid it from us for so many
years?!" Hermione countered, tears finally streaming from her eyes. 
 
Harry's lips curved into a small sad smile as he replied, "Perhaps I wanted to
see if true friendship can tell the truth hidden in a myriad of lies."
 
Hermione's eyes widened at those words and Harry turned around, walking away
from him. 
 
Hermione didn't follow him and that suited Harry just fine. He walked towards
the arena alone and he could see that many people had already gathered on the
stands surrounding the arena. His breath hitched as he felt his magical core
stirring, slowly seeping out of its confinements. It felt like the first drop
of water after spending half of the day walking aimlessly in a desert. He
looked around, a grin appearing on his face when he finally saw the man
responsible for such a reaction sitting on the 'unofficial' Slytherin area of
the stands. He ran towards him, using his quick reflexes to dodge the various
students and other spectators he almost hit due to his haste. 
 
"Marvolo!" Harry called out when he was finally just a few feet away from them.
Marvolo seemed to be talking to Lucius Malfoy but he immediately turned at the
sound of Harry's voice. Marvolo's lips curved into a small smile as he waited
for Harry. 
 
Once Harry was in front of him, Marvolo gently grabbed Harry's hand and raised
it up. He kissed the back of Harry's hand, making blood rush to Harry's cheeks.
Marvolo lowered his hand but did not let go as he greeted, "Hello, Harry."
 
Harry grinned at him as he greeted back, "Hello to you too, Marvolo."
 
Harry tilted his head as he asked curiously, "What are you doing here?"
 
Marvolo finally let go of Harry's hand and moved to the side. Harry took a few
steps forward, letting Marvolo place his hand on Harry's back. He felt Marvolo
lightly push him forward so he took a few more steps forward. When he was
standing right next to Marvolo, he finally saw that Theonel was on Marvolo's
other side while Lucius stared at Harry with an impassive expression on his
face. Harry leaned closer to Marvolo as the older wizard explained, "I asked
Theonel to accompany me. I wanted to see how well you will perform for today's
task."
 
“It’s nice to see you again, Theonel.” Harry greeted with a smile.
 
Theonel bowed slightly as he greeted back, “The pleasure is all mine… Mister
Potter.”
 
Harry grinned when he noticed Lucius’ narrowing eyes at Theonel’s respectful
tone but did not truly look at the Head of House Malfoy. Instead, he turned his
attention towards Marvolo and blushed as he commented, "You'll probably be more
entertained with the other champions' performance than mine."
 
"I highly doubt that." Marvolo retorted with a small smile, "I'm sure you will
be the only one to captivate me."
 
Harry's blush deepened and Theonel covered his mouth, awkwardly coughing.
Lucius' words was dripping with sarcasm as he commented, "I'm sure Mister
Potter's performance will be of some entertainment to all of us."
 
Harry raised his head to smile pleasantly at Lucius as he greeted, "It's nice
to see you too, Mister Malfoy."
 
Harry leaned closer to Marvolo and placed his hand on Marvolo's chest, making
sure Lucius could see the Ouroboros bracelet. He had spent his entire morning
getting away from every nosey student and faculty member who wanted to know why
he had agreed to be courted by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’s son. If an entire
school read about it from Rita Skeeter then the great almighty Lucius Malfoy
should have already heard about it by now.
 
The slight narrowing of Lucius' eyes when he caught sight of Harry's bracelet
made Harry's lips curved into a playful grin. He made sure to lean his head on
Marvolo's shoulder, making Theonel fidget slightly as he looked away from them.
Harry raised his head to stare at Marvolo, noticing the amused glint in his
dark brown eyes, as he nonchalantly said, "That reminds me. I haven't told you
about Mister Malfoy's beloved son, have I?"
 
"No, you have not." Marvolo replied, his pleasant smile slipping into an amused
smirk when he noticed the way Lucius suddenly straightened.
 
"I have so many stories about him. I'm sure you'll be interested in knowing..."
Harry turned to stare at Lucius with a mocking smile he learned from Voldemort,
"... about my relationship with both him and Mister Malfoy."
 
"We hardly know each other to have a 'relationship', Mister Potter." Lucius
coolly commented yet Harry noticed the slight tremble in his tone. 
 
"And I would like to keep it that way, Mister Malfoy." Harry pleasantly
replied, mentally patting his back for sounding a lot like Daphne right now. 
 
"Mister Potter!" McGonagall's stern voice made Harry groan and hide his face on
Marvolo's shoulder, earning an amused smirk from the older wizard. McGonagall
walked briskly towards them, narrowing her eyes when she saw both Theonel and
Lucius.
 
"Hello, Minnie." Theonel greeted with a nod. 
 
"Theonel, you look..." McGonagall's lips closed for a moment, making Harry
curious enough to raise his head to stare at his Head of House just in time to
see the strained smile on her face as she greeted back, "It's been a long
time."
 
"Yes, it has." Theonel nodded before introducing, "This is Marvolo Slytherin."
 
"We have met." Marvolo interrupted, offering his hand to McGonagall as he
apologized, "I apologized for not introducing myself yesterday. As you know,
I'm Marvolo Slytherin."
 
McGonagall stared at him for a few seconds before accepting the hand. They
shook briefly as she said, "I'm Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of
Hogwarts."
 
"I've heard of you." Marvolo said with a small smile. McGonagall glanced at
Theonel for a second before returning her attention to the charming wizard,
"All good things, I assure you."
 
"I highly doubt that." McGonagall curtly replied before turning to glare at
Harry, "Mister Potter, you should be in the waiting room with the rest of the
Champions."
 
Harry sighed in resignation before replying, "I understand."
 
Harry turned towards Marvolo and asked, "Will you be able to stay after the
task? I wanted to tour you around the school."
 
"That will not be possible, Mister Potter." McGonagall interrupted, "Only
students and school officials are allowed inside the school."
 
"But Mister Malfoy can strut around the school like he owns it?" Harry
countered with a raised brow.
 
"I am a member of Hogwarts Board of Governors." Lucius reminded him, making
Harry turn to smile pleasantly at him.
 
As if knowing that Harry was about to insult Lucius' position, Marvolo placed a
hand over Harry’s hand on his chest, gripping it. Harry's lips clammed shut
when Marvolo squeezed his hand twice before whispering, "We shall see about
that tour later. Right now, you should focus on the first task, Harry."
 
Harry turned to stare at Marvolo and hissed, "<< They don't do anything. >>"
 
"<< They do. Students like you simply never realized it. >>" Marvolo countered
with before resting his lips on the top of Harry's hair. Harry continued to
glare at Lucius as Marvolo hissed, "<< Let it go, Harry. Focus on what you must
do right now. Lucius can wait. >>"
 
Harry's lips curved into a smirk which made Lucius narrow his eyes. Harry
turned towards Marvolo once more, making the older wizard stand straight so
that Harry's head will not hit his face. Harry's face lit up as he asked,
"Promise?"
 
"Anything for you." Marvolo replied, kissing Harry's knuckles before letting
go. Harry knew that he almost added a pet name at the end but stopped himself
since Marvolo never called Harry any kind of endearment. Not like Voldemort who
pretty much used pet names every time he and Harry conversed playfully. Harry
actually missed calling him ‘Love Tart’ right now. Marvolo pushed Harry to
McGonagall's direction. Harry grinned at Marvolo one last time before walking
towards McGonagall. 
 
McGonagall was staring at Marvolo but immediately turned around once Harry was
in front of her. Neither of the two said goodbye and simply walked away. Harry
followed her out of the stands and they stopped by a tent adjacent to the
arena. McGonagall turned towards Harry and warned, "You must be careful around
him, Mister Potter."
 
"Why?" Harry asked, tilting his head. He had been curious to why McGonagall
seemed so opinionated when it was about Tom Riddle.
 
McGonagall's lips curved into a small frown, staring at Harry silently for a
moment before finally replying with a whisper, "Some people... act like good
people in front of everyone but underneath the mask is a horrible darkness that
will destroy anyone who trusted them."
 
Harry blinked. There was something strange about her words but Harry couldn't
place what it was. Instead of asking for further information, Harry simply
replied, "I know, Professor. I was raised by such people."
 
McGonagall's eyes widened at those words and Harry used that time to slip
inside the tent. The three other champions were already inside together with
Ludo Bagman. Ludo smiled at him once he saw Harry and announced, "Now that all
four champions are here, we can now start the First Task."
 
He grabbed the brown bag next to him and walked towards the nearest champion
who turned out to be Krum while Crouch Senior explained, "The First Task tests
your courage. Each of you will be paired with a nesting dragon protecting its
eggs. Among those eggs will be a golden egg. The retrieval of that golden egg
will be your goal. Each of you will pick the dragon you will be facing from the
bag Mister Bagman is holding. That dragon will also indicate the order each of
you will enter the arena."
 
Krum put his hand inside the bag and Harry noticed the bag seemed to move
slightly before Krum pulled his hand out. He was holding the tip of a miniature
dragon's tail between his point finger and thumb. The dragon roared and hissed
at him while Bagman announced happily, "The Chinese Fireball. You will be the
third champion to tackle this task."
 
Bagman walked towards Fleur while Igor discreetly walked towards Harry. He
stopped behind Harry's left and whispered, "I hope you know what you are doing,
Potter."
 
Harry didn't turn around as he softly replied nonchalantly, "I really don't."
 
Igor whipped his head to stare at him ludicrously while Harry walked towards
one corner so he could see everyone. Dumbledore seemed to be staring intently
at him and Harry wondered if his headmaster noticed the short exchange between
him and Igor. Harry quickly looked away from him and focused his attention at
Fleur and her headmistress who both looked a bit paler than usual as the
miniature dragon on her hand snarled at her. Cedric was the next person that
had to put his hand in the bag and Harry noticed how the older boy looked a bit
too tensed as he took out his hand. The miniature dragon on his hand roared at
him while Bagman happily announced that Cedric would be the first to tackle his
dragon. As Harry stared at the miniature dragons, he realized he had seemed
them before in the magical district Marvolo took him to when they were in
Magical Romania. Perhaps that was where the miniature dragons were from?
 
Bagman finally walked towards him and offered the bag. Harry put his hand
inside and his brows furrowed when the miniature dragon began dodging his
attempt on trying to grab it. After a few minutes of awkward silence from
Bagman who Harry just knew was really laughing inside at his misfortune, Harry
finally managed to grab his dragon by the tail and lifted it up. Before Harry
could even lift it out of the bag, the dragon snarled at him before biting his
hand, making Harry hiss and drop the dragon back into the bag. Everyone stared
at the moving bag silently for a few seconds before Bagman finally cleared his
throat before announcing awkwardly, "T-t-that was the Hungarian Horntail, the
fiercest of all four. That means Mister Potter will be the last to face his
dragon."
 
Harry sighed in resignation before mumbling, "Why am I not surprised? This luck
of mine is really the worst." 
 
Harry sat on one of the crates littering the tent and tuned out more
explanation from both Bagman and Crouch. Harry opened his messenger bag and
grabbed the same etiquette book he was reading before. He closed his messenger
bag and dropped it on the ground. He was almost finished with the page when a
shadow loomed over him once more. He didn't bother to look up as he commented,
"It says here that it is tradition for a magical couple to have two children:
the heir and the backup but I noticed that most pure-blood families only have
one child. So even the traditional pure-blood family like the Malfoys no longer
uphold the tradition of having at least two children?"
 
"Traditions can be changed, my boy." Dumbledore replied in the same grandfather
voice he usually used when he was talking to Harry.
 
Harry hummed before turning the page, not bothering to reply to that. Voldemort
would have explained why it was no longer practiced. Perhaps he would even talk
about the benefits or detriments of such a practice. Harry's legs lightly began
to sway as he wondered if he could ask Voldemort about it later on. 
 
Would they be required to have at least two children as well?
 
Harry never really thought about it. Having a family... It seemed like such a
cruel dream.
 
"Harry, you need to change." Dumbledore gently whispered, making Harry raise
his eyes slightly to look at the article of clothing Dumbledore had in his
hands.
 
The vibrant colours of Gryffindor greeted him. Harry lowered his eyes back to
his back before asking, "Is that a requirement, Professor?"
 
"Every champion should wear their school's champion attire." Dumbledore
explained in the same grandfather voice Harry was used to hearing. 
 
"But Diggory's the Hogwarts' champion." Harry retorted in a whisper, finally
closing his book to stare at Dumbledore. He made sure he was only thinking
about the times he managed to catch how everyone adored Cedric.
 
He barely noticed how Cedric's entire posture turned frigid.
 
"You are also Hogwarts' champion, my boy." Dumbledore persisted gently and he
placed a hand on Harry's knee.
 
Harry kept his eyes trained to Dumbledore's blue eyes as he remembered all of
the 'support' his fellow students showed towards him as he replied, "No. I'm
not." 
 
Dumbledore's blue eyes looked at Harry sadly as he whispered, "Oh, my boy."
 
Harry pushed Dumbledore's hand off using his book before jumping off the crate.
He grabbed his bag hurriedly before walking away from Dumbledore, mumbling,
"I'm fine."
 
Dumbledore followed him as he whispered, "Minerva told me about Marvolo
Slytherin's courting."
 
Harry stopped but kept quiet.
 
"You must be careful, Harry. Marvolo Slytherin-"
 
"-is not his father." Harry cut off, turning to stare at Dumbledore as he
placed his book in his bag. He remembered the small smiles Marvolo gave him as
he said, "The sins of the father should not reflect to the son."
 
"That's not what I mean, Harry." Dumbledore whispered and Harry looked away
when he saw the pity in Dumbledore's eyes. He usually didn’t care if someone
pitied him but seeing such look from Dumbledore made Harry feel… enraged.
Dumbledore placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder before whispering gently,
"You must not get swept away by the kindness you see when it could be a lie."
 
"Because he's a Dark wizard?" Harry asked, glaring at the exit, "Or is it
because of who he's father is?"
 
"Voldemort doesn't know love." Dumbledore reminded Harry but Harry didn’t say
anything back.
 
"Dumbledore, we have to go." Bagman called out, reminding Dumbledore that he
was a judge.
 
When Dumbledore didn't move, Harry retorted coldly, "Have you ever stopped to
wonder that if anyone even bothered to show him what it means to be loved maybe
he would have?"
 
Dumbledore froze and Harry knew it was because of the memories he played in his
head, the memories of a loveless childhood. Harry pushed Dumbledore's hand away
as he whispered, "Sometimes, the reason why someone doesn't know how to love is
because all they know their entire life is hate and pain."
 
Dumbledore stared at him silently for a few seconds yet Harry kept his eyes at
the exit.
 
"And sometimes, there are people we cannot save from the darkness no matter how
hard we try." Dumbledore retorted softly before leaving the tent. 
 
Harry's eyes narrowed but he kept quiet, watching the rest of adults leave. A
few minutes after they all left, Cedric started to walk towards him but stopped
when they all heard the sound of a cannon fire from outside. Cedric stared at
him for a moment before walking out of the tent. The sound of the audience
cheering marked the start of the first task.
 
Harry walked towards Krum who looked tensed and stopped right next to him,
returning his book inside his bag. He stared at the exit of the tent that will
lead them to their doom as he said, "So I heard you know Marvolo."
 
If it was even possible, Krum looked tenser and he turned to stare at Harry.
Harry turned to stare at him as well and Krum's blank expression seemed to tell
Harry that Krum knew that Harry knew that Marvolo's background in Durmstrang
was a lie (and that line confused Harry a lot). Harry just tilted his head.
From his peripheral vision, he could see that Fleur was discreetly listening.
Krum nodded before replying, "He vos older than me in Durmstrang but he vos
very helpful in the more advanced subjects Durmstrang offers."
 
"What was he like during his student years?" Harry asked curiously, wondering
just how far Durmstang had constructed Marvolo Slytherin's existence.
 
"Quiet." Krum replied. After a few minutes of silence, Krum seemed to notice
Harry was waiting for more information. Krum's eyes narrowed slightly, making
Harry smile slightly. Krum knew he was playing with him. Krum cleared his
throat before adding, "Ve didn't talk about his past. He vos a very private
person. I'm sure he didn't even haff any close friends because of his...
heritage."
 
Harry hummed, turning to face the exit once more. He barely noticed that Fleur
had left while he was talking to Krum. It was a good plan. Marvolo's heritage
would make him an outcast even in Durmstrang. If he was an outcast, any
Durmstrang graduate who says they knew him will be able to excuse any lack of
information as being 'not close' to him. 
 
"You should be careful." Krum warned, staring at Harry intensely.
 
"I know what I'm doing." Harry replied, shrugging as he added, "Most of the
time."
 
Krum raised an eyebrow at him which Harry replied with a grin.
 
The cannon fired once more and Krum turned to face the exit. Harry watched as
Krum left the tent before hugging his bag. He closed his eyes and pressed his
face against his bag and began inhaling deeply before exhaling slowly.
 
He was allowed to fear for his life but a part of him wasn't afraid. It was
scary how the very reminder that Voldemort would do everything to keep him
alive was all he needed to calm down.
 
Before long, the cannon fired once more and Harry opened his eyes. Harry
dropped his bag and walked out of the tent. The loud cheering seemed to engulf
him for a moment and Harry looked around. He barely heard Bagman comment about
his attire and other useless things. He finally found Marvolo staring straight
at him and he felt a surge of calming warmth inside him. He smiled softly at
Marvolo who nodded at him. Harry took a deep breath before turning his
attention at the dragon. The dragon was currently snarling at him and kept
shuffling from side to side. The nest of eggs was to the dragon’s left,
slightly further into the centre of the arena. Harry grabbed his wand from the
pocket of his trousers and aimed it at the rocks near him. With an image in his
mind, he chanted, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
 
Seven large rocks floated in front of him, earning a loud cheering from all
around. Distantly, he could hear Bagman announced, "Potter used the levitation
charm on multiple rocks. I never expected to see such a highly advanced charm
spell in this tournament!"  
 
It was a 'highly advanced' charm?!
 
Harry glared at Marvolo who simply smirked smugly at him.
 
Just because Voldemort was a show-off didn't mean Harry wanted to be a show-off
as well.
 
Harry envisioned a clear image of the rocks floating in front of him and the
rocks began floating towards him. Once the rocks were floating between him and
the dragon, Harry rushed towards the nest. The dragon's roar made Harry feel
like he was losing his hearing but he kept on running. The dragon breathed fire
towards him and he aimed his wand at the rocks. The rocks pressed against one
another, shielding Harry from the fire yet Harry could feel the heat and could
clearly the rocks becoming red from the heat they were exposed to. Throughout
the dragon's fire attack, Harry kept on running, closing half the distance
between him and the nest. The dragon jumped towards the nest, roaring right in
front of Harry. Harry aimed his wand towards the dragon and the floating rocks
flew towards the dragon. Knowing the momentum would be enough to ensure the
rocks continued towards their destined projection, Harry aimed his wand at the
rocks in front of him and shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
 
As the rocks in front of him started to float, Harry heard Bagman exclaim,
“This is quite a sight! Not only can Potter use a highly advanced charm but he
has mastered it enough to perform it twice in a row!”
 
Harry didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. Voldemort was able to
levitate more than a dozen books wandlessly and nonverbally and they had spent
the rest of their ‘date’ making sure Harry could at least levitate multiple
targets. Sure, the first few tries were exhausting mentally and he had to take
a lot of breaks in between (which Voldemort used to drill information about
Daphne’s allies and their families in Harry’s brain). 
 
He supposed he would just have to ask Voldemort just how rare a ‘highly
advanced’ spell was later.
 
The rocks floated towards him while the dragon roared once more, dodging the
incoming rocks. The rocks flew passed the dragon and towards the stands. Harry
heard a lot of people shouting then the sound of rocks crashing towards some
kind of invisible barrier. The dragon swiped its tail towards Harry and Harry
used the rocks to deflect the blow. Three rocks shattered sending small debris
flying everywhere. Harry grabbed onto one floating rock and flew the same rock
towards the dragon. The rock slammed against the dragon's face, bouncing to the
other side. Harry jumped off the rock, falling to the ground on his side. Harry
rushed towards the nest, ears ringing when the dragon roared once more. Harry
aimed his wand at the stationary rocks near him and shouted, "Wingardium
Leviosa!"
 
More rocks floated towards him and Harry dived right into the nest. The rocks
swooped towards his direction, quickly forming a dome around the nest just in
time to cover the nest and Harry from the dragon’s incoming fire attack. 
 
Inside the makeshift dome, Harry felt the rocks behind him heat up and he
quickly grabbed the golden egg before crawling to the front. One rock floated
forward, giving Harry the space he needed to leave the dome. He quickly ran
back towards the tent, using that one rock as cover while the dragon continued
to breathe fire at the dome. Once the dragon finished breathing fire, Harry
aimed his wand at the dome and flicked his wrist. All of the rocks flew out of
formation as if something from the inside of the dome pushed them all out at
the same time. Some of the rocks hit the dragon who roared wildly but Harry
didn't care because dragon tamers had already entered the arena. The cheering
of the entire audience was louder than the commentary yet Harry paid it no
heed, ending the last rock's levitation with a flick of his wand. Harry watched
the dragon tamers for a moment before raising his head to stare at Marvolo.
Harry raised the golden egg above his head and gave Marvolo a triumphant grin.
 
Marvolo's lips curved into a pleased smile and Harry could feel the foreign
feeling of pride engulfing him through their link.
 
Harry realized he liked the feeling immensely.  
 
Chapter End Notes
     I'm not going to be surprised if no one caught the 'reference' with
     the words 'truth' and 'myriad of lies'. It's actually a reference to
     the awesome JRPG Persona 4 where the main character gets a skill for
     the final battle called 'Myriad Truths' (after spending an entire
     school year trying to find the truth in a fog of lies). I couldn't
     help myself XD
***** A Bit of Family Drama *****
Chapter Summary
     Instead of staying for the scores, Harry plays tour guide
Chapter Notes
     Look at that. A weekly update. XD
     Well, work seems to be... okay last week. Not sure if it will
     continue on though (hopefully, it does).
     Anyway, enjoy this new chapter XD
     Thank you Infestation for the correction concerning necromancy
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Slight Ron Bashing… maybe?
     3 ‘Hints’ of future problems… maybe?
See the end of the chapter for more notes
The dragon tamers, one of which Harry recognized as a Weasley, escorted him to
the other side of the arena where a makeshift infirmary had been placed. Once
he entered the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey pretty much manhandled him to one of
the bed and ordered him to sit still while she performed some diagnostic, all
the while complaining about the dangers of dragons. Harry had remained silent
the entire time, wondering when he'll be able to grab his bag from the other
tent. He observed the other champions, noting that Diggory was badly burned and
Fleur was paler than usual. Krum, on the other hand, was as inexpressive as
usual. 
 
A few minutes later, Harry got his first visitor.
 
"Hey, mate." Ron greeted with a forced smile that slowly disappeared when Harry
simply stared at him with an expressionless face. Ron raised his hand and
added, "I got you your bag."
 
Harry raised his hand to get his bag as he replied, "Thank you."
 
Instead of placing it on Harry's hand, Ron dropped the bag on the bed Harry was
sitting on and Harry grabbed it. He opened his bag and began checking the
contents while Ron started, "I'm really sorry for being a git."
 
Harry closed his bag before raising his head to stare at Ron as he asked, "And
what changed your mind?"
 
"You've got to be mental to put your name in the goblet!" Ron sat next to
Harry, not noticing how Harry scooted away as he continued, "This first task
alone was just mad! I mean, you had to face dragons, for Merlin's sake!"
 
"You wanted to put your name in the goblet before." Harry reminded him. 
 
"That was before I knew about the dragons." Ron defended with a blush.
 
"No one knew about the dragons, Ronald." Harry reminded him, staring at him
impassively, "I could as easily cheated and put my name without thinking about
the consequences."
 
Ron's eyes widened before he asked, "Did you?"
 
"No." Harry replied and tilted his head as he added, "But now you think I do."
 
"I-"
 
Harry got off the bed and said, "You're just making an excuse so that you won't
have to face the truth."
 
"And what truth would that be?" Ron asked and Harry could see that Ron was both
confused and insulted by Harry's insistent to not accept his apology.
 
"That you did believe I would be stupid enough to put myself in harm’s way for
glory and fame." Harry replied as he stood, "You didn't even try and think
about how I feel about this entire dumb tournament. I don't need the fame or
the money that comes with winning this stupid thing. I have enough money in my
trust fund to live a comfortable life. I've never wanted to be famous for
surviving a killing curse that killed off my parents so why in seven hells
would I want to add more fame? I always get roped into life threatening
situation each year so why would I voluntarily seek death?"
 
Ron stood as well as he admitted, "I know I screwed up, mate-"
 
"Stop." Harry ordered, raising a hand towards his chest with the palm facing
Ron. Ron closed his lips in mid-sentence while Harry continued, "I don't care
anymore. I don't care if you feel bad and I don't care if you're trying to make
amends."
 
"Why?" Ron took a step towards Harry which automatically made Harry take a step
back.
 
"Because I don't care what other people think anymore." Harry answered,
actually surprised that he was telling the truth, "I've found people who like
me for who I really am and they..."
 
Harry blinked for a few minutes as he thought about his answer. He sounded a
bit confused as he continued, "They actually like me for who I am."
 
"I like you for who you are!" Ron exclaimed, making Harry smile at him
indulgently.
 
"No, you don't." Harry corrected, "You like the boy Harry Potter. Not me."
 
"You're Harry Potter!" Ron reminded him.
 
"And I never stopped wishing I wasn't." Harry admitted, confusing Ron further.
Harry tilted his head and gently ordered, "Tell me the truth, Ron. You had more
fun spending time with Dean and Seamus these past month than you ever did with
me, didn't you?"
 
"Wha-Tha-That's different!" Ron defended, "Dean and Seamus are different from
you."
 
"You have more in common with them than you have with me, Ronald." Harry
explained in the same gentle tone, "You guys are normal boys with normal
problems and normal needs. I'm different."
 
"Because you like guys? I don't care about that!" Ron exclaimed hurriedly, "I
mean, I don't think He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's son is a good idea! He's
obviously planning something evil! I know Charlie likes both guys and girls, I
can introduce you two. You'll like Charli-"
 
"Enough, Ronald." Harry ordered firmly, making Ron stop in mid-sentence. Harry
glared at him as he hissed, "Insult me all you want. Make up your sad pathetic
stories of how you're the victim and not me. Drag the name of Harry Potter to
the ground if you want but do not insult or slander Marvolo in front of me. Do
you understand?"
 
"You're mad. You've just known this man for what? Two weeks?! Do you hear
yourself right now, Harry?! You're defending someone you don't even know!" Ron
spluttered, saying worriedly, "You should have Madam Promfrey check you. He
might have put a love potion in your food or drink or-"
 
"He will never stoop that low." Harry hissed, taking a step forward as he
continued, "Don't compare him to people like-"
 
Harry stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to snarl at
the offending hand but stopped dead in his track when he recognized it was
Luna. Luna smiled gently at him and gently grabbed his hand. Her hand was cold
yet it was comforting and Harry could feel his anger subsiding as she whispered
gently, "Let's go."
 
Harry nodded and let the younger witch lead him out of the tent. Ron didn't
follow them but he shouted, "You need to stay here! They're about to announce
the scores!"
 
Harry gripped Luna's hand tightly as he forced himself to calmly reply without
turning around, "I don't care about my score. I'm here to survive, not win."
 
Harry didn't pay attention to whatever Ron was about to say and he simply let
Luna lead the way. Since everyone seemed to still be in the arena, they were
able to leave unnoticed. They began traversing the woods surrounding the arena
and Harry took the silence as the chance to say, "Thanks, Luna."
 
Luna turned to smile dreamily at him as she replied, "It was my pleasure, My
Lord."
 
Harry walked faster for a moment so that they were walking side by side. Harry
stared ahead as he admitted, "I don't know what came over me back then."
 
"It's natural, My Lord, to feel offended for our significant other." Luna
sagely commented, making Harry chuckle.
 
"Is that what he is to me now, my dear seer?" Harry turned to stare at Luna
with a small smile, "My significant other?"
 
Luna turned to stare back at him, silently observing him for a few moments.
Slowly, her smile turned softer as she replied, "He will become so much more."
 
The small disappeared from Harry's lips and Luna added, "You don't need to fear
the future, My Lord."
 
Luna used her free hand to gently caress Harry's cheek, forcing him to stop
walking. She tilted her head slightly and whispered, "It is alright to fall."
 
"Will he be there to catch me?" Harry mocked, gently pushing Luna's hand away
from his cheek.
 
Luna's smile brightened as she replied, "He'll catch you at the bottom."
 
Harry raised an eyebrow at that answer but Luna simply smiled at him. Realizing
that Luna wasn't going to expound on that, Harry turned to face ahead and began
walking once more. He let Luna sway their connected hands as they walk and
asked nonchalantly, "So what's up with you and his eagle?"
 
"Hm?" Luna tilted her head as she replied, "His eagle is such a sweet man."
 
"Yeah, I noticed." Harry turned to stare at her with a grin as he asked, "Are
the Nargles telling you to strengthen the relationship between his inner
circles and mine?"
 
Luna giggled before asking, “Then are you finally admitting that you are
creating your own inner circles?”
 
Harry shrugged as he replied, “Not intentionally but apparently I am.”
 
Luna turned to smile at him as she asked back, "If we were to have a
relationship, will you bless our union then?"
 
Harry raised an eyebrow as he answered, "Unlike some people, I'm not an overly
controlling master. You're free to do as you please, my dear."
 
"Thank you for your kindness, My Lord. I shall think about it." Luna smiled
sweetly at him. They passed by the end of the forest and Harry grinned when he
saw Marvolo was waiting for them, talking to Theonel. Marvolo turned to smile
at him and offered his arm which Harry immediately wrapped his arm around. Luna
gently let go of Harry's other hand and curtsied at Marvolo. 
 
Harry patted Luna's head as he introduced her to Theonel, "This is Luna
Lovegood, one of my adorable friends."
 
"Ah, yes, Theodore talked about you." Theonel nodded at Luna as he greeted,
"It's nice to finally meet you, Miss Lovegood."
 
Luna curtsied at Theonel as she greeted back, "It is nice to meet you as well,
Lord Nott."
 
Marvolo leaned towards Harry and whispered, "If we go now, we'll probably at
least an hour to walk around without being disturbed."
 
Harry raised an eyebrow and whispered back, "And where should we take our
walk?"
 
Marvolo raised an eyebrow and smirked as he reminded, "You did say you wanted
to tour me, did you not?"
 
Harry grinned and nodded, "You got yourself a tour guide, Lord Slytherin."
 
"Lead the way." Marvolo grinned back, "My dear tour guide."
 
Marvolo turned to Theonel and said, "Wait for me by Hogwarts' entrance."
 
Theonel smirked at him and teased, "Please don't do anything scandalous."
 
Marvolo raised an eyebrow and retorted playfully, "I promise not to do anything
Harry will not give consent to."
 
Harry blushed and smacked Marvolo's arm lightly, making both Marvolo and
Theonel chuckle. Theonel nodded at Harry as he said, "Please take care of him
for me, Harry."
 
Harry smiled at him and replied, "I'll do my best."
 
Marvolo nodded at Luna who simply waved at him. They hurriedly walked away,
chuckling slightly as they reached Hogwarts. Since everyone was still in the
arena, the castle was silent and seemed to echo their light footsteps and
hushed chuckles. They began walking the hallways as Harry remembered, "Bagman
commented something that confuses me."
 
"What would that be?" Marvolo asked, observing their surroundings.
 
"He called my use of the levitation charm as a highly advanced charm." Harry
replied, turning to stare at Marvolo as he added, "But we learned it during our
first year."
 
Marvolo chuckled softly before replying, "The levitation charm by itself is a
basic charm spell. What he meant by a highly advanced charm is your spell of
levitating multiple targets at the same time."
 
"How is that any different?" Harry asked, tilting his head curiously.
 
"The magic needed from your core for multiple targets is exponentially greater
than when you levitate a single target. The focus you showed to keep every rock
levitating while being able to keep your attention to your surrounding and
strategize on how to use your spell for the task would also mean that you're
strong mentally." Marvolo listed, "You were also able to use the spell more
than once which means you have great control over your core and your magical
reserve is large even though you are still young."
 
"So it's highly advanced because it's a multiple target version?" Harry frowned
at his summary.
 
"Have you ever seen anyone cast a levitation charm over multiple targets at the
same time?" Marvolo asked, turning to stare at him.
 
Harry pursed his lips as he tried to remember. Voldemort’s levitations of the
books didn’t count so he tried to think of any event that occurred at school.
He remembered his charm professor decorated the tree by levitating the
decorations one by one. When he couldn't remember a single incident of seeing
many objects levitate at the same time, Harry shook his head.
 
That's when he remembered how he made everything floated in the common room
when he was a second year student. Harry quickly buried that thought before
replying, "I accidently made everything in the common room float when I was a
second year."
 
"Accidently?" Marvolo asked curiously yet Harry could see his stare
intensifying. 
 
Harry nodded before replying, "I'm sure it was accidental magic. I wasn't...
really paying attention."
 
Marvolo hummed before commenting, "Accidental magic hasn't been studied
thoroughly. As far as we know, we perform accidental magic when we feel a
strong emotion or have a strong thought that consumes us. The older we become,
the less frequent these accidental magic become due to our growing restraints
and knowledge."
 
When Harry noticed they were passing by the courtyard, he decided to change the
subject (since it was going close to a subject Harry didn't like) and asked,
"So, what do you want to see first?"
 
Marvolo hummed as he thought about it. He shrugged before asking, "What would
you recommend?"
 
This time, it was Harry's turn to hum thoughtfully. They continued to walk
aimlessly as he listed, "Well, the Great Halls would most probably be a good
place to start. But it's probably not that grand right now since there's no one
here. They probably stopped the magical ceiling for now. The Astronomy Tower is
a nice place to go but it's not yet evening so it's not like we can look at the
stars. The lake's a good idea too, I guess, but it's not exactly inside the
castle."
 
Harry turned to stare at him as he asked, "Is there any specific place you want
to see? Like, if you can only go to one place in this entire castle, where
would you want to go?"
 
Marvolo stopped, forcing Harry to stop as well. Harry tilted his head slightly
as he watched the impassive expression on his face. Marvolo turned to face
Harry and replied, "Slytherin Common Room."
 
Harry blinked as he commented, "Well, I know how to get there and I'm sure they
haven't changed the password yet but can I ask why?"
 
Marvolo began walking once more before he replied, "The Dark Lord was a
Slytherin."
 
Harry continued to observe him, letting the older wizard guide him towards the
dungeon. They continued to walk arm in arm as Harry asked, "Have you ever
wondered how different your life would have been had you been raised by your
father?"
 
"I wondered about it." Marvolo admitted nonchalantly. When he realized Harry
wasn't going to comment, Marvolo continued, "But I realized I didn't want to
change my past."
 
"Why not?" Harry pressed, letting Marvolo lead him to the confusing maze the
students called the dungeon.
 
"Because I am what I am right now because of the circumstances forced upon me
and my reactions to each and every single one of them." Marvolo replied,
turning to the left once more, "Perhaps my life could have been better had I
lived with my father. Perhaps it would have been horrible. We will never know.
What I do know is that it is because of the circumstances forced upon me and
how I reacted to all of them that you are right here in front of me. If I
change even the smallest detail, there would be a possibility that you and I
would have never met."
 
Harry smiled at him as he commented lightly, "Many would think of that as a
good thing."
 
"For them, perhaps." Marvolo agreed before stopping right in front of a wall.
He turned to stare at Harry as he whispered, "But one's happiness is the sorrow
of another."
 
"You don't believe it's possible to make everyone happy?" Harry asked, tilting
his head slightly.
 
"No." Marvolo replied immediately, "Humans are selfish creatures. Even I..."
 
Marvolo caressed Harry's cheek softly as he admitted, "I know my desire to have
you as my consort is selfish. Many will disapprove of such a union."
 
"Between the Dark Lord's son and the Boy-Who-Lived?" Harry asked, lowering his
hand so that he could intertwine it with Marvolo's other hand. Marvolo nodded
and Harry wondered, "I suppose it wouldn't be the ending they desire. I know
they already have an idea of what my future would be. I'd become an Auror like
my father and marry a muggle-born or a Light-oriented witch. That would be the
happy ending they created."
 
"But is that what you want?" Marvolo asked and Harry smiled softly at him.
 
Harry chuckled before replying, "Of course not. Why would I want to spend my
entire life putting my life in the line for other people when they've never
been there for me? Why would I become their saviour when no one bothered to be
mine?"
 
Harry leaned forward, his chest pressing against Marvolo's as he whispered,
"Why would I bother falling in love when no one ever loved me before?"
 
Marvolo placed his hands on Harry's waist as he asked, "Then why bother
accepting my courting, Harry?"
 
Harry placed his hand by Marvolo's cheek, dragging his point finger from
Marvolo's cheek towards his jaw as he replied, "Because you said you wanted to
know me. Not as Harry Potter but as who I truly am."
 
Harry tilted his head as he mumbled, "There's something about you I don't
understand. Considering our past, I shouldn't enjoy your company. I shouldn't
feel such comfort around you. I shouldn't-"
 
"Are you saying you shouldn't because that's what you truly think or that's
what others think?" Marvolo gently grabbed Harry's hand and whispered, "Because
I find myself enjoying your company as well. Even if the entire world would
shun me, I will still want you by my side."
 
Harry's lips curved into a grin as he whispered, "Then I look forward to seeing
just how far you will go to have me."
 
A predatory smirk appeared on Marvolo's face as he whispered back, "I will not
disappoint you, Harry."
 
Harry turned to face the wall and proclaimed, "Parseltongue."
 
The stone bricks began to move away, showing the Slytherin Common Room. Harry
took a step forward but stopped in mid-step when he realized Marvolo wasn't
moving. Marvolo kept his eyes forward as he ordered, "Leave us."
 
They waited for a few minutes before Marvolo finally stepped forward. Harry let
Marvolo drag him inside, looking back in time to see the bricks move to cover
the entrance. They began walking forward and Harry asked, "Are you sure it was
a good plan to order Skeeter in such an open space?"
 
"The dungeons have no pictures to spy on us and I'm sure there was no one
following us." Marvolo informed him before taking off his glamour. Harry
watched as the mask called Marvolo Slytherin slowly disappeared and he came
face to face with Voldemort. Voldemort led him towards the portrait of Salazar
Slytherin and the founder's portrait stared at Voldemort as he greeted,
"Salazar, it has been too long."
 
Salazar hummed before commenting, "I see you have let the darkness consumed
you."
 
"I needed the power." Voldemort defended and Harry silently watched the two
interact.
 
Salazar scoffed before asking in a slightly condescending tone, "Why? Did
everything not go as plan, Tom?"
 
Voldemort glared at him as he hissed, "No, it did not, but that does not mean
I'm wrong."
 
"Of course not." Salazar mocked, "You're never wrong, are you, Tom? No matter
how foolish or unnecessary your actions may be, you will never be wrong. You're
incapable of being wrong."
 
Voldemort took a step forward before sneering, "If you're just going to annoy
me then Harry and I will be leaving now."
 
"Oh, Harry would very much like to stay and watch this family drama." Harry
chirped, grinning at them.
 
Voldemort turned to glare at him while Salazar drawled, "Listen to your fiancé,
Tom. He clearly sees the bigger picture."
 
"All he sees are opportunities to annoy and tease people." Voldemort turned to
hiss at Salazar before glaring back at Harry as he hissed, "You're supposed to
be siding with me, my dear."
 
"And miss the chance of seeing you get scolded by someone? Sorry, Love Tart,
you're on your own in this one." Harry continued to grin as he clarified, "If
it makes you feel any better, I'm not exactly siding with Salazar as well. I'm
merely an observer."
 
Salazar chuckled before commenting, "I must say, Tom, I approve of your choice.
You've chosen the most interesting Black I have ever seen for a very long
time."
 
Harry frowned slightly while Voldemort turned to stare at the portrait. Before
anyone could reply to Salazar's comment, Salazar asked Voldemort, "Have you
taken the Slytherin lordship?"
 
"No. I haven't had enough time to visit Gringotts and process everything."
Voldemort replied but continued to glare at his ancestor.
 
Salazar hummed for a moment before suggesting, "Do not practice any magically
strenuous activity the day before. You would need all of your magical reserve."
 
Harry tilted his head and Voldemort frowned as he asked, "Am I going to perform
a magically strenuous activity in receiving my Head ring?"
 
Salazar raised an eyebrow as he asked back in a mocking tone, "Do you honestly
think I wouldn't make my descendants' life miserable from beyond the grave?"
 
Harry grinned as he commented, "I like him more and more."
 
"What did you do, Salazar?" Voldemort hissed in an annoyed tone.
 
Salazar shrugged before nonchalantly replying, "Nothing much. I have just
developed a series of trials to test the magical potential as well as mental
and emotional stability of the supposed 'Head'."
 
"Why would you do that?!" Voldemort hissed angrily.
 
"In all honesty?" Salazar shrugged as he replied, "Delphi and I were bored and
our oldest son was having his rebellious phase."
 
Voldemort stared at his ancestor ludicrously while Harry furrowed his brows as
he thought about Salazar's reasoning. Voldemort began rubbing the bridge of his
nose and Harry could feel the forming headache coming from Voldemort. Voldemort
closed his eyes and tried to rein his fury while Harry asked, "Let me get this
straight. Your son was being a total pain in the arse so you and your wife-"
 
"Husband." Salazar corrected nonchalantly.
 
"Husband." Harry repeated, realizing Salazar was most probably talking about
the other man in the unfinished portrait in the Chambers. Now that Harry
thought about it, that made more sense since that man was wearing the Ouroboros
bracelet in the portrait. 
 
Who names their son 'Delphi'?!
 
Harry cleared his throat before continuing to summarize what Salazar just said,
"-cooked up a series of trial that will most probably be dangerous for your
descendants?"
 
Salazar stared at Harry for a moment before replying nonchalantly, “Oh, you
don’t need to worry. Tom will be fine. We've included safety precautions so he
won't die."
 
Salazar narrowed his eyes at Voldemort as he added in a scolding tone, "Of
course, that's not counting the obsession that had consumed Tom to ensure death
never claims him completely."
 
Voldemort glared at the portrait while Harry asked, "So what's the worst thing
that can happen to him in this trial?"
 
Salazar thought about it for a few seconds before replying, "Hallucinations, I
suppose. Oh, no. Castrations."
 
Voldemort and Harry stared at the portrait with wide eyes while Salazar added
with a shrug, "Delphi's idea. He thought anyone who is idiotic enough to fell
for his trap would be doing the world a favour by not having offspring."
 
Harry turned to stare at Voldemort and commented with a shrug, "Okay, this
Delphi is starting to sound very interesting now."
 
Salazar scoffed before commenting, "Of course you would think that. He's your
ancestor."
 
Harry tilted his head to stare at Salazar as he asked, "He is?"
 
"His full name is Delphinus Slytherin nee Black." Salazar stared at Harry as he
asked, "You've never heard of him from your parents or your Black ancestors'
portraits?"
 
"I wasn't raised by my parents." Harry shrugged as he added, "I only heard I
had Black blood from your descendant a few weeks ago."
 
Harry took a step towards the portrait as he added, "And I'm curious how you
knew I was a Black."
 
Salazar's tone was soft as he commented, "Your eyes are the same as my dear
Delphi."
 
"My eyes?" Harry repeated, frowning slightly as he remembered, "They say I have
the same eyes as my mother. She's a muggle-born."
 
"Then perhaps she has Black blood running in her veins as well. A squib from a
branch family of House Black could easily be one of her ancestor. Or people
simply want to see a resemblance and fooled themselves into believing you have
the same hue." Salazar suggested before pointing, "Your eyes have the same
colour as the Killing Curse. Only the blessed members of House Black have such
colour."
 
"What do you mean by blessed?" Harry pressed.
 
"The colour of your eyes means you can access a rare branch of magic coveted by
many.” Salazar's lips curved into a smirk that reminded Harry too much
Voldemort when he was about to say something that amuses him (and most probably
provide despair for others), "Necromancy, child. You have necromantic magic." 
Chapter End Notes
     It was hinted in Siri's one-shot and pretty much shown in A Single
     Change but here we have confirmation that Harry does have Necromancy
     magic. Will Harry pursue this? Well... stay tune and find out. XD
     The said incident is actually written in Musing of a Diary Horcrux
***** The Truth About the Ritual *****
Chapter Notes
     So I made a grammatical error concerning 'necromancy'. If I add
     'magic', it should be 'necromantic magic' so I updated the last
     chapter and ASC to reflect that.
     Thanks to Infestation for correcting me. ^w^
      
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Voldemort and Salazar bicker like some kind of father-son combo,
     much to Harry’s amusement
     3 Backstories ahoy!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Harry stared at the portrait for a moment, noticing the angry frown on
Voldemort’s face. Now that he realized it, Harry was able to discern what kind
of frown Voldemort was making. The difference was subtle, mostly the degree of
the Dark Lord’s brows and how curved his lips would become but still, it was a
useful tool in his arsenal at the moment. The better his mood, the easier Harry
could have his way. At that thought, Voldemort turned to raise an eyebrow at
him. Harry just grinned at him, wiggling his eyebrows as if a silent challenge
for Voldemort to try and refute his musing. When Voldemort only shook his head
in resignation, Harry turned towards the portrait and asked, “What do you mean
by… this necromancy thing? Like I can have my own Night of the Living Dead?”
 
When both Slytherins continued to stare at him with furrowed brows, he
clarified, “It’s an American cinema about zombies. I forgot you two are old.”
 
"My age has nothing to do with this. I simply do not waste my time watching
muggle cinemas." Voldemort drawled.
 
"You should. They're good.” Harry commented with a shrug, “Better than
Wizarding entertainment..."
 
"You just don't know where you find good Wizarding entertainment." Voldemort
argued with a roll of his eyes.
 
"Of course the big bad Dark Lord would know where the best Wizarding
entertainment is." Harry chuckled and shook his head.
 
“I am unfamiliar with the words ‘zombie’ and ‘cinema’.” Salazar interrupted
their light bantering but his attention was solely on Voldemort.
 
“A zombie is commonly described as a moving corpse with a distinct desire for
flesh. A cinema is a muggle invention that shows a visual and audio recording
on a screen.” Voldemort informed his ancient ancestor.
 
Salazar hummed in understanding while Harry asked Voldemort, “The magical world
doesn’t have zombies?”
 
“There are many magical creatures that desire flesh and the concept of a
reanimated corpse is most commonly known as an Inferius.” Voldemort informed
Harry, “Necromancy is well known as a failed branch of magic. Practitioners of
the Dark Arts have varying understanding of what a necromancer can and cannot
do. Some think a necromancer can talk to the souls of the departed. Others
think they can revive the dead. There are those who also believe a necromancer
cannot die.”
 
Harry noticed the way Voldemort’s tone became more passionate as he continued,
“No one truly knows if necromancy is even real. It’s a rumoured branch of magic
as ancient and as mystical as the supposed land of Shambala. There are many
writings and folklores of these supposed necromancers but no one has ever come
forward to proclaim that they are a necromancer and have enough proof to
justify their claim.”
 
Harry tilted his head as he asked, “Why are you so passionately against this?”
 
“Because necromancy is a myth!” Voldemort hissed, “A myth whispered in our ear
to long for something unattainable!”
 
“Tom, calm down.” Salazar ordered, staring at his descendant, “Simply because
you cannot become a necromancer does not mean it does not exist.”
 
“I am your descendant.” Voldemort hissed as he took a few steps toward his
ancestor’s portrait, “The blood of your supposed beloved little necromancer
runs in my vein as well so why is it that Harry who did not descend from him
has necromantic magic in his core but I do not?”
 
“We cannot choose what our core is composed of.” Salazar reminded him
patiently, “The necromantic magic has always been fickle in the Blacks. You
have a higher chance of receiving necromantic magic if your parents were both
magical Haitians than having both British necromancers as parents.”
 
Salazar turned to face Harry before explaining, “To become a necromancer, you
must have necromantic magic. Necromantic magic is simply a term used for a
genetic inheritance from a necromancer ancestor. Some use the term necromantic
blood, mostly because muggle-borns and muggle-raised wizards and witches cannot
fully wrap their muggle infested mind over the idea that there is magic inside
them and its characteristics are passed down from our ancestors to our parents.
For example, my core is Dark and my magic came from the Slytherin line,
granting me Parseltongue and the ability to use Parselmagic. Of course, unlike
the Slytherin line, not all descendants of a necromancer can have necromantic
magic. It could be dormant or active but necromantic magic can only exist from
the time the child is born or not at all.”
 
“Besides, necromancy was never about attaining immortality or talking to the
dead.” Salazar informed them, “It has always been about reanimating corpses.
Delphi spent his years experimenting on different ways to reanimate a container
with no soul. He always insisted that returning someone back to life is not in
the realms of necromancy but in the realms of soul magic.”
 
Salazar raised an eyebrow as he commented, “Something you of all people would
know intimately.”
 
Voldemort glared at him while Salazar turned to face his descendant’s quiet
companion before explaining, “Necromancy has been one of Tom’s earliest
obsessions. As you most probably realize, Tom does not enjoy the idea of not
knowing things.”
 
“Hurts his ego, I know.” Harry commented with a shrug, making Voldemort glare
at him. Harry raised his hands in mock surrender as he continued, “I don’t see
the problem though. I mean, considering we are going to be married the
traditional magical way, wouldn’t that mean that my necromantic magic will be
accessible to you as well?”
 
Voldemort’s brows furrowed as he thought about Harry’s words while Salazar
asked, “You plan on marrying traditionally? I haven’t heard anyone do such an
intimate ritual for centuries.”
 
Harry snorted before telling the portrait, “Funny story. I accidently did the
Slytherin Binding Ritual-“
 
“You did?!” Salazar interrupted, a wide smirk appearing on his face.
 
“Well, I didn’t think it would bind me to your megalomaniac descendant.” Harry
defended before complaining, “Which, by the way, reminds me. Couldn’t you have
made the description of the said ritual more specific than just ‘<< to bind a
Slytherin to you >>’?”
 
Salazar covered his mouth, his shoulders trembling as he tried to control his
laughter. It didn’t work and, before Harry or Voldemort could react, Salazar
began to laugh loudly, surprising the two. Salazar laughed for what could have
been a minute or two, only managing to turn his loud laughter to gasping
chuckle after a few more seconds. By that time, Voldemort was glaring
murderously at the portrait and Harry was having a mental vision of different
ways to destroy said portrait.
 
He especially liked the idea of violently swinging it all over the room before
finally throwing it to the fire place.
 
The amount of violence in that idea was quite appealing.
 
“That ritual was a joke!” Salazar admitted, making Voldemort and Harry look at
the portrait ludicrously. Salazar continued to snicker as he explained, “Many
of my allies had been annoying me by my son’s lack of a consort for years and I
was very close to actually torturing them. Delphi suggested I create a new
ritual of my choosing to focus my attention elsewhere and keep me away from
actually having to talk to my allies. That ritual was an experiment to finally
force my son to marry someone and I knew theoretically it would work but I
never tested it.”
 
Salazar shrugged as he added, “I also did not expect it to be used. That was
the reason why I wrote the entire ritual in Parselscript. I thought my
descendants who can read Parselscript would understand what the ritual do and
be smart enough not to use it and be stuck with one of their relatives. Placing
it in the chambers had been another safety precaution.”  
 
Salazar raised an eyebrow as he added, “I did not expect a descendant of mine
to actually try the ritual and now he’s bound to one of my most promising but
most troublesome descendant.”
 
Harry opened his mouth but Voldemort cut him off, “We’re not related.”
 
Salazar raised an eyebrow as he commented, “He can speak the serpent’s
language.”
 
“We don’t know why he can speak it but I know for a fact that he is not
directly related to me.” Voldemort corrected with a glare.
 
“He apparently has no interest in physical pleasure.” Harry repeated what
Voldemort told him when he had asked if the Dark Lord had a tryst with Lily
Potter before commenting, “I do think he has repressed his sexual desires.”
 
Voldemort turned to glare at Harry who grinned at him while Salazar deadpanned,
“Oh, I believe he does as well. Unfortunately, none of these children were able
to fully acquire his undivided attention.”
 
“He does seem like the type to play with his toys and then throw them away when
he’s bored.” Harry commented with a shrug, earning a sagely nod from the
portrait.
 
“Is this how this is going to go each time we talk with Salazar, my dear?”
Voldemort hissed, grabbing Harry’s wrist. Harry simply blinked at him while he
hissed, “Are you going to team up with this old man against me?”
 
Harry grinned at him and lightly patted his cheek as he cooed, “Don’t worry,
Love Tart, we’re just playing around. It’s not every day that you get to see
someone able to scold the big bad Dark Lord and honestly say what they think in
front of him.”
 
Harry leaned closer and trailed his finger from Voldemort’s cheek to his jaw,
mimicking his actions with Marvolo previously, as he added coyly, “Besides,
he’s probably the closest father figure you ever had. I need to make a good
impression to my in-laws now, don’t I?”
 
“He is not-“
 
“Denial.” Salazar cut his descendant off, making the Dark Lord turn to glare at
him. He watched the two, noticing how Voldemort placed a hand by Harry’s waist,
forcing the younger wizard to lean towards him. Salazar condescendingly
admitted, “Unlike our dear Tom, I have no problems admitting that I consider
him as a son, rather than a descendant.”
 
Salazar scoffed before adding, “He would have made a better heir to both me and
Delphi instead of our real son.”
 
“Wow, just how problematic was your son?” Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
 
“He married some German wizard he met during the Festival of Masks.” Salazar
drawled, “We haven’t heard anything from him after that. Our daughter, on the
other hand, married the son of a cousin of my mother.”
 
“Oh, your inbreeding started early, I guess.” Harry commented, noting the
slight pressure on his waist as a silent reprimand.
 
Salazar sighed before admitting, “Yes, we did. In all honesty, I believe it’s
mostly my fault. I spent so many years building this school and neglected my
children. Delphi was the one who had to take care of them most of the time.
He’s a good person but he is a Black.”
 
Harry and Voldemort stared at each other, unsure how to proceed with that
information. Harry had minimal experience with consoling people and Salazar
knew Voldemort too much to fall for his angelic Tom Riddle act. Thankfully,
Salazar segued the conversation himself by nonchalantly commenting, “If you
wish to pursue necromancy, child, then you should search the Black estates for
books and journals pertaining to the art.”
 
Harry tilted his head as he asked, “Wouldn’t it be easier to just ask your
husband?”
 
“You could.” Salazar nodded before adding, “But his portraits are scarce. The
only portraits I know are the two in Slytherin manor and one portrait in one of
the Black ancestral homes.”
 
Harry hummed before thinking out loud, “I wonder if I can access the Black
estates though.”
 
“Orion gave me access when he was alive.” Voldemort informed Harry, “Walburga
may not like me but Orion has always been a supporter to my cause. If Walburga
or Dumbledore’s mutt hasn’t revoked that access yet, I can accompany you to the
Black estates. At the very least, I know I have access to the main branch’s
ancestral house in London.”
 
“You can also talk to Gringotts to grant you access to Alcor Black’s vault and
properties.” Salazar suggested.
 
“Alcor Black?” Harry repeated the name.
 
“The first supposed Black necromancer.” Salazar explained, “Delphi would visit
his estates once a week. It’s supposed to have an extensive library about
Necromancy. I know, for a fact, that Delphi left most of his journals and
findings in the manor before his death as well as everything belonging to the
other previous Black necromancers.”
 
“And he kept the will intact?” Voldemort asked with a raised eyebrow, “None of
these Black necromancers or even your little necromancer bothered updating the
will or transferring the vault and the properties to their own name?”
 
“No.” Salazar shrugged as he admitting, “Delphi never bothered since it did
show up in his personal properties after receiving it. I suppose there was a
clause no one bothered to talk about how all of the properties and the vault
would return to Alcor Black after the death of his descendants or perhaps it
was already in Alcor Black’s will that it will return to his estates after the
descendant has passed away.”
 
“You said most.” Harry cut in, “That means there are some he left elsewhere?”
 
“If there is an unfinished journal, it is most probably in the Slytherin
manor.” Salazar explained before adding, “But I am unsure if he ever did have
an unfinished journal. Even if he did, he probably hid it quite well.”
 
Harry frowned as he asked, “Why?”
 
“During the later years of our life, the ministry began hunting for certain
Dark branches of magic. Necromancy was one of them.” Salazar explained with a
hard cold expression, “That was the main reason why Delphi transferred all of
his findings and books related to Necromancy to Alcor Black’s manor. The
ministry didn’t know about the manor and they were already keeping a close eye
on Delphi since he was rumoured to be a necromancer. Without evidence though,
they could not prosecute the consort of one of Hogwarts’ founders.”
 
“Just how bad was this hunt?” Harry asked, wondering if it was as bad as the
Salem witch hunts in America. He remembered reading about it in one of the more
obscure history books in the library.
 
It may have been in the restricted section but no one needed to know about
that.
 
It was Voldemort who explained, "Necromancy was declared as evil by the muggle-
borns centuries before our time. The idea of manipulating and controlling the
dead was considered vile and everyone who proclaimed they were necromancers was
prosecuted. These alleged necromancers were hunted down and executed. That’s
why it’s believed that necromantic magic died out or the art of necromancy is
now dead. I suppose Salazar’s little necromancer didn’t get prosecuted because
there was no real evidence he delved into necromancy."
 
Voldemort’s brows furrowed and Harry recognized it as the ‘curious’ and
‘thoughtful’ kind of frown which made Harry tilt his head towards him as he
asked, “What are you thinking about?”
 
“I just remembered something Orion once told me.” Voldemort replied before
explaining, “It was during the time I had been searching for more books about
these supposed dead branches of magic. Orion told me about how one of their
villas had a library filled with necromancy lore and studies. According to him,
they had necromancer ancestors and they would hear stories of how one of them
would pluck the eyes out of the misbehaving children and put them in his
Inferius."
 
"Sounds like a lovely chap." Harry commented dryly.
 
"Orion says that the necromantic magic died out faster than their ability to
change their appearance at will."
 
"They can what?" Harry blinked.
 
"Some Blacks before had the ability to change their physical appearance. Those
that can are called Metamorphmagus." Voldemort briefly explained.
 
"Like your glamour?" Harry asked curiously
 
"Yes but it does not need any item. I suppose we can assume the creation of the
glamour charm was inspired by the ability of a Metamorphmagus." Voldemort
inferred.
 
"Wow. So not only could Sirius be a possible necromancer but he could also be a
Metamorphmagus." Harry asked with raised brows.
 
"I highly doubt it. Everyone would have known by now if he was a
Metamorphmagus. It's an ability that appears as early as infancy. As for
necromantic magic, I suppose there is no way to know if he could have dormant
necromantic magic."
 
Harry raised an eyebrow when Voldemort stopped talking, his lips forming a thin
line as he stared at Harry's eyes. The silence etched for a few seconds before
Voldemort finally commented, "Orion did say something peculiar about
necromantic magic in the Blacks."
 
"Oh?"
 
"He said that all of their necromancer ancestors were said to have killing
eyes."
 
"Killing eyes?" Harry repeated before turning to stare at Salazar as he
remembered, “Salazar did say my eyes are the same colour as the killing curse.”
 
“I suppose a trip to Gringotts in now in order.” Voldemort commented with a
soft sigh.
 
“For the Slytherin trial?” Harry asked for confirmation, tilting his head.
 
“No. That can wait.” Voldemort replied, “With the bind in full effect, it would
be too dangerous to go with the Slytherin trials. We will go to Gringotts for
our initial plan of emancipating you-“
 
“Oh yeah. I forgot about that.” Harry commented with shrug, making Voldemort
roll his eyes.
 
“And we will ask the goblins for a blood heritage test for you. If you do have
active necromantic blood, it will show in that test. If you do-“
 
“Your lack of trust in your ancestor’s words is astonishing, Tom.” Salazar
drawled which Voldemort didn’t pay any attention to.
 
“Then we procure this supposed manor of Alcor Black.” Voldemort finalized, “And
take all books, journals and findings related to necromancy.”
 
“You’re going to learn necromancy after our marriage?” Harry asked curiously.
 
“I would be too busy preparing for my return and ensuring your safety after
Yule.” Voldemort smirked predatorily as he corrected, “You, on the other hand,
will learn necromancy for me, my dear.”
 
“I will?” Harry blinked, not really opposed to it.
 
The idea of reanimating dead things to wreck chaos did sound appealing.
 
Voldemort placed his hands on Harry’s cheeks, forcing the young man to keep his
eyes trained at Voldemort. There was a hint of giddiness (which sounded strange
in Harry’s ears) in Voldemort’s tone as he whispered, “What better consort can
the most powerful Dark Lord have but a mythical necromancer?”
 
“On the top of my head?” Harry grinned as he suggested, “A god.”
 
 
 
Chapter End Notes
     Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 cinema directed by George Romero.
     If you’re a zombie fan like me, I suggest checking this and the rest
     of the Living Dead movie series if you haven’t already.
     Alcor Black is an OC that was introduced in the ‘what if’ short-story
     ‘A Single Change’. I did say his backstory will have more impact on
     CaBR. XD
***** A Bad Day *****
Chapter Summary
     We interrupt your daily program to show an insight to our favourite
     Potions Professor
Chapter Notes
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 switch to Snape’s POV because of… reasons
     3 Minimal dialogues
     4 Foreshadowing…?
     5 Voldemort is back to being Marvolo here again
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Severus Snape was not having a good day. He woke up half an hour earlier than
normal. He realized that the robes he had been wearing yesterday had a small
but noticeable hole at the back, most probably from one of the explosive
potions the second year dunderheads had been brewing that day. When he checked
on the cauldrons in the adjoining private potions room, two of the cauldrons he
had left simmering overnight were failures. A quick check indicated the first
cauldron's fire was two degrees hotter than what it was supposed to be and the
second cauldron had silver added in it. The amount of liquid silver would
approximately be around thirty pieces if it was melted to the same diameter and
weight as a sickle.
 
His cauldrons had been sabotaged. There was no way he could have made such a
mistake in the first cauldron. The only way the silver could have gotten to the
second cauldron was if Snape had intentionally put it in which he did not.
 
The first cauldron was unsalvageable. The second though... it had created a
different potion altogether. It was a potion that would freeze the drinker's
muscles, rendering them conscious but immobile for two hours. The amount of
silver added was insufficient for the typical two hours. At most, it would have
immobilized an adult for an hour.
 
Snape knew because he had learned of such a dark potion from the Dark Lord
himself.
 
It could have been a coincidence. For all Snape knew, the melted silver could
easily have been a symbol of the thirty silver coins Judas received for his
betrayal.
 
But that would mean someone thought he betrayed someone. Did that person think
he betrayed the Dark Lord? Or did they think he betrayed Dumbledore?
 
Since it was based on a muggle religion, there was a higher possibility of the
saboteur being either a muggle-born or a muggle-raised half-blood or pure-
blood. As far as Snape knew, the supporters of the Dark Lord were all pure-
bloods or half-bloods raised in the magical world.  
 
At that thought, the image of a young boy with vibrant green eyes invaded
Snape's mind.
 
Snape's lips curled into a deep frown, glaring at the second cauldron. It would
just be like that brat (like his father) to prank a cauldron for fun. The boy
and his Gryffindor friends had been hounding him for years. But how could they
have found out the password to his personal quarters?
 
It seemed he needed to read the Golden Trio's minds once more.
 
Hopefully, Mister Weasley's mind wouldn't be too preoccupied by the different
ways a woman can show her body in a flattering manner.
 
At that thought, Snape remembered his last venture in Potter's mind.
 
He was still traumatized by it. The very idea of Potter and the Dark Lord
engaging in-
 
Ugh.
 
Snape couldn't even finish his thought.
 
He knew that teenagers were the strangest creatures but there has to be
something terribly wrong if Potter's wet dreams consisted of the Dark Lord
having his way with-
 
He was absolutely not going to finish that sentence.
 
Breakfast would be a good distraction and it would give him the opportunity to
read the brats' mind for confirmation.
 
Walking out of the safety of his (compromised) private quarters prove to nail
the very notion that today was just not a good day for Snape.
 
"Professor." Snape's lips curled into a small frown as he saw the acting king,
Alastor Carrow, walk towards him with a small smirk playing on his face.
 
"Carrow." Snape greeted back. He sided with his snakes regardless of his
personal feelings for them and Alastor Carrow was one of them. Being a fellow
Death Eater, Snape knew the Carrows personally. They weren't nice by any means
but they valued family above all else. Snape couldn't even remember how many
times he had heard the two Carrows sing praises about their nephew Alastor
Carrow or their older brother, Lord Carrow. The two idiots praised them like
they were Merlin themselves.
 
And that was what always made Snape wary about Alastor Carrow. Even with the
scandal the two Carrows had created due to their alleged loyalty and adamant
defence of being under the Imperius curse, Lord Carrow managed to keep House
Carrow away from the populace's ire. Not even Lucius Malfoy could handle a
scandal like that with such finesse.
 
And Alastor Carrow has shown potential in his years in Hogwarts. He was one of
the few who managed to keep the title of acting king even when they weren't in
their last year in Hogwarts.
 
Not to mention...
 
Carrow offered a copy of the Daily Prophet as he suggested with a smirk, "It
might be better to eat your breakfast inside the security of your quarters
today, Professor."
 
He was a cocky brat.
 
Snape took the newspaper as he drawled, "I hardly believe anything this piece
of foolish gossip print will make me-"
 
Snape's lips froze as he read the article on the page in front of him. It was
clear from the way the newspaper had been folded that it wasn't the first page
and Carrow had intentionally focused the article for Snape.
 
'Hogwarts Professor Personally Bullying Boy-Who-Lived'
 
Snape quickly skimmed the article. Rita Skeeter had managed to get information
about the conversation Potter and Snape had yesterday, focusing on Potter's
words of how Snape had hated him from the very beginning.
 
Snape gripped the newspaper tightly as the damn hyena managed to find out how
he had acted towards Potter since his first year and his connection to both
Lily and James Potter. Rita had made it sound like some sort of payback for
James Potter's bullying and his falling out with Lily. She even speculated that
Snape was in love with Lily.
 
What made Snape grow angrier had been the quote the reporter managed to get a
quote from Petunia of all people.
 
"That freak always followed her around like some kind of stray mutt and that
witch indulged him because she had always wanted a puppy."
 
How dare she insult Snape's friendship with Lily?
 
She had always been jealous of Lily. Their father had always doted on Lily and
it only grew once Lily got her Hogwarts letter. Because of their father's
obvious favouritism, their mother also doted on Lily more than Petunia.
 
She has always been a jealous insignificant muggle. Lily would use to tell
Snape how Petunia would break her toys whenever she managed to get her little
hands on them.
 
She hated Lily and even called Lily's beautiful vibrant green eyes as freaky-
 
Snape's grip on the newspaper tightened as he remembered another person with
the same eyes. His breathing began to grow harder as he tried to rein his fury.
He glared at Carrow and ordered, "Leave me be."
 
Carrow continued to stare at him with calculating dark eyes, an amused small
smirk playing his lips. He bowed mockingly as he whispered, "As you wish,
Professor."
 
Carrow had always been an observant young man and that fact infuriated Snape
right now because he just knew that Carrow had planned the entire thing to
gauge his reaction. And whatever Carrow had deduced from Snape's reaction,
Snape knew he wouldn't like the consequences that were sure to follow.
 
He silently watched Carrow walk away, knowing that the Slytherin was
deliberately walking slower than usual. The infuriating acting king had always
been slyly disrespectful towards Snape, an obvious influence from Lord Carrow
who obviously found his double-agent status a betrayal towards the Dark. Once
the Carrow heir was no longer in sight, Snape quickly walked back inside his
quarters. Once the magical door slammed shut behind him, Snape quickly walked
towards the door to the right where his sleeping quarters were. Snape opened
the door and went inside, not minding the loud bang the door emitted due to his
hasty closing. Snape knelt by the side of the bed, taking his wand from the
secret compartment of his robes. He quickly flicked in an upward motion twice
before waving his wand in a circular shape towards the bed. He pressed the wand
against the wooden frame of the bed before whispering the password, "Little
emerald."
 
It had been the pet name Lily's father had for her. Only Lily's family and
Snape knew about it. Snape heard an almost inaudible click from the bed and he
placed his wand back inside his robes. He placed both hands on the wooden frame
and pressed. The wooden frame of the left side of the bed fell towards Snape's
hands. He placed the piece of wood on the floor before putting his hand inside
the hollow space between the top and bottom frames of the bed. His fingers
grazed against the paper and he grabbed it gently, slowly taking his hand out
of the hollow space. Snape stared at the envelope in his hands, the curvy
handwriting of his name written at the back of the letter.
 
He had received it two days before the Potters went into hiding. Back then, he
had been too preoccupied trying to show the Dark Lord he was worthy of being
part of his Inner Circle to read it.
 
He was also still bitter from their falling out and her marriage to Potter back
then.
 
After her death, he just couldn't find the courage to read the letter.
 
What if it had been a cry for help?
 
What if reading this letter could have prevented her death?
 
What if... this letter would shed light to what Snape was supposed to do now?
 
Because, at this very moment, Snape had no idea how to proceed with his oath of
protecting the Potter brat. He was changing too rapidly. The tournament and his
falling out with his friends changed Potter too much for it to be normal. If
Snape was being truthful, Potter's actions reminded him a bit too much of
himself after his falling out with Lily.
 
It annoyed Snape how his fingers trembled as they slowly opened the letter. He
took the letter out of the envelope, folding it open.
 
Lily's elegant writing greeted him like an old friend, the words torturing him
like cold ice Crucio.
 
My dear Severus,
I had wished to talk to you in person but this beautiful golden cage Dumbledore
had provided for us prevents that.
I have kept a terrible secret from you this entire time simply because my
father had ordered me to.
But now I am writing this letter to tell this secret to you, hoping that you
would take this to your master.
Perhaps if he knew of my secret
 
With each passing word, Snape's heart began to beat faster and his breathing
grew harder. He didn't want to believe what was written in this piece of paper
in his hands. For he knew, if he believed it, then that would mean that...
 
... He could have prevented Lily's death.
 
Why? Why didn't he read this letter before?!
 
It was as if the entire universe had planned this entire thing. In his hands
was the ultimate torture someone could give to him.
 
He could have saved Lily had he just read this letter earlier.
 
He could have saved Lily if he had given this letter to the Dark Lord.
 
Snape's trembling hands opened the envelope once more, finally noticing the two
other folded pieces of paper inside. He took both of them out and saw that one
was sealed with the name 'Harry' written on one side, just like Lily had
written in her letter. The other paper had no markings and Snape unfolded it.
 
He gripped the paper tightly as he read the content and he felt as if his heart
had stopped.
 
The contents of this paper could have saved Lily.
 
And now, these two pieces of paper could easily save or destroy her son.
 
Snape placed all three pieces of paper inside the envelope once more before
taking his wand out. He casted the strongest notice-me-not charm he knew and
added a curse that will burn the entire envelope and all of its contents if
someone who wasn't Snape ever tried to open it. Once that was done, he placed
the envelope on the inside compartment of his robes. With a flick of his wand,
the wood returned to the frame with a click.
 
He walked out of his private quarters, not paying any heed to the discarded
newspaper on the ground.
 
Never has Snape ever been so conflicted on what he should do now.
 
 
 
The first time Snape managed to catch a glimpse on the green-eyed menace of his
life on this tiring day, he had been very, very uncomfortable close to the
enigmatic Marvolo Slytherin.
 
Snape had checked with his contacts or, at the very least, the ones who didn't
mind talking to him. No one even had an inkling that he existed. Even Lucius
Malfoy was unable to get any real information from Lord Nott.
 
He wasn't exactly surprised.
 
Lord Nott had been a kind mentor before but the disappearance of the Dark Lord
and the denial of the remaining Death Eaters' loyalty had driven a wedge
between him and the others. Snape thought it was hypocritical of him
considering he had also denied his loyalty but, if Marvolo Slytherin was who he
says he is, then it is not really surprising that Lord Nott would think he had
the right to condone everyone else. He would have prioritized the safety of the
Dark Lord's son as a show of his loyalty.
 
Snape watched the interaction between the four, unable to hide his grimace as
he noticed the casual way the Gryffindor interacted with Lord Nott. Lord Nott's
respectful manners were a bit surprising but Snape noticed how the older wizard
would sometimes glance at Marvolo Slytherin before talking to Potter. From that
observation, Snape inferred that Marvolo Slytherin had talked to Lord Nott
before on how to act around Potter.
 
Speaking of Marvolo Slytherin, there was something about him that just put
Snape on edge. Perhaps it was the lack of information about the supposed son of
the Dark Lord. Perhaps it was the glaring similarities between him and the Dark
Lord, both physically and magically. Perhaps it was the close proximity between
him and Potter. Perhaps it was the way the brat leaned on Marvolo while the
older wizard kept one hand on Potter' back, just a few inches above what could
only be described as being very scandalous. Perhaps it was the way he would
stare at Potter with amused and gentle eyes. Regardless of the reason, Snape
couldn't help but be on edge around Marvolo and that fact alone annoyed him.
 
The rest of the task was spent observing Marvolo from afar. He noticed how
Marvolo held an air of polite attention towards the other champions. If it
wasn't for his habit of whispering to Lord Nott every other minute, Snape would
have fallen for the act. But when Potter entered the arena, Marvolo's eyes
never wavered from Potter's form. Potter's strategy for tackling the dragon had
been a surprise as well. He didn't expect someone like Potter to have the focus
and the skill to perform an advanced charm spell at his age. The only people he
had ever seen perform a multiple-targeted levitation charm had been the Dark
Lord and Lily.
 
Snape didn't miss the way Potter had raised the golden egg while grinning at
Marvolo Slytherin. He also didn't miss the small pleased smile that decorated
Marvolo's face. The entire thing only made Snape more on edge than he already
was. If he was any lesser man, he would have been panicking by now.
 
The sudden disappearance of Potter during the scoring wasn't exactly a
surprise. (What was surprising was the fact that Igor had given Potter a
perfect score like the rest of the judges, earning him first place.) He was
just as troublesome as his father who believed the rules didn't apply to him.
McGonagall had been fuming, uncharacteristically berating Madam Pomfrey for not
looking after the brat.
 
When they found out from the youngest Weasley boy that Potter left with
Lovegood, they went on search for Lovegood who they found had been chatting
with Greengrass and her friends. He had noticed the growing closeness between
Potter and Greengrass so it wasn't surprising. What was surprising was the
addition of Carrow among the fourth years together with his best mate, Pucey.
The smirk Carrow gave him made Snape want to search the cocky boy's mind but
being the heir of a Dark family meant that he would have enough knowledge to
know if someone was trying to read his mind.
 
Lovegood had told them she accompanied Potter till they met Marvolo Slytherin.
Knowing that the boy was with that man did not sit well with Snape. As long as
he didn't have enough information about Marvolo Slytherin, Snape will never be
alright knowing they were together unsupervised.
 
It had been McGonagall who suggested that they were most probably in Hogwarts,
talking about how Potter wanted to show the school to Marvolo.
 
They decided to split up and Snape was given the task of checking the dungeons.
Snape didn’t know why in seven hells would the brat tour someone in the
dungeons but dutifully carried his assigned area.
 
Wanting to cover all of his bases, no matter how impossible it may be, Snape
checked the Slytherin common room.
 
That's where he found Potter and Marvolo, sitting by the fireplace. They were
both sitting on the floor, facing the fireplace. Potter was resting his head on
Marvolo's shoulder while Marvolo's hand caressed the younger wizard's hair.
They seemed to be conversing in soft whispers and Snape quietly walked towards
them, managing to catch Potter's words, "-and Dumbledore tells me I have to
return there each summer for my own protection."
 
Snape froze at those words, watching the way Potter leaned closer to Marvolo.
Marvolo's hand rested on Harry's waist and he whispered, "All of the greater
good, I suppose."
 
"Hm?" Potter raised his head to stare at Marvolo.
 
"That's Dumbledore's mantra." Marvolo explained, "As well as Gellert
Grindelwald's."
 
"Dumbledore shares the same mantra as the Dark Lord he defeated?" Potter asked,
his voice laced with amusement, "Isn't that a bit strange?"
 
"I only heard about it from Theonel and he's not the best source of information
concerning Dumbledore." Marvolo added with a shrug before continuing, "It seems
like a fitting description of your situation: kept in the company of magic-
hating muggles in exchange for protection from the Dark."
 
Potter snorted before musing, "When I was a kid, I often wondered if my uncle
would finally kill me."
 
Marvolo turned to face Potter and Snape felt like he was drenched in ice-cold
water at the nonchalant way Potter continued, "He never took it too far though.
I mean, he did one time when child services came after I talked to the school's
guidance councillor. The only reason why he stopped was because my aunt
screamed for him to."
 
"Your aunt protected you?" Marvolo asked softly yet Snape could see the way his
eyes had hardened. The light of the flickering flames created a red hue in
Marvolo's eyes which only further put Snape in edge as he was reminded by the
Dark Lord's own blood coloured eyes.
 
Potter scoffed once more before correcting, "She was worried about the scandal
my death would create."
 
Potter shrugged as he added, "And how hard it would be to clean the mess."
 
Marvolo's grip on Potter's waist tightened while Snape's chest ached harshly.
Marvolo rested his forehead against Potter's, his eyes trained at the younger
wizard's own as he whispered something. It took a moment before Snape realized
he was whispering in the serpent's tongue.
 
Potter's lips curved into a small smile as he hissed something back. They
stared at one another for a few seconds before Marvolo finally pulled away,
turning to face Snape. Snape stared back with a blank expression while Potter
rested his chin on Marvolo's shoulder, staring at his professor as well.
 
"Professor." Potter greeted calmly.
 
Snape stared at the young heir, focusing on that unbearable messy hair before
lowering his gaze to those beautiful nostalgic green eyes. Potter turned away
and smiled at Marvolo. Snape barely heard Potter apologize to Marvolo for
ending their 'tour', too preoccupied by the way he was quickly dismissed. There
was no fire in Potter's eyes, none of that foolish Gryffindor bravado. Potter
looked at him like he was nothing.
 
But what made Snape freeze was the way Potter looked at Marvolo. He had seen
how those beautiful vibrant green eyes shone with such emotions and he hated
it. He hated it because that was how Lily used to look at James Potter.
Chapter End Notes
     Yeah, totally didn't write the entire letter. It will make another
     appearance though. XD
***** Harry’s One True Love *****
Chapter Summary
     Heart-to-heart conversation with the person they least expected
Chapter Notes
     Okay, this week’s updates may be shorter/have more grammatical errors
     and wrong spelling because I just found out some of the keys of my
     keyboard are not working (especially ‘e’, god damn it) so I’m
     borrowing my sister’s laptop to write this. (Meaning, I’m working
     with a deadline)
     My replies to everyone’s comments will still continue. I’m just gonna
     use my phone (the screen isn’t as big as I prefer so I’m not gonna
     write on these updates with that one)
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 Dialogues ahoy
See the end of the chapter for more notes
"I am here to escort Mister Slytherin out of Hogwarts." Snape announced and
Harry tilted his head, resting the side of his head on Marvolo's shoulder in
the process, as he heard the slight trembling in his voice.
 
He turned to look at Marvolo who nodded at him. They both stood and wrapped an
arm around Marvolo's offered arm. At the narrowing of Snape's eyes, Harry
stubbornly said, "I'll escort him out as well."
 
Snape's narrowed eyes trained on him which made Harry narrow his eyes as well.
Strangely, Snape did not berate him or anything. He simply turned around
silently, walking out of the room with his robes bellowing as usual. Harry and
Marvolo turned to stare at one another before Marvolo shrugged. He began
following the dour professor, dragging Harry with him. When they passed
Salazar's portrait, they both nodded at the ancient wizard who simply raised an
eyebrow at them.
 
They followed Snape out of the dungeons and into the courtyard. When he stopped
by the arch leading to the courtyard, Marvolo and Harry stopped as well. Snape
turned to face them and said, "The Headmaster is waiting for you in the
courtyard, Mister Potter."
 
"He can wait until I've escorted-"
 
"The Headmaster insists that you see him as soon as possible." Snape cut Harry
off, sounding agitated.
 
Harry opened his mouth to argue but stopped when Marvolo placed a hand over the
arm Harry had wrapped around his arm. Harry turned to look at him with a small
pout, making Marvolo's lips curved into a small smile as he gently whispered,
"It's alright, Harry. I do not wish to you get you in more trouble than I
already have."
 
"It's no trouble at all, Marvolo." Harry insisted, leaning closer to Marvolo
which caused Snape to glare at both of them. Harry rested his left temple on
Marvolo's arm and looked up to stare at Marvolo's eyes as he whispered, "I want
to spend more time with you."
 
"I'll return next Saturday, Harry." Marvolo gently reminded him as he slowly
pulled away. Their lopped arms dropped and Marvolo stared at Harry silently for
a moment before gently caressing his cheek. His lips curved into a small smile
as he said, "I'll see you soon, my dear Harry."
 
Neither noticed Snape's posture become rigid at the possessiveness that seeped
in Marvolo's gentle words.
 
Harry leaned against the hand by his cheek, whispering softly, "Take care, my
sweet Marvolo."
 
They both smiled at one another and Marvolo caressed Harry's cheek with his
thumb thrice before finally dropping his hand. He turned to face Snape and
nodded. Snape stared at Harry for a moment, feeling the familiar aching of his
chest at the way Harry kept his beautiful vibrant green eyes on Marvolo's form.
Without a word, Snape turned around and began walking once more. Marvolo turned
his head to face Harry once more and nodded with a small smile. Harry returned
it with a soft smile of his own and watched as Marvolo faced forward and
followed Snape. Harry watched the two, feeling his magic slowly return in his
core, making him feel sluggish.
 
He wanted to walk the other way, let Dumbledore wait in the bloody courtyard
alone but he noticed that Rita's animagus form had stayed with him, flying
around the arch.
 
He wished he could just stun the damn bug but a scoop concerning the Headmaster
would most certainly be emblemised and twisted to suit their side.
 
So he walked into the courtyard and steeled himself.
 
… which did nothing since Harry wanted to walk away when he saw the headmaster
but Dumbledore turned his head towards him at that moment and smiled, patting
the empty space next to him. Next to that empty space was the golden egg Harry
left in the infirmary. He supposed the golden egg was his now?
 
Which, by the way, was creepy.
 
What the hell was he supposed to do with that egg anyway?
 
Left with no choice (not really), Harry walked towards Dumbledore and sat next
to him, making sure he was sitting on the other end of the bench. Dumbledore
didn't seem to be offended by the distance and he simply stared in front of him
as he said, "Everyone was worried when you disappeared, Harry."
 
Harry stared at one of the trees littering the courtyard as he commented, "It's
funny how you all worry only when it inconveniences you."
 
Dumbledore turned to look at Harry sadly as he gently reprimanded, "You must
not think like that, Harry. There are those who care-"
 
"Anyone who cared enough for me would know they didn't need to worry just
because I skipped the scoring." Harry cut him off, keeping his eyes on the
tree.
 
"Even if we know there's nothing to worry about, it doesn't mean we can simply
stop worrying." Dumbledore sagely said. Harry bit the inside of his mouth to
stop the snarky retort he wanted to say. He had a feeling Voldemort would not
approve if Harry showed what he really felt to the headmaster and Rita wouldn't
be able to help but add it in her article if she heard it. Dumbledore turned to
stare at Harry with gentle eyes, "I know how you're feeling right now."
 
Harry highly doubted that. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he felt
his magic stir, announcing Voldemort's return.
 
... That was quick.
 
Did he give Snape the slip or something?
 
Harry opened his eyes and wondered where the Dark Lord was hiding now. Even
though Luna had said that not even Dumbledore can see under the cloak, he knew
Voldemort would not risk exposure.
 
So there was a high chance he was behind them.
 
"You think that everyone has abandoned you so you clung to the first person to
hold out their hand to you." Dumbledore gently summarized.
 
"But you don't believe everyone abandoned me." Harry concluded in a bland tone.
 
"We would never abandon you, my boy." Dumbledore stated before gently stating,
"You're letting your anger control you. You must listen to me, Harry-"
 
"Please stop, Professor." Harry cut him off, finally turning to stare at him,
"You and I have already stated where we stand in regards to Marvolo. I can't
change your mind and you can't change mine. We can keep returning to the same
defences and the same warnings but we both know we won't be able to change each
other's mind."
 
Harry looked back at the tree as he added in a slightly sarcastic tone, "I had
assumed you of all people would give Marvolo a chance."
 
Dumbledore stared at Harry for a moment, taking in the slightly narrowed eyes
that glared at the tree. Dumbledore sighed then turned to stare at the same
tree as well as he asked, "Will you humour this old man's rambling then?"
 
"If you ramble about Marvolo, I'm leaving." Harry warned.
 
Dumbledore nodded before starting, "There was a young man who had a sister and
a brother. His parents had already left and his sister could not take care of
herself thus it was his job to take care of her."
 
Dumbledore glanced at Harry but the boy kept staring at the tree so he
continued, "One summer, he met a young man. He was around the same age as him
and the nephew of their neighbour. He was a charming young man with a beautiful
smile and a magic as alluring as a flame to the moths. The two young men became
friends and it didn't take long for the young man to fall in love with him."
 
"Which one?" Harry interrupted, making Dumbledore stare at him once more. Harry
kept his eyes at the tree as he explained, "There are two young men in your
story."
 
"Ah, of course. It does get confusing, doesn't it?" Dumbledore commented with
twinkling eyes. Harry just shrugged.
 
"Let's see then. Let's call the young man taking care of his sister as... Brian
while the charming young man as..." Dumbledore hummed for a moment, making
Harry narrow his eyes as he remembered that Brian was one of Dumbledore's first
names.
 
Was he... talking about his own experience?
 
"Gerard... let's call him Gerard." Dumbledore nodded at himself before
continuing, "Now then, where was I? Ah, yes. Brian fell in love with Gerard and
he wanted Gerard to love him back. His love for Gerard consumed him and his
entire life started to revolve around Gerard. He forgot about his
responsibility to his family. All that mattered was Gerard. They started making
plans of making the world a better place, of recreating it to their liking."
 
Harry was starting to see where Dumbledore was going with this.
 
Dumbledore's eyes softened as he continued in a soft sad tone, "They planned on
leaving their homes and creating their own army, start the revolution for the
betterment of the Magical World. Then, one day, Brian's brother learned of
their plans and confronted them both. His brother reminded him of his
responsibility to their family and the foolishness of their plans. Gerard grew
angry and tortured his brother."
 
"Brian didn't think. He instinctively protected his brother." Harry finally
turned to stare at Dumbledore but the headmaster was too lost in his story,
staring sadly at the tree as he continued, "All three of them began to duel.
Brian didn't know how to stop any of them. The most he could do was protecting
his brother from Gerard's anger while protecting Gerard from his brother."
 
"It ended when one of the spells killed their sister by mistake." Dumbledore's
voice cracked for a moment as he continued, "No one knew who had done it. No
one ever found out who it was. Brian was devastated and he shut everyone out,
even Gerard. Brian spent months drowning in his isolation and it was during
those months that Gerard left. He didn't even say goodbye, not even a letter."
 
"When Brian finally realized he needed to move on, to make amends... to make
everything right..." Dumbledore paused. He closed his eyes as he concluded,
"Gerard was long gone."
 
Dumbledore opened his eyes and turned to stare at Harry as he continued, "The
next time he heard of Gerard, Gerard had continued their foolish plans. He had
begun his path of destruction and that's when Brian realized that Gerard had
simply used him, manipulated Brian's feelings for him to make him blindly
follow Gerard."
 
Dumbledore's eyes were filled with sorrow as he whispered, "Love can make us
blind to the monster hiding underneath a beautiful smile."
 
Harry stared at Dumbledore for a moment, making sure to never stare right into
his eyes. He observed the wrinkles of Dumbledore's face, the glistening of
those blue eyes before finally tilting his head as he asked, "Was he sure?"
 
"What do you mean, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
 
"Was he sure that Gerard only used him?" Harry clarified.
 
Dumbledore frowned slightly as he gently said, "My boy, no matter how hard we
wish for a better explanation, sometimes the truth-"
 
"-is not what it seems." Harry cut him off. He turned to face the tree as he
stated, "According to your story, Gerard left while Brian was drowning himself
in guilt and closing himself from everyone else. Even if he wanted to say
goodbye, would Brian even meet him?"
 
"I-"
 
"What if he did try to see Brian before he left but Brian did not want to see
him?" Harry suggested before adding, "Not to mention, Brian most probably lived
with his brother who did not like Gerard. What if Gerard tried to talk to Brian
but he was stopped by his brother who could have said Brian didn't want to see
anyone or he could have exaggerated and said Brian did not want to see Gerard
specifically."
 
Dumbledore's eyes widened at the implication but Harry continued, "Gerard could
have also left a letter for Brian but it was never delivered to Brian. Gerard's
relatives could have not sent it or Gerard could have left it with Brian's
brother who never gave it to Brian."
 
Harry turned to stare at Dumbledore as he asked, "Did Brian ever asked?"
 
"He did." Dumbledore's lips slightly trembled as he admitted, "Gerard said he
left a letter..."
 
"But Brian didn't believe him." Harry concluded, staring at Dumbledore as he
mused, "Have you ever wondered why Brian didn't believe him that time?"
 
"That's because Brian realized that Gerard only used him." Dumbledore repeated
but his words seemed to waver this time.
 
"Because the truth would have been too painful." Harry retorted, "It would have
been too painful to face the fact that, this entire time, the one keeping them
apart was himself. It was easier to believe he left because he didn't care than
accept that he waited, he waited this entire time for you to come to him."
 
Harry turned to face Dumbledore and asked, "Did you ever ask your brother if
Grindelwald ever left a letter?"
 
Dumbledore stared back at him silently for a few seconds before asking, "How
did you realize?"
 
" Brian is one of your first names, Professor." Harry replied with a shrug,
"Gerard is a pretty close name to Gellert and you did talk about a revolution
of some sort. Some would say that Grindelwald's conquest would be a
revolution."
 
"How very insightful of you, my boy." Dumbledore commented with a light
chuckle.
 
"Thanks." Harry drawled before turning to face the tree once more as he
repeated, "Did you ask?"
 
"No." Dumbledore admitted, "I had assumed he had lied."
 
"You assumed he was trying to control you through your feelings." Harry
corrected, earning a grave nod from his headmaster. Harry stood and grabbed the
golden egg between them as he said, "Everyone who knows me in the Muggle world
assume I'm a problematic child because that's what the Dursleys tell them. They
believe them without even trying to know me."
 
Harry tilted his head and stared at Dumbledore as he mused, "You're doing the
same thing with Grindelwald. You don't have any proof he didn't write that
letter."
 
"I also have no proof that he did." Dumbledore defended weakly, almost as if he
was trying to convince himself.
 
Harry's lips curved into an amused smile as he retorted, "Then find your proof,
Professor. Find the letter. Ask Grindelwald when and how he gave the letter
then find it. If it exists, you should be able to find it."
 
Dumbledore shook his head as he asked, "What good would it do?"
 
"You would have your proof of Grindelwald's true nature." Harry replied,
turning away from Dumbledore as he said, "If the letter doesn't exist then that
means Grindelwald was the monster you believe him to be. If the letter exists
then that would mean..."
Harry's lips curved into a sadistic smirk as he whispered, "You betrayed the
man who loved you."
 
Harry waited for a few seconds for Dumbledore to say anything. When he didn't,
Harry nodded to himself and said without looking back, "Good luck, Professor."
 
Harry walked out of the courtyard, not noticing (not that he would care) that
Rita had flied off to find more juicy evidences of this new revelation, and
walked towards the adjoining hallway. He stared straight ahead as he hissed,
"<< Did you know about his past with Grindelwald? >>"
 
"<< No. >>" Voldemort hissed on his right, "<< But I applaud you for being able
to change the subject towards his past. >>"
 
Harry scoffed before hissing back, "<< It's his own fault for using a true
story to try and make me see the 'truth'. >>"
 
Voldemort hissing chuckle made Harry grin. Harry turned right at the
intersection and began walking towards Moody's (Barty's) personal quarters.
When he took the next right turn, he saw Luna leaning by the wall on the right.
He raised an eyebrow while Luna smiled dreamily at him as she stood. She
curtsied as she announced, "I am here to escort you to our celebratory tea
party, My Lord."
 
Harry chuckled and threw the egg at Luna who caught it as he said, "Lead the
way then, my dear."
 
Harry followed Luna out of the castle and into the grassy field next to the
Great Lake where a bigger glass table had been placed. Daphne's allies were
already there together with Daphne and Theo although Zabini was, surprisingly,
absent. What was more surprising was that both Carrow and Pucey were also
there. They all stood when Harry and Luna were nearing them and Theo pulled the
chair next to the empty chair on his left. Harry nodded at him before sitting
on the offered chair. Theo bowed lightly before taking a step back to his seat.
Harry nodded at all of them as he said pleasantly, "Please, sit."
 
Everyone but Daphne took a seat. As the hostess began pouring tea in the
individual teacups, Harry glanced around. Harry was seated between Luna and
Daphne. On Luna's right was Theo while there were two empty seats on Daphne's
left. After those two empty seats was Lils with Tracy on her left. Millicent
was on Tracey's left while Carrow sat between Pucey and Millicent. As Daphne
began placing the tea cups in front of everyone, she said with a smile,
"Congratulations on your awe-inspiring performance, Lord Harry."
 
Harry smiled at Daphne as he said, "Thank you, Daphne. Actually, it was
Marvolo's idea."
 
Finished with giving each one a cup, Daphne sat back and turned to face Harry,
"Lord Slytherin gave you the idea?"
 
Harry chuckled softly, shaking his head. He took a sip of his tea before-
 
Dear Merlin, where does Daphne get her tea?
 
They're all delicious but this one was definitely the best one yet. There was a
subtle hint of strawberries which enhanced the tea's flavour.
 
Outwardly, Harry simply took his time, placing the tea cup back in its coaster
before informing them, "Marvolo taught me when we went out last Monday."
 
More like, Voldemort let him practice, giving notes like "you need to focus
more", "you're focusing too much", "try moving one of them without letting the
rest fall" and, Harry's favourite, "for the last time, Harry, stop floating the
books to form a random object and focus!".
 
"He must have been a very talented teacher to be able to teach you such an
advanced spell in one day." Daphne noted pleasantly.
 
"He is." Harry nodded, smiling at Daphne.
 
Before they could continue their conversation, Zabini walked towards them and
said, "Apologies for the tardiness, Lord Harry."
 
They all turned around and Harry's eyebrow rose when he saw Parkinson behind
Zabini. Zabini smiled at Harry and placed a hand on Parkinson's back, forcing
the girl to move forward, as he said, "I saw Pansy walking out of the library
and invited her to join us for tea."
 
Zabini charmingly smiled at Harry as he asked, "Would that be alright, Lord
Harry?"
 
Harry offered his hand towards the two empty seats as he said, "The more, the
merrier."
 
Zabini bowed lightly as he said, "Thank you, Lord Harry."
 
Parkinson stared at Zabini as he pulled the chair next to Lils. Parkinson sat
elegantly and two new tea cups popped right in front of Daphne at the same time
a plate of treacle tart popped in front of everyone. Harry happily digged in
while Zabini asked, "What did we miss?"
 
"Lord Harry was just telling us of how it had been Lord Slytherin's idea to use
a highly advanced charm spell for the first trial." Tracey summarized with an
interested tone.
 
"Is that right?" Zabini asked.
 
"I saw Lord Slytherin in the stands talking to Lucius Malfoy and Lord Nott."
Lils added and Harry raised an eyebrow at the lack of 'proper' title for Lucius
but kept quiet, letting the baby snakes talk in peace, "He was quite a handsome
wizard."
 
Lils blushed and added shyly as she stared at Harry, "Not that I mean to stare
at the man courting you, My Lord."
 
Harry smiled at Lils and said, "It's alright to appreciate his physical
appearance, Lils."
 
Lils returned the smile with a slightly wobbly one and Millicent took hold of
the conversation while Harry finished his first slice, "It was quite
interesting to see the three of them together. I wonder what they talked
about."
 
"Politics, perhaps." Tracey guessed at the same time a new slice of treacle
tart popped on Harry's plate before correcting, "Or Lucius Malfoy could have
been trying to gain a favourable relationship with Lord Slytherin."
 
Parkinson elegantly snorted.
 
... and Harry was actually impressed that she could elegantly snort.
 
He needed to learn how to do that.
 
Zabini smiled at Parkinson and asked, "What do you think, Pansy?"
 
Parkinson's eyes widened and she whipped her head to stare at Zabini. Zabini
simply smiled at her and Parkinson turned to stare at her tea. She placed both
hands on the tea as Harry watched her, taking another bite of the sinful
goodness. Parkinson took a deep breath before raising her head as she
commented, "I just think that Lucius Malfoy is fighting a losing battle if he's
trying to gain a favourable standing in Lord Slytherin's eyes. Po-"
 
Parkinson paused, took another deep breath, before continuing, "Lord Harry has
been a target of the Malfoy's ire since the first year. If they want to gain a
favourable standing in Lord Slytherin's eyes then they better start gaining
Lord Harry's favours first."
 
Carrow leaned in his seat, smirking at Parkinson while Harry ate almost half of
his current slice as the acting king said, "I agree with Parkinson. Lucius
Malfoy need to repair the damages he and his son have created in regards to
their relationship with Lord Harry first."
 
Harry ate another slice before asking, "What makes you think that Marvolo would
not find the Malfoys' favourable?"
 
Carrow raised his eyebrows and smirked at Parkinson who sat straighter as she
replied, "Lord Slytherin is courting you traditionally, not like that pathetic
muggle way. That would mean that he is serious about marrying you and it would
be foolish to favour people his future spouse despises."
 
"I don't despise the Malfoys." Harry corrected, eating another slice as
everyone raise an eyebrow at him (except Luna who was busy rolling the egg on
her lap) before continuing, "Despising them means I care about who they are
and, trust me, I don't. I just... don't like being near them. Like cockroaches,
I don’t despise them but I don’t want to be near them."
 
Harry narrowed his eyes when he mentally heard something akin to a snort.
 
"That should be enough for Lord Slytherin to think twice before mingling with
the Malfoys." Parkinson commented.
 
"It seems that the hierarchy of the Dark will be reshuffled soon." Carrow
commented with a smirk just as Harry finished his current slice.
 
Daphne refilled Harry's tea while Theo turned towards Carrow, asking in a
polite tone, "What makes you so sure about that, Carrow?"
 
Carrow smirked at Theo as he replied, "We all know what Lord Slytherin's
appearance represents for the Dark."
 
Parkinson's eyes widened as she stared at Carrow who smiled amusedly at her as
he said, "Relax, Parkinson. We're all of similar standings here and..."
 
Carrow turned towards Daphne as he continued, "I'm sure our lovely Lady
Greengrass has already ensured the security of our tea party."
 
Daphne smiled at everyone as she proclaimed, "Only those sitting in our table
would be able to hear our conversation."
 
Parkinson slightly relaxed but her eyes turned towards Harry who simply began
eating his new slice. It was Millicent who asked, "Does Lord Slytherin wish to
continue his father's work?"
 
Silence overtook the table and all eyes turned towards Harry who had just
finished eating the slice. Harry smirked at them and asked, "What makes you
think I know what he plans to do?"
 
Millicent's cheeks reddened and she stuttered, "Fo-forgive me, Lord Harry. I
had foolishly assumed that-"
 
Harry chuckled, slicing his new piece which made Theo look at the treacle tart
with fear in his eyes, before saying in an amused tone, "Relax, Millicent. I
don't mind the question."
 
"Honestly?" Harry hummed, piercing the piece with his fork, before continuing,
"I have no idea what Marvolo has plans in concern with the Magical community."
 
That was entirely true since Voldemort never bothered to explain any of his
plans not related to Harry's safety and Harry could care less if Voldemort
wanted to burn the entire community down while singing and playing the lyre.
 
... Did Voldemort even know how to play a musical instrument?
 
Harry blinked when he mentally saw a young handsome boy playing the piano but
the image disappeared too fast for Harry to react.
 
He did recognize the piercing blue eyes and wavy black hair though.
 
Before they could ask Harry about his disinterest towards the future of the
Magical community, they heard someone shout, "There's Harrykins!"
 
Pucey's head whipped towards the voice so fast Harry swore he heard the sound
barrier get broken. Everyone turned towards the voice (except Luna who had
begun floating the egg on top of her head) and watched the Weasley twins jog
towards their tea party. Just a few feet behind them was a confused and
slightly wary Hermione.
 
The twins reached the table first and the twins stared at each person. When
their eyes trained towards Pucey who was covering his face, they grinned.
 
"Oh bloody hell." Pucey groaned.
 
"Hey, If it isn't Dri-dri!" Fred (or who Harry was now mentally calling Fred)
cheerfully said.
 
"And Ally!" George added when he noticed Carrow, making Carrow roll his eyes.
Both twins immediately walked towards the two.
 
"Fred. George." Carrow greeted with a nod.
 
"We didn't know you were friends with Harrykins!" Fred commented, patting
Pucey's back then kept it there.
 
"Weasley, remove your hand or, I swear, I will curse it off." Pucey hissed as
he glared at Fred.
 
Carrow raised his eyebrows as he commented, "He does know the hand severing
curse."
 
"Why would you know that?" George asked at the same time Harry let out an
interested "Oh?"
 
Pucey glared at George as he snarled, "I accidently stumbled upon it while
looking for the kitchen in our manor. How do you think I know it?"
 
Carrow's lips curved into a smirk as he commented, "He does have a bad sense of
direction."
 
Pucey's cheeks reddened as he hissed, "Alastor!"
 
Carrow shrugged as he said, "You do. I had to hold your hand the first two
months when you became a prefect."
 
"Aaaawww." The twins cooed, leaning close to Alastor as they said, "Little
itty-bitty Dri-dri..."
 
"... holding hands with..."
 
"Big brother Ally-"
 
"He wasn't literally holding my hand!" Pucey defended which made Alastor cover
his mouth. He pointed at his supposed best mate and hissed, "You shut it,
Alastor!"
 
"Oooohhh, what's this?" Fred poked Pucey's reddened cheeks, "Is Dri-dri keeping
a secret?"
 
"Maybe something concerning holding hands?" George poked Pucey's cheeks as well
as he mused, "Or maybe concerning Ally?"
 
Pucey slapped both of their hands off and hissed, "That's it!"
 
"And that would be our cue to leave." Carrow stood, grabbing George's shoulder
and pulling him away from Pucey as he gently said, "The key to getting Adrian
to like you is to be gentle when handling him."
 
Pucey stood and glared at Carrow who simply smirked and patted his cheek as he
gently said, as if placating a wild animal, "Relax, Adrian. The twins are just
fooling around, like usual."
 
Pucey's glare intensified and Carrow patted his cheek once more before turning
to face Harry. He bowed lightly as he said, "Forgive me, Lord Harry-"
 
Hermione turned to stare at Carrow with slightly wide eyes.
 
"-but we must be going now." Carrow's lips curved into an amused smile as he
explained, "We do need to start our rounds."
 
"Does that mean we have to end our tea party?" Harry asked with a tilt of his
head.
 
Carrow shook his head and replied, "I'm in charge of the rounds around here and
I'll pass by the courtyard in about... perhaps an hour? What happens between
the time I make my rounds and before I reach the courtyard is none of my
concern."
 
Harry grinned as he said, "Thanks, Carrow."
 
Carrow bowed once more as he said, "It's my pleasure, Lord Harry."
 
Carrow placed a hand on the back of Daphne's seat and said, "Thank you for
inviting us, Lady Greengrass."
 
Daphne smiled at Carrow and said, "And thank you for indulging us, Lord Carrow.
We hope to have tea with you again soon."
 
"It would be our pleasure." Carrow replied with a slight bow before turning
towards Fred and George. He raised an eyebrow as he warned in an amused tone,
"Don't think of trying to prank me during my rounds, Fred, George."
 
"Oh, we're so scared, Ally." Fred cheerfully grinned.
 
"Especially now that you're challenging us." George added with an identical
grin.
 
Pucey covered his face as Carrow retorted with a smirk, "I am challenging you.
Amuse me."
 
Carrow winked at the twins before walking away. Pucey bowed at Harry silently
before following Carrow, briskly walking to be able to catch up with his best
mate. The last thing they heard from the two was Pucey hissing, "Alastor, I
swear, if I get mixed up with whatever you three are doing, I will hex your
toes off!"
 
"Aaahh, Dri-dri, such a charming chaser." Fred commented then turned to face
the rest of the remaining participants, "Oh, tea!"
 
Daphne turned her eyes towards Harry who had finished his current slice. Harry
smiled at the twins and said, "Come join us. We're just having tea and one of
the most delicious treacle tarts I have ever tasted."
 
Harry turned towards Daphne and asked, "Where do you get this sinful goodness?"
 
"Thanks, Harrykins." The twins said and sat down at the same time, taking
Carrow's and Pucey's seats. They grabbed the tea cups and looked at each other.
They exchanged cups before taking a sip.
 
Daphne stood as she replied, "I ordered them this little pastry store hidden in
the midst of muggles. Of course, the owners are magical."
 
Hermione glared at Daphne but the Slytherin paid her no mind, refilling
everyone's tea as she continued, "I could give you the address if you like,
Lord Harry?"
 
"I would be overjoyed if you did." Harry replied with a grin.
 
And he wasn't even exaggerating.
 
Daphne smiled back at him before taking out her wand. She tapped the table
twice and everyone's chair moved closer to each other, providing a space
between Theodore and one of the twins. Daphne pointed her wand towards one of
the twin and chanted, "Gemino."
 
An exact replica of the chair appeared between Theo and one of the twins and a
new tea cup popped in front of the newly created seat. Daphne smiled at
Hermione and pleasantly said as she poured the new tea cup with tea, "Please
seat, Miss Granger."
 
Hermion stared at Daphne warily and took a seat. She raised her head and said,
"Muggles also makes delicious pastries. Some even better than the magical
ones."
 
Parkinson glared at her and sneered, "Why don't you relax, Granger? No one is
saying that muggles don't know how to bake."
 
Hermione retorted heatedly, "I'm just saying that it's not fair that Greengrass
ordered from a magical pastry store without trying muggle pastry store."
 
"Why would Daphne choose a muggle pastry when she already knows a fantastic
magical pastry?" Parkinson asked in a mocking tone.
 
"Because some muggle pastry stores are better!" Hermione replied loudly.
 
"How would you know when you haven't even eaten the slice in front of you?"
Parkinson sneered. Parkinson glared at Hermione as she passionately said,
"That's what angers me about you muggle-raised ignorant imbeciles. You preach
about your muggle ways and your muggle ideas without even caring about knowing
the ideas or ways of our world! You push the traditions of muggles, burying and
destroying our magical traditions! You mislabel branches of magic as evil or
forbidden because they go against your muggle upbringing! Yet, this entire
time, none of you bother to even try and learn about our traditions!"
 
Hermione's eyes were wide as she stared at Parkinson who was breathing heavily.
She took a deep breath and sipped her tea. She turned towards Harry and
whispered, "Forgive me for that horrible display, Lord Harry. I will understand
if you would like for me to remove myself-"
 
"No, stay." Harry interrupted, finishing his current slice. He shrugged as he
added, "I have no reason to ask for your removal. You simply stated your
opinion of the matter, the same way Granger stated her own opinion."
 
No one bothered to comment on the obvious escalation and switch of the topic in
Parkinson’s rant.
 
Hermione's wide eyes turned towards Harry while Parkinson bowed as she said
softly, "Thank you for your generosity, Lord Harry."
 
A wave of tense awkward silence breezed through the entire table. Lils cleared
her throat before asking awkwardly, "Ha-have you tried opening the egg, Lord
Harry?"
 
Harry, who had been happily eating his slice, tilted his head as he asked, "Hm?
Why would I do that?"
 
"The golden egg supposedly holds a hint of what you must do for the second
task." Theo informed Harry dutifully, making Harry hum.
 
Harry turned towards Luna and ordered gently, "Open the egg, my dear."
 
Luna placed both hands on the egg as she replied dreamily, "It would be wise
not to, My Lord."
 
Harry noticed the three Gryffindors turn to stare at Luna but paid them no
attention, asking his dear pup instead, "Is it dangerous?"
 
"It is not life-threatening." Luna replied with a dreamy smile.
 
Harry raised an eyebrow at the wording of her sentence but shrugged before
ordering once more, "Open it then."
 
"As you command, My Lord." Luna dreamily replied, twisting the top. The entire
egg opened and an ear-piercing shrill enveloped the entire table. Everyone but
Luna covered their ears and leaned away from the blonde. Luna who hadn't even
looked a bit fazed untwisted the top, closing the egg.
 
Everyone stared at the egg in silence.
 
Harry raised an eyebrow as he drawled, "That was a very informative hint."
 
Chapter End Notes
     The whole burning the community down while singing and playing the
     lyre is a reference to the great fire in Rome during Nero's reign
     where one story says that Nero was the one who ordered the burning of
     Rome and watched the entire thing go down while singing and playing
     the lyre.
     And yes, I did pause Snape's dilemma XD
***** Sides *****
Chapter Summary
     The rest of the week passed by like a flash
Chapter Notes
     So the price of exchanging my laptop’s entire keyboard was a bit too
     steep for me so I went with the cheap route and bought a USB keyboard
     instead. XD
     We’re back in business, wo-hoh!
     Warning:
     1 unbeta'ed as usual
     2 slight time skip
     3 Dialogues ahoy
     4 uuummm… maybe… prepare your heart? Maybe? XD
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Due to the shrieking of the egg, they had to quickly finish their tea party
because they heard Flitch running his mouth while briskly walking towards them.
They managed to evade him and returned to their respective common room.
 
Harry didn't bother to talk to anyone in the common room by feigning tiredness
which wasn’t too hard to do since everyone was busy partying over Harry's
'success'. When his head hit the fluffy pillow, he was out like a light.
 
So maybe he really wasn't feigning tiredness after all.
 
The following morning, Harry stayed in his bed, eating breakfast with
Voldemort. As he cut a piece of his pancake, Harry asked nonchalantly, "So
what's the second task?"
 
"A person you hold dear will be taken from you and placed in the lake. You are
to find them and take them back to the starting point." Voldemort summarized
before sipping his tea.
 
Harry watched the older wizard as he continued to eat his pancake, noticing how
Voldemort's attention was focused on the parchment Dobby had left with their
breakfast. Voldemort sipped his tea once more, his eyes trained at the
parchment in his hand. When Harry finished his pancake, he grabbed the bowl of
sliced fruits and poked a piece of peach with his fork as he asked, "Any idea
who it might be?"
 
Voldemort finally turned to face Harry, observing the boy in front of him for a
few seconds. Harry kept his eyes on Voldemort's face, waiting for the Dark Lord
to say something. Voldemort raised an eyebrow as he mused, "You don't care
about such thing. As long as you know you have to save someone, the question
you would have asked was what spell I thought of for you to use in the second
task."
 
Voldemort placed the parchment on the side before asking, "What's bothering
you?"
 
"Who says anything is bothering me?" Harry asked with a grin, tilting his head.
 
"We're having a normal conversation void of any unnecessary muggle references,
snarky retorts, pet names or sadistic ideas." Voldemort listed seriously before
asking, "Now, what is the problem?"
 
Harry bit his bottom lip, poking the poor peach over and over again with his
fork. When a minute passed without any of them saying anything, Voldemort
finally grabbed Harry's wrist and ordered, "Stop playing with your food."
 
Harry let go of the fork and twisted his hand until he could grab Voldemort's
own wrist as well. Harry raised his head to stare at Voldemort as he said, "My
meeting with Sirius and Professor Lupin is this weekend."
 
Voldemort remained quiet, listening to the young wizard as he rambled, "Of
course, you already know that. You were there when I wrote the letter saying
the time and the place and now I'm rambling on because I'm panicking and I have
no idea why I should be panicking in the first place beca-"
 
Voldemort's grip on his wrist tighten, making Harry close his mouth
instinctively. Voldemort's grip loosened and Harry felt the older wizard's
thumb caress the skin of his wrist as he explained, "You're panicking because,
even if you believe you don't care if they don't stand by your side after
knowing the truth, a part of you still want to them to be with you regardless
of who you are. They are the people you adored most."
 
"Not anymore." Harry corrected, smiling at Voldemort as he admitted, "I think I
have someone I adore more than them now."
 
"Really now?" Voldemort raised his eyebrows as he asked.
 
Harry's smile became coy as he admitted, "My dear Luna, of course."
 
"Of course." Voldemort drawled.
 
Harry's smile turned into a grin as he asked, "Did you think I was going to say
you, my dear Love Tart?"
 
Voldemort returned to his parchment as he ordered, "Eat your fruits, luv."
 
Harry's grin grew as he commented, "I can't eat it with you holding my hand."
 
"Use your other hand." Voldemort ordered without missing a beat.
 
Harry chuckled and grabbed the fork with his other hand. As he continued to eat
the random fruit slices, he said, "I lied by the way."
 
Voldemort didn't look away from the parchment he held on his other hand as he
continued to caress Harry's wrist while answering, "I know."
 
Harry chuckled before commenting, "Your ego is showing, Love Tart."
 
"You should know." Voldemort drawled, "You're the one currently stroking it."
 
Harry grinned at Voldemort and the older wizard raised his head to smirk at
Harry.
 
The rest of the week passed by without any major incident.
 
The article about Dumbledore and Grindelwald's connection (and possible
romantic past) had switched the focus from Harry to Dumbledore.
 
Harry had to admit it.
 
Skeeter certainly knew how to spin a short conversation out of proposition.
 
Her article made Dumbledore sound like a hypocrite for being against Harry's
budding relationship with Marvolo when he had a similar experience with a well-
known Dark Lord while placing seeds of doubt in other people's mind about
Dumbledore's true intentions.
 
Dumbledore had taken it all in stride yet it seemed the article had changed his
daily life immensely. It was rare to see Dumbledore in the Great Halls now
according to his baby snakes. It seemed he had spent the rest of the week,
simply trying to mitigate the damage done by that article.
 
Harry's life remained quite alright for the rest of the weekend as well. The
students have stopped antagonising him and some were even being friendly to him
but he paid them no heed. Hermione wasn't bothering him due to being in the
library most of the time. Ron was also comfortably with Dean and Seamus while
Ginny was... as strange as ever.
 
He had stopped trying to make sense of the youngest Weasley's actions since the
beginning of this year.
 
Before long, it was Saturday and Harry really didn't want to leave the comforts
of his bed. In an attempt to stop the impending meeting, Harry had tried to
keep Voldemort in bed by lying on top of him, feigning sleep, but the evil
wizard simply pushed him off the bed.
 
It was amusing how a body falling onto the floor with a loud thud didn’t even
wake the other Gryffindors up.
 
It honestly made Harry wonder just how much noise he can make and no one would
be the wiser.
 
With Voldemort hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, both of them slipped out of
Hogwarts and went to the Shrieking Shack. They only had to wait for three
minutes which Harry spent singing once more. The song, surprisingly, had a
calming effect on him which only made him wonder where he might have heard the
song in the first place. Voldemort remained invisible so Harry didn't see the
way he kept his eyes trained in him as he sang.
 
When the two remaining Marauders entered the room, Sirius immediately engulfed
Harry into an embrace as he whispered, "Hey, pup."
 
"Good to see you, Padfoot." Harry whispered, hugging him back. When they pulled
away, Harry smiled at Remus and said, "Hello to you too, Professor."
 
Remus smiled back and hugged Harry as well as he said, "Please, Harry, I'm no
longer your professor. You can call me Remus."
 
"Okay, Remus." Harry said with a smile as they pulled back.
 
"We read about your performance, pup. An advanced charm work like that at your
age? That's just brilliant!" Sirius said excitedly, "You're as talented in
charms as Lily."
 
Harry's smile grew a bit strained as he said, "Thanks, Sirius, but I couldn't
have done it without Marvolo's help."
 
Sirius' smile faltered as Harry continued, "He was the one who taught me that
spell."
 
"Marvolo Slytherin..." Remus mumbled before asking, "What... kind of person is
he, Harry?"
 
Harry tilted his head as he asked, "What do you mean, Remus?"
 
"Is he a good person?" Remus clarified, "Has he been kind to you?"
 
"Of course he has." Harry smiled at Remus as he said, "He's fantastic."
 
"How are you sure this Slytherin isn't just trying to con you?" Sirius suddenly
asked in a passionate tone.
 
Harry didn't expect the escalation this quickly.
 
"Marvolo isn't like that." Harry argued with a slight frown.
 
"Slytherins are all the same, Harry!" Sirius exclaimed, "They're sly cunning
bastards who would happily walk all over you to get what they want."
 
"Sirius, calm dow-"
 
"Everyone does that!" Harry shouted, cutting Remus off without meaning to. He
just couldn't stop himself.
 
"Not us!" Sirius shouted back, "We're better than them! This is what he's doing
to you! He's making you believe that everyone is against you!"
 
"He is not making me believe anything!" Harry hissed, "Do you really think I
would be naive enough to simply believe every sweet lie fed to me?"
 
Harry's lips curved into a sadistic smirk as he sardonically commented, "Oh,
wait. That would be you two!"
 
Remus and Sirius both stared at him with wide eyes and Harry froze.
 
He didn't mean to say such thing.
 
It was a spur in the moment.
 
Hearing Sirius tell him he was changing, that MarvoloVoldemort was being a
negative influence in his life was just too much.
 
It was easy to reel back when it had been Ron who had said it. It was even easy
when it had been Dumbledore.
 
But hearing it from Sirius...
 
It just...
 
"I'm sorry." Harry said softly, "That was out of line."
 
"No, it was completely in line, Harry." Sirius whispered.
 
"Sirius." Remus called out but Sirius paid no heed to it.
 
"Why don't you tell us, then, Harry. Tell us what would make you think that
we're the foolish ones here?" Sirius asked, his eyes glowing with repressed
rage.
 
Harry stared at Sirius for a few seconds before asking, "Why did you never get
a trial?"
 
"It was a chaotic time then. Everyone just wanted it to be over. Many didn't
get trials-"
 
"But shouldn't you have been different?" Harry interrupted Sirius' rant, "Why
didn't Dumbledore ask for your trial? Why did Dumbledore never ask for your
side of the story?"
 
"He did!" Sirius admitted, making Remus' eyes widened, "He visited me when I
was in custody and asked me for the truth! I told him it was my fault because
it was! James wanted me to be the secret keeper but I was the one who suggested
Peter be the one! I was the reason he died!"
 
"So you decided to pay for it by being carted to Azkaban... because you failed
to save James Potter." Harry whispered, "You didn't even think about your
godson, did you?"
 
Sirius' eyes widened at those words and started, "Harry, I did-"
 
Harry couldn't help it.
 
He laughed.
 
He laughed so hard he felt as if his throat was slowly being ripped apart.
 
He felt a hand at his back and felt a flow of foreign calmness begin to combat
his current emotion.
 
He leaned towards the hand, pressing himself against a hard chest. He closed
his eyes and took a deep breath before finally whispered, "I understand now. I
finally understand."
 
"Harry?" Sirius looked at him warily, almost as if he was staring at a rabid
animal that could strike anytime.
 
Harry stared at Sirius and smiled widely as he said in a slightly dreamy tone,
"It has always been James Potter, hasn't it, Sirius Black?"
 
Harry walked towards the older man and grabbed both of his hands. He
intertwined their hands and leaned forward; raising his head to stare at Sirius
as he asked, "Tell me, my dear Padfoot, do you see James whenever you look at
me? Do you see your best mate?"
 
"You know that's not true." Sirius whispered and Harry's smile became more
indulgent and mocking.
 
"Do you really think that?" Harry asked, letting go of Sirius and stepping
back. He turned towards Remus and asked, "Do you also see him, Remus? Do you
see James Potter when you look at me?"
 
"Of course not, Harry." Remus whispered gently, looking actually pained by the
question, "I've come to know you, Harry. We both did. You're not James or Lily.
You're your own person."
 
Harry laughed once more and looked at the ceiling as he mused, "Is that so?"
 
Harry lowered to face the two of them and asked with sad eyes betraying the
smile on his face, "Do you two believe you love me?"
 
"We do love you, pup." Sirius immediately proclaimed passionately, "Never let
anyone tell you otherwise."
 
Harry looked at Sirius fondly yet he steeled his heart. The foreign calmness
inside him continued, providing a silent comforting presence he knew he needed
but would never say out loud.
 
Then again, he didn't see a point of pretending to not feel such a thing
considering Voldemort already knew what he was feeling because of the link.
 
"Marvolo Slytherin is Voldemort." Harry proclaimed, watching the two's
reactions.
 
"I knew it!" Sirius hissed.
 
"And I'm going to become Voldemort's consort." Harry added.
 
Both of them froze at those words, staring at Harry with wide eyes.
 
It was Sirius who immediately walked towards him and grabbed his shoulders as
he asked, "Did he threaten you?! Did he do something to you?!"
 
"He didn't do anything like that!" Harry pushed Sirius away and took a few
steps back as he explained, "I've never been Light, Sirius! I've never been in
Dumbledore's side this entire time!"
 
"What... what are you talking about, pup?" Sirius asked yet Harry could see the
dawning pain in his eyes.
 
Sirius was already thinking Harry had betrayed him.
 
"I had to live my entire life with magic-hating muggles who used me as their
personal servant. I lived my entire life being shunned by every muggle who
thought they knew who I am because of the lies my relatives have spread." Harry
summarized with an even tone yet his question held a mocking tone in it, "Do
you really think a person who had to live a life I have would side with the man
who put me in the loving care of my relatives?"
 
"But you would side with the monster who killed your parents?!" Sirius angrily
exclaimed.
 
"I never knew James and Lily Potter." Harry calmly stated, "I can't hold any
feeling for people I don't know."
 
"They died protecting you." Sirius angrily hissed.
 
"Does that mean I have to live my life the way they would have wanted it? Does
saving my life mean I have to live my life in the same golden cage they were
placed in?" Harry snarled, neither noticing Remus had frozen at Harry's words.
Harry stepped back, leaning against the invisible form of Voldemort as he
argued, "I wasn't raised by James and Lily Potter. I do not hold the same
values they have and I never felt any binding emotions towards them. I am my
own person and this is my choice. I choose to be by Voldemort's side."
 
And the strangest thing was that was the truth.
 
Even if their alliance was brought by the ritual he had performed, somewhere
along the way, Harry actually started to like being by Voldemort's side.
 
"It's the wrong choice, Harry!" Sirius argued.
 
"Calm down, both of you!" Remus finally spoke and they both closed their mouth
and turned to stare at the quiet wizard. Remus turned towards Sirius and gently
suggested, "You need to calm down, Sirius. I know what you're trying to do but
shouting about it will not help your cause."
 
Remus turned towards Harry and gently said, "I'm not going to say I understand
what you're going through, Harry, but we're just looking out for you. Yes,
Dumbledore was a great factor in the hardships you had to face but we haven't
heard his side in all of this. He might not even have prior knowledge of the
abuse. You're picking a side solely based on incomplete facts."
 
Remus took a step toward Harry as he pleaded, "You must understand, Harry. The
Dark Lord is not a good person."
 
"He's a manipulator and a seducer." Sirius hissed angrily, "He lures you with
his magic, spins you around and around with his sweet lies and then he'll leave
you once he knows you're too encased in his web to get out."
 
"That's awfully specific of you, Sirius." Harry sardonically commented before
asking in a mocking tone, "Do you have first-hand experience then?"
 
"I know because I watched my brother fall for the same act!" Sirius angrily
exclaimed, "I'm not letting you end up like Regulus!"
 
"Sirius, calm down!" Remus tried to rein in his friend but Harry had other
plans.
 
"Can you just make up your bloody mind, Sirius?!" Harry hissed, "Am I supposed
to be your new James or your new Regulus?!"
 
"What are you- That's not what I mean!" Sirius defended.
 
"Then just tell me what you mean because I can't bloody understand what you
want from me!" Harry exclaimed.
 
"Harry, you don't understand."
 
"Then make me understand!" Harry ordered.
 
"You're a c-" Sirius' words stopped in midsentence as his eyes widened. Remus
also froze while he stared at Harry.
 
It took a moment for Harry to realize they were staring behind him.
 
Sirius and Remus took out their wands and aimed it at Voldemort. Both of them
chanted a spell and Harry immediately stepped towards Voldemort as he ordered,
"STOP!"
 
"Harry!" Sirius and Remus' shouted when they realized Harry was going to get
hit by their spell.
 
Harry gasped when a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled him backwards,
making him lose his balance. Harry fell on Voldemort's arms and all he could do
was let the stronger wizard hold him closely as he outstretched his hand. The
spells rebounded a few inches away from them and Harry recognized it as the
result of a Protego spell shielding the caster. Voldemort kept Harry in his
arms as his magic instinctively wrap around them, furious and powerful.
Voldemort lowered his hand and ordered, "Kneel."
 
Remus and Sirius began to tremble and Harry could feel Voldemort's magic flare
out towards the two, wrapping around them like a snake slowly choking their
victim. It was Remus who stumbled to his knees, sweating furiously and
breathing heavily.
 
Sirius remained standing, glaring at Voldemort as he hissed through gritted
teeth, "Let go of him!"
 
Voldemort's eyes narrowed and he pulled Harry close to his chest as he
proclaimed, "You will kneel, you foolish mutt."
 
Sirius continued to glare at him as the magic began condensing around him.
Sirius growled in frustrations as his knees finally gave in but he kept glaring
at Voldemort.
 
Voldemort turned to face Harry and placed his other hand on Harry's cheek,
forcing the boy to stare at him as he ordered, "You need to calm down, Harry.
You're letting your emotions get a hold of you."
 
He didn’t understand.
 
He knew Voldemort didn’t need to be saved.
 
Then why…
 
Why did his body moved instinctively to protect him?
 
"I know. I know." Harry rested his forehead on Voldemort's chest and closed his
eyes. He took a deep breath and relaxed under Voldemort's magic.
 
It was his emotions. His emotions were clouding his mind.
 
Voldemort was right. He needed to calm down. He needed to think clearly.
 
The two Marauders watched their interaction. Harry raised his head to stare at
Voldemort as he whispered, "Thanks."
 
Voldemort caressed Harry's cheek once as he whispered, "Anytime, my dear."
 
Voldemort stepped away from Harry and faced the two kneeling men. Voldemort
stepped back but kept his eyes trained at the two. Harry turned to face Sirius
and Remus as well and proclaimed, "I'm marrying Voldemort and nothing will
change my mind. Not even the two of you..."
 
"Then what do you want from us, Harry?" Sirius asked bitterly before hissing,
"Because there is no way I will ever bow down to that monster."
 
"I've asked for your pardon." Harry explained, making Remus' eyes widened, "As
long as you don't get in his way, he and his followers will not attack you."
 
"I'm sorry, pup, but there is no way I will just sit back and watch my friends
die." Sirius hissed yet Harry could clearly see the pain in Sirius' eyes.
 
"What friends, Sirius?" Harry mockingly asked, "As far as I can see, the only
friend you have left is Remus and he's part of the deal."
 
Sirius faltered for a moment before shouting, "The Weasleys!"
 
"This is getting pathetic." Voldemort hissed in an annoyed tone. He turned
towards Harry and asked, "May I be allowed to talk to your mutt, luv?"
 
"Don't call him that!" Sirius shouted.
 
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose as he said, "Go ahead."
 
Voldemort stared at Sirius as he asked, "You're not telling the truth. It's not
about your friends, you have none left. It's about the friends who are already
dead, isn't it, Sirius Black?"
 
Sirius glared at Voldemort as he hissed, "I will never forgive you."
 
"It was war, you naive fool." Voldemort hissed back, "Of course we were going
to kill anyone who opposes us. I would have killed James and Lily Potter
regardless have I been given the chance. Your side would have done the same
thing had the two been on my side."
 
"Then what about Regulus!?" Sirius shouted.
 
Voldemort stared at Sirius for a moment before explaining calmly, "I have only
heard of Regulus Black's disappearance. I have no knowledge of what happened to
him nor did I order any of my followers to look for him. As far as I'm concern,
he left in his own accord and never came back."
 
"Do you honestly think we would believe you wouldn't have ordered someone to
look for him?!" Sirius sneered, "You kill every traitor you find!"
 
"That is true." Voldemort admitted calmly before adding, "But Regulus Black was
a talented wizard and the son of Orion. He performed all of his orders well
above my expectations. As such, I was lenient with his betrayal."
 
Voldemort's lips curved into a slight frown as he added, "And perhaps I was
also thinking about Orion. While he never took my mark, he was loyal to me and
a small mercy to his son was the least I could do to repay his loyalty since I
cannot show the same mercy to you."
 
Voldemort stared at Sirius as he said seriously, "I swear on my magic I have no
knowledge of Regulus Black's disappearance nor did I kill him or ordered anyone
to kill him."
 
Voldemort's body glowed for a moment and Remus whispered, "He's telling the
truth..."
 
"Then what happened to my brother?!" Sirius shouted, "What happened to
Regulus?!"
 
"I have no idea." Voldemort replied.
 
"How can you not know?! You're his bloody lord, aren't you?!" Sirius shouted.
 
"And you're his brother." Voldemort retorted calmly, "You are an insufferable
fool, Sirius Black. If my dear Harry didn't adore you, I would have already
killed you."
 
Sirius was taken aback by the admission yet Voldemort continued,
"Unfortunately, my dear Harry does adore you but you are truly testing my
patience. You're angry and you need someone to direct that anger to. It's easy
to aim that anger at me, the evil Dark Lord, isn't it?"
 
"But do you know who you're really angry at?" There was a hint of sadistic glee
in Voldemort's tone.
 
"You're angry at yourself." Harry proclaimed in a calm tone. Voldemort watched
silently as Harry walk towards Sirius. He placed his hands on Sirius' cheeks as
he realized, "You're angry at yourself for having a hand on James and Lily
Potter's death. You're also angry at yourself for not being able to stop your
brother from the fate that awaited him."
 
"I can't fail you too, Harry." Sirius whispered, grabbing Harry's wrists as he
whispered, "I can't- I-"
 
"You've already failed me, Padfoot." Harry whispered, the gentleness of his
voice betraying the ruthlessness of his words, "You failed me the moment you
chose to exact your revenge on Wormtail instead of raising me. You failed me
when you accepted your new home as Azkaban instead of fighting for your
innocence, instead of accepting your role as my godfather."
 
Tears began to fall from Sirius' eyes as he whispered, "I'm so sorry, Harry. I
didn't know-"
 
"And you're failing me now as well, my dear Padfoot." Harry gently interrupted
Sirius, smiling softly at him, "I..."
 
"I want to be with Voldemort." Harry admitted in a whisper, as if it was
something that shouldn't be said out loud. Voldemort did not say anything but
his eyes were on Harry's back as the younger wizard continued, "This is what I
want to do, Padfoot."
 
Harry placed his forefinger by Sirius' lips, keeping the older man from talking
as he continued, "I'm not blinded by his less desirable traits. I assure you. I
know he's a sadistic easily riled up megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur
and an ego so big he truly believes he cannot be wrong."
 
"Thank you for your kind words, luv." Voldemort drawled.
 
Harry turned to hush Voldemort, "Sshhh. We're having a moment here so shut it."
 
Remus couldn't believe that the Dark Lord didn't curse or outright kill Harry
then. Instead, the Dark Lord simply rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
 
Harry turned to face Sirius once more as he continued, "But even with his
flaws, I still wish to remain by his side."
 
Harry's eyes began to glisten as he pleaded, "Please understand, Sirius. I
don't need you to stand by my side after this. I don't even need you to care
for me. I just need you to accept his pardon and not get in his way."
 
"I can't." Sirius whispered, pulling Harry. Voldemort took a step forward when
Harry was forced to kneel due to Sirius' pull. Sirius wrapped his arms around
Harry and whispered, "There's no way in hell I can just stop caring about you,
pup. I just can't."
 
"Then you have to deal with the fact that I'm going to stay by Voldemort's
side." Harry whispered as he pressed his eyes on Sirius' shoulder.
 
"Do you love him?" Sirius whispered and Harry closed his eyes.
 
It would be easy to lie.
 
Sirius was too emotional. He wouldn't be able to see past the lies if Harry
decided to use them.
 
But...
 
It seemed so wrong to lie about how he felt about Voldemort.
 
Harry raised his head and turned to face Voldemort. Their eyes met and Harry
knew that Voldemort would understand if he decided to lie.
 
Yet, it wasn't the lie that passed by Harry's lips but the promise he once read
so many years ago, "I want an eternity together with him."
 
And strangely enough, it wasn't a lie.
 
Voldemort's eyes hardened at those words and Harry wondered if he had said the
wrong thing but he could still the comforting presence through their link.
Voldemort offered his hand to Harry and waited. Harry gently pried Sirius' arms
off him before standing. He walked back towards Voldemort and accepted the
hand. Voldemort pulled him closer and Harry pressed the side of his face on
Voldemort's chest. Voldemort caressed Harry's hair for a moment before raising
his hand towards the two kneeling men. Voldemort flicked his wrist and the two
men stumbled to the ground, Voldemort's oppressing magic no longer keeping them
in their place. As they try to regain their breathing, Voldemort said, "We will
give you until Yule to think about the offer."
 
"And if we disagree?" Sirius hissed, glaring at Voldemort.
 
"Just stop it, Sirius!" Remus shouted. Sirius was momentarily surprised by the
sudden outburst but Remus continued, "Just stop antagonizing Harry right now!"
 
"I'm no-"
 
"You're antagonizing Harry as long as you're antagonizing the Dark Lord!" Remus
interrupted his friend, "Just shut up, take the bloody time given to us and
let's talk about this when we're alone!"
 
"You can't actually be thinking of accepting this offer?!" Sirius asked
ludicrously.
 
"Honestly? I actually am!" Remus admitted, "This is a good offer, Sirius. All
we have to do is back off and not be part of Dumbledore's Order again. We'll
still be with Harry!"
 
"But what about everyone else?!" Sirius shouted.
 
"For Merlin's sake, Sirius! For once, stop trying to do the right thing and
just do what you want to do the most!" Remus shouted back, turning hysterical,
"We've already lost so much during the last war and how were we repaid by
Dumbledore? You were carted to Azkaban without even being asked for a trial and
I lost all my friends because they believed I was the traitor!"
 
Remus grabbed Sirius' arm and pleaded, "You and Harry are all I have left,
Padfoot! Harry is all we have left! He's our cub, Sirius. We can't abandon him
now."
 
"I-I..." Sirius placed one hand over the right side of his face, "I need to
think about this."
 
Harry pulled away from Voldemort and ran towards the two men. He wrapped his
arms around the last two remaining Marauders and whispered, "Thank you."
 
Both of them tightened their hold on Harry and Sirius pressed his eyes on
Harry's shoulder.
 
"Of course, we cannot simply let you go." Voldemort said, making all three
stare at him as he called out, "Dobby."
 
Dobby popped right next to Voldemort, bowing as he asked, "What can Dobby do
for My Lord?"
 
"Take these two men to Theonel Nott's manor." Voldemort ordered before turning
towards the two men while Dobby walked towards them, "You will remain in the
manor until we hear your answer on Yule. You will have your own rooms and will
have no obligations to talk to Theonel or be in his presence. All that is
required of you would be to remain in the manor. If you dare even step one foot
out of the manor, the Nott house elves will happily lock you in your room until
Yule."
 
"And if one of us decided to not accept your offer?" Sirius asked, tightening
his grip on Harry.
 
"You will be locked in your room until the end of this school year." Voldemort
explained, "Harry is required to compete in the tournament until the very end.
As such, he cannot leave Hogwarts. His safety is my number one priority and I
will do everything that must be done to ensure his true loyalty will not be
known to Dumbledore until he is safely away from the old meddling fool. That
includes locking up mutts like you if it's necessary."
 
Voldemort's eyes narrowed at Sirius as he continued, "Once he is safely away
from Dumbledore, you will be free to do as you wish."
 
Harry pulled away from the two of them, making both men lower their head to
stare at Harry as he continued, "But if you decide to go against Voldemort,
there will be no mercy for both of you."
 
Harry walked backwards toward Voldemort, keeping his attention at the two men.
Dobby grabbed the sleeve of their robes and waited while Harry said with a soft
smile, "I will understand if you don't accept it. You two shouldn't feel
responsible for me. It's alright."
 
"Harry-"
 
"I'll see you both at Yule." Harry interrupted Sirius, "Please, think hard
about what you want to do. Don't simply accept it because of me or reject it
because it's the right thing to do. Just..."
 
Harry tilted his head slightly as he finished in a whisper, "... think about
it."
 
Harry nodded at Dobby and the three popped away without the two being able to
say goodbye. Harry turned towards Voldemort and raised his head to stare at
Voldemort's red eyes. Voldemort caressed his cheeks and Harry closed his eyes,
sighing as he whispered, "I'm alright."
 
"Are you sure?" Voldemort asked.
 
Harry leaned on Voldemort's touch and smiled as he opened his eyes, whispering,
"Surprisingly, knowing you'll be by my side makes everything alright. Strange,
isn't it?"
 
"Yes." Voldemort took a step forward, placing his other hand on Harry's waist.
He leaned forward and Harry instinctively closed his eyes. When he felt
Voldemort's forehead rest against his, Harry sighed. He barely heard Voldemort
whisper, "But I find myself not caring a single bit."
 
Harry’s lips curved into a small smile.
 
He didn’t need to say it out loud for Voldemort to know that he felt the same.
 
 
 
Chapter End Notes
     From how I understood it, Voldemort didn't know about Regulus'
     betrayal (stealing the locket). Sirius believes he died because he
     tried to leave but we never knew what Voldemort thought about
     Regulus' disappearance.
     "An eternity together" is a paraphrase of diary!Tom's words to Harry
     in 'The Musing of A Diary Horcrux' which was "We could be together
     for all eternity".
     Okay, you guys might find it weird there was a slight timeskip in
     this chapter. Just a head's up, there will also be a slight time skip
     in the next chapter because... of personal reasons. I shall explain
     it next week. XD
     But I assure you, you will... I guess... 'love'? Maybe enjoy? Anyway,
     you'll like the reason for the time skip. I promise XD
***** A Promise Kept *****
Chapter Summary
     Try as you might, you cannot run away from the past
Chapter Notes
     This chapter is a bit special because of plot reason. Surprisingly,
     it coincided with my birthday (this Sunday, August 28) XD
     Warning:
     1 Unbeta’ed as usual
     2 Prepare your hearts, guys XD
See the end of the chapter for more notes
The following week was uneventful again. Harry did manage to finish the first
Etiquette book Voldemort ordered him to finish and, now, he was reading about
traditional rituals, many of which were no longer being practiced.
 
It was interesting, to say the least.
 
His life was pretty peaceful so, of course, the ones governing the passage of
time and the fates of all living things in this world decided to remind Harry
that his life was never meant to be peaceful.
 
“Every student will be required to stay for the Holidays, Mister Potter.”
McGonagall stated when Harry asked her when the permission slip to leave for
the holidays will be passed out after the end of his Transfiguration class.
 
It was usually passed out the first week of December since the term will end by
the second week. In other words: next week.
 
“Why?” Harry asked, titling his head slightly as he frowned.
 
“There will be a Yule Ball at Christmas in commemoration of the Tri-wizard
Tournament.” McGonagall informed him before asking, “Were you planning on
returning to your relatives for this Holiday?”
 
Harry shrugged as he nonchalantly replied, “I was just wondering when I’d know
which of my friends will be staying for the holidays.”
 
“You can rest assure that both Mister Weasley and Miss Granger will be
staying.” McGonagall commented.
 
Harry almost wanted to make a snarky comment about the obliviousness of his
Head of House but managed to stop himself. Harry simply shrugged once more
before saying, “Thank you for the information.”
 
Harry turned around to walk away but McGonagall stopped him by saying, “Mister
Potter, I must remind you that all champions are required to attend the Yule
Dance with a partner of their own choosing.”
 
Harry’s lips curved into a hopeful smile as he asked, “Can I ask Marvolo to be
my partner then?”
 
McGonagall’s lips curved into a small grimace as she replied, “I’m afraid not.
Only students and faculty members of all three schools are allowed to join the
festivity.”
 
When Harry opened his mouth, McGonagall added, “And that does not include
alumni of any of the three schools.”
 
Harry pouted and McGonagall suggested, “Perhaps you can ask for one of your
female housemates? Fourth years and up are the only ones allowed but they may
ask a third year to accompany them. I’m sure Miss Weasley will enjoy the
festivity.”
 
Harry hummed before turning around as he said in a bored tone, “I’ll think
about it.”
 
Harry walked out of her office without another word.
 
The remainder of the day was spent in class and Harry only managed to talk to
Voldemort when they had retreated to Barty’s quarters for dinner.
 
“What are we going to do now?” Harry asked as he cut his steamed chicken breast
with a knife, “How are we supposed to get married at Yule Night when I have to
go to that stupid dance?”
 
“I honestly did not expect the return of such a boring festivity.” Voldemort
admitted as he cut his own steamed chicken breast, “They usually had it for
those who remained during the holidays but stopped when the number of indecent
incidents became too high for Dippet.”
 
“Who?” Harry tilted his head as he asked.
 
“The Headmaster before Dumbledore.” Voldemort explained before eating a bite-
sized part of the chicken breast.
 
Harry ate his own bite-sized part as Barty asked, “But what will we do now, My
Lord? Little Lord is correct. With the Yule Dance placed during Yule Night,
perhaps it would be better to postpone the bonding?”
 
“No.” Voldemort replied calmly, “The bonding will proceed as plan. This just
means that Harry and I will have to leave Hogwarts unnoticed.”
 
“I don’t mind.” Harry commented before eating another bite-sized part.
 
“We will leave the afternoon of Yule.” Voldemort stated, “By that time, the
faculty members will be too busy with final preparations and the other students
will be too preoccupied with their own preparations.”
 
Voldemort cut another bite-sized piece as he continued, “For now, do as you
please but do not outright antagonize anyone concerning the dance. If they ask
who you are taking, say you’re taking your favourite puppy.”
 
Harry took a sip of his pumpkin juice before asking, “But wouldn’t they start
to wonder when the dance starts and Luna enters without me?”
 
“She will not be joining the dance as well.” Voldemort stated, “She will
accompany us.”
 
“Oh?” Harry and Luna both tilted their head at the same time.
 
“Both of your disappearance will give us more time since they will most
probably assume that the two of you are hiding in the castle for that night.”
Voldemort explained, “This way we will be sure that they will search the castle
first. If Harry left by himself, there’s a possibility that some professors
will look outside of Hogwarts immediately.”
 
“And maybe try and find Marvolo Slytherin.” Harry mused before eating another
bite-sized part of the chicken breast.
 
“Exactly.” Voldemort said with a nod.
 
Luna smiled dreamily as she said, “It’s alright. Everything will go as
planned.”
 
Harry grinned at Luna and commented, “That’s great news.”
 
The rest of the term came by in a flash. Harry had been surprised to hear that
Daphne was going to the dance with Carrow. He had assumed she was going to go
with Zabini. Zabini was going with Parkinson who had become an awkward addition
to their tea party. He supposed it made sense for Daphne to go with the acting
king. It would solidify her part in the hierarchy and also hinted on her future
ambitions. Pucey was going with a Slytherin girl from his year that Harry
didn’t know. Theo was apparently going with Tracey while Lils had been asked by
Ravenclaw a year older than them and managed to make that Ravenclaw ask a
friend to ask Millicent to the dance. Ron tried to talk to him, apparently
assuming Harry was also having troubles finding a date, but Harry simply told
him he was going with Luna. 
 
The night before Yule, Voldemort stopped him from going to Barty’s personal
quarters to eat dinner and said, “Dumbledore should be eating in the Great
Halls by now.”
 
“Yeah, I guess?” Harry asked, unsure why Voldemort had suddenly decided to
speak in the middle of an abandoned hallway.
 
“We’re going to Dumbledore’s office.” Voldemort stated, “Now.”
 
“Wha-“ Harry’s words were cut off when he felt Voldemort push him forward. With
a roll of his eyes, he mumbled as he began walking briskly towards the hallway
that will lead to the headmaster’s gargoyle, “Okay, okay. Fine.”
 
When they were in front of the gargoyle, Harry crossed his arms and asked,
“Should I start listing off names of sugary treats and hope for the best now?”
 
He was surprised when Voldemort pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and hissed,
“Are you crazy?!”
 
Harry rolled his eyes as he mumbled, “Of course you are. Anyone who has a huge
ego like you is bound to be crazy.”
 
“I am Marvolo Slytherin, descendant of Salazar Slytherin.” Voldemort hissed at
the gargoyle and bit the skin of his point finger till blood fell from it. He
placed his point finger by the gargoyle’s mouth, smearing it with his blood as
he ordered, “Heed my order, Hogwarts, and grant us passage to the guardian’s
domain.”
 
Harry’s jaw slacked as the gargoyle slowly transformed into a coiled snake with
seven heads. A moment later, stairs began to appear and Harry followed
Voldemort to the headmaster’s office. As they ascended the stairs, Harry asked,
“What was that?! I mean, what?!”
 
“Descendants of the founders of Hogwarts have some power over the school.”
Voldemort explained, “Not enough to take it away from the current Headmaster
but enough to make… a few demands.”
 
“Like what kind of demand?” Harry asked curiously as they reached the door
leading to the headmaster’s office.
 
Voldemort smeared blood around the door as he ordered, “Freeze the portraits,
Hogwarts, until we have safely left the guardian’s domain.”
 
The door’s simple design slowly turned into snakes slithering in different
directions. They waited by the door as Voldemort explained, “We can demand
privacy and access to all rooms. That’s the ones I know. Salazar only said it
in passing when I was still a student and I had forgotten to ask him when we
talked to him.”
 
“It’s not my fault, is it?” Harry cooed with a grin.
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes as he drawled, “Of course, your deliberate teasing
and siding with that insufferable old man had nothing to do with it. Don’t be
silly, my dear.”
 
It was only when the snakes disappeared and the simple design returned did the
two entered the office. It was as Harry remembered it. There were so many
trinkets all over the room that Harry felt like it would be better to stay by
the door and not be tempted to touch any of the shining trinkets so he let
Voldemort walk towards the bookcase alone. Fawkes was surprisingly absent and
Harry wondered where the phoenix had gone to.
 
Perhaps to hunt?
 
“Do phoenixes eat?” Harry asked randomly, looking around and noticing that all
the portraits look like they were frozen.
 
“Phoenixes are birds of prey.” Voldemort explained, their link already told him
what brought the sudden question, “And Dumbledore’s bird has the habit of
flying off during dinner to hunt in the Forbidden Forest.”
 
“And how do you know that?” Harry asked with a tilt of his head.
 
Voldemort reached the bookcase and answered distractedly, “I would see the bird
every time I would skip dinner and walk by the Forbidden Forest when I was a
student.”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow as he asked, “What are you doing in the Forbidden
Forest?”
 
Voldemort began checking the title of each book quickly as he answered, “I was
visiting the Thestrals. They would let me ride them if I pet them for a few
minutes.”
 
“Thestrals?” Harry repeated, watching Voldemort as he searched the bookcase.
 
“Winged horses only visible to those who have seen someone die.” Voldemort
stopped and grabbed a book. Harry couldn’t even see the title from where he was
standing. Voldemort opened the book and Harry noticed that another book was
inside it, the middle portion of the pages carved out to hide the book.
 
Harry froze when Voldemort took out the book.
 
No.
 
… the diary.
 
Harry had forgotten about that.
 
He had forgotten the deal about retrieving the diary the day before Yule break.
 
He supposed it made sense they were getting it the day before Yule itself.
 
Harry’s musing was cut short when he heard Voldemort shout. His eyes widened as
he saw the diary glowing. He ran towards Voldemort, “Tom!”
 
“Stay back!” Voldemort ordered and gritted his teeth as he fell on his knees.
Harry didn’t move. If Voldemort ordered him to stay then he must have an idea
to what was happening and he didn’t want Harry to interfere. The glow began to
engulf Voldemort’s hand for a moment before suddenly disappearing. Voldemort
fell on the floor, letting go of the diary.
 
“TOM!” Harry shouted once more and shuffled, wondering if he could get close
now.
 
Voldemort slowly went on his knees, breathing heavily, while Harry asked, “Do I
have to continue staying back?”
 
Voldemort didn’t answer him and grabbed the diary, making Harry growl as he
shouted, “Tom! Answer me or I’m going there!”
 
“Stay there!” Voldemort ordered once more, much to Harry’s frustrations. Harry
glared at Voldemort with crossed arms as he grabbed the other book as well.
 
When he saw Voldemort began to sway as he stand, Harry commented, “You don’t
look so good. You sure you don’t want me to-“
 
“Stay!” Voldemort ordered once more as he placed the diary back in the book.
 
Which served to confuse Harry…
 
Harry frowned as he watched the Dark Lord place the book back before walking
briskly towards Harry. When he finally reached Harry, Harry asked, “Why are you
leaving the diary? Didn’t we come he-“
 
Harry gasped when Voldemort suddenly fell on top of him. Harry managed to find
his balance and stop himself from falling towards the floor. Voldemort quickly
manhandled Harry so that they were side by side, with his arm around Harry’s
shoulder. Harry groaned when he felt Voldemort lean onto him, making Harry
shoulder his most of his weight.
 
“We need to leave.” Voldemort whispered as he began breathing heavily, “Now.”
 
Harry wanted to ask but noticed that Voldemort was slowly coming colder. He
grabbed the Invisibility Cloak and put it on both of them. They exited the
office, the door magically closing behind them and went down the stairs. When
they reached the bottom of the stairs, the seven-headed snake became a gargoyle
once more and the stairs disappeared. Harry was unsure where they should go and
a quick glance at Voldemort told him that the Dark Lord had lost consciousness.
 
Which was not good…
 
Barty’s room was closer than the Gryffindor tower so Harry decided to go there
instead.
 
He shouldn’t have been surprised when he saw Luna standing by the magical door
leading to Barty’s personal quarters. Next to her was Theo who looked confused
when he saw Luna turn to stare at the invisible duo. Luna looked like an
emotional porcelain doll as she said, “This way, My Lord.”
 
Luna turned towards the magical door and stated the new password of the
personal quarters. Luna stepped aside and Harry dragged Voldemort inside. Once
they were in the middle of the room, Harry’s legs gave up and he fell on the
floor, taking Voldemort with him. The Invisibility Cloak fell away from them
and Barty exclaimed as he saw the two, “My Lord!”
 
“Don’t touch him!” Luna ordered as she and Theo ran inside, the door closing
behind Theo. Luna ran towards Harry and kneeled next to him, “You must enter
his mind space, My Lord.”
 
“His what?” Harry repeated with a frown.
 
“His mind space.” Luna repeated, “Every magical being has one. It’s a space
where all of our memories are as well as where our magical core dwells.”
 
“You need to use Legilimens to enter a mind space!” Theo shouted frantically,
panicking when he saw how… dead Voldemort looked.
 
“Normally, yes, but My Lord’s mind space and Lord Slytherin’s mind space are
connected. Normally, My Lord will not be able to enter without Lord Slytherin’s
permission but his mind space is currently in disarray.” Luna grabbed Harry’s
hand and squeezed it tightly, “You’re the only one who can save him.”
 
“Save him? From what?” Harry asked, feeling the panic blossoming inside his
heart as he realized that Voldemort’s chest wasn’t moving anymore.
 
“From himself.” Luna answered before placing Harry’s hand on top of Voldemort’s
hand.
 
He was so cold.
 
Harry’s hand began to tremble at that thought.
 
Luna covered his eyes with her one hand and whispered, “Close your eyes, My
Lord, and focus your thoughts. Only think of Lord Slytherin. Think of him.”
 
Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
 
He focused on remembering Voldemort.
 
His impeccable black hair that curled at the end…
 
His intense red eyes reminding him of the blood red roses he had planted in his
aunt’s garden…
 
His soft warm hands that comforted Harry even when he didn’t need it…
 
His voice…
 
His voice currently screaming so loud Harry’s heart stopped for a second as
dread began to spread through his entire body.
 
Harry opened his eyes and saw that he was in an office room of some sort. Dark
green curtains covered the tall windows and bookcases filled the other wall. It
was similar to Salazar's study back in the Chambers but there were some
noticeable differences like the windows and the curtains. The desk also seemed
more furnished and the armchairs looked comfier. But Harry did not have enough
time to really look around because he finally found Voldemort writhing on the
floor, biting his bottom lip to stop the scream that threaten to slip from his
treacherous mouth. Harry rushed towards him and knelt next to him, cradling the
older man's head to his lap and holding it firmly to stop him from hitting his
head against the cold hard floor. Harry didn't know what else to do but call
out his name in an urgent manner, "Tom? Tom!"
 
"That won't help him."
 
Harry turned towards the direction he heard the voice and Harry's eyes widened
as he saw the visage of the sixteen years old Tom Riddle wearing his Slytherin
uniform. He looked just like he had back in the Chambers.
 
Hell. Harry's previous actions and his words seemed like some kind of distorted
replay of their first meeting in the Chambers.
 
The only difference was the manic smile on Tom's face and the wand he was
caressing in his hands was white and looked more like a sharp bone than a
wooden wand.
 
Tom offered his hand towards Harry and said, "Come, Harry."
 
Harry winced when he felt Voldemort grab his arm tightly as he rolled over,
whether it was to stop Harry from moving towards Tom or it was because the pain
had become too unbearable Harry didn't know. All he can do was let Voldemort
push him away from both of them, shouting, "Get out!"
 
"How dare you lay your hands on him like that?!" Tom shouted at Voldemort,
raising his wand towards the older wizard.
 
Voldemort glared at him and sneered, "Foolish boy! You're not supposed to
exist!"
 
"I'm not supposed to exist?" Tom spatted angrily, "You're the one who created
me in the first place!"
 
"I created a Horcrux! Not this emotion driven foolish boy!" Voldemort retorted
before sneering, "You've been corrupted by the Light! It's twisted you into
this selfish arrogant-"
 
"You don't know me!" Tom interrupted angrily, swishing his wand before aiming
it back at Voldemort. Voldemort let out a pained howl that sent shivers all
over Harry's body.
 
"Stop it, Tom!" Harry finally ordered, rushing to get between the two Dark
wizards.
 
"Get out of the way, Harry." Tom ordered, aiming his wand towards Harry.
 
"Lower your wand, Tom." Harry ordered back, glaring at the sixteen years old.
 
"Don't you understand I'm doing this for us?!" Tom angrily asked Harry.
 
"I seriously don't!" Harry shouted back. Harry took a step forward towards Tom
and said calmly, "You are not making any sense, Tom. Explain to me what why
you're hurting Tom-"
 
"Er..." Harry shuffled awkwardly as he corrected, "Older Tom, I mean."
 
Voldemort glared at Harry's back for that unnecessary insult. 
 
"I'm trying to get him to accept my memories." Tom replied, his lips curving
into the same manic smile that just seemed so wrong in his face. Harry gasped
when Tom suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him closer to the
sixteen years old memory. Tom placed his hands on Harry's cheeks and caressed
them softly as he rested his forehead against Harry's. Tom's voice was soft and
intimate as he asked, "Remember? An eternity together, Harry."
 
Harry squirmed against Tom's hold and reminded him, "I seem to remember I said
no to that."
 
Tom chuckled and retorted as he lowered his hands, holding Harry by the neck,
"And I told you I always get what I want."
 
"Get away from him, Harry!" Voldemort ordered, trying to stand as he explained,
"He's unstable! Dumbledore has done something to him!"
 
"Dumbledore has not done anything to me!" Tom angrily retorted, raising his
wand towards Voldemort once more.
 
"Wait! Tom!" Harry grabbed Tom's hand, his hand grazing against the cold
surface of the Yew wand. The wand hummed against Harry's touch and Harry
screamed as he was thrown away from Tom. His back collided against a dark grey
door, forcing the door open. Harry skidded across the floor and he heard both
Tom and Voldemort called out his name.
 
Harry finally stopped sliding when he came into contact with something hard,
hitting his head. Harry groaned and rubbed the back of his head with one of his
hand, opening his eyes. His vision was blurry at first but he could see Tom
rushing towards the door, only to stop right in front of him. Once Harry's
vision cleared, he saw Tom had pressed his hands in front of him, reminding
Harry of a mime act. Harry blinked slowly, seeing Tom hit the space in front of
him with the sides of his fists, his mouth opening and closing like he was
trying to say something but Harry heard nothing at all.
 
Harry finally took the time to look around, blinking when he saw that he was
back in his cupboard under the stairs but there was one noticeable difference.
Instead of a ceiling, Harry could see a dark grey sky. Instead of a sun, there
was a sphere of some sort, looking like it was made of wispy fire of some kind.
Golden chains wrap around it and Harry could not see where they ended. They
almost looked like they simply appeared out of nowhere, keeping the sphere in
place and detained. If Harry had to describe the sphere's colour, the closest
he could come up with was prism. There was no other way to describe what he was
seeing. It looked like it was changing its colour at every movement.
 
And it was singing...
 
It was the song he always sang when he was bored.
 
Harry's entire body froze when he felt something wet touch his wrist. He
lowered his head and saw a bony hand made entirely of muscles and bones.
Instead of repulse, Harry felt... comfort...?
 
That was just disturbing...
 
"What a rude thought..."
 
Harry leapt off the floor and turned around, holding his wrist in a protective
manner as he stared at where the sound came from. He realized that he had been
leaning against his cot. A shadowy figure began crawling out from under the
cot. Harry saw how the entire being was made of muscles and bones, not a hint
of skin in sight. Dark grey wisps from the sphere on top of them began to move
towards the figure, covering his entire body in dark grey robes. Before a hood
could form to hide his face, Harry's eyes widened when he recognized the face
as a more snake-like version of Voldemort's. There were only two snake-like
slits where his nose should be and his eyes were shaped like a snake but the
shape of his face was eerily similar to Voldemort's.
 
The figure (Voldemort?) gave Harry a mischievous smirk and Harry's eyes widened
further when he noticed this Voldemort had green eyes instead of Tom's blues or
his Voldemort's (oh dear Merlin, did he just call Voldemort his?) reds. Voldem-
The shadowy figure (seriously, there were too many Voldemorts here right now!)
walked towards Harry and poked him on the nose as he teased, "Do try to get a
hold of yourself, Harry. You look a lot like Hedwig right now."
 
Harry glared at the hooded figure.
 
"Now then..." The hooded figure turned his head to stare at the door, gleefully
saying as he observed Tom, "My, my. My dear brother seemed ready to destroy
everything."
 
Harry flinched when the hooded figure caressed his cheek with his bony hand and
his brows furrowed when he noticed the figure chuckle before commenting, "Such
jealousy over such an insignificant touch. He has truly fallen. How pathetic."
 
The hooded figure turned to grin at Harry as he added, "How very entertaining."
 
The hooded figure began limping towards the door where a fuming Tom was glaring
at him. Harry observed the robed figure, noticing how slow and weak his
movements were. It was almost as if he was forcing himself to walk.
 
"I am forcing myself to walk." The figure replied to his thought, making Harry
frown at him.
 
"Are my thoughts transmitted to every Tom out there?" Harry bitterly asked.
 
The figure turned to smirk at him and replied, "No. Simply to me and to the
original soul, I assume. Perhaps once we've cleaned up the mess my brother had
gotten himself into, he could as well but I highly doubt it."
 
"Brother?" Harry repeated with a tilt of his head.
 
"Come along now, Harry. It's time to do what you do best." The hooded figure
said with a sarcastic drawl, "Saving someone like an idiot Gryffindor."
 
"I resent that." Harry said, glaring at the figure and not moving an inch.
 
"Help us, Harry Potter, you're our only hope." The figure drawled, grinning
when he noticed Harry's eyes widened.
 
"Did you just quote Star Wars?" Harry asked with a really, really baffled
stupid look on his face.
 
It just sounded wrong hearing the voice of an older Tom Riddle/Voldemort/
Marvolo Slytherin/whatever-aliases-he's-using-right-now quote a muggle cinema.
 
"Would you prefer if I say..." The hooded figure's voice turned more monotone
and deep as he quoted, "Come with me if you want to live."
 
 
"Stop. Please stop quoting muggle cinema with Voldemort's voice." Harry covered
his ears and whined, "It sounds so creepy and so out-of-character!"
 
The hooded figure chuckled and offered his hand towards Harry as he asked,
"Then come along now, my dear Harry. I cannot pass through without you."
 
"Why not?" Harry asked, staring at the bony hand. The muscles look squishy.
 
"Muscles are not squishy." The figure drawled before explaining, "I cannot pass
through alone for my original's magic will try to absorb me the moment I pass
by that door. I need your protection."
 
"My protection?" Harry repeated in a tone that clearly stated he did not
believe the figure.
 
"Yes, my dear. You would literally be the only thing keeping me from getting
eaten by the big bad Dark Lord on the other side of that door." The figure
drawled, clearly not offended by Harry's mistrust. The figure wiggled his
fingers as he explained, "All you have to do is maintain physical contact with
me. That's all. A simply hand holding will do the trick. No need to act so
distrustful."
 
"And why should I trust you?" Harry retorted with an arched eyebrow.
 
"Because you have no choice." The figure wiggled his fingers once more as he
drawled, "Tick-tock, my dear Harry. The longer we stay in your mind space, the
longer your dear Tom is getting poisoned by my brother's corrupted magic."
 
Harry hesitantly grabbed the figure's hand, blinking as he felt the muscles'
texture against his skin.
 
It was... strange...
 
Very intriguing...
 
"I'm sure dear Bella would be more than happy to accompany you in experimenting
on some poor muggle or Light wizard or witch about how different muscles feel
and such." The figure drawled nonchalantly as he guided Harry towards the door.
Their pace was slow as the figure continued to limp. Harry leaned closer and
let the figure hold onto him.
 
Once they reached the door, Tom aimed his wand at the figure and hissed,
"Release Harry now."
 
"Honestly, you've absorbed too much of that Weasley. You're acting like a
foolish Gryffindor, brother." The figure sneered the last word with contempt,
making Tom's eyes widened. He stared at the figure and took a step back,
letting the figure and Harry walk back inside Voldemort's mind-space.
 
"That can't... you can't..." Tom seemed lost at words as he stared at the
figure, his hand trembling slightly as he continued to aim it at the figure.
Voldemort's eyes were wide as well as he stared at the new addition in his mind
space while the hooded figure guided Harry towards one of the comfy green
armchairs.
 
The figure sat on the comfy armchair before pulling Harry to sit on his lap.
Harry let out an unmanly yelp as he was manhandled and turned his upper body to
glare at the figure he was currently sitting on. The figure relaxed and
commented, "Ah, home sweet home. This place is as dreary as always."
 
"You're..." Voldemort seemed to be unable to speak, simply staring at the
figure currently sitting on the armchair with his fiancé sitting on his lap.
 
The figure wrapped his bony arms around Harry's waist and rested his chin on
Harry's shoulder as he stared back at Voldemort. His lips curved into a
mischievous smirk as he asked Harry casually, "Shall I tell you a story, my
dear Harry?"
 
Not letting anyone reply to his question, the figure began, "Once upon a time,
there was a magical boy born from the love of a pure-blood father and a mud-
blood mother. He was a normal magical child but a certain prophesy made a big
bad Dark Lord come after him. Now, this big bad Dark Lord had lost most of his
sanity, driven only by revenge, hate and lust for power and immortality. It was
that lust for immortality that drove that Dark Lord to create Horcruxes, pieces
of his soul placed inside items of great sentimental values to him that will
anchor his own soul to the living world even if his body gets destroyed as long
as they exist."
 
Harry's eyes widened and he turned his head to stare at Tom, a piece of
Voldemort's soul that had been placed inside a diary.
 
"Yes. That dear Tom of yours was the first Horcrux." The figure confirmed, "He
made more. So many more. He splintered his soul again and again for he feared
Death would come knocking onto his doorsteps. His destroyed sanity was mainly
because his soul had become so tattered it could no longer keep his mind
intact. His insanity was only fuelled by the many dark rituals he had done to
become more powerful."
 
The figure placed a hand on Harry's chin and forced the boy to stare at
Voldemort who was standing on wobbly legs, leaning against a desk for support,
"And he had planned on creating another Horcrux, his final Horcrux, when he
went to kill you. He had done the proper preparations. What he did not expect
was for the killing curse to rebound because of you."
 
"Me? I thought it was because of my mother?" Harry asked, turning to stare at
the figure behind him. The figure let out a condescending laugh.
 
"You believed Dumbledore's fairy tale story of love saving you? How very unlike
you, Harry." The figure placed his hands on Harry's cheeks and caressed them,
mimicking Tom's early actions, as he cooed mockingly, "You know love cannot
save anyone, Harry."
 
The figure's tone held a hint of anger as he continued, "It is power that
matters. Power to protect, power to save, power to destroy. It was power that
saved you that night, Harry. Ancient power meant to keep the Peverell line
alive at all cost."
 
Voldemort's eyes widened and he asked, "Harry is a Peverell?"
 
"The last of the direct descendants of the youngest Peverell." The figure
confirmed, grinning at Voldemort as he said, "What a Horcrux learns when living
inside one's head is quite interesting to say at least. His magic sings the
song of the dead and is quite chatty once you get to know it. His soul may be
young but his magic is not. According to his magic, it was a failsafe ritual
done by the Peverell brothers that bounced the killing curse towards you. The
youngest Peverell's line must not die and Magic herself agreed to that ancient
ritual between the three brothers and Death. That's why you turned into a
wraith and the Boy-Who-Lived was born. So really, it wasn't love of a mother
that saved Harry but the stubbornness of three brothers who simply didn't want
their line to die out like all the other ancient Wizarding families. They could
only preserve one line so they chose the youngest, Harry's direct ancestor,
because..."
 
The figure shrugged as he continued, "I honestly have no idea. I assume it's
that foolish notion of how older siblings should protect the younger ones. They
probably just decided to choose the youngest because of that. Or they flipped a
coin. Regardless of why it had been the youngest one, the fact remained that
Harry is the direct descendant of the youngest of the Peverell brothers. As
long as Harry remains the last living descendant, he cannot be killed."
 
"Oh, and you accidently created me, your seventh Horcrux, and I latched onto
Harry." The hooded figure nonchalantly added in the same tone Harry used to
talk about something that bored him.
 
Everyone stared at him for a couple of minutes in dumbfounded silence then...
 
"I have a piece of Tom's soul in me?!" Harry shouted the same time Tom and
Voldemort shouted, "Harry is my Horcrux?!"
 
"Yes." The figure nodded at Harry before turning to nod at his brother and
original, "Yes."
 
"Wha-Hu-How-I-" Harry turned to stare at Voldemort and shouted, "You put your
soul in me!"
 
Harry rubbed his arms and grimaced as he commented, "I feel so violated."
 
Harry turned to glare at the figure he was currently sitting on and shouted,
"You're his soul piece!"
 
"Not... exactly..." The figure replied with a sheepish grin.
 
"What do you mean by that?" Voldemort asked, glaring at the figure.
 
"Unless you also need glasses-" The figure insulted his original before turning
to insult Harry, "-and you really need to get glasses with the proper
prescription-"
 
"You two should realize that I'm not exactly pure Lord Voldemort, Tom Marvolo
Riddle, Heir of Slytherin, whatever other titles you have right now." The
figure continued before waving his hand towards Tom, "I'm like my brother over
there. We both started out as pure fragmented souls of our original but we
absorbed another person's magic. That magic infected us, made us... different."
 
"Unlike my dear stupid brother who decided to absorb a Light witch's magic-
" The figure leaned forward towards Harry and stage-whispered, "-which is
totally the reason why he's such a creepy stalker who is ruled by his emotions
like an immature foolish Gryffindor."
 
Tom glared at him.
 
"I absorbed the fantastic magic of our dear beloved Harry." The figure wrapped
his arms around Harry and grinned at Voldemort, "Aren't I just lucky?"
 
Voldemort glared at Harry and hissed, "You turned my Horcrux into you."
 
Harry frowned and retorted, "It's not like I knew he was inside me. Don't blame
me for how he turned out when it was you who placed him inside me in the first
place."
 
"It wasn't like I planned on making you Horcrux in the first place! You can't
blame me for this accident!" Voldemort hissed back.
 
The figure snickered and commented, "My, my. That sounds like a married
couple's conversation of how their child turned out to be. Already practicing
for the time your children turn into rebellious teenagers?"
 
Harry and Voldemort glared at him and ordered, "Be quiet!"
 
The figure raised his hands in mocked surrender and replied, "Yes, yes. I am an
embarrassment, the real prodigal son, a mistake of a one eventful night, oh
dear, that came out wrong..."
 
The glares Harry and Voldemort gave him turned more murderous which only made
the figure snicker.
 
"Putting that aside-" The figure waved his hand dismissively before turning to
look at Tom, "You and I are quite similar in some ways. That's the reason why I
know what's wrong."
 
"What do you mean?" Tom asked, glaring at him.
 
"You're not acting like our old sixteen years old self. You're quick to anger.
You're ruled by your emotions. Not to mention, that creepy obsession of yours
is too stalker-like to be us." The figure commented, gently pushing Harry off
his lap. Harry stood but the figure kept their hands laced together as he stood
as well. He walked towards Tom, dragging Harry behind him, as he continued,
"They're all because you've been corrupted by Ginerva Weasley's Light magic.
You tried to take all of her magic but Light magic is incompatible to our pure
Dark magic core. Not to mention, the whole getting stabbed by a Basilisk fang-"
 
"Sorry 'bout that, by the way." Harry interrupted with a sheepish smile.
 
"-should have killed you as a Horcrux." The figure placed his skinless hand
over his mouth, tapping his cheek lightly as he admitted, "Quite fascinating,
actually. Any normal Horcrux would have died, their soul fading into
nothingness. But you have absorbed enough magic to retain your memories and
feelings."
 
The figure turned towards Harry and commented in a slightly teasing manner, "I
would say 'love' kept you alive but that would be too disgustingly Dumbledore."
 
The figure turned to stare at Tom once more and said, "You're strong 'feelings'
over our dear Harry had kept you alive, clinging onto the magic you absorbed
from the girl. But that was Light magic and it had corrupted your very essence.
Our original can no longer absorb all of you."
 
"Why not!?" Tom shouted angrily, side-stepping over the figure and grabbing
Harry by the shoulder. The figure kept his grip on Harry's hand tight as Tom
wrapped his arms protectively around Harry, "Once he absorbed me, he will
understand what I feel, what I want, what we should have! We can have an
eternity with Harry!"
 
"Harry is right here and would like to tell you that you need to sto-"
 
"Not now, dear." The figure interrupted the scathing words which were about to
leave the young wizard's mouth, "Trying to reason with him is useless. He's far
too determined to have his-"
 
The figure's tone became mocking as he ended, "-happy ending."
 
"How pathetic." Voldemort commented, glaring at Tom.
 
"Oh, give him some slack, original. He's been corrupted by the girl's magic."
The figure said casually, smirking at Tom as he said, "That's why he's been
poisoning you."
 
"What?" Harry turned to stare at the figure with wide eyes.
 
"His magic is Light." The figure said as he continued to stare at Tom, "Our
original cannot accept Light magic, that’s poison to his core."
 
The figure's tone became softer as he said, "He cannot accept all of you now,
Tom."
 
"No! No! I won't accept that! I won't!!!" Tom shouted, aiming his wand at the
figure.
 
"Tom! Stop it!" Harry used his free hand to grab Tom's wrist, making sure not
to touch the wand this time. Harry turned towards the figure and asked, "Is
there anything we can do?!"
 
"Oh, of course. I do have all the answers." The figure smugly replied, dusting
his grey robes of imaginary dusts.
 
Harry glared at him and hissed, "Then stop being an arrogant prat like your
original and tell us."
 
"That arrogance is from you, dear." Voldemort drawled but kept his glare at the
figure.
 
"Actually it's from both of you." The figure corrected before grinning at them,
"Anyway, the solution is simple! My brother wants his happy ending and he can
get it."
 
The figure tilted his head as he added, "Kinda."
 
"How?" Harry asked, "You said your original can't absorb him."
 
"I said he can't absorb all of him." The figure corrected in a singsong tone,
making everyone in the room glare harder at him and that only made him grin,
"What needs to happen is he simply needs to lose all of the magic he got from
Ginerva before letting his memories be absorbed by our original."
 
"And how do I do that?" Tom spatted, "I can't just let go of this magic. It
needs to be absorbed by another!"
 
The figure wiggled the hand currently holding Harry's hand and jerked his head
towards Harry. Harry blinked and stared at the figure as he asked, "Me? I'm
going to absorb Ginny's magic?!"
 
"Unlike our original's Dark core, yours is grey. Well… still grey, I should
say. You can absorb her magic without any drastic repercussions." The figure
explained, "It won't hurt or change you like it did your precious Tom. You’ll
probably have easier time casting Light-based spells for a while but it won’t
be permanent. I will also be by your core so I can take care of your magic if
anything happens. So don't worry your pretty little head about it."
 
Harry glanced at Tom before turning to ask the figure, "If I do absorb Ginny's
magic. What will happen to Tom?"
 
"Our original will be able to absorb his memories and he will get his happy
ending." The figure said in a mocking tone, "An eternity with you in the form
of the original."
 
"And Tom?" Harry pressed, tightening his hold on Tom's wrist.
 
"He is Tom, silly child." The figure said, "He will have Tom's memories. He
will still be the same grumpy easily annoyed old man you've come to ‘adore’ of
but he will have memories of the time you spent together with the diary you
grew fond of. It might change him, it might not. That really just depends on
him. The Horcrux you're worried about will... in the other hand, lose all those
memories and his personality. It's like a reset button. He'll return to his
initial soul state, void of any conscience or feelings whatsoever."
 
"That's..." Harry stared at Tom with fear in his eyes, "That's like you're
signing off your own death sentence!"
 
"No, it's not." Tom replied, turning to stare at Harry. He lowered his hand and
let his wand fall to the floor. He placed his hands on Harry's cheeks and said
with a soft smile, "This is the only way we can have eternity, Harry. I'm just
a Horcrux, an incomplete soul without any real body. The eternity we always
talked about had always been for you and the real Tom Riddle, not an incomplete
imitation of him."
 
"Stop saying foolish things, Tom!" Harry ordered, grabbing one of Tom’s wrists
as he angrily said, "I never said I wanted an eternity with you!"
 
"And I never asked for your permission in the first place." Tom retorted with a
smirk, "I told you. I always get what I want in the end."
 
The figure leaned forward and said, "Yeah, that one line is definitely a
hundred percent Tom Riddle. Just to be clear."
 
Both Tom and Harry glared at him and he backed away as he said, "Okay, totally
ruining the mood, I know. We're kinda on the clock here, by the way. Just... to
be clear."
 
Tom raised his head to stare at Voldemort and asked, "If I let Harry take my
magic, you'll accept my memories?"
 
Voldemort stared at him for a second before nodding, "Yes."
 
Tom smirked and said, "You won't regret it."
 
Voldemort glared at him and deadpanned, "Watching you act like a love-sick
puppy is already making me regret it."
 
The figure shrugged and commented, "He'll probably return to normal after the
magic is taken away from him."
 
Voldemort sighed tiredly and sat on the armchair the figure and Harry had been
sitting on earlier as he ordered, "Take it, Harry."
 
 
Harry nodded and stared at Tom. They stared at each other for a couple of
seconds before Harry awkwardly asked, "Er... how do I do that exactly?"
 
The figure leaned forward and whispered, "True love's first kiss."
 
Everyone glared at the figure who shrugged and said, "Unless you want to do the
boring route of just holding each other's arms like what he was supposed to do
to our original, be my guest."
 
"Oh." Harry turned to face Tom and said, "Well, that's ea- mmph!"
 
Harry's eyes widened when he felt Tom's lips on his, demanding and desperate as
his tongue parted Harry's lips. An insistent tongue began demanding his
attention as he felt Tom's hands around his waist in a bruising grip. Harry was
about to pull away when he felt something start to course throughout his entire
body.
 
Harry could feel Tom's emotions mixed in Ginny's magic.
 
Ginny's magic was warm and gentle, a great contrast to the dark feelings
enveloped in it from Tom.
 
Harry moaned and placed his free hand on Tom's neck, tilting his head
subconsciously to deepen their kiss. Tom's kiss was full of unhinged passion
and desperation.
 
Harry could feel Tom's desire.
 
Tom truly did believe Harry was his. His to protect, his to nurture, his to
possess.
 
It was frightening.
 
Harry had never known anyone feel so strongly about him.
 
He never thought anyone could.
 
But here was a boy, a foolish boy who truly did want Harry by his side, for all
eternity.
 
And all Harry could think was...
 
Once all of Ginny's magic was gone from Tom, they finally parted. Tears were
falling freely from Harry's eyes and he whispered to Tom in a sad soft voice,
"You, Tom Marvolo Riddle, have given me the cruellest torture of all."
 
Tom's lips curved into a sad smile as he replied, "And I will continue to
torture you with it until you finally find pleasure in it."
 
Harry snorted and pushed Tom away as he said, "Good luck with that, you prat."
 
Tom smirked at him as he retorted, "I have all eternity, my dear."
 
Harry simply looked down at the floor. Tom smiled softly at him and stepped
towards him, kissing the top of his head before walking towards Voldemort. He
offered his hand towards Voldemort and Voldemort stared at him silently for a
second before taking his hand. Tom's entire body began to glow and he closed
his eyes.
 
Harry turned to stare at Tom and shouted, "Tom!"
 
Tom opened his eyes and turned to stare at Harry. Harry smiled sadly as he
said, "Murphy's law."
 
Tom chuckled and drawled, "Must you always have the final say, Harry?"
 
Harry could only watch as Tom's form slowly disappeared, leaving behind a small
glowing sphere floating in mid-air. Harry took a step towards the sphere but
the grip the hooded figure had on his hand stopped him, "Don't."
 
Harry turned to stare at the figure who said softly, "That's the Horcrux. If
anyone other than the original touches it now, it'll latch onto them. You
already have me and the only reason why I'm alive and you're still you is
because I latched onto you while you were an infant. Your core was still
developing. If you take another Horcrux now, your core will lash out and try to
destroy it. It'll only destroy you instead."
 
Voldemort placed his hand below the sphere, palm up, and the sphere hovered
over his palm. He turned to look at the figure as he asked, "Why didn't I
absorb his piece?"
 
"You cannot have more than a hundred percent of your soul." The figure replied,
staring at the sphere on Voldemort's hand, "The ritual Harry did forced Magic
to make your soul whole once more. Rather than try to force your Horcruxes
back, she decided to simply recreate the missing parts. I would assume she
didn't want to force me out of Harry in fear of what may happen."
 
Voldemort nodded and stared at the sphere in his hand, "And you? Should I
absorb your conscience as well?"
 
The figure smirked and replied, "That's not for you or for me to decide."
 
The figure walked till he was behind Harry and placed his free hand on Harry's
shoulder as he said, "My memories are Harry's memories. If you absorb me,
you'll have my memories of Harry growing up."
 
Harry froze at those words and the figure smirked as he said, "I'm sure you've
realized Harry does not want that."
 
Voldemort raised his head to stare at Harry and Harry shook his head as he
said, "Sorry, Tom. I can't... I..."
 
"I understand." Voldemort cut him off, covering the small sphere by closing his
hand around it, "One day, Harry, you will let me see all of you."
 
Harry gave him a forced crooked smile as he replied, "I doubt it."
 
Voldemort's lips curved into a small smirk as he said, "I am willing to wait.
We do have an eternity."
 
Harry's eyes widened as he recognized those words. Harry grinned as he
playfully said, "Something tells me you've just turned more annoying than
usual."
 
"Perhaps." Voldemort turned away from them, "Leave me. I need to reorganize my
thoughts in peace."
 
"And that's our cue to exit stage left." The figure said, dragging Harry
towards the open door, "Come along now, Harry my dear. Your exit is this way!"
 
Harry stared at Voldemort's back silently, wondering how Tom's memories would
influence him now.
 
"Oh, he'll probably be the same grumpy old man with anger issues. Honestly, he
needs a new outlet for that one." The figure replied to Harry's thought
casually as he guided Harry through the small cupboard.
 
Harry raised his head to where the sphere was singing, still wondering why the
song sounded so familiar to him.
 
The figure stopped on the wall where his rickety desk was. He looked at Harry
expectantly and jerked his head towards the desk. Harry raised an eyebrow at
that and the figure sighed exasperatedly. He pulled Harry down so they were
both crouching. Harry blinked when he noticed that there was a hole under the
desk.
 
"Wha-"
 
"That would be your exit back to the real world." The figure explained, staring
at Harry expectedly.
 
"You want me to crawl into that hole?" Harry asked with a baffled expression on
his face.
 
The figure raised his non-existing eyebrow and deadpanned, "No. I want you to
stare at it for all eternity until some acid spitting alien grabs you and take
you away from this dump. Yes, you adorable idiot. You crawl out of here through
that."
 
"Why?" Harry asked in a high pitched voice.
 
The figure shrugged as he replied nonchalantly, "Your mind's unprotected. The
hole is a representation of how easy it is to access your mind. Of course-"
 
The figure clapped his hands and the grey sky was suddenly replaced by the low
ceiling Harry was so used to seeing. Harry blinked at the sudden darkness and
could only hear the figure explain, "This is how intruders usually see your
mind-space. By intruders, I really just mean Snape. Feel free to imagine Snape
crawling into this place through that hole, by the way."
 
"Dumbledore never tried to see my mind?" Harry asked as he continued to blink
his eyes as an attempt to get used to the darkness.
 
The figure snorted and sneered, "Dumbledore is too 'pure' for such a thing. He
simply lets Snape do all the dirty work."
 
"Wow. I'm not sure if you don't like Dumbledore because you're Tom or because
I've influenced you too much." Harry deadpanned while crawling towards the
hole.
 
"Both." The figure grinned as he said, "Now, do try to keep out of trouble, my
dear Harry. Don't go seducing Dark Lords now."
 
Harry yelped and turned to glare at the figure, "Did you just smack me on the
arse, you paedophile?!"
 
The figure shrugged and drawled, "You've been a very bad influence to me. Now,
shoo."
 
"I hate you." Harry sneered before finally continuing his crawl towards the
hole.
 
"I love you too, sweetie-pie." The figure drawled, watching Harry enter the
hole.
 
Once Harry had left his mind-space, the figure crawled back underneath the cot,
lying in a foetal position as the dark grey robes dissolved into mist. He
hugged his skinless body and closed his eyes, letting the sad soft song of
Harry's magic lull him to sleep once more.
 
The first thing Harry saw when he opened his eyes were the worried faces of
Theodore and Barty looming over him.
 
The first thing Harry said when he opened his eyes was "I hope none of you
tried the true love's first kiss rubbish on me."
 
Barty and Theodore looked so relieved that all they said in reply was "Little
Lord!"
 
Before Harry could move, he was engulfed in a manly hug by both overly
emotional men. He groaned and tried to sit up as he said, "Yes, I'm fine. Yes,
I know you were worried me but please... let me breath."
 
They let go immediately and Barty helped him sit. Harry groaned as his bones
creaked at the sudden movement. Harry rubbed his eyes and asked, "How long was
I out?"
 
"Half an hour at most." Theodore replied, grinning sheepishly as he added, "We
missed curfew."
 
Harry snorted and said, "Won't be my first offense."
 
Harry looked around and saw Voldemort lying on the couch. Harry knew he should
be offended they left him on the floor but it didn't matter. He rushed towards
the unconscious wizard and knelt right next to him. He placed his hand on
Voldemort's cheek, sighing in relief when he noticed it was warm to the touch,
not the ice cold temperature he felt before.
 
"Don't worry, My Lord. He'll wake up soon." Luna said softly, sitting relaxed
against one of the legs of the chair Harry usually sat in.
 
Harry smiled tiredly as he said, "I know. I just can't help but worry."
 
"Be careful, dear, you're starting to sound like you care."
 
Harry turned back to smile at Voldemort as the older wizard open his eyes
slowly. Harry caressed his cheek once before dropping his hand as he replied,
"I'd stop caring if you stop being foolish in the first place."
 
Voldemort snorted and flicked Harry's forehead as he said, "That should be my
line, brat."
 
Harry rubbed his forehead as he continued to grin at Voldemort. Voldemort sat
up and Theodore and Barty immediately knelt as Barty said, "My lord! It's good
to see you in good health. We have been worr-"
 
"Enough." Voldemort interrupted with a tired sigh, "I would rather retire for
the night rather than hear how you all panicked, Barty."
 
"Of course, my lord." Barty replied with a low bow.       
 
Voldemort stood and Harry hurriedly grabbed his arm when he noticed Voldemort
swaying. Voldemort grabbed Harry's hand but did not lean away from the young
wizard's touch. Voldemort turned towards Barty and ordered, "Barty, you'll be
escorting us. That way, if any prefect or professors see them, you can say that
you found them wandering and already gave them detention."
 
Barty bowed once more as he said, "Yes, my lord."
 
"Wait for us outside." Voldemort ordered, turning to glare at Luna as he added,
"All of you."
 
Luna simply smiled dreamily at him and nodded. She stood and skipped towards
the door, taking Barty on one arm and Theodore on the other. It looked a bit
weird since Barty was still polyjuiced to look like Moody but the three managed
to leave the room, leaving only Harry and Voldemort inside. Voldemort pulled
Harry's hand and caressed the Ouroboros bracelet he had given Harry as a
courting present as Marvolo Slytherin.
 
Harry watched Voldemort silently as he began to chant under his breath. Harry
could not get any of the words Voldemort was using but he heard the hissing
tone and realized that Voldemort was chanting in Parseltongue. Voldemort raised
Harry's hand up and whispered to the bracelet. Harry's cheeks reddened slightly
when Voldemort kissed the bracelet.
 
Harry's breath hitched when he felt his bracelet warm against his skin before
becoming enveloped in Dark magic. The same alluring magic Harry felt with the
diary.
 
Harry's eyes widened when he realized what Voldemort had done.
 
Voldemort's lips curved into a small smirk as he said in response to Harry's
thoughts, "He wishes for an eternity with you. This is the least we can do for
him."
 
Harry felt the Ouroboros bracelet slither tighter around his wrist and
Voldemort let his hand go. Harry raised his hand to stare at the bracelet where
the snake's eyes now burned bright blue. Voldemort watched Harry silently as
the young wizard said mockingly, "Do you think you love me now as well?"
 
"Perhaps." Voldemort replied cryptically, "My Horcrux's feeling for you are too
intense even for me. I am still trying to make sense of most of it."
 
Harry formed a fist and placed his hand over his chest, covering the bracelet
with his other hand as he said to Voldemort stubbornly, "I don't love Tom."
 
Voldemort's lips curved into an amused smirk as he replied, "I never said you
did."
 
"I..." Voldemort pressed his point finger by Harry's lips, stopping whatever
Harry was about to say.
 
"It's strange, I admit." Voldemort said, tracing Harry's lips with his point
finger, "His memories are easy to distinguish from my own but his feelings...
they mix with mine and yet I do not feel offended or crossed over such thing. I
barely feel any different to be honest."
 
Voldemort placed his hand on Harry's chin and admitted, "Had I met you when I
was still Tom Riddle, perhaps my life would have been so different. Perhaps
things would have been different for the better."
 
Voldemort forced Harry to look at him and leaned forward, "My feelings for you
have changed, my dear Harry, and I find myself enjoying the change."
 
"Don't be stupid, Tom." Harry hissed, glaring at Voldemort, "Whatever feelings
you possess for me is a weakness-"
 
"Attachment makes us weak." Voldemort interrupted him, "You were afraid to
accept my Horcrux's affections because of that mentality of yours. You believed
back then that Tom Riddle was a mediocre wizard. Why shouldn't you? Other than
the diary and the Hogwarts trophy, there has never been any other news about
Tom Riddle after he graduated from Hogwarts. That's why you refused his
advances, his desire, and his offer of an eternity with him. You have no need
for such weakness. But I am not weak, am I, Harry?"
 
"Only the strong can afford a weakness, my dear Harry." Voldemort leaned his
forehead against Harry's as he continued, "And I am the greatest wizard in the
world, wouldn't you agree?"
 
"Your ego is definitely the greatest of them all." Harry retorted but there was
no bite in his words.
 
"I can afford such weakness, Harry." Voldemort whispered, "I can afford keeping
these intense feelings for you."
 
"No. Stop it, Tom." Harry whispered, grabbing Voldemort's hand weakly.
 
"I can afford to fall in love with you." Voldemort continued, caressing Harry's
cheek with his other hand.
 
"I can't." Harry whispered back, closing his eyes.
 
"You can't for now but..." Voldemort's lips curved to a small smile as he
proclaimed, "We have an eternity ahead of us. I will make you fall in love with
me, Harry. No matter how long it takes."
 
Harry opened his eyes out of surprise at Voldemort's next words, "So mote it
be."
 
Both Voldemort and Harry glow for a second before Voldemort captured Harry's
lips to a soft gentle kiss.
 
It was during that moment, Harry realized how deep Tom's feelings had been.
 
And how this cruel torture would continue to haunt Harry for eternity. 
Chapter End Notes
     Oh god. I hope Voldemort's actions weren't too... OOC... I tried... I
     really did TTATT
     Feel free to ask questions if Tom's or Voldemort's lines are a bit
     too vague. I would suggest reading "Musing of a Diary Horcrux"
     though. That may shed light to some of their lines. (especially
     Harry's 'cruellest torture' line)
     The Harry!Horcrux has a similar personality as this fic's Harry,
     that's why he's so... energetic and playful. He probably won't make
     much appearance... probably. Depends...
     Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope was released in 1977 and Terminator 2
     was released in 1991 so I'm not messing up the timeline. The alien
     bit is a reference to Alien which was released in 1979.
***** The Ceremony *****
Chapter Summary
     It’s the day of Yule
Chapter Notes
     Warning:
     1 Unbeta’ed as usual
     2 Headcanon of traditional magical marriage ritual… thingie
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Voldemort wasn’t lying when he said that the day of Yule itself would be the
busiest day of all. Everyone was already worked up even when it was still
morning. Even Daphne was busy with the rest of the girls, preparing for the
ball or making sure everyone else was ‘perfect’.
 
Yes, everyone.
 
Not even the acting king Carrow could get away from Daphne and her female
compatriots who had made it their sole duty to ensure the entire Slytherin
house was going to the ball perfectly.
 
Hell, even Draco looked like he had given up trying to get away and Harry last
saw him getting pushed into one door after another while being berated for ‘not
having perfect hair on the most important day of this year’ and ‘not even
thinking about colour coordinating with his date, oh for Salazar’s sake!’.
 
Harry left the Slytherin common room soon after that, not feeling even a bit
guilty by the sad puppy eyes Theodore was giving him.
 
He found solace in Barty’s quarters where the only ‘ball related’ discussion
had been what Luna was going to wear when they pretend to go. It seemed Daphne
had let her borrow some of her dresses and had ordered her to choose the dress
that will complement Harry’s outfit most.
 
Harry may have forgotten to tell them he wasn’t going.
 
Oh well, it was better this way. If they didn’t know he and Luna weren’t going
then no one can squeeze any information from them.
 
Harry had picked a light blue dress that brought out Luna’s eyes and threw it
at her. She seemed happy to accept the dress and went to Barty’s bedroom to
change. Voldemort had spent the day writing once more and Barty was there to
organize the stack of rolled parchments Voldemort had finished.
 
It was amusing how much paperwork the big bad Dark Lord had.
 
Harry, on the other hand, had spent his day rereading the chapter about magical
wedding. It wasn’t even called a wedding. It was mostly called a magical
marriage ritual or a marriage bonding ritual. It was a very private event and
mostly the only ones to be part of it were the two to be bonded and two ring
bearers. Harry supposed Luna was to be his ring bearer.
 
It said the ring to be exchanged should belong to them.
 
Harry didn’t prepare a ring at all.
 
When he had said that to Voldemort, Voldemort assured him that he had Theonel
pick a few rings weeks ago and Harry simply have to choose which ring to give
to Voldemort for it to be counted.
 
It seemed Voldemort had prepared everything already. Harry wasn’t surprised.
The older wizard was probably one of the most well-prepared wizards he ever had
the pleasure of knowing.
 
They left Hogwarts a quarter to six in the evening. Everyone was already in a
greater frenzy and was so busy that the three had no real problems leaving
undetected. Once they were in Hogsmeade, Voldemort apparated the three of them.
 
It was as unpleasant as the first time Harry had the pleasure of traveling
using it.
 
They appeared in a room with a fireplace in one wall and one single door on the
opposite wall. There were no windows and Harry noticed the floor had a giant
magic circle slightly hidden by a carpet. The door opened and Theonel bowed at
them as he greeted, “Good evening, My Lord.”
 
“Harry!” Sirius shouted as he bummed into Theonel while running towards Harry.
Theonel didn’t seem to mind and only narrowed his eyes at Sirius. Remus
whispered an apology before walking towards Sirius and Harry. Sirius embraced
Harry and whispered, “Hey. It’s good to see you again.”
 
Harry patted his back as he whispered back, “It’s good to see you too, Sirius.”
 
Sirius let go and Remus embraced Harry well while Theonel walk towards
Voldemort and bowed as he informed, “Everything has been prepared, My Lord.”
 
“Good.” Voldemort stated before turning towards the two Marauders as he said,
“We will hear your answer after the ritual.”
 
“About that.” Sirius turned to ask Harry, “Have you picked a ring?”
 
“Not yet.” Harry replied before turning towards Theonel as he remembered,
“Theonel’s supposed to show me some rings?”
 
“It’s in the other room, Little Lord.” Theonel said, “Shall I get it?”
 
“No.” Sirius hurriedly said, making Harry tilt his head curiously as he stared
at his godfather.
 
“I want you to use this, Harry.” Sirius said in a serious tone, offering Harry
a small black box. Harry took the box and opened it, his eyes widening as he
saw what was inside, while Sirius explained, “It’s one of the most ancient
Black rings. I saw it in our Bulgarian house when I went there to hide for a
few weeks. It’s ancient and it’s very, very dark.”
 
“Dark?” Harry repeated, not touching the ring inside. It was a simple silver
band but there was an engraving etched on the outside. It wasn’t the alphabet
nor was it ancient rune.
 
“There’s a curse placed on it.” Sirius explained, making Harry raised his head
to stare at Sirius, “The engraving is supposed to be infused by an ancient and
old magic. It says ‘only the deserving can safely bond with our blood’.”
 
Sirius turned his head towards Voldemort who was silently watching them and
stated, “If you can marry Harry with this ring, I will accept your offer.”
 
“Sirius!” Harry exclaimed with wide eyes.
 
“I’ve heard of that ring.” Voldemort said calmly, making everyone stare at him,
“Orion told me about a ring that supposedly kills all those who wear it,
draining their core slowly before feasting upon their soul.”
 
Voldemort’s lips curved into a smug smirk as he said, “Very well, Black. I
accept your condition.”
 
“Tom!” Harry exclaimed, walking towards Voldemort as he asked, “Are you sure
about this?!”
 
Voldemort placed his hand on Harry’s cheek, caressing it softly as he
proclaimed, “Do you think anyone else deserves to be with you more than you, my
dear?”
 
“Careful, Love Tart, your ego is showing again.” Harry drawled instinctively,
making Voldemort’s smirk grew.
 
Luna walked towards Harry and said with a smile, “I will hold it for you, My
Lord.”
 
Voldemort dropped his hand and Harry closed the box before handing it to Luna
as he said, “Thank you, my dear.”
 
Luna smiled dreamily at him as she took the box.
 
“And my ring, Theonel?” Voldemort inquired.
 
Theonel took out a small black box and showed it to Voldemort as he explained,
“I have done what you have written line per line, My Lord.”
 
Voldemort took the box and opened it, observing whatever was inside for a few
seconds. He nodded and closed the box, giving it to Theonel once more. He
turned towards Harry and said, “We have to start the ritual, Harry. Come.”
 
“Okay.” Harry nodded and turned towards Sirius and Remus as he asked, “We’ll
talk later?”
 
“Of course.” Sirius’ lips curved into a small smile as he joked, “Wouldn’t be a
wedding without a feast, right?”
 
Harry grinned at them before following Voldemort out of the room, followed
closely by Theonel and Luna.
 
He supposed Theonel was Voldemort’s ring bearer then.
 
They exited the room and walked a long hallway. They entered the door at the
end of the hallway and Harry saw two sets of folded white robes on a table at
the centre of the room. Theonel bowed as he said, “Lady Lovegood and I will be
waiting in the ritual room.”
 
“Very well.” Voldemort said, taking off his outer robe. Theonel and Luna went
out of the room via the only other door while Harry took off his own outer
robe.
 
Harry took off his red sweater (courtesy of Molly Weasley) and placed it on the
table. As he was unbuttoning his shirt, Voldemort stated, “We’ll be buying you
new clothes proper of a wizard. None of these… muggle clothing.”
 
“I like them.” Harry commented lightly, turning to stare at Voldemort.
Voldemort was already wearing the simple white robes Theonel had prepared,
staring blatantly at Harry. Harry took off his shirt and placed it on the table
as he continued, “You can buy me muggle clothes that fit me instead.”
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow at the suggestion as Harry unbuckled his pants.
Harry rolled his eyes as he unzipped them and compromised, “I promise to wear
those Wizarding clothes when I’m out in public as your Consort.”
 
Voldemort handed the simple white robes as Harry took off his pants and
ordered, “Take off your shoes as well.”
 
Harry shrugged and took off his shoes. He took off his socks as well, not
bothered by being naked in front of Voldemort at all.
 
They were going to consummate this marriage today anyway. Being naked in front
of him was the least of Harry’s ‘problems’.
 
Harry threw the socks on the table before taking the robes from Voldemort. He
quickly wore the white robes, humming as he felt the silky fabric caress his
body. Voldemort stared at Harry as he said, “We shall talk about your attire on
a later date.”
 
Harry grinned at him and replied, “Already looking forward to that
confirmation, Love Tart.”
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes and began walking towards the other door as he
inquired, “You know what to do?”
 
“Keep quiet. Only speak when necessary.” Harry drawled, earning a nod from
Voldemort. Harry chuckled as Voldemort opened the door, guiding him out of the
room.
 
The ritual room was a bland dark room. There was a magic circle in the middle
of the room that Harry could barely see. An altar was perched on top of an
elevated platform with stairs. Other than the intricate magic circle,
everything in the room was bland which was necessary to ensure that the ritual
would not be compromised.
 
Harry wanted to comment that it wouldn’t hurt to have some light though but
kept quiet.
 
Luna and Theonel were already at the innermost circle of the magic circle.
Voldemort nodded at the two who knelt on both knees. Voldemort offered his hand
to Harry who took it, letting Voldemort guide him into the dark room as the
door behind them closed. They began walking towards the outermost circle and
Harry became fascinated by the way the circle began to glow after they have
passed it. They walked towards the magic circle in a spiral formation until
they finally stepped into the innermost circle. The innermost circle glowed
brightly for a second, blinding Harry, before making the same glow as the rest
of the circle. Now, only the glowing magic circle was their source of light.
Harry and Voldemort began walking towards the altar.
 
Harry knew that majority of the ritual was silent. He read upon the basics of
the marriage ritual in the first book Voldemort made him read. The golden small
basin in the altar in front of them already had the necessary ingredients in
it. All that remained was their blood. A quick nonverbal and wandless Diffindo
spell from Voldemort quickly took care of that, cutting their right palm.
Voldemort went first, dropping three drops of blood into the centre of the
basin. Afterwards, Harry dropped his own three drops. They returned to their
proper place, by the edge of the stairs leading up to the stairs. The entire
time, the magic circle followed their every step, making sure they remained in
the innermost circle. Theonel and Luna stood and walked towards them, kneeling
once they were inside the innermost circle again.
 
The basin began to fizzle three seconds after the last drop fell. Seven seconds
later, black smoke began to seep out of the basin, making Harry raise an
eyebrow.
 
One of the main reasons why the marriage ritual was ‘highly discouraged’ was
because the one that will bless the union was always summoned from a higher
plan of existence. Most call them the Gods of Old or the Ancient Gods but, of
course, some of the muggle-borns did not like the practice of such a thing
since it went against their ‘upbringing’. Some also thought it was too
dangerous to summon such beings. They weren’t bound to the summoners and there
have been cases of injuries and even death during the ritual.
 
These beings were fickle at best, dangerous at worst.
 
Black smoke didn’t sound like a good sign.
 
Harry turned towards Voldemort who turned towards him as well. He felt a
foreign feeling of calmness inside him and the words written in those familiar
writings ‘don’t worry’.
 
The whole ‘I’ll protect you’ bit was implied already.
 
The black smoke began to condense in the space between the altar and the
stairs, whirling around viciously as it started to form a cocoon shaped as
large as an average adult. The smoke began to float down slowly. When the end
of the smoke touched the ground, the smoke turned into red petals, falling into
the ground.
 
A figure clad in black robes stood where the smoke had been, its face covered
by the hood of his robes. The only thing Harry could see were the pale hands
peeking out of the sleeves of the robes.
 
The being turned slowly towards Voldemort and whispered in a hoarse yet gentle
tone, “Tom, always a pleasure to see you.”
 
The being’s voice was male and it sounded very much familiar to Harry but he
couldn’t place it.
 
The being tilted its head as he added, “I am surprised to be summoned by you
though.”
 
The being turned towards Harry and sounded surprised as he said, “And you…”
 
The being was silent for a few seconds before speaking once more, almost in a
distracted tone, “You are too young and I do not feel the stick nor did I hear
it. You are not the Master nor have you used your magic yet here I am… “
 
The being turned to look behind him, staring at the altar for a moment. Then he
looked back at them and whispered, "No."
 
Once more, he turned to look at the altar behind him as he repeated in an
amused tone, "No!"
 
He turned towards the altar then at them once more as he stated in an amused
tone, "You're getting married!"
 
The being clapped as he said, "That's fantastic! I'm so happy for you, Tom!"
 
Harry blinked and turned towards Voldemort. Voldemort turned towards him with
an emotionless expression yet the slight furrowing of his brows gave his
confusion away.
 
Voldemort obviously have no idea who this being was and was confused at the
casual way he was treating him.
 
The being waved his hand as he added, "Oh, I don't mean I'm not happy for you-"
 
Something inside Harry made him understand that the being was now talking about
him.
 
"-I just know you'll be fine regardless who you end up with." The being
continued, "But our dear beloved Dark Lord here is a different story. Without
someone to be there for him, he's pretty much screwed."
 
"I'm sorry but who are you?" Harry finally asked, unable to keep quiet anymore.
Voldemort glared at him.
 
Harry could feel the being was grinning as he playfully replied, "I'm Batman."
 
Voldemort turned to stare at the being and the being added, "Of course you
didn't get the reference. Am I years too early? Oh, who am I kidding? He's
obviously a twink so it's definitely too early for that."
 
The being walked around the altar, dragging his pale fingers at the edges of
the altar as he explained, "I have many titles, both as who I was before and
what I am now."
 
The being stopped in front of the altar as he proclaimed, "Most just call me
the God of Death."
 
Harry and Voldemort stared at him for a couple of seconds while Theonel looked
ready to faint before Harry finally turned towards Voldemort and commented,
"Wow. Our marriage is going to be blessed by Death."
 
"God of Death." The being corrected before adding nonchalantly, "Death's a
whole different being. I'm kinda like Death's boss."
 
The being grabbed the basin with two hands and lifted it as he continued, "I've
never blessed a marriage before so bear with me, okay? I know we decide what
happens and how it's going to go but I've never bothered to know what they make
people do. I do know Chaos and Fate have the highest body count though. Anyway,
due to my lack of experience, I'm going to wing this."
 
The being walked towards them, descending the stairs slowly. With each step, a
shadowy figure appeared behind them, making Theonel freeze and Voldemort step
closer to Harry. Luna was the only person who seemed unaffected by the
newcomers. By the time the being was in front of the pair, six shadowy beings
were behind them. The shadowy figures glided around them, forming a circle with
the four in the middle. The being whispered something into the basin and Harry
heard the inside of the basin began to bubble as the figure commented, "Six
reapers to form the circle and-"
 
Black smoke began to appear from the being's shadow, forming a whirling cocoon.
The cocoon remained floating in the air and formed a shadowy figure clad in
black robes as the being continued, "Death as the beginning and the end of the
circle."
 
The shadowy figure called Death remained floating in the air yet everyone knew
it was staring at them.
 
Foam began to slip out of the basin as the being continued, "You called the God
of Death using the contents of this basin, an ancient ritual to call upon the
one to bless your union."
 
The being raised the basin and whispered, "You don't need anyone blessing your
union."
 
The being blew the foam and it dispersed towards the two, dissolving into dust
as they reached them. The being turned the basin, showing its empty content as
he continued, "I have returned all you have offered."
 
The being threw the basin behind him. The basin flew towards Death but stopped
just a few inches before hitting the floating figure. The being paid it no heed
as he proclaimed, "I will bless this union out of my own free will."
 
The six Reapers went on their knees as the being grabbed both of their right
hands. He made Harry and Voldemort entwined their hands, pausing for a second
when his hand graze against the Ouroboros bracelet and whispered, “Oh. I know
you.”
 
Before Harry or Voldemort could react, the being placed his right hand on top
of their entwined hands and his left hand below their entwined hands. His voice
was curious and slightly awkward as he asked, "Did you guys prepare vows or
something?"
 
Harry blinked and asked back, "We had to?"
 
"No, not really." The being replied nonchalantly, "If you did, now's the best
time to say them."
 
"We've already said everything that we wanted to say." Voldemort stated,
staring at Harry.
 
Harry smiled as he added, "And anything we have to say, we can say anytime."
 
"Wow. That actually makes me jealous." The being commented playfully yet Harry
felt an ache in his chest. It was too sudden for him to process completely and
he could only watch as light envelop their hands. The being moved his hands,
the light following them. As the hands move, a wispy string like light remained
where the light had been, forming a loose knot around their entwined hands. The
being dropped his hands and explained, "The string represents the bond you
shall have after this ritual. Remember that this ritual would open your core
and your mind to one another. Once this ritual is over, not even Death can
separate you."
 
The figure turned towards Voldemort as he playfully added, "Of course, you've
already taken care of that."
 
Voldemort stared at him quietly and the figure turned to face the two of them
as he continued playfully, "Last chance, boys. Just let go and we'll pretend
this never happened."
 
Voldemort glared at him and the being turned towards Harry. Harry smiled and
shook his head, instinctively gripping Voldemort's hand tighter.
 
“Okay then.” The being proclaimed cheerfully before chanting in some kind of
language Harry didn’t understand.
 
It took a moment before Harry realized that the being was chanting in different
languages. Some words sounded like English while some sounded foreign.
 
It reminded him of the song he always sang when he was bored.
 
The chanting lasted for just a minute and the wispy string light began to
tighten around their hands before disappearing, looking as if they were
absorbed into the skin. The being raised his hands and said, “The rings.”
 
Theonel and Luna walked towards the being, kneeling on each side as they opened
their respective boxes. The being stared at the ring in Theonel’s hand for a
moment before turning towards Voldemort, commenting casually, “A fine choice,
Tom.”
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow at the comment but kept quiet as the being took the
ring from inside the box. The being gently placed the ring on Harry’s ring
finger, making sure their hands were still entwined, as he proclaimed
cryptically, “A ring of great history, a gift to the second brother and the
caller of souls awaiting their next journey.”
 
Harry tilted his head, noticing Voldemort’s slight confusion as well, but both
of them remained quiet as the being turned towards Luna. The being paused for a
moment, staring at the ring inside the box, before commenting, “Well now, this
is awkward.”
 
The being took out the ring and stared at it as he commented casually, “I
suppose it makes sense to give such a ring to our favourite Dark Lord.”
 
There was an almost inaudible snort and Harry swore it came from Death.
 
The being moved their entwined hands so that Voldemort’s hand was on top. He
placed the ring on Voldemort’s ring finger as he proclaimed cryptically, “A
ring of grave history, a creation of a madman longing for his lost love and the
devourer of poor souls lost forever.”
 
The being returned their entwined hand to the original position of Harry’s hand
on top and dropped his hands. The rings began to glow and Harry’s breath
hitched as he felt something.
 
Something…
 
It was hard to explain.
 
The foreign presence of Voldemort inside him felt… no longer foreign. As if it
belonged there.
 
He also felt magic not his own coursing through his entire body, powerful and
seductive.
 
And surprisingly, soothing…
 
Voldemort had closed his eyes and Harry felt something become warmer around
his…
 
No. Around Voldemort’s ring finger…
 
The being placed his hand on Voldemort’s forehead, whispering in that strange
language once more and Harry closed his eyes as he felt foreign magic course
through his body and his own ring began to vibrate.
 
It was overwhelming and suffocating yet Harry could feel the loneliness hidden
inside.
 
Harry could feel something awfully familiar inside all that magic but he
couldn’t place what it was.
 
The ring grew hotter as time passed by but then it began to cool down. The
being stopped whispering and dropped his hand, his face turned towards
Voldemort as he took a step back. Both Voldemort and Harry opened their eyes.
 
“It will take some time but I am sure you will be able to harness the magic
inside your ring.” The being commented casually to Voldemort, “Whoever decided
to give you that ring really wanted to you to have more power.”
 
“He actually wanted to see if Tom deserves the ring.” Harry corrected,
surprised by the hoarseness of his own voice.
 
It sounded very similar to the being’s voice right now. The being chuckled
lowly before commenting, “Yes, the description did say that, didn’t it? Only
those who deserve to bond to one with necromantic blood may wear the ring.”
 
“Wait.” Harry turned towards the being and asked, “It’s about necromantic
blood, not about Black blood?”
 
The being shrugged as he replied, “Well, it’s more accurate to say it’s about
the Blacks with necromantic blood. I’m not surprised the entire warning is lost
by now. That ring was only meant to be worn by someone who marries a
necromancer in the traditional marriage bonding ritual. It finds the Black core
with necromancy in it and if it doesn’t find it, it will suck the wearer’s core
before devouring the soul. The soul will be lost forever while the cores will
be kept as reserve magic for its proper wearer. Simply because you two share a
core now does not mean that Tom will have easy access to necromancy. It will
open the door to the higher Death magic spells and rituals but it will also
give greater strain on his core. The ring is meant to mitigate the extra strain
if he does decide to pursue that branch of magic.”
 
The being shrugged as he nonchalantly said, “I’m sure you two will figure it
out as you go along.”
 
The being turned towards Voldemort and warned, “But use baby steps if you do
pursue it, Tom, and always check for any signs of magical exhaustions. Many
spouses became bedridden or dead because they went in too fast.”
 
The being turned towards Harry and added nonchalantly, “You, on the other hand,
can go as wild as you want. Your core was meant for necromancy anyway.”
 
Before the two could react, the being clapped his hands and said, “Now then!
The bonding ritual is over and done. Both of your cores and mind space should
be busy merging or something right now so I highly recommend, note: order, that
you two do not do any strenuous magical activities for the next twenty-four
hours. Maybe even forty to be safe.”
 
Death cleared it throat and the being sighed before adding, “Okay, fine.”
 
The being raised both of his hands and proclaimed, “The God of Death blesses
this union. No being, human or not, will be able to break it. All who dare
shall receive the swift judgment of Death itself.”
 
Both Harry and Voldemort glowed as the being finalized, “So mote it be.”
 
The glow brightened for a second before slowly disappearing while the being
dropped his hands. The being tilted his head as he said, “You may kiss… eerr…
one another, I guess.”
 
Death shook its head and a bony hand smacked its hooded head while the being
argued, “Well, it’s not like I can say ‘you may kiss the bride’ since there is
no bride here anyway.”
 
The being waved his hands at the two and drawled, “Well, what are you waiting
for? Go on. Snog already.”
 
Harry turned towards Voldemort who stared back at him with a slightly annoyed
expression. Harry guessed his big bad Dark Lord was getting exhausted by how
nonchalant and cryptic the God of Death was. Harry’s lips curved into a fond
smile and he grabbed Voldemort by the fabric of his robes, pulling him towards
him and tilting his head as he closed his eyes. He felt Voldemort place his
hands on his waist and pulled him closer, capturing his lips.
 
Voldemort’s kiss was soft and gentle yet Harry could feel Voldemort’s restrain
inside him.
 
That’s why he opened his mouth and nipped Voldemort’s bottom lip lightly.
 
Voldemort growled and deepened their kiss, his tongue demanding passage into
Harry’s mouth. Harry welcomed the foreign tongue, shyly caressing it with his
own.
 
Voldemort’s emotions were foreign inside him yet the more he gave in, the more
Harry felt… exalted. He wanted to feel more of it.
 
He wanted to feel everything Voldemort had to offer.  
 
They barely heard the being’s gentle voice, “Congratulations. May fortune smile
for you for all of eternity.”
 
The being stared at the two for a few more seconds before he turned into a mass
of condensed red petals. A second later, every petal fell to the ground. The
shadowy figures dissolved into the shadows while Death turned into smoke,
disappearing slowly, leaving the four magical people alone in the ritual room.
 
Luna walked towards where Death had been and caught the basin before it fell on
the ground.
 
Inside the basin was a bouquet of red spider lilies.
Chapter End Notes
     Meaning of Red Spider Lilies (according to the Japanese flower
     language):
     “Passion”, “Independence”, “To Meet Once More”, “Reconciliation”,
     “Rebirth”, “You are the only one I think about”, “I look forward to
     seeing you once more” and “Painful memories”.
     Yes, The God of Death was referencing ‘Supernatural’ with the “I’m
     Batman” reply. To be exact: Season 3, Episode 3 which first aired in
     2007. This means the God of Death either travels through time or he’s
     been to a dimension where it’s already 2007 or more. (Or you know… he
     actually visited the Supernatural universe and had a chat with that
     Death)
     Those who think they know the God of Death… yes, it is him. Those who
     are still confused about who he is, I suggest reading some of my
     other HP works. XD
     Oh man. I hope the ritual was okay…?
     By the way, I’m sorry if you guys thought it was going to have the
     consummation. We’ll get there. Soon. Like… really soon. XD
***** Celebration *****
Chapter Summary
     What’s a marriage without it, right?
Chapter Notes
     Thank you HeilHydra for telling about my wrong word usage in the
     seating arrangement XD
     Warning:
     1 Unbeta’ed as usual
     2 Prepare yourselves… I guess?
See the end of the chapter for more notes
When they returned to the room they apparated from, Sirius’ first words as he
stared ludicrously at Voldemort were “You’re still alive.”
 
Voldemort simply raised an eyebrow as he deadpanned, “Try making your voice
more high-pitched, mutt, and you’ll sound exactly like Walburga.”
 
Sirius grimaced at the comment while Harry skipped towards him, hugging him.
Sirius instinctively embraced him back. When Harry pulled away, he grinned at
Sirius and said cheerfully, “Thank you for the ring, Sirius. It was just so
brilliant!”
 
“It… is…?” Sirius asked with a confused look on his face.
 
Harry hummed in agreement before turning towards Voldemort, making sure to
smile happily as he explained, “The ring gives my husband a few magical
reserves. It’s perfect for his world-domination plans!”
 
“WHAT?!” Sirius cried out in a high pitched tone.
 
Theonel raised an eyebrow as he commented lightly, “I instinctively took a step
back. You’re right as always, My Lord. He does sound like Walburga if he
changes the pitch of his voice.”
 
Voldemort nodded before offering his arm to Harry as he said, “Come now, Harry.
We still have a dinner to attend to.”
 
“I am a bit peckish.” Harry commented as he skipped towards Voldemort.
 
Harry wrapped his arm around Voldemort’s offered arm, mimicking the actions he
had done to Marvolo a few days before, and let Voldemort lead him to the other
door in the room. Theonel and Luna immediately followed after them. When they
were about to reach the door, Theonel walked faster and reached it before them.
He bowed as he opened the door, stepping to the side so that Voldemort and
Harry could pass. Instead of walking out, Voldemort stopped and turned towards
the two Gryffindors staring at them. He raised his eyebrow as he ordered,
“Come.”
 
Voldemort didn’t bother to wait for a reply and began walking once more. Harry
turned his upper body to stare at them and grinned as he nudged his head
towards his front, silently telling them to follow them as well. Sirius and
Remus stared at one another for a moment before Sirius shrugged and began
following them. Remus opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. Instead he
sighed and shook his head before following Sirius.
 
They passed by another hallway and Theonel opened the door at the end, leading
to an elegant dining room. Warm orange painted the ceiling and walls while a
dark brown wood covered the floors. At the middle of the room was a rectangular
dark red-brown table with eight chairs carved from the same wood as the table.
The light came from the glowing leaves of a tree attached to the ceiling, its
branches reaching up to each ends of the ceiling, casting a warm light all over
the room.
 
Voldemort walked up to the head of the table and pulled the seat on his left.
Harry smiled at him as he sat on the offered seat. Once Harry was comfortably
seated, Voldemort sat on the head of the table. Theonel sat on his right and
Luna nodded at Harry with a smile before sitting next to Theonel. Harry raised
an eyebrow at Luna’s choice but realized why she had done it when Sirius sat on
his left, followed immediately by Remus. If Luna had sat on his left, Sirius or
Remus would have been forced to sit on the tail of the table or next to
Theonel, making this more awkward than it already was.
 
Theonel clapped his hands once and Harry heard the distinct popped of House-elf
magic. The entire table became filled with different kinds of food ranging from
appetizers up to desserts. Most especially… the plate of Treacle Tart right in
front of him. Harry immediately reached out for his sweet seducer but
Voldemort’s hand shot out like a snake aiming for the kill, grabbing Harry’s
wrist. Harry turned towards him, his argument about to leave his mouth when
Voldemort stated, “If you fill your plate with food that are not desserts first
and eat all of them, that entire plate of Treacle Tarts is yours.”
 
Harry blinked at Voldemort while Remus stuttered, “What? That’s not healthy!”
 
“Deal.” Harry grinned and began filling his plate.
 
Voldemort watched Harry place a medium rare Top Sirloin on his plate as he
explained, “This is better than letting him do everything in his power to get
to the Treacle Tart and not eat anything else.”
 
Harry grinned at Voldemort as he said coyly, “You know me too well, Love Tart.”
 
Voldemort hummed, watching Harry scoop a cup of mashed potato on his plate as
well. Luna took a small bowl and filled it with creamy stew before placing it
next to Harry’s plate while Sirius asked in a slightly mocking tone, “I’m
surprised you’re not doing the ‘elegant dining’ style of the purebloods.”
 
“It’s only us. I wouldn’t say any of us need the unnecessary popping of our
food every time we finish.” Voldemort replied nonchalantly, nodding at Theonel
when he poured wine on Voldemort’s goblet while Harry seemed to think for a
moment, looking at the rest of the dishes on the table. He took a piece of
buttered cream dory before presenting it to Voldemort while Luna filled his
goblet with some kind of juice, cranberry based on the colour. Voldemort
grabbed a nearby plate of steamed vegetables and put about a cup of it in
Harry’s plate, letting it drop onto the cream dory. He placed the plate back on
the table and nodded at Harry. Harry grinned and began eating, making Sirius
and Remus stare at the two while Voldemort took a piece of Top Sirloin for
himself as he stated, “Finish the stew first.”
 
Harry chewed the piece of carrot he had in his mouth for a moment before
gulping then turned his attention towards the stew. Once Voldemort ate a piece
of his steak, Theonel and Luna began filling their plate as well, making Remus
and Sirius act as well. As Sirius was placing a generous amount of mashed
potato on his plate, he asked, “So no big announcement to your Death Eaters?
Isn’t a wedding a big thing?”
 
Voldemort sipped his goblet, raising an eyebrow when Harry lightly moaned after
eating a piece of the cream dory. Harry placed a piece of buttered cream dory
on Voldemort’s plate silently before returning to eating while Voldemort placed
the goblet back on the table as he answered, “I will announce it to my
followers soon but not right now. I have other plans for such an event.”
 
Sirius stared at him for a moment, watching the Dark Lord cut a piece of the
cream dory before eating it, “We’re not joining you.”
 
“I know.” Voldemort replied in a calm tone, taking the plate of steamed
vegetables and placing some in his plate.
 
“Then why are you telling us your plans?” Sirius asked with narrowed eyes,
making Harry snort.
 
Sirius and Remus turned to face Harry who grinned at them. He scooped a fork
full of mashed potato as he said, “He’s not really telling you his plans. He’s
just answering your questions vaguely.”
 
Voldemort hummed in agreement, eating a piece of broccoli, while Harry returned
to eating. Sirius took the thigh of the roasted chicken as he asked, “What do
you have plans for us?”
 
“Just stay hidden until the end of Harry’s school year.” Voldemort ordered, “I
would offer Theonel’s home as a continued residence but there’s a high
possibility Dumbledore or some of his birds will check this place once they
learned Harry is not in school.”
 
“You left school without permission?” Remus asked with wide eyes.
 
“They were mandatorily making us stay for a stupid dance.” Harry explained with
a shrug, “I’d rather get married.”
 
Remus’ jaw slacked while Sirius covered his mouth, snickering lightly for a
moment before stating, “Oh, can you imagine McGonagall’s face once she learns
that Prongslet ran away to get hitched? Oh. I would pay to see that!”
 
Harry grinned as he asked playfully, “How much?”
 
Sirius actually looked thoughtful, making Remus smack his arm lightly as he
scolded, “Don’t pay your godson for something like that!”
 
“Speaking of Minnie.” Theonel started, staring at Voldemort as if waiting for
permission. When Voldemort simply sipped his goblet once more, Theonel
continued, “Do you have any plans concerning her, My Lord?”
 
“None as of this moment.” Voldemort replied as he returned the goblet to the
table. He began cutting his steak as he asked, “Why do you ask?”
 
“She sent me a few letters since Marvolo Slytherin’s appearance.” Theonel
explained, “She’s very curious about Marvolo Slytherin’s history and who he’s
mother was.”
 
Harry noticed Voldemort had become thoughtful yet hid in his usual face of calm
collected disinterest while Sirius asked curiously, “Why would she send you a
letter?”
 
Theonel stared at Sirius for a moment, looking as if he was debating if he
should answer or not. It was Voldemort who answered for him, “Minerva was once
one of my knights.”
 
Remus and Sirius’ eyes widened. Hell. Harry’s eyes would have widened as well
had he not been focused on finishing his plate.
 
As he was chewing a piece of his steak, his mind finally caught up to him and
all he could think was: wait… what?
 
Voldemort ate a piece of his steak, letting the two Gryffindors stare at him
with wide surprised eyes for a moment and Harry to keep eating in stunned
silence. Once he had gulped the piece down, Voldemort continued, “She was the
only one who left once it became apparent that we were taking a more violent
route.”
 
“And she went straight to Dumbledore.” Theonel hissed, glaring at his own
plate. Luna placed a small plate filled with a piece of flan next to him.
Theonel blinked and turned towards the silent girl who was smiling gently at
him. Theonel returned the smile and nodded as a sign of gratitude.
 
“Minerva has always been too…” Voldemort paused for a second before finishing
in a slightly mocking tone, “… gentle.”
 
“She’s a formidable duellist.” Remus defended.
 
“It does not mean that one is weak when they are gentle.” Voldemort retorted
calmly, “I simply mean that her morals made her incompatible with our
aggressive approach.”
 
“And will you be doing an aggressive approach still?” Remus asked cautiously.
 
“Perhaps not.” Voldemort mused while Harry ate his last piece of the steak, “It
will depend on how our visit to Gringotts goes.”
 
Voldemort didn’t bother to look at Theonel as he ordered, “Do as you like.
Reply if you wish.”
 
“Thank you, My Lord.” Theonel bowed lightly and Harry watched the two as he
finished his mashed potato.
 
“What are your plans for our community anyway?” Sirius’ eyes narrowed as he
asked, “Death to all muggle-borns?”
 
Voldemort rolled his eyes while Theonel glared at him and Harry began finishing
the cream dory and steamed vegetables. Voldemort finished his steak as well
before replying, “I’m sure many of the traditional pure-bloods believe such
foolish ideology and have made it my own but, I assure you, I do not want to
spill unnecessary magical blood.”
 
Voldemort sipped his goblet while Harry finished his cream dory before
continuing, “My long time goal is the total separation of the magical world to
the muggle world and the inclusion of muggle-borns as soon as possible and
employment for both squibs and persons with creature status.”
 
Sirius and Remus seemed surprised by the answer and both Voldemort and Harry
began eating the vegetables. Voldemort finished the carrot in his mouth before
continuing, “As long as our people, squibs included, continue to stay in the
muggle world, the risk of exposure remains.”
 
“So?” Sirius asked while Harry showed his clean plate to Voldemort.
 
Voldemort nodded at Harry, making Harry grin as he grabbed the plate of Treacle
goodness. Remus opened his mouth, most probably to stop Harry, but Voldemort
used that moment to place a small vial the size of Harry’s thumb filled with
some kind of silvery blue liquid in front of Harry as he ordered, “Drink that
then you can start devouring your favourite sweet.”
 
“Okay.” Harry said without hesitation, opening the cap of the vial.
 
Watching Harry, Remus warned, “Wait. You don’t even know what that is!”
 
Harry threw his head back as he drank all of the liquid in one big gulp. Harry
licked his lips as he said, “Tasted like honey and roses.”
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow as he asked curiously, “You know what a rose taste
like?”
 
“It tasted like the smell of roses.” Harry corrected with a shrug.
 
“What did you give him?” Sirius asked, narrowing his eyes at Voldemort.
 
“A fertility potion.” Voldemort answered calmly, “It increases the chance of
getting impregnated during the next twenty four hours by fifty percent.
Impregnation of a wizard is around three percent at most, ten if the two
wizards are married traditionally.”
 
“Impreg-“ Sirius stuttered, his eyes widening as he exclaimed, “You’re not
having sex with my godson!”
 
Harry began to eat his entire plate of sweet heaven while Voldemort glared at
Sirius as he proclaimed, “We will and Harry will be pregnant before the end of
Yule.”
 
“Pre-Preg-“ Sirius was lost of words for a second before he shouted, “He’s
fourteen, for Godric’s sake!”
 
“I know.” Voldemort retorted with a face and tone that only screamed ‘I’m
talking to an idiot’.
 
Harry remained silent, enjoying his piece of heaven, while Sirius shouted, “You
can’t be serious! Teenage pregnancy is dangerous!”
 
At this, Theonel rolled his eyes and asked mockingly, “Are you a muggle, Black?
Teenage pregnancy has some risk, yes, but only if they are not handled with
proper magical care and continuous medical assistance. Not to mention, the
magical core of my lord alone could easily develop the child’s core and body.”
 
“Then why don’t he be the pregnant one?!” Sirius snapped, making Remus’ eyes
widened and Theonel’s jaw slacked at the idea alone.
 
Harry couldn’t help it. He began to laugh. They all turned towards him while
Voldemort sighed and shook his head. Harry grinned at Sirius as he asked
playfully, “Do you honestly believe our dear big bad Dark Lord is going to let
himself be the male seahorse, Sirius?”
 
When Sirius stared at Harry with furrowed confused brows, Remus whispered,
“Male seahorses are the one that gets pregnant instead of the females.”
 
“Oh.” Sirius said with a nod.
 
“That would be my job.” Harry cheerfully wagged his fork towards Voldemort as
he added, “Not to mention, he’s the one with the permanent target on his back
and needs to be around a lot of people. I, on the other hand, have no problems
locking myself in a room after Hogwarts. Honestly, I enjoy not having to
pretend I like talking to people.”
 
Sirius and Remus were lost of words at that admission.
 
“It’s better for Harry to be the carrier of our child.” Voldemort added calmly,
“It’s easier if I protect him and our unborn child than if I have to carry the
child myself. It’s simply too risky for me.”
 
Harry returned to eating while the entire room enveloped in an awkward kind of
silence as the rest started to eat as well with Luna and Voldemort being the
only ones not affected. Once Harry was halfway finished, he added, “We’re
planning on having you two as our child’s godfathers by the way.”
 
Sirius and Remus stared at Harry and Remus choked out, “Really?”
 
“Yes, it was part of our deal.” Harry explained casually.
 
“Ah, I just remembered.” Voldemort turned towards Theonel and ordered,
“Theonel, the package.”
 
“Yes, My Lord.” Theonel bowed and stood. He began walking towards the door and
the door automatically opened before he was even a foot away from it. When
Theonel walked out, the door closed behind him.
 
Voldemort turned towards Harry and hissed, “<< I have a present for you in
exchange. >>”
 
Harry tilted his head slightly, the fork resting between his lips, as he hissed
back curiously, “<< A present? >>”
 
The door opened once more and Theonel walked inside and Harry heard a female
hiss, “<< Master! >>”
 
Harry was momentarily confused at the voice and blinked when he realized that a
huge black snake was slithering towards them. Harry didn’t even notice Theonel
walking towards Sirius, too preoccupied by the large snake coiling around
Voldemort’s seat as she hissed happily, “<< I have missed you, Master. Your old
knight was more respectful than that fat rat but he keeps giving me rats. I
want rabbit, Master. Fat juicy rabbits I can chase…”
 
The snake stopped and her head turned towards Harry. The snake slither towards
Harry, staring intently at Harry’s face as she hissed, “<< Who is this, Master?
He smells like you. >>”
 
Harry stared at the snake curiously, remembering it was the same snake he had
dreamed of just this summer. Voldemort caressed the snake’s coiled body as he
hissed, “<< This is Harry, my mate. Harry, this is Nagini, my familiar. >>”
 
Harry nodded as he hissed, “<< It’s nice to meet you, Nagini. >>”
 
“<< Harry. >>” Nagini repeated, tilting her head slightly as she remembered,
“<< Master promised I could eat you. >>”
 
Harry raised an eyebrow but kept quiet as Voldemort stated, “<< No, you cannot
eat, Harry, my dear. Harry is my mate now. He will bear my hatchling soon. >>”
 
Nagini and Harry began to have a silent staring contest and there was no way
Harry was going to lose.
 
Voldemort just called her ‘my dear’!
 
That was Harry’s pet name!
 
Remus’ gasp went unnoticed by Harry but Sirius’ shout did.
 
“Wormtail!” Sirius shouted, standing up.
 
Harry couldn’t help it. He turned towards Sirius, looking for the rat.
 
And he found the same rat unmoving in a rat cage currently in Theonel’s hands.
 
“He’s in a magical coma.” Voldemort explained at the two Marauders, “Do as you
will with him. Kill him or bring him to the ministry. It matters not to me.”
 
“What are you planning?!” Sirius hissed, glaring at Voldemort.
 
“Part of our agreement was Wormtail to be delivered to you.” Voldemort
explained calmly, “Do as you desire with him.”
 
Theonel offered the caged rat to Sirius silently. Sirius simply stared, looking
as if he was unable to process what was happening right now. It was Remus who
took the cage from Theonel’s hands, mumbling a weak “Thank you?”
 
“<< I don’t like him. >>” Nagini finally hissed, making Harry turn to face the
snake once more. Nagini was still staring at him as she hissed, “<< He’s far
too skinny, all skin and bones. There are better possible mates, Master. >>”
 
“<< Excuse me?! >>” Harry hissed, glaring at the snake. Sirius could feel the
hair at the back of his neck stand at the tone of Harry’s voice.
 
Voldemort caressed Nagini’s head as he hissed, “<< Harry is the perfect mate,
my dear. >>”
 
The sounds that left Nagini sounded so much like a snort and the snake hissed,
“<< How would you know, Master? You never looked for a mate before. What reason
could you have for deciding on this little hatchling already without looking at
others first? >>”
 
Harry’s jaw slacked and he just stared at the snake as she continued, “<<
Please reconsider, Master. >>”
 
Voldemort rubbed the bridge of his nose as he hissed back, “<< There is nothing
to consider, Nagini. Harry is already my mate and it cannot be undone. >>”
 
“<< So you’re saying if it can be undone, you would undo it? >>” Harry hissed,
glaring at Voldemort.
 
Voldemort stared at Harry and gently hissed, “<< That’s not what I mean, Harry.
>>”
 
Harry stood and screeched, “Tom Marvolo Riddle!”
 
Sirius actually took a step back, a reaction honed since his childhood at the
sound of his mother-
 
Wait.
 
What?
 
Harry pointed at the snake as he screeched, “Are you just going to let that
snake talk to me like that?!”
 
Remus swore a banshee had a lovelier voice than Harry right now.
 
Voldemort stood as well, his hands raised by his chest with the palms up as he
gently said, “Harry, my dear-“
 
“Don’t you ‘my dear’ me, Tom Marvolo Riddle!” Harry sneered, glaring at the
Dark Lord, “You’re calling that snake ‘my dear’ as well. Is that it? Am I in
the same level as a bloody snake?!”
 
Sirius was having flashback of the many arguments (‘one-sided screaming
sessions’) of his parents while Theonel was having similar flashbacks of the
many screams Walburga Black had made, most often to poor Orion or to ‘always-
bored’ Dorea.
 
“Nagini is not just any snake-“
 
Noticing Theonel wince made Voldemort realize that he just said the wrong
thing.
 
“Of course she’s not, is she?!” Harry sneered, poking Voldemort on the chest as
he hissed, “And your bloody familiar just insulted me and here you are taking
her side!”
 
“I am not taking her side.” Voldemort defended, keeping his voice gentle yet it
did not make Harry lessen his current glare.
 
“<< You show respect to Master! >>” Nagini hissed at Harry.
 
“<< Hush, Nagini. >>” Voldemort hissed, placing his hand on Nagini’s head.
 
Harry glared at Voldemort as he sneered, “You know what, Tom? Since you seem to
like your damn familiar more, go consummate our marriage with her tonight!”
 
Harry walked out of the room, slamming the door open then slamming it close
behind him.
 
All of the men stared at the closed door. It was Sirius who asked ludicrously,
“What in seven hells just happened?”
 
Luna smiled as she explained, “My Lord just met his mother-in-law.”
 
Theonel winced as he commented, “Ah. That explains that.”
 
“Is no one going to comment about how Harry sounded so much like my mother just
now?!” Sirius asked loudly.
 
“Black blood.” Voldemort and Theonel replied at the same time, making Sirius
sputter incoherent words while Remus nodded sagely.
 
“My Lord, if I can be frank.” Theonel requested, waiting for Voldemort to say
something. Voldemort simply covered his eyes and waved his hand towards
Theonel. Theonel bowed before suggesting, “It would be to the best of your
interest to run after him, grovel and beg forgiveness.”
 
“Grovel.” Voldemort repeated in a hissing tone as he raised his head to glare
at Theonel. Nagini also stared at Theonel and hissed.
 
“If you wish to consummate your marriage…” Theonel stressed his next words, “…
at all, you will grovel and ask forgiveness, My Lord.”
 
Theonel raised an eyebrow as he added, “Take this as the suggestion of a
husband who was at the same situation as you are right now.”
 
Theonel’s words turned to have a slight mocking tone as he added, “Of course,
my wife was a saint compared to Walburga Black…”
 
And that was the final strike.
 
Voldemort silently stood, walking briskly out of the room.
 
“<< Master! >>” Nagini hissed, uncoiling from his chair and slithering towards
him.
 
Voldemort summoned ten fat rabbits nonverbally and wandlessly and they began
hopping all over the room. Nagini hissed happily and began chasing after them
while one rabbit hopped right on top of Sirius’ head.
 
Luna sat on the floor, grabbing the fluffy white rabbit as Sirius shouted,
“Seriously?! What happened?!”
Chapter End Notes
     I got the idea of the light tree from Tales of Xillia (awesome game)
     Okay, I was planning on adding the consummation in this chapter but
     my little sister is currently next to me and I think she’s reading
     this so… sorry XD
     Mother-in-law!Nagini sounds fun to write about so I made her like
     that. XD
     As for the misleading warnings and summary:
     Were you guys prepared for the reappearance of mini-Walburga? XD
     And what’s marriage without a nagging mother-in-law, am I right? XD
***** Wanting *****
Chapter Summary
     Harry wanted more of what Voldemort could give. Voldemort wanted him.
Chapter Notes
     Warning:
     1 Unbeta’ed as usual
     2 32 chapters later, the reason for this to be Explicit is finally
     achieved
     3 Voldemort forgot to tell Harry something about the potion he drank
See the end of the chapter for more notes
He found Harry in one of the guest room in the 3rd floor, sitting on the couch
facing the warm fireplace. Harry's brows were furrowed and Voldemort could feel
the confusion coursing through their link. His mind however was singing various
muggle nursery rhymes, much to Voldemort's chagrin. There was a slight
whispering accompanying the singing but the blasted nursery rhymes were
drowning it out.
 
It was fascinating, really. Harry may not have proper training in occluding his
mind but he managed to create his own protection and he seemed to be doing it
instinctively. Most of the time, it was muggle nursery rhymes. Other times, it
was that strange song. The effect was the same, of course. The songs drowned
out his thoughts. Unfortunately for Harry, he seemed to be unable to
continuously do it while awake and only seemed to happen when Harry was
distracted.
 
Voldemort stayed by the door for a few minutes, simply staring at Harry. The
amber glow of the fire created an ephemeral glow on him. His unruly black hair,
vibrant green eyes and the simple white robes only serve to make him look like
one of those angels decorating the stained glass windows of the church they
always went to during Sunday in his youth.
 
At the silent reminder of his past, Voldemort shook his head and finally
entered the room, closing the door behind him quietly.
 
It wasn't silent enough though because Harry stated without looking away from
the fireplace, "Something is wrong with me."
 
Voldemort walked towards him as he continued, "I just made a fool out of myself
in front of so many people."
 
Voldemort stopped right next to Harry, listening quietly as he added in a
confused but equally amused tone, "I made you choose between me and a bloody
snake."
 
Voldemort sat next to him before finally explaining, "The fertility potion has
the side-effect of fluctuating one's hormones, giving way to various mood
swings."
 
Harry turned towards Voldemort, making them have an impromptu staring contest,
as the Dark Lord continued, "Another side effect is an increased libido."
 
"You have such pretty eyes." Harry stated with an innocent expression on his
face, showcasing the first side-effect Voldemort had informed him.
 
Voldemort raised an eyebrow as he inquired warily, "Is my explanation enough to
ease your ire at me?"
 
Harry hummed thoughtfully for a moment before admitting, "A bit. I'm not going
to ask you to consummate our marriage with your snake now."
 
"Thank you for that." Voldemort drawled.
 
"I'm still a bit crossed though." Harry added, moving his body so that he was
fully facing Voldemort, “I’m still thinking of your punishment.”
 
“Will grovelling alleviate your ire?” Voldemort asked seriously.
 
At the solemn expression in his husband’s face, Harry couldn’t help but giggle.
He traced Voldemort’s furrowed brows with his point finger as he asked in an
amused tone, “Would you even grovel in the first place?”
 
Voldemort’s eyes narrowed as he replied, “No.”
 
“Then answering your question would be a waste of time.” Harry concluded,
smiling fondly at Voldemort. Voldemort could feel the fondness seeping from
their link. He placed a hand on Harry’s cheek, caressing gently. Harry sighed
and closed his eyes, leaning on Voldemort’s hand as he whispered, “I don’t know
what I’m feeling right now.”
 
Harry opened his eyes and admitted, “While I was alone, I wanted so badly to
punch you.”
 
Harry trailed his point finger from Voldemort’s forehead towards his cheek as
he continued, “But now that you’re here, all I can think of is how handsome you
are and-“
 
Voldemort twitched when Harry pinched his cheek as he commented, “How your
cheekbones look like they could cut glass.”
 
Harry leaned forward and pinched Voldemort’s other cheek as he admitted in a
frustrated tone, “I really, really want to kiss you right now.”
 
Voldemort stared at Harry silently and Harry kept pinching his cheeks. A minute
passed by and Harry finally giggled, letting go of Voldemort’s cheeks. He
rested his arms around Voldemort’s shoulders and asked innocently, “Do you want
to kiss me?”
 
“Yes.” Voldemort replied hoarsely, placing his hands on Harry’s waist.
 
Harry leaned forward, their lips just inches away as he whispered, “I’m still
debating if I should let you kiss me.”
 
“Do not toy with me, Harry.” Voldemort growled, tightening his grip on Harry’s
waist.
 
Harry grinned as he whispered, “You’re the big bad Dark Lord. What’s keeping
you from taking what you want?”
 
Harry’s eyes closed when Voldemort closed the gap between their lips as his
silent answer to Harry’s challenge. A soft moan left his lips and he placed his
hands on Voldemort’s neck as Voldemort deepened their kiss. He felt Voldemort’s
tongue press against his and he lightly flicked his tongue against it.
Voldemort’s hands began to move downward, leaving goose-bumps all over Harry’s
lower body, while their tongues began to dance a waltz Harry has no idea the
step to.
 
When the need for air became too much, they parted only until they could press
their foreheads together. Harry was breathing heavily, his eyes dilated and his
cheeks as red as Voldemort’s eyes. He could feel Voldemort’s hands on the hem
of his robes as he whispered, “More. Give me more.”
 
He didn’t need to say anything else. He knew that Voldemort understood what he
meant. Harry could feel so much through their link. They were all from
Voldemort and he was astonished at how many of these foreign feelings were new
to him and he had no name for any of them.
 
All he knew was he wanted more.
 
Voldemort lifted Harry’s robes up as he kissed Harry’s cheek, his lips trailing
from Harry’s cheek to his neck. Harry closed his eyes once more and tilted his
head, giving Voldemort more access to his neck. Harry gasped when he felt
Voldemort’s teeth pierce the skin. Voldemort didn’t waste any time, pulling the
robes up. Harry lifted his arms and Voldemort pulled away from Harry’s neck,
leaving a bright red mark against the pale neck. Voldemort lifted the robes off
Harry before capturing Harry’s lips once more. He didn’t bother to even try to
ease Harry to the kiss, plunging his tongue into Harry’s slightly open lips
with abandonment. Harry moaned into Voldemort’s mouth as he was slowly pushed
down, his arms wrapping around Voldemort’s neck while Voldemort threw Harry’s
robes in front of him.
 
They heard something crash to the floor but paid it no heed, too preoccupied by
the searing kiss that caused so many foreign emotions to course through Harry.
Harry barely felt Voldemort pull away, his eyes closed as he let the emotions
dance all over him in a frenzied waltz.
 
He could no longer distinguish which emotions were his and which were
Voldemort’s. Every single one of them was so clear and powerful, making Harry’s
entire body feel hot and making his heart beat so fast he felt that it might
burst out.
 
The soft kisses Voldemort left his body only served to keep Harry delirious.
 
But nothing compared to the sudden feeling of warmth enveloping his cock.
 
Harry gasped and he opened his eyes widely, arching his back as he moaned,
“Tom!”
 
Harry could only keep his mouth and his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling
as Voldemort sucked his cock while his thumbs rubbed the sides of Harry’s hips.
Harry’s knees began to shake when Voldemort’s tongue began tracing the
sensitive vein before sucking only the tip of Harry’s cock which made Harry
finally give out a long moan. Harry’s eyes quickly closed and his hands
suddenly grabbed Voldemort’s hair, gripping it tightly. Harry let out another
moan as Voldemort’s mouth covered his entire cock once more. Not even the loud
slurping sounds managed to make Harry feel an ounce of embarrassment.
 
All that mattered was Voldemort’s mouth sending jolts and jolts of pleasure to
him. Harry had to tighten his grip on Voldemort’s hair when he felt that
devilish tongue trail down from the head to his testicles.
 
He didn’t even know he was sensitive at that part!
 
He was sure that he was gripping Voldemort’s hair so tightly it would have been
painful but Voldemort didn’t even pause. He used his hands to pull Harry’s hips
until Harry’s legs were resting on his shoulders. Harry knew his neck would be
protesting at his current position soon but all he could do was choke back a
moan as Voldemort began sucking one of his testicles while his hands began
kneading the cheeks of his arse. Harry sucked a breath when he felt something
cold wash inside him all of a sudden.
 
“Wha-“ Harry’s words cut off into a strangled moan as he felt Voldemort’s
tongue trace the rim. He was so lost in the pleasure and the emotions from both
Voldemort and his own to even realize that he was subconsciously clenching and
unclenching his hole.
 
Voldemort’s breath was hot against his sensitive skin as he whispered, “Relax.”
 
Harry barely heard him and arched his back when he felt the tip of Voldemort’s
tongue enter him. He subconsciously clenched all over the intrusion, causing
Voldemort to tighten his grip on his hips but he stilled as he slowly rubbed
his thumbs against Harry’s skin. A few seconds later, he felt Harry’s hole
relax slightly, giving him leeway to slowly insert more of his tongue inside.
Harry closed his eyes once more, focusing on the strange feeling of Voldemort’s
tongue inside him.
 
It wasn’t exactly painful. There was a bit of discomfort from having something
inside him but Harry didn’t really mind it. He shivered when he felt
Voldemort’s lips around his rim, silently informing him that Voldemort’s entire
tongue was inside him.
 
He didn’t understand why Voldemort would do such a thing.
 
Until he felt a jolt of intense pleasure wash all over him with just a flick of
Voldemort’s tongue. Harry opened his eyes wide and accidently pulled
Voldemort’s hair towards him as he let out a strangled moan, earning a quiet
grunt from Voldemort.
 
As if to punish him for the painful tug, Voldemort flicked his tongue at that
spot once more and Harry could honestly say that he actually forgot everything
for just that one moment. Harry could only dumbly stare at the ceiling as he
began to pant each time Voldemort pulled slightly out before plunging his
tongue back into Harry’s willing hole. Each thrust always pushed at that spot
that made Harry clench without meaning to.
 
After a few minutes, Harry swore he sounded like a panting dog. Not that
Voldemort was doing any better. He knew his hole was drenched since the
squelching sound Voldemort’s tongue made every time it thrust inside him could
only be because of Voldemort’s saliva.
 
The pleasure was undeniable yet Harry felt like something was missing. For some
reason, he hasn’t even come yet and that only served to frustrate him. Not to
mention, with only his head resting on the couch, Harry was starting to feel
the pain of his current position.
 
Almost as if he heard Harry’s thoughts (which he most certainly did), Voldemort
finally pulled away from abusing his hole. He slowly pushed Harry’s upper body
to the couch but kept his legs up. Harry lowered his eyes to stare at
Voldemort, trailing his finger through the messy black hair which he knew was
entirely his fault from all the tugging he had done before caressing the sides
of his face. He rubbed his thumb at the saliva escaping from the right side of
his lips, realizing that he was actually, for once in his life, unable to say
anything at all.
 
He watched Voldemort lick his own palm before dropping it between Harry’s legs.
Harry’s eyes followed his hand, staring at Voldemort hiked his robes up until
his hard cock popped out.
 
Harry couldn’t help but be fascinated by the way Voldemort’s hand wrapped
around his own cock, rubbing the saliva all over it before rubbing the pre-cum
on the tip with his palm in a circular motion then rubbing it all over his hard
cock as well. Voldemort leaned forward, placing one hand on the side next to
Harry’s head while his other hand gripped Harry’s hips. Harry’s eyes trailed
from Voldemort’s cock to his face, staring at the slightly panting older wizard
as he felt the tip of his cock against his rim. Voldemort’s eyes were trained
at his face and Harry slowly dropped his legs and placed his hands on the back
of Voldemort’s neck as he whispered, “Tell me you want me.”
 
“I want you.” Voldemort breathed and Harry stared at his dilated eyes as he
leaned down, repeating, “I want you, Harry.”
 
Harry wrapped his legs around Voldemort’s waist as he licked his bottom lip. He
pressed his rim against the hard cock, making Voldemort grip his hips tightly.
Harry pulled Voldemort by the neck until their lips were just inches away and
his own cock was pressing against Voldemort’s stomach, tilting his head
slightly as he whispered, “Then have me, my dear Dark Lord. Make me yours.”
 
An animalistic growl escaped Voldemort’s lips as he crashed their lips together
and Harry gasped as Voldemort thrust into him. It felt like the air suddenly
escaped from his lungs as he felt Voldemort’s entire cock slam inside him
without a warning.
 
It was almost as if his words had released the beast inside Voldemort and Harry
could only cling unto him as he set a fast animalistic pace, letting the
emotions from their link mix to the pain of having something as big as his cock
inside him with minimal preparations and the pleasure of that very same cock
brought by slamming on that spot while his own cock was getting delicious
friction against Voldemort’s stomach.
 
Harry lost himself to this act, his mind no longer working and was simply
receiving both the emotions from the link and the reactions his body made. All
that mattered was this moment, feeling Voldemort inside him both physically and
mentally.
 
He barely even noticed that Voldemort had pulled away from his bruised lips or
heard the repetition of his name leaving the Dark Lord’s lips in a hushed
breathy tone, drowned by the sound of their skin slapping against one another.
He didn’t even notice he was moaning Voldemort’s muggle name repeatedly as well
nor did he notice Voldemort’s forehead against his.
 
All that mattered was the feelings and emotions surrounding him.
 
And the magic…
 
Dear Godric, he could feel Voldemort’s magic surrounding them, wrapping around
them as if to provide privacy and security at the same time. He always felt
that Voldemort’s magic was addicting but this… this was something entirely
different.
 
He couldn’t explain it.
 
He felt like was being owned in all aspect. His body was Voldemort’s to do as
he wished, his mind was only filled with him, and his magic coiled all over him
as if it belonged there.
 
The most surprising thing of all was that Harry didn’t mind. In all honesty, he
loved every part of it.
 
The pain had already disappeared long ago, only giving way to pleasure.
Voldemort’s emotions served only to intensify the pleasure of his body. His
magic was absolutely powerful that Harry felt like he was invincible.
 
He wanted this.
 
It was what was missing since Voldemort started pleasuring him.
 
This was what he had wanted without even realizing it.
 
He wanted Voldemort to give this to him, to keep doing this to him.
 
He didn’t care if it made him feel like he was owned. He wanted the feeling
that came from being owned.
 
He wanted…
 
“Tom.” Harry whispered, opening his eyes as he stared at Voldemort, greedily
committing to memory his dishevelled hair, the sweat leaving his handsome face
and the heavy panting escaping his sly lips. Harry pulled Voldemort closer and
rasped, “Make me yours. Come inside me.”
 
Harry’s lips grasped against his as he pleaded, “Make me feel.”
 
Harry captured Voldemort’s lips hungrily, moaning as Voldemort quickened the
pace. His own hard cock rubbed against Voldemort’s stomach at each thrust and
pleasure rocked his entire body each time Voldemort hit that spot.
 
But it was the strangled moan muffled by their kiss and the tightening of
Voldemort’s grip on Harry’s hips as he came inside Harry that drove Harry to
his own completion.
 
There was no other way to describe it.
 
There was just a surge of sensory overload that pushed Harry to the edge.
Voldemort’s completion rippled to the link and Voldemort’s unfiltered thoughts
only served to rattle Harry’s entire being, causing him to come between them.
 
He could feel those intense emotions he had tasted during Tom’s kiss but, this
time, it was clearer and Harry couldn’t deny that he wanted it. He wanted to
feel it over and over again.
 
Voldemort lost his balance and fell on top of Harry, making Harry grunt
slightly at the weight above him but he did not make a move. It was the most
intense climax Harry ever had and he knew it was because it wasn’t entirely
physical. He didn’t even move even after he felt Voldemort’s lips latch on his
neck, sucking and biting the skin lazily.
 
Harry began trying to regulate his breathing as he stared at the ceiling,
resting his arms around Voldemort’s shoulders. The link was starting to return
to its normal state and Harry wondered if Voldemort had lost control over his
own mental barriers during sex or if it was a normal occurrence for the both of
them during the act itself. His body was starting to ache all over and with the
dying pleasure came the unfortunately realization that his lower back was in
pain and soreness were already making its way to Harry’s mind. It wasn’t that
bad since Harry had a high pain tolerance. Harry’s throat felt dry as well and
he couldn’t help but groan when Voldemort slowly got up, pulling out of Harry.
Harry felt Voldemort trace his slightly loose rim with his fingers and wondered
if the older wizard was actually planning on another round.
 
If he was, he would be doing all the work.
 
Harry wanted to sleep now.
 
Voldemort let out a low breathy chuckle and Harry felt Voldemort’s fingers grow
cooler. Harry sighed and closed his eyes as he felt the fingers soothe his rim,
realizing that it was some kind of charm that relaxed the muscles and lessened
the throbbing pain he was feeling. He felt Voldemort’s lips on his knee cap
then his inner thigh before he felt a cool breeze all over him. Harry shivered
slightly at the cleaning charm yet he could still feel Voldemort’s seed inside
him. He let Voldemort push him slightly to the right then he felt Voldemort lie
down next to him. He sighed as he felt Voldemort wrap his arms around his
waist. He was too tired to form real words so he simply leaned towards
Voldemort and placed his hands over Voldemort’s. The last thing Harry
remembered before falling asleep was Voldemort’s magic wrapped around them and
the soft lips on his nape. 
     
Chapter End Notes
     I hope this smut makes you guys all happy perverts. XD
     Please be reminded that this is a work of fiction. In case of a
     desire to perform anal sex, please use lots and lots of actual lube
     and not saliva. In case of a desire to perform rimming, please ensure
     the one to be rimmed is clean first (Voldemort gets a pass since he
     wandlessly and silently cast a cleaning spell first)
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!
