*Alas, I do not own Harry Potter. As nice as that would be…I give credit to Ms. Rowling and her genius imagination.

Chapter One

"What if you didn't kill him, my Lord?" Professor Severus Snape addressed the Dark Lord in the manor's most private study. Voldemort had his back to the man as he stared into a roaring fire. He turned around at Snape's words.

"Not kill him, Severus? Has your heart turned soft to the boy? Your time with Dumbledore has surely addled your brains. Potter must die!" Voldemort slammed his palm on his desk emphasizing his point.

"Do you have some other reason besides a personal vendetta to see Potter's demise?" If they had not been alone, Severus certainly would have received some curse to put him back in his place, but they had long since developed a friendship. At least, as close as two Slytherins could get to friendship.

Voldemort turned back to the fire as he spoke. "Is he not the symbol for the Light?" he mused, "I wonder what would happen to the wizarding world if The-Boy-Who-Lived met an untimely death at my hands. They would begin to lose hope, all because Harry Potter was gone."

"Would you have him die a martyr?"

"What do you mean, Severus?" Voldemort asked with an edge to his voice.

Snape paused for a moment before answering the Dark Lord; "The wizarding world would still be able to rally around him, even in death, my Lord. Maybe Potter's downfall would give them even more incentive to fight."

"Have you a better idea to weaken the opposition?" Voldemort knew Snape had a plan; otherwise he would not have stuck up this conversation in the first place. He waited for the Potions Master to gather his thoughts. The fire gave a large crackle into the silence of the room just as Snape began to speak.

"Yes, my Lord I might have a plan suitable for you. Of late, I have spent a considerable amount of time thinking about your most recent brush with Potter. I respect your desire to kill him, but as you already know, I politely disagree…"

"Move on with it, Severus! I did not go to such lengths to become immortal just to hear you prattle!"

"Very well, to make it plain, killing Potter would not have the desired results. More people would join the Light. But, what if you took their Savior from them in a different manner? What if Potter were in your service, loyal to you and not the old coot? Then you would truly make the wizarding world feel despair. It would show that anyone, anyone can become a dark wizard."

Voldemort pondered Severus' words for a couple of minutes. Harry Potter, an even larger nuisance than Dumbledore, turning against the Light? He shook his head.

"I've already offered him a place at my side. He cannot be turned."

"Your offers were made at inopportune times when his Gryffindor pride was at his highest. You cannot honestly expect him to entertain becoming a dark wizard as he is saving his friends or fighting for his life. He is no Slytherin; therefore he has no self-preservation instincts. Perhaps if you were able to take him away from Hogwarts and Dumbledore's Gryffindor-esque influence, you would have a chance."

"That is precisely what I tried to do in the graveyard, Severus. Look how well that went." The Dark Lord threw up his hands and started to pace. "Do you think he could be turned?"

"Yes, my Lord, I do."

"How did that twit Dumbledore gain the boy's confidence?"

Severus met Voldemort's eyes, "He became the father figure that Potter never had. Orphaned as an infant and going up with magic-hating muggles made the boy's childhood less than attractive. All Albus has to do was offer him a sweet and The-bloody-boy-who-lived was in his pocket."

"It will take more than sugar to convince Harry Potter."

"That it will, my Lord, but at least you will know that once you have Potter, you will have him for life."

"He's that loyal, eh?" Voldemort moved away from the fire to sit behind his desk, motioning for the Potions Master to take a seat in front of him.

"Aye," Snape answered as he adjusted his robes and found a comfortable position.

"All right, Severus, let's pretend that I like your idea. How to we get Potter? I've studied the wards that protect him. They will hold until he becomes of age; there is nothing I can do to bring them down." Voldemort sighed heavily before continuing, "The other ten months of the year he is at Hogwarts. I believe I do not even need to comment on why we cannot get him from there."

"Actually, my Lord, there may be a way."

Intrigued, Voldemort leaned across the desk towards Snape. "What schemes have you thought of my snake?"

Snape allowed himself a small smirk before slipping back into an emotionless mask. "Like you, I also studied the wards and drew the same conclusions. But, then it occurred to me that even if we had Potter, we would still need to find a way to make him stay without any chance of escape. So I decided to focus my research on some of the older books of the Restricted Section. As you know, the Library at Hogwarts offers such a selection of ancient volumes that even Dumbledore hasn't found the time to read."

Voldemort nodded, "What did you discover, Severus?"

Snape bent over and retrieved his bag from the floor. He pulled a thick stack of parchment out and handed several sheets to the Dark Lord.

"I found a rather arcane hereditary spell that allows a powerful Lord with no heir, to chose anyone to be his heir, even if that person expresses some reluctance."

Voldemort glanced at the sheets, "How is this revolutionary, Severus? We still practice many of these traditions today."

"I humbly disagree, for you see,"–the Potions Master paused to point out a particular note on the parchment—"This spell predates the foundation of Hogwarts." Voldemort dropped the papers in shock.

"Predates Hogwarts! What exactly does the spell do?"

"Exactly as I have said: Potter will become your heir. You must remember, my Lord, before Hogwarts, there existed no formal system of magical education, and the power of the wizarding world was in the hands of select families. A ruling Lord was responsible for educating his heir to take his place."

Severus rose from his chair and slipped into his familiar professorial role. "Say, perhaps, a Lord found a suitable heir, but the child was unwilling, he could cast this spell. The child would be bound to his new master–"

"Like enslavement?" Voldemort had returned to looking over Severus' notes.

"No, my Lord, the heir would retain the same rights as before. The bond is similar to unbreakable vow, but it is not a vow. Instead it is an unbreakable contract between the Lord and the heir. The Lord pledges to protect, to teach, and to care for the child. The heir pledges to be obedient and study under his Lord until he is of age."

"How can Potter pledge this if he is so reluctant?"

"It is the nature of the spell to force the heir's acquiescence."

"So it is a dark spell then?"

"Most certainly."

"Will it work on the boy?"

Severus understood immediately what the Dark Lord was really asking. Would the connection between the two wands be a problem? Snape shook his head, "No, you are not forcing the wands to duel. You will be able to cast this spell, just as you have been able to cast the Cruciatus Curse on Potter."

Silence fell as Severus waited for an answer. The Dark Lord shuffled through the papers, carefully reading about the spell. Finally he glanced up at the Potions Master.

"My, my Severus, well at least it isn't as complicated as it could be. We still need to find someone proficient in an ancient form of Latin as well as a sample of Potter's blood. Any suggestions?"

Snape nodded and spoke, "If you will forgive me, my Lord, I already took the liberty to make arrangements with young Draco Malfoy to help me obtain the blood. As for a Latin speaker, you need look no further than myself."

"A true Renaissance man, aren't you?" Voldemort mused, "I suppose that does make this process a trifle less problematic. How soon will you have the blood?"

"Within the week, my Lord."

"Very well. If this works, you will be rewarded most handsomely, Severus."

"I'm confident it will. Thank you, my Lord." Dismissed, Severus gathered his notes and put them back into the bag, which he shouldered. He nodded in the Dark Lord's direction before taking his leave.

Alone, Voldemort stood to settle into a more comfortable chair by the fire. He relaxed in the heat that bathed over him as he sipped a conjured glass of brandy. Briefly he held up the drink in a mock salute. "To you, Harry Potter, and the task of inspiring your loyalty."