Persuasion

By Raneynr Lerrqu

Implied Parings: H/R, R/Hr, H/SF, H/Hr/R

Rating: PG

Summary: Harry tells the story of Voldemort's death to Ron as he asks about Best Friend loyalties.

Disclaimer and Author's Notes: I do not own these characters, places, or original plot. I am writing this for the pure fact that we enjoy playing with these characters; I am not receiving any profit. I'd like to thank my betas: Naomi Jameston and Rynalin Onyx. ;)

Harry laid his pack on his bed and looked over to the other bunks; he had asked everyone to give him and Ron a few minuets before everyone else came up. Hopefully a few minuets would be enough for his purposes but he was tired of hiding the truth from Ron. His best friend deserved to know what had occurred since the last battle and his capture by the Death Eaters. He turned and looked out of the window, this had to work.

"Harry," Ron's voice inquired softly from behind Harry, "you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, I did want to talk to you," Harry smirked, "but you're not going to like what I'm going to say."

Ron raised one red-orange eyebrow and whispered, "Oh."

"It's not something you will want me to say, or ever do so I need you to promise that you'll listen to everything I'm going to say before you comment…can you do that?"

Ron nodded and sat down expectantly. "I guess the best way to go about this would be to say it straight out." Harry paused and then turned to face his friend. "I'm the new Dark Lord."

Ron blinked, had he heard Harry correctly. Was he a, a dark wizard? "Harry?"

He sighed, "When I was captured last June, Voldemort was going to kill me if I didn't join him; I wasn't going to… However, something came up. Remember how I escaped with your sister?" Ron nodded, unsure what Harry was saying. "Voldemort was going to kill her too, unless one of his followers wanted her for his own purposes. He knew that I would do anything to save her, so he offered to spare her life for my eternal loyalties.

"I couldn't betray Ginny, Ron. I had to save her from the Death Eaters that were looking at her with… lusting eyes.

"I told Him that I would join if she was given to me; He agreed, and in that moment I was branded," Harry whispered as he revealed the Mark on his left forearm. It was different from others that Ron had seen. Instead of just being a snake and a skull, it also had the Slytherin crest burned onto the skull's frontal lobe like a crown. "It is the Mark of a Dark Lord, crowned by being better then the rest; I am much more powerful the He is but he and I are the only ones who know that…"

Ron gasped, this was real.

"Ginny was escorted to my new chambers, for I no longer resided in the cells, and she expected to face some repulsive beast. What she found was me and a gentle smile. She rushed into my arms crying about never seeing her family again, of all the things that she regretted never saying or doing, and not being able to protect herself from being captured and killed. I held her and whispered comforting words to her and kissed her forehead before she even realized that I, too, was there.

"Ginny, then, asked me what was going on… I had to tell her something, Ron; I couldn't lie to her."

With a menacing glare worthy of his mother, Ron's anger started to boil but he held his tongue; he had to know what else had happened that dreadful day.

"I told her about my capture, about you and Hermione getting away, I told her about Voldemort's offer and she asked if I'd taken it, I didn't answer. I simply continued with His attempts at getting me to switch sides and then I told her about the offer he had made to the Death Eaters about her. She screamed, knowing that that fate would be worse than death. I hugged her again and kissed her again, saying that everything would be all right.

Harry turned back towards the window and sighed deeply; remembering the next bit of his and Ginny's conversation. "She pulled away from me and asked 'How can everything be all right when I'm a gift to any Death Eater that wants me?' I told her that I wouldn't let that happen, that I'd do everything in my power to save her from the Dark Lord's plans for her." Harry chuckled softly, "I think she knew at that moment that I'd turn for her…"

Ron couldn't believe his ears, but could at the same time. Ginny had never spoken about what had happened while she had been captured, except to Harry who had also been captured. What could have happened next?

"Anyway, I told Ginny that I would go and see what I could do and that she should stay in my rooms. She agreed, though I still wonder why she didn't question the fact that I could go wondering around. I walked around for an hour before I decided to return to her and tell her what I had done… I needed that hour to gather my thoughts, find a way to tell her, I didn't do to well now that I think back… I entered the room to see that she had vanished. I panicked.

"I began searching the room and the others attached to mine but I still couldn't find her. I checked the surveillance spells and saw to my horror that Lucius had come in and dragged her out. I quickly left my rooms and ran to his rooms. I banged on the doors and nothing happened, but I could hear muffled whimpering from the behind the door. I glared at the door, feeling my rage burst within me; the door blew up. I entered wand raised, Lucius had Ginny bound on the floor a whip in his hands, tares on her shirt-backside. I lost it."

Harry took a deep breath, letting his body relax once more; tensing just by retelling it. Ron, on the other hand, was purple with rage; wither at Lucius or at Harry, he didn't know. Ron's hands were clenched in fists and Harry could easily hear him muttering, "I'll kill him…"

"Like I said, I lost it. Before I even realized what I was saying, I cast Crucio, somehow knowing not to kill him. Eventually Lucius collapsed unconscious. I pulled Ginny into my arms and tried to sooth her. She was trembling with hatred. How dare Lucius try to hurt her, torture her, tame her! I flicked my wand at his body and floated him into the Audience Chamber, Ginny still clinging onto me tightly. I let his body fall to the floor and I raised my voice, telling Voldemort that I wanted his life.

"Voldemort came out and looked at the heap on the ground, 'What did he do, Harry?' Voldemort asked me in a dark smirk. I let my eyes fall to Ginny, then back up at him. He was shocked. 'He tried to rape your girl?' I only nodded; at this point I didn't care how Ginny learned what I had done, I just wanted revenge on Malfoy Sr. What happened next surprised everyone in attendance.

"He asked me if I wanted to kill him myself; I said no. Voldemort only nodded and then flicked his wand at Lucius, muttering, 'Avada Kedavra.' The mist that haunts my dreams hit Lucius' body and then instantly dissipated. I smiled and with a short bow, Ginny and I returned to my rooms.

"Upon arrival, Ginny asked me to explain how, since she knew why. So I did. The next two weeks kept Ginny in my rooms while I was out learning new things and tricks from Voldemort. I knew that we had to leave soon, what I didn't want to think about was how the past few weeks would effect Ginny back in the normal world, as long as Voldemort was alive…"

Harry paused; taking a drink from a mysterious liquid besides him. He turned back to Ron a sad smile on his lips. Ron was doing everything he could to stay quiet while Harry was talking but Harry could see the feelings of betrayal in Ron's hazel eyes.

"I left Ginny the day we returned to the Wizarding World at sunrise and went to talk to Voldemort. He had summoned me the night before, an ungodly hour to say the least; that the ring-leaders of the inner- and outer- circles were going to be at the meeting as well. I felt this odd but Hell, why not? I went as instructed.

"That will be a morning I will never forget. Voldemort said that I had finished my training except for one last thing, my first killing…" Harry stopped, looked at Ron and then sat opposite him on another bed. "I was a death away from becoming the Dark Lord. What surprised me was when he said that I'd be finishing my training during that very hour. 'Harry, you are far stronger than I am; thus it is your duty to continue my work…with a few changes, I'd wager… to the best of your abilities. Your killing must be one of extreme importance, to you. Usually a family member, a close friend, or a lover; however, I think that the best choice is to take my life and gain the rest of my powers so as to make you stronger for the battles to come.'"

Harry looked at his companion and wondered how much time he still had to finish the tale and to convince him to join. Harry hated bring at odds with Ron.

"I gasped, as did most of the outer-circle members. I asked him why he would want me to kill him when there were so many other options. He simply said that the powers he had transferred to me as a baby would summon his as his broken soul fled this world, it would triple my powers. I knew that it would be pointless to argue with him so I nodded. He turned his gaze to his followers. 'Harry is my successor; you will follow his orders as you do mine. You will respect him and aid him in any way you are able. The oaths that you all gave to me now will become oaths to Harry; your lives are now in his hands. With my death, Harry becomes the Dark Lord and his word will then be your law. My rules apply until such time that he removes or changes them.' He paused, taking a last deep breath. 'Harry it is time.'

"He stepped down to the level where I and the others were. We looked at each other for several minuets and I sighed, drawing my wand. Though I knew it was my duty, I didn't want to do it. I flicked my wand, much like he himself had, and whispered, 'Avada Kedavra.' Voldemort vanished in a puff of green smoke and then it all flew to me, into me, and I screamed from the sheer force of it. I could feel the power Voldemort had housed and suddenly it was all mine… swirling within me and my eyes became a slightly darker color. I don't think anyone notices the small difference unless I am very angry. But that was the moment I became the Dark Lord.

"I briskly walked to my rooms and pulled Ginny into a hug, I whispered that it was time to go home and that he was dead. She knew instantly that I had just killed him and she equally knew that I was now the Dark Lord. I simply told her that all she had to say to anyone was that she didn't want to talk about it or that she couldn't remember. Since then I've actually tried to ignore the fact that I'm the Dark Lord…but I have wanted to tell you, I just didn't know what to say or how. But cowardice isn't something I usually think as a word to describe me; so I had to do this now."

Harry glanced at Ron, angled as he was so that Harry could also see the door slightly open. Oh, wonderful; someone overheard, good thing I've become very good at memory charms. The person wasn't moving, just watching and waiting. Seamus? Harry inquired softly in his mind, using his newest powers to touch the mysterious person's own mind. The figure nodded ever-so-slightly. Harry smirked.

"Ron, I don't want to lose my best friend but I can't change what I am."

"What he wants to say, Ron, is 'Ron, best-buddy-O-mine, please join me so that I can sleep without dreaming about having to kill you.'" Seamus said as he opened the door the rest of the way and entered, closing it behind him and locking it with a flick of his wand.

Ron gasped and looked at Seamus. "Did you join him, Seamus?"

In response, Seamus walked over to Harry and knelt at his feet. Harry smiled and leaned down and nipped at his ear-lobe; Harry then kissed Seamus deeply before returning his gaze to Ron. "Answer his question, Seamus."

"Yes, master," Seamus whispered, turning to look at Ron, "I have, Ron, and it's not as bad as you'd think." He turned back to Harry, "Is that a good enough answer, master?"

Harry nodded. "Ron… This is an extreme case of follower. Seamus is a discipline junky and a demanding lover, this role suites him best. I would never expect you to treat me like he does." Harry smirked as Seamus' head rested on his leg. "So, will you join and help me get the rest of our friends out of the line of fire?"

Ron looked down at Seamus. He was so trusting, so relaxed, with his head on the Dark Lord's leg. Could he betray everything he believed in because Harry asked him to? What about his sister, and the rest of the family…or Hermione?

"Are there some things you'd like me to answer first, Ron, before you make a decision?"

Ron nodded. "Ginny."

Harry smiled, as did Seamus, it was Seamus who answered, "Future Mrs. Potter, if Harry has anything to say about it. She has accepted what he is and is willing to switch for him."

Ron had difficulty swallowing. "Do you love her, Harry?"

"With all my heart," Harry whispered softly, "I'd die for her." Harry shivered; his father had once said the same thing to his mother.

Ron sighed, "The rest of the Weasleys?"

Harry groaned. "On the list of people to turn, to get them out of the line of fire… well, maybe not Percy, but I don't want to hurt any of them… They're like family to me."

Ron chuckled and then paled. "…Hermione…?" Ron knew that Hermione wouldn't turn, not willingly.

"I'll need your help to get your girlfriend to see things our way, but I want her on safe too… if not, well; she'll just be on the capture but do not harm list until the war is over." Seamus looked up into Harry's eyes and bit his lip. "Yes, you may speak, Seamus."

"Ron," Seamus began, "after Hermione's capture we may be able to persuade her to join us… The old DL would have said 'Just give her to Ronald and let him deal with her' but Harry would only capture, try to convince her, then protect her no matter what."

Ron looked at Harry and hung his head; "Would I have to kill anyone?"

"No, not for an initiation; maybe not ever, but I can't guarantee that… we are in a war."

"I'll join," Ron paused, would he regret this? "but I need you to promise me that Hermione will be protected from the Death Eaters no matter what happens."

Harry smiled, "I swear that no one but you… and I will touch Hermione in an intimate way."

Ron raised an eyebrow. Their threesomes always were fun. "Fine, my lord."

Harry smirked, "Do you accept the Mark?" Harry asked as he pulled out his wand and placed the tip to Ron's forearm.

"I do," Ron whispered. Magic streamed from Harry's wand and the Mark tattooed itself to his arm. Seamus bowed and fled. Harry kissed Ron and grinned at his unofficial boyfriend. Harry would be able to pull this job off with the help from Ron and his friends.

Harry reclined onto his bed and sighed; images of Ginny sweeping into his head. Of her body and her offering herself to him the night he became the Dark Lord. Of her seducing him, having him pleasure her to the fullest of his ability. He would always remember the moment that he had made her his concubine, now he just needed to get her to marry him so that neither Ron nor Molly will kill him for taking her virginity. What a Dark Lord he was worrying about a girl's mother?