Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter.
Longer Summary:
On Harry's fifth year, using the link between Harry and himself, Voldemort accidentally found his own horcrux in Harry's brain. Voldemort saw quite a lot about Harry's childhood, which he took as the help from the horcrux. In the final battle, Voldemort killed Harry and had his horcrux back. However, the horcrux was so different from what he thought before…Besides, Voldemort saw an imaginary Harry everywhere. One annoying day as usual, Lucius came and told him that Harry was found alive on the corridor to the Room of Requirement.
Warnings:
Character death, tragedy.
Harry Potter is dead. Finally. Voldemort tore up Harry's dead body and found his horcrux. The horcrux was so tiny and so fragile. Voldemort examined it with great care. To be frank, he did not like it at all, this little poor thing. "You are lucky that I do not have another pet snake. Enjoy your meal, Greyback." "My pleasure, my Lord." Voldemort left with his horcrux.
Sitting in the headmaster's office, Voldemort put his horcrux on the table, tips of his long pale fingers together: "Talk to me." However, all he heard was silence. He shrugged and said softly: "Now there are just two of us. You are my only horcrux, my gem."
The horcrux was so weak, just like a piece of dust. "I just killed Harry Potter, so you are safe now. I am here with you." Voldemort narrowed his crimson eyes. It seemed that his horcrux was not able to talk…
Two years ago, he used the link between the boy who now no longer lived and him, only to find a horcrux buried in the boy's brain. Thanks to the help from his little horcrux, he knew a lot about that boy's childhood, like being abused by relatives, bullied by his cousin, and suddenly worshipped by friends.
Compared their childhood, he had to admit that he found similarities. In his younger days, he was despised by the matron, feared by those kids, and abruptly extolled by classmates due to his famous ancestor.
However, they were so different. Voldemort never needs friendship, but Harry Potter was so desperate for it and could not let it go. So-called love, he laughed it off. How pathetic, Harry Potter, so many weaknesses…
Voldemort again focused on his horcrux: "I suppose it is because you just left your container. I shall wait…Take your time."
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A usual night that Voldemort did not fall asleep, he wandered in the Hogwarts. He formed that habit during his student life. But now he no longer did it in a sneaky way. He stalked in the library, enjoying the perfect silence.
He stepped to the Restricted Section of the library and looked along the shelf for a book which might arouse his interest. The book with a black and silver cover caught his attention. Just before he walked there and put his finger on its spine, someone pulled it out. Voldemort looked down in disbelief, and met a pair of emerald eyes.
Harry paid no attention on him, as if he does not exist at all. That heavy book falling from his hands, Harry was so panicked to knock over his lamp. Confused at what was going on, Voldemort just stood there, watching. Harry picked up his invisible cloak and put it on. He disappeared. Finally Voldemort stretched out his arms to catch his prey. However, all in his hands was nothing but air.
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"It is you!" Voldemort yelled at his horcrux, "It must be you!" He threw the horcrux into The Sword of Gryffindor violently. "You want to replace me, right? Lord Voldemort is not one who is frightened easily! Stop your stupid tricks!"
That night he altered his route of wandering in case of coming across someone unwanted. Suddenly he came to a halt in front of an ajar door. Stepping inside, he found that it was nothing but an unused classroom where a magnificent mirror stood. All of a sudden, Harry Potter popped out of nowhere. He just sat in front of the mirror, wrists around his knees, staring hungrily as if nothing else could draw his attention.
"What have you done! I do not want to see him anymore!" Voldemort's crimson eyes narrowed, more scarlet than those rubies encrusted on the sword. After he placed the horcrux in the sword, there appeared a lightening scar, just as the one of the boy who once lived. "This is the last time!"
As he talked to his followers along the hallway on the second floor, he saw that Gryffindor headed straight for the bathroom. The Chamber of Secrets! He could not tell he was angry or confused. "Lord? My Lord?" Dismissing his annoying servants, he searched the abandoned restroom. No one was there.
Voldemort drummed his long pale fingers on the sword. There was a heartbeat so weak to be overlooked. "It can't be you, but it is because of you." He muttered, "You stayed with that silly boy for too long. Sentiment. As a result, you could never replace me, you poor thing. However, Lord Voldemort will get over it."
Macnair followed him, persuading him to pick some wives from those he chose. "They are pureblood of course. Besides, they are so gorgeous that even Lord you could not deny..." Suddenly he stopped his steps, almost knocking down Macnair. "Lord?"
A stranger stood over there, black hair, dark pupils, just like young him but in Hufflepuff uniform. The moment he smiled and lowered his head, Harry raised his chin. A long kiss…
"That is enough!" He shouted one word at a time. "My Lord?" His heart sank as soon as the image disappeared. "No more about women!" Voldemort tried to hold back his anger, but Macnair was not helping. He hesitated and asked: "Lord, what about men?" All he got was a Cruciatus Curse.
Sitting alone in the headmaster's office, Voldemort caressed the lightning scar on the Sword. "I miss you, little boy."
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"No offense, but immorality must make your life boring, my Lord." Lucius bowed down, "May I present you some gifts? Please have a look." "Hope you are cleverer than Macnair, Lucius." Lucius bowed deeper. Voldemort sneered: "Show the way."
"It's the way to the headmaster's office." It was not a question. Realizing his master was not patient, Lucius sweated all over: "My Lord, the Room of Requirement is on the same way…"
On the corridor stood Harry Potter.
He turned around, tilting his head. Voldemort rolled his eyes and sighed, not noticing Lucius looked as if he was about to faint. Seeing Lucius not following, Voldemort frowned: "Don't test my patience, Lucius." "But, but, Lord…" Lucius pointed at where Harry stood, "Harry Potter…" Before Voldemort said anything, he heard a familiar voice: "Good morning."
That was not an illusion.
-Flash Back-
"I am dead?" "That's a question." A hooded figure approaching, Harry tilted his head like a curious child. "Who are you?" "Make a guess." Having Recognized the Resurrection Stone on his finger, Harry retreated: "Oh, Merlin…" Death chucked: "Well, I am not." "You are Death. So I suppose I am dead…" "I feel sorry if that disappointed you…But your parents and your friends are waiting for you."
"You mean my parents…" Death nodded slightly, his voice soft: "Follow me, and you will find everyone you care." Death stretched out hands, but Harry hesitated. "All right." Death sighed with disappointment, "It seems that something still bothers you. I fully understand. To be honest, normally it is not allowed…" Harry did not say anything but kept silence. He could say that Death looked at him with a strong emotion.
"But it is dear you who want to go back, I shall break rules. Just this once, all right?" "Have we met before?" Harry suddenly cut in. "What do you think?" Death lowered his eyes, caressing the surface of that black diamond. "I…I want to know how you look like." "You have an hour." Death removed his ring, and slid it on Harry's finger.
As Harry stared at that priceless jewel, an idea shocked him. "I was the second Peverell?"
"You are so quick. Then I suppose it is the reason why I am so attached to you…I shall tell you everything when you come back one hour later." Having no idea what to say, Harry turned around, about to leave.
The last sentence of Death reached him like the gentle blow in his ears: "I am waiting here."
-End of Flash Back-
"I can't die twice." Harry giggled when Lucius aimed at him. "Relax. I am here, not for revenge…" "But for?" Harry glanced at Voldemort in surprise, shocked at the sudden kindness shown by Voldemort. The moment their eyes accidentally met, Voldemort suddenly realized how beautiful that pair of emerald eyes were, prettier than any jewel he had ever seen, gold on the Goblet of Hufflepuff, rubies on the Sword of Gryffindor, sapphires on the Crown of Ravenclaw, even ambers on the Locket of Slytherin.
Talking of nothing, Harry concentrated and the door appeared on his third walk. "Curious?" He gave a sly smile and pushed the door open.
There was nothing inside, except darkness.
"I barely see anything." Lucius complained. "It's a secret passage." Harry giggled, "Don't worry, Lucius. We can manage it, as your shining hair almost blinds me." Voldemort found him almost smiling. Harry stepped inside, without much concern. "Gryffindor." Lucius murmured and followed. "After all, I've got nothing left to lose."
"There it is." Voldemort saw a familiar mirror standing in the centre of the classroom. "Haven't you looked at yourself enough in the mirror on your first year at Hogwarts?" "How could you know that?" Harry looked at him in suspension. Before Voldemort made up his excuse, Harry made a face: "Ah, right, of course you know everything, because you are Lord Voldemort."
-No, I don't know everything. I don't know why my heart skipped a beat every time you talked. I don't know whether it is a coincidence or I fall ill. I don't know why there is a pain in my chest every time I recall your death. I don't know how to heal myself…-
Harry ran to the mirror in no time, searching for something. "The Mirror of Erised? So, what do you see?" "Lucius, leave us alone." "My Lord?" "Don't make me repeat myself." Lucius bowed and left, but Harry did not notice that.
"Too attracted?" Voldemort whispered in his ears, "You are always obsessed with it, aren't you?" There was a long pause before Harry let out a sad sigh. Harry shook his head with disappointment: "It disappears." "What disappears?" Harry shrugged: "Someone, or something. I am not sure."
-I could listen to him for the rest of my life. I would not care about what he says because I just love his wonderful voice…-
"On my first year, I found this mirror. I saw my parents, my grandparents, and my relatives. Deepest desire. How true it is. However, I saw something strange… A blurred image."
"A blurred image?" "It has gone." Harry leaned his head on the cold surface of the mirror, lowering his eyes not to look at the mirror anymore.
-I suppose it is unwise of me to come back…-
"Talk to me." Walking backwards, Harry lifted his eyelids to meet those crimson eyes in the mirror: "About?" "Anything. Anything would be fine. Just keep talking."
"Alright. There's still some time left." Harry thought for a minute and began, "I know your childhood. Friendless, loneliness…" Harry misunderstood the strong emotion in Voldemort's eyes. "Well, I didn't mean to irritate you. My childhood was a disaster as well. I understand love is a mystery to you. All you want is power. We are so alike and yet so different…"
Harry waited for a moment, but Voldemort did not say a word, so he continued: "Before I went to Hogwarts, I didn't have friends, except an imaginary one. I called him Tom named after TomPouce, a kind of tulip. So it was he who showed up in the mirror? He was my relatives, sort of. Death must know that…" Harry pushed him towards the mirror, staring at his only descendant in it. Their eyes met.
-Oh, Salazar, his eyes must have power in them, like he is the answer to a question, but I do not even know what I want to ask…-
"One more question. What do you see in the mirror?" In the mirror, Harry disappeared. Voldemort blinked, and then he saw Harry still stand behind him with a gentle smile.
Fin
A/N:
Yes, it's a tragedy. After Harry asked his last question, he went back as time was over. What left in the mirror was someone's desire…Well, you-know-who.
At the beginning, Voldemort had some illusions due to the horcrux in Harry's brain; in the end, he imagined Harry was still there.