Title: Fate's hand
Author: Idika
Summary: Hermione was always regarded as the smartest witch of her generation. Her intelligence cost Albus Dumbledore dearly while Harry gained something precious.
Warnings: Harry Potter and Twilight crossover (Not for a while though.) Slash. Completely AU from the Goblet of Fire onwards.
Pairings: Edward Cullen/Harry Potter, Alice Cullen/Jasper Hale, Rosalie Hale/Emmett Cullen, Hermione Granger/ Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley/Undecided
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs of J.K. Rowling and Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.
Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews. They were very encouraging. I wished to tell you that the Twilight/HP crossover will not occur for at least four to five more chapters. Moreover, I am a firm believer in letting mysteries be unraveled in their own time. There will be some unanswered questions and doubts but as the story progresses, they will be answered. Please be patient.
On the thought of Ron being paired with Viktor Krum, I will consider it. Thank you for your suggestion.
"Mr. Malfoy,
You may be surprised to receive a letter from me however; I find myself in a bind and am forced to take this step. I have recently stumbled upon some information and I feel that it may interest you as well. I will say only this.
Adrianna Malfoy-Riddle.
Presently, I am at Gringotts and I know you are a busy man. Nevertheless, I would appreciate it if you could meet me at Gringotts within an hour. I am waiting in conference room number eight. I can guarantee that this information will interest you. I also give you my word that this is not a trap. I have selected Gringotts for our meeting since it is a neutral ground.
However, if you are busy, please inform me if you would be able to spare time for a meeting before tomorrow night.
I would be much obliged.
Regards,
Harry James Potter."
Harry cringed when he reread the letter, realizing how informal and unsophisticated it sounded. However, he had no time for propriety. With a sigh, he walked toward the teller at the front of Gringotts. "Excuse me; I would like to use your owl-post services to deliver this letter to Mr. Lucius Malfoy urgently."
The goblin took the letter from Harry with a nod, "It will cost you ten sickles."
Harry simply shrugged at the price, watching as the goblin summoned the Gringotts owl and sent his letter all. "If that is all Mr. Potter?"
"Yes, thank you. If Mr. Malfoy does arrive, please inform him allow him to enter the conference room I am currently using." Harry stated politely before walking towards the interior section of the bank.
"You can't help but disobey orders, can't you, Potter?"
Harry stiffened, his eyes narrowing as he turned around. Sure enough, Severus Snape was standing in front of him with his arms crossed and a sneer of distaste on his face. "A nice disguise, Potter. At least you are using a bit of common sense. However, those who have the misfortune of seeing you everyday will recognize you. Your voice is just as grating as always. Your posture just as slouched and disgraceful as it has always been. Simple muggle glasses do not detract a person from your eyes. The shape of your face and your height hasn't changed either." Severus pointed out.
Harry grit his teeth, "Not everyone is a spy, Professor Snape." He hissed disdainfully.
The Potion's master narrowed his eyes before grasping Harry's shoulder, "I distinctly remember the Headmaster telling you that you mustn't leave you house for your own safety." He pulled Harry along with him towards the exit of the bank, "Brats like you should be watched more thoroughly. It seems you have escaped our notice, however, let me assure you that it would not happen again."
Before Severus could pull him along any further, Harry grasped his hand and stopped him. "I am here on business."
Severus sneered, "I don't care. Whatever business it is, I am sure it is not as important as you think it is. Either you can come willingly or I can stun you. You choose, Potter."
"Snape." Harry's voice emerged in the form of a sharp hiss that froze Severus in his place. "I don't have the patience to deal with you." He scowled before grabbing the professor's hand forcefully and dragging him into the interior of Gringotts. "I had decided that I would not tell you this but since you are going to drag me off to Dumbledore, I have no choice."
"Potter…"
"I am no Potter." He whispered, his vice-like grip tightening on the older man's wrist. "Just this once, shut up and listen to me. I don't care if you hate me, I am not about to let you ruin my plans." Icy green eyes glared into inky black, "Your willful blindness is not something I am in the mood to deal with."
Severus' lips twitched, as he looked at the delicate little fingers wrapped around his wrist. Did the boy really think he could over-power a grown man with such fragile strength? He indulged the brat. He will see what Potter thought was so important and if it turned out to be a waste of his time, he would make certain that Potter got the punishment he deserved.
They arrived at a conference room and Harry pushed Severus in with a scowl before shutting the door and tossing the black parchment at the professor.
Severus arched a brow at the parchment, recognizing it for what it was. Narrowing his eyes at the boy, he unfolded it and read its contents.
"Merlin." Severus whispered, collapsing into a chair in shock. He paled as he hurriedly waved his wand at the parchment, watching as it glowed white, confirming that it was genuine.
The potion's master looked up at the boy sitting in front of him, studying his grim features with a disturbed frown. "Pott…" he paused before shaking his head, "Potter, what are you going to do with this information? You cannot just waltz into the Dark Lord's lair and proclaim to be his son. You will be killed before you even open your mouth."
Harry glared at him. "I am not that stupid." He snapped before handing him Regulus' letter and the old book. "You think that I can just sit tight and forget about everything, letting Dumbledore guide me into his own battles?"
Severus stayed silent as he read Regulus' letter before reading the marked pages in the book.
For a long while, neither spoke a word. Harry sat in his seat, his leg twitching sporadically in agitation. His eyes were narrowed and fierce. His countenance pale as well, looking strained.
Severus leaned back, gathering his thoughts. He could have gone to Dumbledore but he knew that if he did, he would only prolong the struggle, inevitably causing more harm than good. Going to the Dark Lord wasn't an option either. Regulus was correct, the Lord was insane.
"Are you going to perform the spell?" He asked after a while, his voice low and cautious.
Harry looked at him before nodding. "Yes."
Severus looked over the details of the spell, especially the potion. "You will never be able to do this on your own." Black eyes narrowed, "You may be better at potions than I imply but this is mastery level. This is a Cold Potion, a potion that needs to be prepared swiftly and without the use of heat."
Harry frowned, "I know. I wasn't planning on doing this alone."
Severus arched a brow, "And who, pray tell, is capable of assisting you?"
"Lucius Malfoy."
Severus stilled before a slow smirk formed on his lips. "Your uncle." He murmured in amusement while Harry glanced at him sharply, "Oh… you didn't know? Your mother, Adrianna Malfoy was Lucius' little sister. You are his nephew."
Harry sighed, combing his fingers through his hair. "And she married the Dark Lord. Was she forced into it?"
Severus scoffed, "Hardly. She was a Malfoy. All Malfoys have lamia blood in them. They have mates. The Dark Lord happened to be her mate."
Harry cursed loudly and stood, his face carved in rage. "Bloody perfect! There is something wrong with this world! Nothing is straightforward. Everything is cloaked in lies and deceit. As if this shit is not enough. Now I am going to receive a set of pointed ears and fangs when I turn seventeen!"
Severus arched his brow but refrained from commenting. The young man was agitated as it is and Severus knew that Harry's accidental magic was particularly powerful. He had no desire to be on the receiving end of that.
There was a knock and Harry visibly tried to calm himself. Severus walked over to the door, already knowing who was on the other side. He opened the door with a slight smirk. "Hello Lucius."
The aristocratic blonde arched a brow in surprise, "Severus, I had not expected you to be here." He glanced over Severus' shoulder at the pacing Harry Potter, recognizing him despite his disguise and narrowed his eyes, "What is this all about, Mr. Potter?"
Harry paused before snatching the black parchment from the desk and tossing it at the Malfoy lord.
Lucius glanced at Severus, who seemed to have lost his earlier humor and was staring at him grimly. Lucius cautiously unfolded the parchment and arched his brow in surprise at the very first sentence. His he read further, his eyes widened, his fingers tightening on his cane. "You are Adrianna's son." He whispered faintly, disbelief clearly written on his features. "You are Rhyian."
"So it seems." Harry said stiffly before gesturing toward the desk, "There is more. A whole lot more. I am lost. You guys are the adults here… tell me, what am I supposed to do?"
Lucius came forward and quickly read Regulus' letter and the book before glancing gravely at Severus. "Can you make this potion? These runes are familiar. I would only need a few hours to memorize them and understand their significance." He placed a heavy hand on Harry's shoulder and forced him to sit down. "Stay still child." He murmured distractedly, "We will work this out."
Harry scowled but didn't interrupt. Severus took a spare parchment and noted down the ingredients he needed to make the potion. "I need to make a trip to Knockturn for these ingredients." He looked at Harry with a slight scowl, "You need to eat something. It is best that we perform the ritual in the Gringotts ritual chamber. Before that, we need to remove the influence of Potter's adoption potion from you."
"Rhyian." Harry frowned at the name but turned his attention toward Lucius nonetheless, "Once you take the cleansing potion, you will no longer be Harry Potter and since both James and Lily Potter are dead, you cannot change your mind and try to become Harry Potter again."
Harry paled a bit. That was not a decision he wanted to make. He had been Harry all his life and to change that…
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. His life was taking a drastic turn. He could simply ignore the events but he realized that there was no turning back. He was never meant to be Harry Potter. Escaping the Harry Potter identity meant that he would not longer be the Boy-Who-Lived. He could be a normal person, living a normal life.
After all, even if Voldemort survived and regained his sanity, there was no need for him to know that Harry was his son. He could be Rhyian and escape all the mess that his life was.
"We best hurry." Harry said finally, looking into his newfound uncle's eyes. "Professor Snape will tell you, there are guards who check on me every three days."
Severus nodded and swept out of the room while Lucius sat down and started pouring over the book that Regulus left behind. He scribbled down and incantation on a parchment and passed it on to Harry. "Memorize that."
Harry looked down at the parchment before looking at Lucius through his lashes. "You seem to be adjusting well."
Lucius' jaw clenched. "Your mother left your protection in my hands when she died. Seeing that you ended up with the Potters, kidnapped from your own home by a person we trusted, I failed in my duty." Silver eyes glanced at him, "I am not adjusting. I am trying to ignore the fact that I might have caused my own nephew's death and did raise my wand against him with the intention to harm."
Harry stilled, unable to say anything that would sound remotely intelligent. He looked at the parchment and set about memorizing the incantation. He paused when another thought struck him and wondered if it was appropriate to ask.
He peered at Lucius uncertainly before posing his question. "How did she die? I mean… Prof. Snape told me that Malfoys are Lamia so…"
"She had given birth to you and hadn't yet recovered when a werewolf attacked her and was able to kill her." Lucius grimaced, "I have never seen the Dark Lord so furious. When he lost you, he lost what remained of his sanity."
"What do you mean? I would imagine that he was a notorious personality even before I was born." Harry stated with a frown.
Lucius bowed his head gracefully. "You are correct but with you, he was unerringly gentle." His uncle looked at him piercingly, "Only with you. He was very possessive of you. How Regulus was able to slip past him to kidnap you is beyond me."
Harry frowned, "I cannot imagine Voldemort as a father."
Lucius flinched a bit at the blatant use of the Dark Lord's name before turning his attention toward the book. "In time, you will come to see him as exactly that."
"I doubt it. There is too much bad blood between us now."
Lucius glanced at him, silver eyes calculating. "There is very little you know about your father, Rhyian."
Harry placed his head on the desk with a tired sigh before telling Lucius everything he and Hermione had discussed since morning. The Malfoy Lord listened to everything in silence, abandoning the book for a moment, his eyes intent on his nephew.
"… I mean, it is not like he was easy to trust." Harry said with a shrug, "In the first year itself, when he sent me back to the muggles, I realized that I couldn't rely on him. Second year, I visited Gringotts and enquired if the Potters had a lawyer or something because I was certain that there would have been some sort of will. All throughout my first year I kept hearing everyone say that Potters were old, rich purebloods. I wanted to know more. I found that they did leave behind a will and that told me a lot of things." He scowled a little, "Dumbledore keeps evading questions and that makes him suspicious but because I know so little about this world, I realized that there was nothing I could do until I was an adult. That didn't mean that I trusted him. I trusted no one. Snape was a git. Prof. McGonagall always seemed to dismiss us, thinking that we were just children who were up to mischief. Other teachers… well, let's just say that they weren't concerned with us."
"You have had a fair number of adventures." Lucius commented.
Harry nodded, "That's true. Since Dumbledore wanted to test me, it is not surprising that I got into so much trouble. The thing is, I wasn't so surprised by the information that Hermione dug up. The whole Goblet thing was just too suspicious to ignore."
Lucius narrowed his eyes, "You are taking this well."
Harry scoffed, "You think?" he looked a bit hysterical as he buried his face in his arms. "Lord no. I am going to solve this mess and then run. I know it. I am tired of this life. Voldemort being my father…" He paused and took a deep breath, "I don't want to even consider it. I don't care if he turns out to be an angel in disguise. I want to leave. Just leave and find somewhere where I can be normal."
"And you think that the Dark Lord or I for that matter; will simply let you leave." Lucius asked with a raised brow.
"Why not?" Harry asked. "As far as I know, I have no special powers that would be of any use to Voldemort. I don't want to get involved in this war. I won't oppose him. Nothing is going to make me stand against him even if I don't want to be his son, I am. As for you, why would you care? After this spell, you will have either a restored Dark Lord or a dead one. Either way, you escape his insanity. You don't need me."
Lucius looked faintly amused. "You really do not know your father's nature or mine."
Harry arched a brow at him, "Look, seeing how Draco tends to behave, I can safely state that despite all appearances, you are a doting parent. Therefore, I won't say you are heartless or something silly like that. Nevertheless, Mr. Malfoy, I find it hard to believe that you would give a damn about me even if I were your sister's son. As for Voldemort, well, I may not know his nature but I know that he made his first Horcrux at the age of sixteen. Making a Horcrux involves killing and some other, very gruesome acts that I would rather not know about. That in itself tells me that he is no saint. Despite all his noble ideals and whatnot, he is a murderer and a very violent person. I don't have any reason to believe that he would be a good father."
Lucius observed him for a long while before inclining his head a little, "I will concede for now."
Before they could take their discussion any further, Snape walked into the room with a fierce scowl on his face. "Lucius, we need to take this to your manor. I didn't get some of the ingredients needed and I am sure that I would find them in your personal stores. It would be best if I use the potion's lab in the manor." He glanced at Harry with a frown, "A few of Dumbledore's friends are in the alley today, including Moody. He would recognize Potter in an instant."
Harry sat up; looking troubled, "But Malf… I mean Draco will be there and I don't want him to know anything about this!"
Severus sneered at him, "Well, you don't have a choice, b-"
"Enough Severus." Lucius interrupted him with a frown. "Rhyian, I will see to it that Draco is unaware that you are in the manor. Narcissa will assist me in the matter." He handed Severus a pouch of gold. "This is for the goblins. Take care of everything here while I take him home. I will open the floo for you."
Severus glared at Harry whose lips had twitched a little at Lucius' stern reprimand before spinning on his heel and walking away.
Harry snickered but became silent when Lucius sent him a sharp glance. "I would appreciate it if you try not to antagonize him. He happens to be our cousin's godfather."
The younger boy crossed his arms. "No matter how childish it sounds, I will say it. He started it!"
Lucius raised a brow before steering Harry towards the door with a frown. "Hmm. When it finally sinks in just whose son he is insulting, there is a chance that he will stop."
Harry cast a skeptical look in his direction but did not comment on it. "We must take the floo together." Lucius said grabbed a fistful of floo powder as they stood in front of the public floo portal at Gringotts.
Harry allowed the man to grasp onto his shoulder and they stepped into the floo together with Lucius whispering the address in a low, almost inaudible voice.
As soon as they stepped into the Malfoy manor, Lucius called a house-elf.
"What can Dolly do for you, Master?"
Lucius dusted his clothes after steadying Harry and looked at the house-elf piercingly. "Prepare the guest chambers closest to the Master suite immediately. Be discreet. I do not want Draco to know of our guest and make certain that the boy doesn't venture anywhere near the guest-rooms, potion's lab and the ritual room for at least a day." The house-elf nodded and Lucius continued, "Ask Narcissa to come to my study immediately and alone and make sure that the floo in open for Severus Snape to pass through. You are dismissed."
The elf bowed, "Yes master."
Lucius turned to Harry and gestured him to follow, "Come on."
Harry ran to keep up with Lucius' long and swift strides and soon found himself in a large, beautifully decorated study.
The younger boy sat down on a comfortable looking chair and leaned back with his eyes closed. He was succeeding in closing off his own emotions, pushing away the gradually rising panic but he didn't know how long he could detach himself from the situation. He didn't know how long he could hold in the urge to scream.
There was a prolonged silence as Lucius worked on understanding the runes while Harry simply sat in the cozy chair, slowly bringing himself under control.
The peace was broken when an elegant woman walked into the study, pausing when she spotted Harry before turning to her husband with a raised brow. "Lucius?"
There was a sigh. "Narcissa, please have a seat. There is much that I have to tell you."
Narcissa Malfoy looked at Harry, not recognizing him for who he was before turning her attention towards her husband. The child was not speaking after all. It was almost as though Harry was asleep.
Slowly, Lucius explained everything to Narcissa, beginning from Harry's letter to him to the revelations regarding his parentage.
"Oh Merlin…" her soft whisper brought Harry out of his thoughts. He found himself gazing into light blue eyes. She was observing him, her eyes unsuccessfully trying to find any trace of the Dark Lord and his mother on his features. She looked distinctly unsettled, "Rhyian, what was left of your father died the moment you were taken away." She whispered, walking towards him and kneeling in front of him, "I cannot believe that we have found you at last."
"He found us, I believe." Lucius drawled, looking amused when Harry panicked eyes landed on him. The boy did not know how to deal with Narcissa's obvious affection for him.
"Lucius, what are we going to do? He is Harry Potter as well. He cannot just disappear but we cannot have him living with a muggle family! What a disgrace. The Slytherin Heir living with muggles." Harry flinched, acutely reminded of the fact that he was now related to a man he despised.
"Narcissa." Lucius sent her a quelling look. "There are other, more important, facts that we must keep in mind. Look at our nephew, my love. I cannot fathom him living in proper conditions and brought up as a child is supposed to be, with all the care and affection needed."
Harry scowled at Lucius when the woman turned her attention back towards him, her keen eyes taking in the state of his health. He winced when her eyes landed on his arms that were pale, thin and very frail looking. "Oh."
Harry cursed in his mind when her eyes narrowed when she inspected his callused fingers, obviously indicative of hard labor that he was forced to perform while cleaning the house and gardening. It was a small relief that he was dressed properly and his old, broken eyeglasses had been discarded. Still, he was hard to miss his slender form when it was compared to Draco's impressively developing body and height.
"Draco mentioned something about this…" She whispered.
Lucius nodded, "Yes. However, seeing these facts do not induce me to send Rhyian back to the muggles either but Dumbledore is keeping watch and we cannot let him suspect anything. For Rhyian's sake, the headmaster must be kept ignorant."
Harry scowled, "You could ask me for my opinion!"
"Hush now." Narcissa immediately reprimanded him, all too accustomed to such whining tones coming from her son to take him seriously. She frowned, her eyes calculating. "Lucius, I recall that Lily Potter was pregnant and I did witness her child being named Harry Potter, looking alive and well." She looked at her husband piercingly, "Where is that child and why was our Rhyian made to be a clone of him?"
Lucius paused and Harry looked at her, his eyes wide in shock and mild horror.
"I do not know." The Malfoy Lord said slowly, his eyes narrowing in thought. "I do recall the child as well. James Potter was accustomed to showing off his heir. I encountered him with his young family at the ministry one evening. The child must have been a few months old then… Rhyian had just been born that morning…"
"Oh Merlin… what is this mess?" Harry whispered in confusion, looking helpless. "Was I used as some sort of replacement? What happened to the real Harry Potter… were my pa… were the Potters really aware that I wasn't their son?"
"Of that, there is no doubt." Lucius answered immediately, "They adopted you and that cannot be falsified. The fact that James Potter did not blood adopt you is quite telling." The older wizard leaned back with a frown, "He may pretend to dismiss pureblood customs, but I know James Potter was very bit of a pureblood as I am. He was shrewd and as cunning as the best of Slytherin. Evans may have been smart but James was…"
"Exceptional." Narcissa finished for him, her voice soft. "If he really desired Rhyian to be his son, he would have used the blood-adoption ritual despite his wife's objections and ignorance."
Harry took a deep breath, "What is going on?"
"Considering that all three parties involved are dead, we may never find out what exactly happened." Lucius frowned, looking down at the letter Regulus had written with slight anger. "We will have to assume that the real Harry Potter is either dead or missing. We cannot concern ourselves with that as of now."
Narcissa looked at Harry thoughtfully before reaching forward and feeling a strand of his hair, "Rhyian dear, did you change the color of your hair?"
Harry eyed her in confusion and nodded, "I used muggle hair color."
She tsked and waved her wand at his head, muttering a charm under her breath. Once his hair was back to its original color, she spoke, "I have a solution to our problem. I will need a few strands of your hair and a vial of your blood."
Lucius looked on as Harry complied. Well, she had basically handed him the vial and arched a brow in a manner that all mothers seemed to inherit when they became mothers. Wordlessly, Harry handed over the vial and a few strands of his hair to Narcissa. The elegant woman stood and glanced at her husband. "I will be making a doppelganger that will be Harry Potter while Rhyian continues on with his life in any manner that he wishes."
Lucius instinctively concealed his reaction. He knew what Narcissa was talking about. She was going to dabble into ancient dark magic. It was the Black family's secret. They knew spells that even the oldest and the most learned wizards would not have heard of or encountered.
She had refused to share that valuable knowledge with Lucius even though he was her husband.
He glanced at the child who was sitting silently in the chair as Narcissa walked out of the room and decided that he would not reveal that small fact to Rhyian. The child had very little understanding of the true nature of Dark magic and he did not wish to unsettle him more than he already was.
In time, the Dark Lord will teach his son everything that he needed to know.
It was a long time before Severus walked into the study. It was obvious to Lucius that he had gone directly to the Potion's lab. The Malfoy Lord was engrossed in the runes while Harry was indulging in a light lunch with an anxious house-elf hovering by his side, ready to take any requests.
Severus came to stand in front of Harry, "Take this potion, boy." He handed a vial of light blue potion at him, "This will negate the affects of the adoption and turn you back to who you were meant to be."
Harry looked at the bottle uncertainly and Lucius gazed at him with a small frown, "We can wait until tomorrow morning, if you wish Rhyian."
Severus sneered and was about to comment but Harry interrupted him by opening the vial and consuming its contents. Lucius cursed uncharacteristically and in a blur was in front of Harry before the boy would blink. "Severus! Do you need to provoke him and act like a petulant child?" Lucius hissed furiously before turning his attention towards his nephew, who was twitching on the chair, his face twisted in pain.
"I did nothing." Severus scowled, "He consumed it without any warning."
"Yes." Lucius sneered, "And it had nothing to do with the fact that you would not give a distraught, overwhelmed child a moment's worth of peace."
Harry let out a pained whimper, wrapping his arms around his stomach with a low moan. "He is used to discomfort and pain. You need not coddle him." Severus said seriously.
The Malfoy lord glared at his friend, "Just because he is accustomed to it, does not mean that we must add to it. You know that this potion is best taken an hour after eating. Not during his meal."
Severus narrowed his eyes, "If the brat had a little patience, he would have not drank that potion without waiting for instructions. He will feel sick but there will be no adverse effects."
Lucius scowled at him but turned his attention towards Harry, watching the boy pale to such an extent that his lips looked blue.
The change seemed painful. Harry muscle-culture, his bone structure, his hair, his skin and just about everything about him seemed to change. In a way, he still somewhat resembled Harry Potter but very vaguely, as one unrelated person would resemble another. The boy's eyes were clenched shut but Lucius knew that they would be a pale, stunning green that he inherited from his father.
For a long moment, the child stayed still, his eyes shut and his body in a fetal position. He was shivering, small whispers of pain escaping him as the transformation reached its completion.
Slowly, Harry moved, wincing every now and then. Uncoiling himself, he blinked open his eyes and moaned lowly when his head throbbed. He bowed, combing his fingers through his hair as he took a deep, shuddering breath as he analyzed what he felt.
"That was unpleasant." He whispered, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat and blinked, his vision blurry, "One would think that my half-blindness was a Potter curse." He murmured as he took his eyes glasses and placed him on his nose, sighing when he could see clearly.
Lucius observed his nephew keenly while Severus almost recoiled with a sharp hiss. There was no doubt that the child in front of him was Tom Riddle's son. Everything about him resembled the Dark Lord. When the boy sat up and combed his fingers through his hair, Lucius noticed that the jet-black wavy hair had a few of Adrianna's curls in it. The eyes peering through those eyeglasses were a piercing pale green that Lucius knew was unnatural, even for a wizard or lamia. Those eyes were unique to the Slytherin line.
"How do you feel?" Lucius asked, tracing the new features with a frown.
Harry rubbed his arms, a scowl on his lips, "Sore."
"That is to be expected." Severus stated but there was an undertone to his voice that hadn't been there before. It was as though he had finally realized that Harry Potter was actually Rhyian Riddle. "The other potion will take me a while to prepare. It is best that you take a nap. We will perform the ritual tonight, if that is acceptable to you." Severus stated neutrally.
Harry looked at his potion's professor oddly before nodding, turning to Lucius in question.
"Dolly." The Malfoy Lord called as Harry stood on unsteady legs, gripping the back of the chair as he tried to adjust with the changes in his body. A frown marred his regal features when he realized that he wouldn't be able to move about as smoothly as he used to. His legs were longer, his arms and fingers seemed longer as well. He stood awkward, dreading to take even a single step lest he fall.
"Yes master?"
Lucius gazed at Harry with a frown, "Take Rhyian to the guest chamber I asked you to prepare. I presume it is ready?" the house-elf nodded frantically. "Take him… he won't be able to walk properly."
Dolly looked at Harry uncertainly, "Is Dolly allowed touching Master Rhyian?" Harry nodded absently. The elf tentatively grasped onto the fabric of his trousers and both of them disappeared.
"… is ready." Narcissa's soft voice greeted his ears as Harry slowly came to consciousness. "We simply need to ask Rhyian to transfer his memories into the doppelganger and it should be ready."
"Are you certain that it is undetectable?" The ever-cautious Severus asked.
He could feel her fingers combing through his hair soothingly and wondered, not for the first time, where the haughty and remote looking woman had gone. "Yes." She answered, "The reason why the spell is not used often for spying if because he requires the consent of the person we wish to impersonate. The blood and the hair must be willingly donated as well the memories. If the person is under Imperius curse or any other influence, it would not work."
"Memories?" Harry asked groggily as Narcissa turned to him.
"Yes." She answered as she handed him a glass of water to drink, "The doppelganger is currently a blank slate. We will transfer a copy of all your memories into it and those memories will give it a personality similar to yours. Moreover, since it would have your memories, it would be easy for the doppelganger to take your place at Hogwarts without rousing any suspicion."
Harry looked at her in awe, "Wow. So you mean that it is a perfect clone of me?"
"Don't be stupid." Severus stated with a sneer, "It is a passable copy of you. It will not have the same amount of power and skills that you have. I doubt the clone will be able to cast a Patronus or be able to speak Parseltongue."
Narcissa nodded, "That is correct. Rhyian, your skills and magic are things that cannot be replicated. The doppelganger will just have to find ways to go around it."
Harry frowned, "But… aren't my skills an intrinsic part of me? I think Dumbledore will notice."
Severus shook his head, "Dumbledore may not but your friends definitely will."
The child waved his hand dismissively, "Hermione already knows about all this. She was the one who came to be this morning, suspecting the Headmaster's motives and the Dark Lord's true purpose. She knows that I am his son."
Severus stilled and narrowed his eyes, "And how do you suspect you will be able to hide your identity from others when you cannot keep your secrets!"
"I trust Hermione with my life!" Harry snapped, "And Ron too. He may come off as a jealous prat but he is loyal. They are not perfect but they are my friends! Not that you know anything about friends." Harry sneered, "You scare everyone away and live like a pitiful hermit, miserably alone!"
"Rhyian, that's enough." Narcissa stated calmly. "You have no right to speak to someone in such a manner."
Harry crossed his arms and glared at the fuming potion's master. "Yes, I have no rights but he can abuse me whenever he wants. He has the right to bully a first year simply because he holds a grudge against the child's father. He has the right to make a child's life difficult, to hamper his education, to deliberately goad and take points from a child not even half his age!" He turned to Narcissa with a scowl, his eyes blazing, "Before Hogwarts, muggle Science was my favorite subject to study. I was looking forward to Potions because a it was almost like Chemistry, something that I was very eager to learn. I didn't understand much from the potion's text because I had no magical background reference books that Prof. McGonagall gave all Muggle-borns. I was brimming with questions. He…" he gestured toward Snape sharply, "put me off potions permanently because of his childish attitude. How is that forgivable, Mrs. Malfoy?"
Severus narrowed his eyes while Narcissa frowned at him before turning to Harry. "Alright, Rhyian. We will talk about this later. For now, Lucius is in the process of preparing the ritual room. Dolly has the bath prepared for you. Get yourself cleaned and put on the robes Dolly has chosen for you."
Harry frowned as he looked down at his legs, moving them to test their mobility. They were still responding very sluggishly to his demands. Every inch of his body still felt sore.
"I will give you a potion for your soreness after the ritual." Severus commented neutrally. "You will have to adjust to your new body and no potion can help you do that. Some physical therapy will be required if you wish to regain your Quidditch reflexes."
Harry groaned, "Right." He muttered before standing unsteadily and stumbling towards the bathroom. "Let's just get this over with."
As the child left their sight, Narcissa frowned, looking at Severus, "He is going to run as soon as he recovers from the ritual."
Severus sat down and nodded. "He cherishes that anonymity the muggle world provides him. There was very little that held him back from leaving our world. Every year has been trying for him. Every year, he barely escapes with his own life. He has this opportunity to just leave, build and better, more peaceful life in the muggle world. He is not going to let that pass him by."
Narcissa looked at Severus questioningly, "What of his friends?"
Severus shrugged, "He can still be in contact with them. They will find a way to maintain their friendship even if they chose separate worlds to live in."
The Malfoy Lady hummed thoughtfully and leaned back in a seat, her eyes distant. "We must plan on how to deal with the possible repercussions of our actions, Narcissa." Severus said softly, "If the Dark Lord survives this… his reaction…"
"Could go either way." Narcissa whispered, "He could be supremely angry or pleased. However, he would know… he would know that Rhyian lives. There is no way around it and the first one he would approach with questions would be Lucius."
Severus nodded, "Should we tell him the truth?"
"Do we have a choice?" Narcissa asked softly, "As much as I would like for Rhyian to have his wish granted, I do not think that it would be wise to hide this information from our Lord. Severus…" she looked at him in the eye, "Do you remember his reaction when Rhyian was taken away? For a moment, I wondered anything would survive his wrath. He was so terrifyingly angry and yet so devastatingly broken. Every day that passed, as his hopes of finding his son diminished, we could see his deterioration."
Severus shook his head, "It is very unlikely that he would let the boy out of his sight."
Before Narcissa could comment, Lucius walked into the room, absently wiping some chalk dust from his fingers. "Where is Rhyian?"
"He is taking a bath." Severus answered before he gestured Lucius to take a seat. "Narcissa and I were discussing the possible repercussions we would face for our actions."
Lucius hummed, "Whatever we may face, we have to do this. The Dark Lord is on the verge of destroying everything he once tried to save. Afterwards, we will look at the consequences but I dare say, I do not think there would be many. Especially if Rhyian is present."
Severus nodded, "We may escape his wrath if Rhyian is present. However-" Severus cut himself off when Harry walked out of the bathroom with his robes on and his hair wet. The child paused and looked at them, his eyes landing on Lucius with an inquisitive expression of his features.
"Everything is ready." Lucius stated, reading the expression correctly. "The question is, are you prepared?"
Harry paused, biting his lower lip thoughtfully before nodding decisively.
Lucius beckoned Harry to follow him. "I see you are moving with somewhat better ease than before."
The boy shrugged, "Hot water."
Lucius smirked at the nonchalant response before escorting Harry to the ritual room. "This will hurt."
Harry arched a brow, "Hurt?" he looked at his uncle with narrowed eyes, "I recall Prof. Snape once saying that the Skele-grow potion stings. If I apply the same logistics to your statement, am I to assume that the ritual with bring me blinding pain, the likes of which I have never suffered and that would put Cruciatus to shame and leave me feeling as though it is better to die?"
Lucius looked at him with an amused twinkle in his eye. "Ugh. Don't do that! That twinkle thing should be left to Dumbledore. The chilling Malfoy stare is much better suited for you, Mr. Malfoy."
The older wizard chuckled, "But of course, Rhyian. I am the Malfoy Lord."
Harry grumbled something unsavory under his breath and Lucius smirked, "I happen to be a vampire, nephew. I heard that."
Rhyian scowled, "After this is all over, will you please tell me everything about the Lamia?"
"But of course." Lucius agreed gracefully, "You shouldn't worry about the details until you are seventeen but as I have done with Draco, I will tell you everything and give you certain books to read."
Harry grimaced at the mention of Draco. "You realize that Draco and I will probably never get along."
The Malfoy Lord smirked, "Don't say that with certainty. You are a very humble child. Mature and wise beyond your years while Draco is your exact opposite. He is arrogant with his head full of dreams and illusions. He is immature and very childish when he wants to be." Lucius shrugged as he opened the door to the ritual room, "He is our only child. A child that we were blessed with after great many difficulties. Eventually, he will grow up. Your influence will be a positive one. You have always been someone who humbles him."
Harry scowled at him, "You are going to make me get along with him, aren't you?"
Lucius gestured him to take his position amongst the runes. "I will try." The older wizard studied all the runes intently as he spoke, "You refused him something he desired, Rhyian. I am afraid, he developed a slight affection for you. Draco was and still is a tad bit possessive of you even if you didn't encourage any sort of friendship. He did not cherish seeing you interact with others so he took his anger out on you and your friends. Anything to have your attention focused on him."
Harry paled, looking at his uncle with wide eyes, "Err… he has stopped now, right? Last I heard, he was sweet with some Slytherin girl…" he shrugged, "I don't like him that way…"
Lucius chuckled, "I should hope not. He is your cousin… a very close blood relationship stands between the two of you. No, he doesn't feel as he used to. The girl, I think, is Pansy Parkinson who showers a lot of attention of my child and Draco's ego is stroked by it."
Harry gave Lucius a dry look, "You realize that you are spoiling him thoroughly."
The older wizard shot him an amused look, "In such matters, my dear nephew, my hands are tied." At Harry's confusion, he continued, "No matter what you have heard, there is one thing that you must always believe, while I may be the Lord of the house, it is the Lady who rules."
Harry paused in his observations before bursting into laughter.
Lucius lips twitched as Harry relaxed completely and sat down on the floor, a wide web of runes circling him.
"Well, Rhyian. Let us begin. Merlin willing, we shall succeed."
