Chapter 3
Dumbledore sat at his desk, growing ever more concerned. Harry hadn't been within the wards of his aunt and uncle's house in 2 days. The wards outside the house occasionally alerted him to Harry leaving but he had always come back before. Ever since Mundungus's last shift, Harry had gone missing and Dumbledore was getting worried.
There was a group of those closest to Harry in his office and they were trying to brainstorm as to where Harry could have gone.
"Severus, there is still no word on if Voldemort has captured Harry?" Albus asked.
"Once again Headmaster, no there has not. It's more likely the boy ran off for some fun, headless of those concerned for his safety." Severus groused.
"Severus!" Molly exclaimed. "Don't say such things."
"Oh mum, he's probably right you know. Harry probably just left because he wasn't having enough fun at his family's house and wanted to go off and have fun without us." Ron groused in the corner.
"Ron, he's your best friend. Be nice!" Hermione scolded.
"'Mione I'm sick of him being a glory hog all the time and going off on all those adventures we're either not included in, or are incredibly dangerous." Ron snapped.*
"Ron, you know he doesn't mean to, he's only trying his best. He's only human after all." Hermione reminded him.
"Sometimes I wonder. I mean, really, as often as he does this kind of thing, it's starting to look like he does it on purpose."
"Now you're just being ridiculous Ron." Hermione told him.
"Children, please behave." Molly told them.
"I have to agree." Albus said. "The two of you are allowed to attend these meetings on the condition that you behave yourselves accordingly."
"Fine" Ron huffed.
"Now if Harry did indeed leave his home of his own free will, where would he go?" Albus asked. "We can rule out Diagon Alley since we've already checked there."
"Maybe he'll show up at the Burrow?" Hermione suggested.
"I don't think so Hermione." Molly said. "If he were going to come over, he would already have arrived."
Albus nodded in agreement. "Molly is correct. Where else might Harry go then?"
But no one had any idea. Not even Severus.
Harry sat back in his cushioned chair staring at his 'family' trapped in front of him in the holding cell of the dungeons. They'd long since given up trying to speak, the silencing charm on them only amusing Harry.
Voldemort had given them to Harry on the condition that he not kill them without informing him. Apparently he thought the muggles could be useful in something. Harry didn't care though, it was going to be a fun challenge to keep them alive.
After the idiots finally stopped trying to get out of their magical imprisonment Harry released the silencing spell to see what they would have to say but at the simple display of magic Dudley let out a girlish shriek and fainted, causing Harry to laugh briefly.
"BOY! Let us out of here this INSTANT!" Vernon yelled at his nephew.
"No Vernon, I don't think I will." Harry told him. "Petunia, you remember that evil wizard that killed your sister?" Petunia paled considerably in recognition. "Yeah, I joined him. Congratulations everyone, you might actually be useful."
The screams of outrage were hilarious, until Harry's ears started to hurt. "Okay, that's it. Either be quiet or I'm putting you back under the silencing spell." Harry told them loudly. Surprisingly they shut up.
"All right then, good job. Now, as I was saying, you're going to be useful but until then, you're mine." Harry told them with an evil grin.
"Now let's see if my magic is still working the way I want it to." Harry mused thoughtfully.
"Don't lie boy! You know you're not allowed to do magic outside of that freak school of yours!" Petunia screeched.
"I thought I told you to be quiet." Harry narrowed his eyes at her. "And for your information, I've been using magic all summer without my wand and no one's said anything, even with the guards posted right across the street."
"Without your wand...?" Petunia whispered, knowing the significance.
"There were freaks watching you all summer? Near our happy NORMAL HOME!" Vernon thundered.
"Okay, that's it. Silencio" Harry cast on Vernon in particular.
"There is no way in Tatianna's panties that your home could be considered 'happy' you fat slob." Harry snarled at his uncle.
"You did all that without your wand today too didn't you?" Petunia whispered, mostly to herself.
"Very observant of you aunty. No, I haven't been using my wand at all since school let out, and it hasn't been stopping me at all." Harry gloated.
"But Lily always said she needed hers." Petunia said.
"Mum was always told she needed hers. She wasn't starved to the point of ineeding/i her magic to work without a wand. I suppose in a way I owe my power to you. Without your neglect I wouldn't have needed my power, and without my power I wouldn't have been welcomed to the dark so easily."
Here Harry paused. "And if it weren't for your neglect, I wouldn't be here, in this position right now with the power, intention and authority to take my revenge." He finished with a menacing grin.
Petunia could only gulp and cower.
Harry had left after holding his aunt and uncle under the cuciatus curse for a little while and left with the promise of a more creative punishment to come. Deliciously nasty thoughts swirled through his head as he thought of all the things he could to to his family that wouldn't kill them.
But that was neither here nor there as it was time for another meeting apparently. One good thing about his acceptance of the situation was that Voldemort had deemed it unnecessary to mark him.
"You're already marked, and I can contact you already. Why would I want to let everyone know who I have now." There had been a gleam in Voldemort's eyes when he'd said that though, as though that weren't all the reason behind not marking Harry.
Voldemort sat at his throne in from of the large meeting room when Harry walked in. There were only a few other Death Eaters present, Lucius among them. Harry immediately went to to the familiar blonde and knelt with the others. No one noticed his presence as they were already kneeling.
"My most loyal and valuable followers!" Voldemort started. "We are here to discuss a new battle strategy as the tides shift. It has come to my attention that Harry Potter has gained immense power, power beyond any of your abilities." He stopped and waited for the inevitable idiotic comment.
Nott stepped right up to bat.
"My lord, no one little boy could best your loyal followers. The Potter boy is likely spreading those rumors to scare you." He insisted.
"Nott, you idiot, do I look scared to you?" Voldemort hissed angrily. Nott gulped and looked up to see that indeed Voldemort did not look at all frightened.
"My lord..." But Voldemort held up a hand and Nott closed his mouth.
"Potter, would you be so kind as to remove this thing from my presence?" Voldemort ordered nicely.
"As my lord wishes." Harry rose, remaining bowed and he leveled a finger at Nott, his new platinum ring with the inlaid ruby glowing brightly as a shimmering crystal encompassed Nott to float him out of the room.
No one but Lucius stayed kneeling completely, they were all staring opening at Harry who was now kneeling once again. Voldemort narrowed his eyes and snarled menacingly.
Everyone fell over themselves to kneel once more at the sound emanating from their lord.
"I see we have serious problem with decorum. And you call yourselves Purebloods? Pathetic." He spat. "Only Malfoy and Potter maintained themselves and Potter was raised by filthy muggles."
Everyone was wisely silent at their correction. "Now, as I was saying, Potter has come into immense power and new abilities that put the rest of yours to shame. New battle tactics are clearly necessary considering his power and who he is. Lucius, you brought to me this new ally and you shall indeed be rewarded despite the unorthodox method in which you brought him to me. In the meantime have you any thoughts on these new developments?"
Lucius stood at being recognized. "My lord, thank you for your praise. A new ally of Potter's power is a reward in and of itself. As for the battle tactics you seek might I suggest sending the boy back to school? He would likely be more of an asset to your glorious cause with more training and education."
"You bring up and excellent point Lucius but I don't feel the boy should return to Hogwarts. I don't like the idea of him being under Dumbledore's thumb once more." Voldemort mused. "Corey! Dana!" He called out.
All wands were immediately pointed to two figures who materialized in the chamber.
"Wow you weren't kidding about them being trigger happy were you?" Dana commented with only a brief glace and the surrounding congregation.
"They're going to be learning proper decorum soon if it kills them." Voldemort agreed.
"So what can we do for you?" Corey asked.
"Where did you two go to school? Potter needs to finish his education but I refuse to allow him back under Dumbledore's thumb at Hogwarts."
"We weren't traditionally trained. We went to human school while practicing." Dana told him.
"I met someone who went to Hemingway. He wasn't a magi of chaos but he he said they offered a class on chaos magic." Corey said.
"Malfoy, look into getting Potter enrolled in Hemingway post haste. The summer is drawing to an end and the enrollment period may soon be over.
"Yes my lord." Lucius knelt once more.
"I always thought 'post-haste' meant right away." Dana commented off-handedly.
"Yeah, me too." Corey agreed.
Lucius looked up to his lord. "Malfoy, look into getting Potter enrolled, now!" Voldemort barked.
"Yes my lord." He left quickly.
"Potter, go with him and make sure he has any pertinent information necessary for your enrollment."
"Yes my lord." Harry rose and left to follow Lucius with a quick nod to Dana and Corey.
Once they were outside the chamber Lucius turned to him. "Potter, I know this may seem sudden but you're welcome to stay in my home for the duration of the summer, or well any school breaks that may occur."
Harry paused. "Thank you sir. I'd like that. I wasn't really expecting to be welcomed so easily and didn't think about where I'd actually be staying the rest of the summer if not at the Dursley's. I figured even a cell in Voldemort's dungeons had to be better."
"Potter I" Lucius started.
"Harry" Harry corrected him. Lucius looked at him strangely but Harry just smiled. "You just saved me from the most retched muggles in existence. I think that entitles you to first name rights."
Lucius smiled back. "Harry then. I would like it if you always felt welcome in my home. Perhaps while you are staying here we might be able to owl Gringotts and look into your family history."
"My family history? What do we need to do that for?" Harry asked.
"To be honest P-Harry, the idea of you not knowing your ancestry at all even in part until attending Hogwarts is a very offending notion. I grew up with your father and part of Pureblood tradition is passing down one's history."
"You grew up with my father?" Harry paused. Everyone was always telling about how his mother was the brightest witch of her age and how she was so loving as to give his father a chance after his rebellious nature but no one ever told him about James. Sure Sirius and Remus had stories but they mostly spoke of pranks, not actually growing up.
"Of course we grew up together, your father was a Pureblood Harry. He was a few years younger then me but at dreadfully boring parties that age difference doesn't much matter." Lucius confided.
"Would you mind, that is if it's not too much trouble" Harry started.
"Harry, why don't we send that owl to Gringotts right after we get you enrolled in Hemingway?" Lucius suggested. "In the meantime I can tell you about the mischief your father and I got into at those dreadfully dull parties."
Harry smiled. "I'd like that sir."
