Ron Weasley was very grateful for his friends. If Harry had not convinced him to go to Ravenclaw where would he be? He hated studying, hated it so much but found the knowledge he gained from it a good thing. Still he hated studying and was not, in anyway in love or even like with one Hermione Granger. How dare Harry even say such a thing! Well, the purple hair did look good on him and to his relief Hermione thought the same way. She had given him green on the other side, Harry just grinned and headed down to the dueling club level five in the dungeons where Sirius Black loved to hold the higher level dueling club and not annoy a certain professor who happened to be head of Slytherin and potions master.
Harry was not sure what to think of Sirius, true the man had been his godfather but he had stuck with the old ways and accepted the banishing of Harry by his father. It was not as uncommon to banish the sibling of an heir when a family was in danger. The Potters had been in danger and so Harry had been sent away after that night. James took it as an insult when Harry did not come back into the Potter family but claimed the Evans line instead. Still Harry had a right to do what he did and while the magical world saw nothing wrong with what James had did, they saw nothing wrong with what Harry did either. Lily was too far gone in the mind to have much of a say anyway and spent her days happily gardening or doing needlework unable to understand her youngest son was alive and well.
So it was that Harry entered the classroom expecting to see a leather clad Sirius black, long shaggy black hair tied back from a noble handsome face with neatly trimmed beard smirking at them. Instead he saw one Severus Snape black eyes glittering and ah, yes Umbridge, that was why Snape was here. Sirius was playing politics again and Harry again was not sure what to think of that. Snape glared at Harry who gave a short bow and realized his hair was still purple and green, wonderful. He took his place by a short wall in this long vaulted room and waited for the chastisement.
"Mr. Evans care to explain why your hair is purple and green, some latent meta powers perhaps?"
"No sir, I was practicing shielding, " a half truth, "Ron and Hermione were faster, sir."
"I see, well, professor Umbridge is here and wishes to see why we allow this class." Severus said.
"Ah Severus thank you!" Sirius said bonding in acting in his silly insane manner that Harry knew right now was partly an act, "lovely to have you here, and dear professor Umbridge! Sorry I am late, but today I am going to give you a treat, a real duel with professor Snape, but first who has been practicing their Patronus charm?"
"Patronus charm?" Umbridge asked sweetly, "why would they need to know that?"
"A most excellent question!" Sirius replied, "well to stay way from the dark of course, I start them at first level in first year, just meditating, and now I think they are fully ready!"
"Lord Black is the most annoying, insane infant I have ever had the displeasure of meeting." Severus said, no acting there, "however he actually has one thing right, you will one by one cast your Patronus or suffer my displeasure."
One by one the class did as asked. They did not think a happy thought, they felt goodness that they had meditated on for years and allowed the Patronus to flow from them and through their wands. Harry's curiously had not changed, he still had a stag*, Ron had a weasel, Hermione an otter. Neville had a bear and Draco a wolf much to his relief. Soon the dark cold chamber was full of light and warmth and Umbridge was impressed, the dueling club would go on and Umbridge would not attack it. She glared at Charlus who had a stag as well but she could not ban him from this like she had other things, nor could she use blood quills as she wanted. She was watched closely and knew that would only get her in trouble. She still had nasty, legal ways to tend to unruly children.
A few weeks later Harry received a visitor, and he knew this was coming. He had good occlumency shields now and could keep most out. The person in front of him was very much expected and he was surprised it took them this long to get to him. He was grateful that his parents and brother were safe and that they were protected from any magical harm. Miles Bletchley, youngest son of a decent family but not the best sort himself. A blood purest though he was not pureblood himself. Rumors, deep dark and below nearly all pegged him as a death eater and Harry knew this to be true. Bletchley was come to recruit him. Harry had to be careful and not get led into a trap. He had no intention of joining Voldemort but had to see just where Bletchley was going with this and how far he had descended.
"What can I do for you?" Harry asked the taller, stronger boy.
"You know the truth." Bletchley said quietly, "he wants to meet with you."
"Let's say I know what you are talking about, why me?" Harry asked, "I am not important."
"You are the brother of the boy who lived." Bletchley replied, "that is reason enough."
"He is by birth brother but not my brother now." Harry said, "I seek no revenge."
"What do you seek? Meet him, he can give you want you want." Bletchley pressed, "think on it."
"Why? This is daring of him, it could expose him." Harry replied, "why come to me?"
"Think on it, Saturday, you will be granted safe passage to and from the meeting." Bletchley pressed a card into his hand, "the activation is purity."
With that Bletchley was gone and Harry looked at the card. Stepping from the shadows Severus Snape motioned him to follow him. Harry was not surprised at all. He followed the man to the seventh floor and to a certain painting. Severus walked three times past it and opened the door having Harry enter first and following after. Closing the door Harry saw Dumbledore here with Flitwick. Harry walked to a seat and sat down and took the perfectly prepared cup of tea. The room was so like the drawing room at home complete with a fire in the fireplace and rain falling softly outside the widow.
"You don't have to do this." Dumbledore said, "there is another way."
"No there is not, we know the truth now headmaster, clearly I have to defeat him, but Charlus can take the credit, I don't want it." Harry replied.
"His attack will be strong." Severus said, "you will not know it is coming."
"I have my shields well in place," Harry said pointing to behind his ears were two devices rested to help shield his mind, "I know what I am doing."
"I hope you do, this is no boys game you play." Flitwick said, "there is no guarantee you can be saved if he knows what you are doing."
"I am aware of that, but my birth mother suffers for what he did and I was cast out because of him. I want revenge but will be very careful in what I do."
"See that you are." Severus said, "you will be on dangerous ground with him, he is very charming, you will see that, and though ugly he can and will do what he can to win you over."
"When did you find out you were the boy who lived?" Dumbledore asked.
"The dark lord V told me himself." Harry replied, "second year, the basilisk, Barty heard boy who lived and arranged Charlus. This works the advantage of V, he can torment Charlus and try to win me over. He would rather I was an ally than dead for some reason. Or he plays a game to turn me then kill me"
"You take this well for one who may be marked for death." Severus said.
"Perhaps I do, but I want him ended." Harry replied.
"Pity you chose Ravenclaw, you fit my house so well." Severus said.
"Yes, well too smart for that, I have played mind games from boyhood, detective games and the like were things my dad loves."
"You will go in on your own, we cannot go with you." Dumbledore said, "you must understand I don't want you doing this, you are a child, and I wish none of you had to do this."
"Well I do, and must, I will be careful, just don't tell my mum, she will go spare." Harry replied.
Saturday found him in Hogsmeade headed to the outskirts of town. He was clad in navy robes over warm winter clothing and a long navy cloak with the hood up to keep out the cold. He took out the card and said the phrase and was gone with a hook behind his navel. Thanks to Neville's lessons he landed smartly on his feet in the entrance hall of a splendid manor house. He walked through the hall to the throne room and was led into Voldemort's anti chamber. He looked in surprise at the bald snake-like vestige clad in an expensive black Armani suit with silk shirt and tie all in black. Italian loafers in highly polished back completed the look. Harry knew what the dark lord was doing and almost admired him for it.
"Very smart sir." Harry said, "never took you for the suit type."
"I prefer the finer things." Voldemort said, "please, sit, we shall have tea."
"Of course." Harry said taking a seat and removing his hood, "we will be alone?"
"Yes, you and I and a house elf." Voldemort said and when the tea was brought, "how do you take yours?"
"Bit of milk, two sugars please." Harry replied and took the prepared cup, "thank you."
"Such manners, yes I am pleased to meet you Mr. Evans." Voldemort said fixing his own cup. "I know how you feel about your brother."
"He is not my brother, and the Potters made their choice." Harry said.
"Yes that has to hurt, I see a smart young man before me." Voldemort said, "I could use your help?"
"Oh, and what would a barely educated school boy such as me do for you?" Harry asked.
"Just a trifle really, a small thing, there is a prophecy about your brother and I." Voldemort said helping himself to a cucumber sandwich, "I would like you to get it for me, you have that right you know and I wish to know what it says."
"I see." Harry said finishing a potted shrimp sandwich, "that is reasonable."
"Glad you see things that way."
Harry found the tea surreal to say the least, drinking tea and eating with a dark lord like Voldemort was odd. That Voldemort would still need to do such human things was strange, yet there it was. Harry left Voldemort knowing full well what he was going to do and knowing just how Severus would take it. If a prophecy was what Voldemort wanted, then a prophecy he would get. Then this game could end and Harry could end him once and for all. With that resolve he walked back to the school, had Winky check him for tracing charms or anything harmful and went to see the headmaster and discuss a plan for giving Voldemort what he wanted and the aftermath of that.
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Okay so yes, having Harry sit down with Voldemort was odd, but Voldemort is not all torture and all that. He would be smart to recruit in ways that would appeal to those he wanted. So with Harry a tea would work, Harry will never join him, he can't, but he will drag things out as long as he can. He is playing a dangerous game, I know that, he knows that and everyone else knows it too. Still what else can he do here?
Anyway, do review please!
*edited to change stage to stag