Harry was happy enough to spend the majority of his time in self study for the NEWTS, he planned to take four in May having passed his OWLS in January. Tom had arrived and wanted to discuss but recent political events, but such matters made Harry anxious as they reminded him that he was a mere pawn for much of the last seventeen years, kept in the dark only to be used when needed, but never to live or enjoy life.
"I'm not really interested in a history lesson, Tom. Especially not recent history. So, Dumbledore was after your horcrux's except you were one step ahead of him. I already know about the prophecy, you told me and I viewed the pensive memory of your private viewing at the Department of Mysteries. Dumbledore's stupidity got Sirius killed protecting something that you already knew about and had reviewed the previous summer. Sending a wanted felon into the Ministry for Order business was gross negligence of the highest order and low and behold Sirius Black is murdered on sight. I really do not wish to discuss Snape. That man betrayed my mother. Please do not talk of her former best friend. Come to think of it, how come you let Snape live, he betrayed his best friend, why not his master? That guy will be getting 30 pieces of silver from me. I warn you not to trust him, I don't."
"We need to know if the Order have any other plans, to do that you need to understand their motivations and the past activities." Lord Slytherin soothed.
"Do I? Do I really?" Harry put down his book and stood to confront the man disturbing his studying.
"Your wedding would be a perfect opportunity for those active members of the Order to plan something. They wish to control you again. You are the chosen one. I fear Minerva may know at least part of Trelawney's prediction for your destiny."
Harry could not help but laugh "Oh, please, if you thought there was any meaningful threat you would lock me in a tower like Rapunzel." Harry then moved forward into Tom's personal space. "Please make me your prisoner. Leave my bitch of a wife to handle all the day to day crap over my estate. Hell I'd leave Dobby to run everything if I could. Marriage by proxy is still legal. Its not as if I ever intend to sleep with her. She will die barren without love or any child of mine. Immortal remember?" Harry stood staring into the deep dark eyes with a sly smirk on his face.
The Dark Lord could not help himself in skimming his companions surface thoughts, annoyance was fueling lust and desire. "You must not tempt me so, Precious."
"I see how you look at me. Take me. Make me yours fully. Mind and body as you already have my soul. Or would you prefer me on my knees. Or maybe bound?" Harry did not back up. "What do you wish of me, my Lord?"
"I swore as a teenager not to be driven by the pleasures of the flesh. You ... For you I may make an exception." The Dark Lord drew his long and thin index finder over the scar on Harry's forehead. "Do you dream of me touching you? Giving you pleasure? Taking you, fucking you?"
Harry tipped his head back and moaned. "Please?"
"I cannot deny you anything. You need to be pure for your chosen wedding rites. That night, Ginerva will watch as I take you, I possess you, I want to see her hopes and dreams die. She will be your wife in name only, beloved. I do not share." The tall dark haired Lord, watched as Harry moved his face to touch his Lord's hand. Any touch, any attention was craved by this misused and affection starved boy. "Be strong, darling Harry. Soon we will have all at our feet. All will bow before us. You shall never be cold, hungry, alone or afraid again. Your enemies will be broken and crushed before you. I will give all who hurt you special attention."
Harry stood in the same spot as his owner left with a sharp crack of apparition Harry silently prayed thanks to the utter paranoia of his Black ancestors. No one could apparate into the master's suite except the Master of the House. Guests could, of course, leave discreetly. No scrying or eavesdropping spells worked on the layers of ancient runes woven into the stone walls, the plasterwork, the wooden panels and floorboards, the tapestries, the drapes and even the carpet on the floor. He snapped his fingers and Kreacher popped in to obey the Head of House Black. "Draw me a bath, Kreacher please. Stay as I bathe and tell me all of Regulus' plans and researches again. I must have missed some small detail which is the key."
"Do you need Master Regulus' notes, Lord Potter?"
"No I need your recollections. The notes need to be kept secure and hidden. No one must know. Are you sure none of the Order ransacked Master Regulus' rooms?"
"No one entered. Only me. You sealed them shut. You honour Master Regulus. Master Sirius did not even grieve for his brother. Let all those mudbloods and blood traitors soil Mistress halls."
"Not now, Kreacher. Now we must plan. Time grows short. Only 9 months until midwinter."
...
Penny watched as Ginny browsed through the shops in the Wizarding district in Geneva, talking happily in German with Hannalore. The youngest Weasley had thrown herself into her studies, joined in fully, even started flying most morning's within the school's wards. Now, she was enjoying a field trip to learn bank practices first hand. The girls then had two hours of free time, to shop, to eat and to relax. There were no summer holidays. School carried on six days a week all year round, individual lesson plans allowed for flexibility to accommodate religions holidays or family commitments. Students came from all over the world.
Penny noted Harry had begun to write to Ginny more frequently, the young man spoke of his Elves with such fondness. He was so strange to talk of his servants and his owl as friends and to converse with his fiancee with stiff formality like she was his bank manager, rather than life partner. She had known Harry only by sight at school but he was so quiet in his first and second years. Only Ginny's letter's from the twins gave light to another Harry, one who liked jokes, with a wry and dark sense of humour, happy to poke fun at himself. Lord Potter-Black seemed happy to attend the bare minimum of Wizengamot sessions or charity events. Mostly he lived alone in London and studied fanatically for his finals. There were rumours of a supposed apprenticeship, but no details.
...
Harry sat and sunned himself on the back terrace at Malfoy Manor. There was a big meeting and Lord Slytherin was giving a rousing speech to his gathered followers, some big event was being planned. Harry was here for a 'vacation', under guard more like. On the perimeter of the garden were figures in dark robes, possibly Aurors or maybe just hired in thugs. Something serious was afoot with the resistance. Harry had sent Kreacher to warn Arthur and the twins to lay low. If the Order was going to be foolish, let them die. They had not trusted him with any plans so why would he trust them with any meaningful information.
Harry chewed his lip as Narissa came to join him. An elf then popped in with tea. "Is Draco going on this jaunt?"
"I fear so."
"I thought everything was OK, stable. Fine."
Narcissa waved her wand to create a small privacy ward, one Harry recognised from the Black family grimoire. "They are on their way to Hogwarts. Your former friends Granger and that Weasley boy are searching the castle. I fear they will be arrested. I do hope Minerva is not helping them."
"She will be. They still dance to Dumbledore's tune. Granger has been trying for months to talk to me. I'd rather go back to Azkaban than talk to..." Harry wanted to call Hermione the bitch she certainly fit Marge's description of one and she was now going to die for as part of some half baked masterplan, the Order had already lost to Voldemort "...her They, the Weasleys and Granger, lived with Sirius that summer... the summer of my imprisonment, and the Christmas after. I wanted to live with Sirius so badly, they always stole everything I wanted from me. They smiled and acted like my friends while making sure I was alone, unloved and Dumbledore's little weapon. Sirius was loyal to Dumbledore to his last breath."
"Sirius was as misguided in his beliefs as my sister. She was devoted to the Dark Lord, above and beyond her responsibilities to House Lestrange. Her duty was to provide an heir. Now, Draco will inherit all from those poor souls. This seems like a war without end. I wish for peace, too many have suffered, too many have died." Narcissa sniffed into a silk handkerchief before collapsing the ward with a prod of her wand and then serving tea.
...
The Room of Requirement, the Room of Lost Things was full floor to ceiling with towers of junk collected and stored for over a thousand years. The expansion charms constructed according to perfect arithmancy equations by Rowena Ravenclaw herself, a magnificent display of powerful magic. Hermione did not wonder of the Room itself, or Ravenclaw's achievements. The bright witch was flustered and now regretted telling Luna Lovegood off, not wanting to listen to nonsense from the blond haired air head. There was no diadem here, mind you they could search for days and not cover half of the stored items. Ron had flown over the room for four hours trying to see this priceless jeweled diadem. They left disheartened, Since Christmas, after failing to talk to Harry, they had begun the hunt for Voldemort's hidden soul jars. Dumbledore had not returned after his journey to find the third on the list, the second had already been moved. Hermione now thought all had new hiding places. So in fact only Harry was known to them, but even he was no longer at Grimmauld Place.
The pair made there way down from the seventh floor and only as they entered the main staircases did they not the eery silence. It was May, exams in session and five pm. The halls should be full of students at the end of the school day, children going back to Dorms or to the Library to study and cram. Nothing was moving, not even any ghosts.
"Ron, we have to get to a secret passage. Have you got the map and the cloak."
"Map yes, cloak no. Dad made me give the cloak and the Firebolt back to Harry. Said it showed good faith or something as we're family, I guess. If I hadn't he might have made sure Ginny never saw any of us ever again." Ron looked a bit ashamed that he had not thought to give Harry back his few possessions.
"Why Ron? Dumbledore said we could only give Harry back the cloak if he was ready to do his duty and only if we had all the items. We have nothing. And something is very wrong." Hermione then pulled Ron to the back stairs. "We need to get to the Honeydukes passagway or get out of the castle unobserved. Ideas.." Hermione's hasty instructions were interrupted by a lone, hnadsome wizard, who stood in their way
"Well, well well, Its a pleasure to finally meet you Miss Granger. I'm hear to invite you to my home in Cumbria, Riddle Hall is quite charming in the summer after all."