A/N: Dear obnoxious reviewer: since politely telling you that I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU doesn't seem to be working, congratulations, you have now been blocked. Despite how lacking you find my work to be YOU JUST WON'T STOP READING AND REVIEWING. Read as much as you like, but I do not want to hear from you, frankly I didn't even read your last review, I just turned right around and blocked you the moment I saw you name.
Once again, some kissing between Voldy and Harry
50-52.
When Harry and Voldemort returned to the Quidditch pitch, Sue was hovering around the entrance of the stadium with Lucy, who was playing with a toy, in her arms.
"Madam Sue, are you waiting for someone?" Harry asked offhandedly.
Sue shook her head, "No, I just wanted to say thank you. You saved Lucy and I and we will never forget what you have done for us."
Harry wrinkled his brow, he didn't save people for their gratitude. "Um, it's okay, anyone would have done what I did." He hurriedly changed the subject, "So, what will you do in the future?"
"In the future?" Sue's face fell for a moment, then she quickly recovered and smiled brilliantly, "I'll find a job, and raise Lucy to be an excellent witch, that way Allen can rest in peace."
Even after he had walked far from them, Harry kept turning around to look at Sue, who was playing with her baby. In the parenting area designated by the Ministry of Magic, there were many other recently widowed young women who had also lost their husbands, and the same determination was visible on their faces.
He lowered his head and grabbed instinctively onto Voldemort's sleeve, "Voldy, can we set up a charity? To look after the widowed mothers and the children, and also to help the orphaned children, they, they…" Harry started sobbing so hard that he couldn't continue, tears streaming down his cheeks like strands of pearls.
There were no charitable organizations in the magical world, all single parents had to raise their children themselves, and all orphans only had two paths: being adopted by a relative or kindhearted wizard or witch, or being sent to a muggle orphanage.
"Voldy, you and I both know what it would mean for these children to be sent to an orphanage, all that's waiting for them is the fear and alienation from muggles, everyone will isolate them." Harry recalled his own horrible experiences in both his childhoods, he doesn't want these children, who had just experienced the loss of their parents, to be treated like freaks by those around them. "Please, please…"
Voldemort could only see the top of the young man's head and luxuriant black hair but from the trembling body and the sobs he can well imagine Harry's little face covered in tears. He must have been reminded of his own experience in the orphanage, the terrified and hate-filled eyes, always being kept at a distance from others, it would have been unbearable even for the strongest child.
Pushing down his urge to hold the boy and comfort him in front of the eyes of everyone present, he handed Harry a handkerchief then softly and tendering consented, "Sh, sh, I'll take care of this personally as soon as I get home, I will ensure that every single parent family and every orphan will be adequately accommodated in the magical world. Don't cry, please don't cry? Your tears are making my heart ache."
Harry was comforted by his words at the beginning, but the last statement made him feel very self-conscious. Wasn't that something one would say to comfort one's girlfriend?
"Oh, Mr. Voldemort, Mr. Potter, you have finally returned."
The words were spoken by a round, pudgy man, who was constantly rolling a bowler hat in his hands and smiling ingratiatingly. Next to him was a tall, thin old man, whose shrewd eyes were locked deeply on Harry.
"Minister Fudge, I trust you are well." Harry said in a frigid tone.
"Mr. Potter, your actions today are absolutely unparalleled in brilliance." Dumbledore commended, "Especially the fortifications comprised of dozens of defensive spells and focused offensive spells, incredibly intricate and perfect beyond imagining."
An alarm bell began to ring inside Harry's mind and he subtly backed away until he was hidden behind Voldemort before he replied, "Headmaster, there was nothing else I could do at the time, so I simply employed everything I have learned and layered them over each other in a hotch potch. I was shocked that it ended up working so well." It was unavoidable that people would be able to deduce that it had been a masterful set of fortifications, but it was not necessary for him to admit it.
Dumbledore smiled as he nodded, "To be able to build such a magnificent magical structure under such urgent and trying circumstances, you are truly a most gifted student."
"This is all thanks to the wonderful teachings of the professors." Harry gave a fake smile. Since coming to Slytherin, he had been giving more and more fake smiles.
"Well, Dumbledore, it is time we got down to business." Voldemort interjected, "Harry, go and visit Severus."
"Yes, uncle." Harry grabbed the chance to leave, escaping from Dumbledore's enigmatic gaze.
Fudge did not know what he should do, neither Voldemort nor Dumbledore were people he could afford to offend and facing the two of them in concert, he could only stand quiet and accept whatever was coming.
"Who permitted you to give a command like that? Not harming the giants? I lost dozens of my people!" Voldemort growled out.
"The Order of the Phoenix also lost a dozen or so members." Dumbledore said softly. His loss was actually greater than Voldemort's as he did not recruit as many cannon fodder.
Sweat was rolling down Fudge's face as he meekly whispered, "I… I was trying to do what you wanted, you both seemed to care about the giants."
That was true, both Voldemort and Dumbledore cared about the giants, because their fighting ability was quite satisfactory and they were easily swayed.
"Even so. As the Minister for Magic you should know how to exercise your judgment, your incompetent command has cost me greatly," Voldemort glanced at Dumbledore, "It has also cost Dumbledore greatly, I suspect that you may have some connection to the perpetrator of this attack. From now on, you are no longer the Minister for Magic, Daley, take him to the Ministry, you know what to do."
An Auror appeared and took Fudge's wand, leading him away.
"Was that really necessary, I believe he was just too stupid to see the situation clearly." Dumbledore said slowly.
"Perhaps." Voldemort's smile was chilling, "Dumbledore, you should have learned of that command before me, why did you not countermand it?"
Dumbledore pushed his glasses higher on his nose, "At the time there were only Aurors left outside the pitch, there were no surviving wizards, changing the command would not have had much benefit."
At ten in the morning, Voldemort and Dumbledore issued a joint declaration that all the enemies had been routed and it was safe for the people to return to their homes. The Quidditch world cup final would be rescheduled.
On returning home, Harry was immediately wrapped in Nagini's coils as she checked Harry over in her own way. [Ah, you look like you are well.]
Harry hugged the snake's cool body and kissed her large head, [Nagini dear, I missed you.]
[I missed you as well my darling. I was so worried when I heard about the attack on the wizarding wireless! Luckily you are alright.]
[That's enough Nagini, let Harry go upstairs and rest, he didn't get any sleep last night.] Voldemort commanded as he couldn't bear to have Harry stand around chatting with the snake while he was so tired there were black pools under both his eyes.
Harry truly was exhausted and he fell asleep the moment his head touched the pillow.
The weakening rays of the setting sun filled Voldemort Manor and all the world seemed to be covered in a golden red glow, the serene and radiant atmosphere was enough to bring tears to one's eyes. Harry gently pulled the curtains open and greedily breathed in the warm and dry air of summer, in such a wonderful environment, the bloodshed and fighting of this morning seemed like a dream.
But Harry knew that it was not a dream, the twenty odd newspapers piled on the living room sofa confirmed that it was not a dream. At the top of the pile was the special, extended edition of the "Daily Prophet", fifty pages and three centimeters thick in total. The headline was "Quidditch World Cup Final- Night of Blood", the area below that was largely taken up by two photos, one showing Harry mercilessly killing a troll and the other showing Harry gently picking up a crying child. The article described last night's attack in detail and listed the 4,719 casualties, for most of them, no bodies were found. The article passionately applauded both Voldemort and Harry, but Harry received more of the praise, and was deemed "The most selfless and respected person", it announced that he would receive an Order of Merlin for sure, at the same time, it violently decried Fudge for issuing such an incompetent command during his term of office, intimating that Fudge was in league with the perpetrator. The other dozen or so English papers had similar content and the remaining dozens of newspapers were from foreign countries, Harry was only able to make out that two were from the United States. They all seemed to have similar content, as the photos featured on the stories were the same as for the British newspapers.
Thinking back, Harry vaguely remembered that someone had been taking pictures of him as he was fighting and rescuing others... oh well, no matter the time or which world was involved (magical or muggle), reporters would always be willing to risk their lives for their stories. Harry couldn't help feeling exasperated.
[You silly child, it was enough to protect yourself, why go to save those stupid humans.] Nagini slowly slithered closer and rubbed against Harry's shoulder.
Harry laughed, [Nagini, some of those stupid humans were the purebloods that Voldy is so fond of.]
Nagini contemptuously flicked her narrow tail, [If they couldn't even overcome a measly little magic sapping field, their deaths would be no loss. Those people have many illegitimate children, there would have been heirs.]
Harry was amused by Nagini's words, [You have a point.] This world was one where only the fittest survived. [Oh, where's Voldy? Did he go to the Ministry?]
Nagini shook her head, [He does have to go, but he hasn't had time yet.]
Why not? Harry was puzzled.
"That should be all, just make the arrangements as per Harry's desires." Voldemort was still speaking to one of his followers as he descended the stairs, several dozen Death Eaters trailing behind him. Harry had met these Death Eaters last Yule at the ball and the one Voldemort was speaking to was Jim Green, Voldemort's private financial consultant, the thing that made Harry uncomfortable was that Jim looked a little bit like Harry, with black hair and green eyes, the way Jim looked at Harry also made him uneasy.
Voldemort spotted Harry, "Why did you get up so soon? Do you need to sleep some more?" He kissed Harry's brow.
Harry shook his head, he had slept enough. "You're going to the Ministry?"
"Yes, Dumbledore might gain too much of a hold if I'm not there to stop him, that would not be good for the Death Eaters." Voldemort took a set of documents from Jim and gave it to Harry, "As I did not have too much time, there may be many things that I did not think of. Please take a look at this, if there is anything you are unhappy with, tell Jim and he will modify it." Another kiss to Harry's cheek. "I must go, I may not return until September 1st, if you need to go out, please take Nagini with you, so you can look after each other. Alright?"
"Yes." Harry docilely nodded, Voldemort was always over cautious when it came to him and his safety, it was better to just comply with his commands.
After Voldemort left Harry went and sat at the sofa, finally having time to look at the documents Voldemort had handed him.
"The Harry Potter Foundation?" On seeing this name, Harry couldn't help exclaiming.
"Yes, young master Harry. As this foundation was originally suggested by yourself." Jim respectfully answered.
"But Voldy is the one providing the money for this…" Harry muttered uneasily. He himself was penniless and living on Voldemort's largesse.
A complicated expression flashed across Jim's face for a moment, filled with pain, anguish, envy, resentment and a faint hint of fear. But his expression immediately returned to the normal look of calm and competence, "What belongs to the master also belongs to you, young master."
Oh, right. If Voldemort died, then everything in his name would go to Harry as his only nephew. Having missed Jim's odd expression, Harry said, "Well, it's still a little embarrassing… no matter, he's already made his decision."
The document given to him by Voldemort contained the proposed steps for creating Harry's suggested charity from planning to execution. At the beginning Voldemort had only embarked on this venture to try and please Harry, but while he drafted the documents, he quickly found that this foundation would be of much benefit to him once it was established. Firstly, it would be a boost to his good name, not that he was overly concerned about that, but it would be helpful in deceiving the more simple minded members of the magical world, secondly, it would serve to confuse his enemies, of course those affected may be few in number and their competence may not be overly high, but it was better than nothing, thirdly, he would be able to assign his followers to help look after the orphans and the children with single parents, this would serve to subtly influence them into becoming his followers in the future, and finally, those who had benefited from the Harry Potter Foundation were bound to feel gratitude from it and if war broke out in the future both them and their families and relatives would be influenced by these feelings of gratitude. Based on these various possible benefits, Voldemort had been especially diligent when planning and the proposal in front of Harry was both meticulous and perfect.
Harry had to commend Voldemort's towering intellect, it seems that there is nothing that he cannot do flawlessly. "I have nothing to add, Voldy's already done a perfect job." He put the documents back together then handed them to Jim, "Is this document the reason Voldy didn't go to the Ministry earlier?" He thought back to Nagini's words, that "he hasn't had time yet".
"Yes, the master spent much time and effort on this." Jim's eyes showed his resentment. Ever since young master Harry had appeared, the master has devoted all his attention to him and all the lovers that he had cared for in the past were ignored. Out of these lovers, Jim suffered the most due to the fact that he was the private financial consultant and constantly had to be by Voldemort's side, having to force himself to remain silent and unaffected as he watched his once-lover aim all his loving and attention at Harry Potter, the envy that all his past competitors had experienced had now become his own source of anguish.
Harry was oblivious as usual and did not notice any oddness in Jim's behavior. He was vaguely aware about some of the details of Voldemort's life from the future but that was mostly pertaining to things outside of school, and since the last Halloween, Voldemort had not taken any student to his bed, so Harry was unaware that Voldemort had a string of ex-lovers outside the school that resembled him to a greater or lesser degree, at the most he was a little disturbed by the strange way Jim looked at him, a little resentfully, he had no idea what kind of decree Voldemort had made to his followers in relation to him
Right now he could only massage his temple as he worried over this new, massive favor that he now owed Voldemort, although this was not the first time and it would likely not be the last that he would be owing the man, Voldemort had risked letting Dumbledore gain a strong advantage to complete this task for Harry and he was feeling a little guilty over this. After all, any benefit to Voldemort from this foundation would not be apparent for several years, but a Ministry without Voldemort present at such as a crucial time had the potential to set back years of work and damage his power base. Harry could clearly see the importance Voldemort had placed on him and he took it to heart, thinking back on that scorching kiss, even through his oblivious nature he could recognize what type of feelings Voldemort held for him. He couldn't help a slightly bitter smile, he couldn't believe that Voldemort would develop romantic feelings for him? That explained why the man's attitude had always been so strange. Understanding this deepened Harry's concern and melancholy, there was no room for love in his plans for his life, especially not love for or from Voldemort, it was hard enough for him to live cautiously in the narrow slivers of peace, add Voldemort to this and he wouldn't know how to survive anymore.
53-55.
It looks like they will need to have a detailed discussion when Voldemort returns, his life needed no more complications, no matter what their manner or source.
Having temporarily put aside a difficult matter, Harry saw Jim out then started to complete his summer homework. In the past month he had been travelling around with Voldemort to watch the matches and so had neglected to take care of it, seeing as he only had half a month left until school starts, he had better complete it soon.
In the following days Harry would work on his homework every morning, then he would ride the rollercoaster with Nagini, and in the afternoon, he would watch television, also with Nagini, at least on the surface, his days were quite leisurely.
Three days before the school term was due to start, a house elf spoke to Harry after breakfast, "Young master Harry, youse have not gotten your schools supplies, do wes need to take care of it?"
This made Harry realize that he had not yet gotten his books for sixth year and he also needed to stock up on some potion ingredients, also Hedwig should have some other flavors in owl treats. Speaking of, he had not been for a trip to Diagon Alley since returning to the Manor at the beginning of the holidays, it was a good opportunity to go get some air. "No need, I will go myself."
[Yourself? Do not forget what Voldy said before he left.] Nagini smacked Harry with her tail.
Harry smacked her head in retaliation, [Of course I haven't forgotten, I was going to take you with me.]
Arriving at Diagon Alley, he found the atmosphere to be quite different. Gone was the past sense of prejudice, many of the crowd tipped their hats to him in respect and boys and girls looked at him in reverence. Flash bulbs went off repeatedly and if not for Nagini's vigilance, reporters might have swarmed him like beasts and torn him apart for a private interview.
Harry's first stop was Flourish and Blotts, where he had a surprise encounter with two old friends, well, two old friends in his past life, the once head of Magical Law Enforcement Bartemius Crouch and his son, Barty Crouch Junior.
Little Barty was now thirteen and was a Ravenclaw, Harry had seen him around the school.
At present the child's face was flushed with excitement and his eyes were sparkling as he yelled, "Harry!" Then ran over to him, "You were great! That picture of you killing that troll was wicked!"
Having not heard such fervent praise for a while, Harry felt his ears heat up. "Thank you Barty. I only did what I should."
"Oh, don't be shy Harry. That should have been the job of adult wizards, not underage ones, and it wasn't something that underage wizards can usually do." Little Barty looked at Harry like he was his hero, "Mum said that most adult wizards would not have been powerful enough to so easily dispatch a giant, it's usually a job for top Aurors!" Barty was getting more and more worked up.
With Harry's shy nature he was never able to get used to praise from others, being complimented continuously like was causing him to cast his gaze around helplessly, not knowing what to do. Nagini was snickering beside him.
"Enough Barty." It was Barty's stern and vaguely terrifying father who put a stop to Harry's embarrassment.
"Mr. Harry Potter did make a great contribution on the evening of August 15th, but at the same time he broke many laws." Said Bartemius Crouch harshly as he pulled his son back to his side. "Of course it is Voldemort who is at fault, I wonder what his intentions were, teaching unforgiveables to underage wizards."
Crouch's gaze at Harry was sharp as a needle and if Harry had not been through a war he might have been frightened. "Under certain circumstances, it is necessary to teach the unforgiveables to underage wizards." As far as Harry was aware, many Death Eater children survived due to some knowledge of the unforgiveables.
"Oh?" Crouch glared fixedly at Harry, like coiled serpent preparing to attack. "So, Mr. Potter, you who can cast the unforgiveables so easily, how many people have you had to kill to obtain this ease?"
"Mr. Crouch, please take care in choosing your words." Harry frowned, Crouch seemed to despise him, how strange. It appears as though Crouch truly loathed dark magic.
"Father, Harry didn't do anything wrong!" Barty Crouch Jr. was obviously unhappy with how his father was treating Harry.
Crouch angrily chastised his son. "Shut up Barty! You need to rethink some of you beliefs." He dragged his son out of the store despite little Barty's furious struggles.
[Odious fellow.] Nagini was quite enraged, [Dumbledore's lackey, he cannot be permitted to become the Minister for Magic.]
[Minister? Dumbledore is endorsing Crouch?] This was the first time Harry had learned of this rumor.
Nagini lowered her head rather sadly, [You're Voldy's nephew, don't you read the Ministry Bulletins that Voldy sends you every day?]
Harry's smile was a little self-conscious, he didn't read those bulletins because he preferred not to get too involved in such matters. [Who is Voldy endorsing?]
[Frank Malfoy.] Nagini shook her head, [Neither side is likely to succeed, it will likely be another fellow like Fudge. After all, there is only one Minister.]
After getting his books for sixth year as well as the new flavor of owl treats, Harry decided to replenish his potion ingredients then go to Florean Fortescue's for ice cream with Nagini. But when they got to the apothecary, they ran into Snape.
Snape was not looking so good, his color was off, his eyes despondent and his hair was greasy.
"Severus, what's up with you? You look terrible." Harry took a furtive step back, "When was the last time you bathed?"
Snape lifted his tired eyes to meet Harry's, then sighed in relief, "It's good that I ran into you here, there's something I need to talk to you about."
"Do you my help with something?"
"No, I just wanted to talk."
Ah, wanting him to be his psychological dumping ground again, Harry thought with a sigh, it was rather depressing to constantly be on the receiving end of others' sad and depressing thoughts.
The two boys and a snake arrived at Florean Fortescue's and Harry asked Nagini to go eat her ice cream at the other end of the store, he and Snape sat down at a corner table to talk.
"Did something happen in the last few days? Harry asked as he ate a large spoonful of ice cream.
Snape was not fond of sweets so although he ordered a serving, he really had no intention of eating it. "We all went home on the 16th right?"
"Yeah."
"Then in the afternoon, Lupin came to see me." Snape said.
Harry laughed, "To thank you for saving him right? I never realized that you felt so deeply for him that you would sacrifice yourself for him." If the relationship between the two of them could improve due to this incident then it might be worth every bit of pain Snape had endured.
Snape was still for a moment, then he slowly nodded, then shook his head, "He did come to thank me, then he asked me a difficult question."
"What difficult question?" Harry took another huge mouthful of ice cream, it gave him such as chill that he felt like even his blood was freezing. What a rush!
"He asked me whether I knew the halfblood prince." Snape said with his voice lowered.
Harry immediate choked and started coughing. "Wh—what? He… does he know something?" He stuttered out the question.
Snape gave a long sigh, "You remember that he helped you pack up my potions cabinet?"
Harry nodded quickly, "Was that relevant?" He suddenly made the connection, "Wait, I seem to remember that you have some wolfsbane…"
"I keep some in the potions cabinet and carry it around with me, I wanted to ask Professor Voldemort to help me perform some tests on it."
"It was seen?" Harry asked but from his tone he already knew that the answer was positive.
"Yes, so he asked me if I was the halfblood prince. Of course I denied it. Then he asked me why I had the wolfsbane potion, I said that it was because Professor Voldemort had asked me to improve it."
"And did he believe you?" Harry was getting a little confused, surely it would not be that easy to deceive Lupin?
"No, but I wouldn't tell him anything more." Snape paused, "He's in love with the halfblood prince."
"Oh!" After a moment's thought, Harry could easily see how it had happened. Faced with someone who knew he was a werewolf but still took such good care of him and lavished him with attention, of course the solitary, insecure Lupin would fall in love with the halfblood prince. "What are you thinking?"
Snape looked at Harry with a half-smile, "What am I thinking? What can I think? I mean, I can't tell him that I'm the halfblood prince now can I?" Even though Lupin is already convinced that it was him, those eyes were filled with love as they looked at him, begging Snape to give him a positive answer. With just a nod, he could have had the wonderful life that he had been dreaming of for countless days and nights.
Harry scooped up another spoonful of ice cream, but had lost the mood to indulge any further. "Severus, you aren't thinking of keeping this from him forever are you? Aren't you afraid that he might fall for someone else?" He understands that there could be many obstacles to Snape and Lupin being together, but you never know how things will turn out unless you try. Things have a way of working themselves out, maybe after a while the issues will no longer be relevant… alright, maybe that was just wishful thinking.
"He won't fall in love with someone else if he is already in love with the halfblood prince, he's very true to his feelings." Harry nodded in agreement, it was not easy to move Lupin. "After Professor Voldemort has triumphed, and if I survive the war, then I will tell him."
"What if he dies before that?" Harry asked.
Snape shook his head, "He won't die."
"You can't always be there to protect him." Harry rolled his eyes, "Anything can happen on the battlefield."
Snape was very serious as he said, "He will not die before I do."
There's just no reasoning with him! Harry held his head in frustration. Snape's stubbornness could be so infuriating sometimes. "Alright, alright, let's not discuss the future just now. How are you going handle Lupin's question?"
Snape's thin lips were pursed into a line and he hesitated before he replied, "Obliviation."
"Wow, you don't pull any punches do you!" Harry exclaimed, "You didn't wipe the memory of you saving him did you?"
"I'm not that stupid, that would cause too many questions." Snape glared at him for that.
Harry had to admire Snape for his ruthlessness, if it was him, he didn't think he would have been able to wipe out the love someone felt for him, especially if he loved that person in return. To ensure Lupin's happiness, Snape could become unbelievably ruthless.
"You and Lupin will both live through the war, Severus, I promise." Harry silently vowed to himself as he finished his ice cream.
Two days after the trip to Diagon Alley, on August 31st, Voldemort finally returned home from the Ministry after two frantic weeks. When the house elves came to tell them, Harry and Nagini were watching television, Nagini slithered away at the news but Harry hesitated a moment before following. He's not going because he misses Voldemort, it was just that as Voldemort's nephew, he should go and welcome his uncle home.
After the last two weeks of working non-stop, Voldemort looked a little worse for wear and his faced was lined with fatigue. Tangling with Dumbledore sapped much of his energy, if it wasn't for the excellent foundation Harry had built for him, the outcome of the negotiations might have been quite different. Despite the fact that the public favor did not currently fall to the Order of the Phoenix, that old fox Dumbledore had still taken a senior undersecretary post right out from under him, maintaining the delicate balance of power inside the Ministry. Dumbledore is, after all, an old hand at this game, showing nary an outward sign, and maintain his image as a benevolent old man, his political schemes were nevertheless devious and the man himself was as slippery as an eel. It was fortunate that Dumbledore was the only cunning member of the Order of the Phoenix and that all the other members were hidebound antiques, no matter their age.
[Voldy, you must be exhausted after dealing with Dumbledore for more than two weeks.] Nagini hissed at she slithered to meet him.
Voldemort glanced in the direction Nagini had come from and was overjoyed to see Harry descending the staircase, emerald green eyes guarded but nevertheless looking steadily at him.
[I'm fine Nagini. Has Harry been well?] He patted the snake on her head.
[He's been very well. He just kept drifting off into his own thoughts.] Nagini's voice was filled with laughter. In the past, Harry would never get lost in his own thoughts in the middle of a conversation, since Voldemort left, Harry's periods of distraction grew more and more frequent and in the last two day, Harry had spent all his time in Voldemort's study, he said he was just reading there, but every time Nagini had gone in to see Harry, he had been staring at the same page.
Voldemort walked up to Harry in several long strides and quickly examined him from head to toe. After these two weeks, Harry's normally full and healthy face had slimmed down a little, emphasizing his sharp little chin, other than that, his spirits didn't seem to have suffered. "You've grown a little thin, did you not like the food the house elves have been making?"
Harry hurriedly shook his head, "No, I liked it."
"Then why have you lost weight?" Did Harry miss him? Voldemort was filled with happiness at the thought.
"Um, I was too fat so I was dieting." Ever since they had become uncle and nephew, this was the first time Voldemort had left him for such a long period of time, the only contact they had had was each morning's owled letter, which was written before Voldemort went to bed the night before, all his other time was filled with meetings and business. But Harry wasn't willing to tell Voldemort that he hadn't had much of an appetite because he hadn't seen Voldemort for so long. He had already decided that he would accept no deviations to his goals and targets.
Voldemort almost laughed at hearing Harry's words, Nagini had already slithered away to roll in laughter. It had taken more than a year of nutritious and delicious food for Harry to lose his almost emaciated form and gain the more filled out physique of a normal teenage boy, Harry had no need to lose any weight.
Harry's attempt at deception was truly atrocious.
"Don't diet Harry, you look better with more weight on you." Voldemort put his arm around Harry's shoulders, "You're too thin."
After reaching the living room, Voldemort dismissed the house elves and sat down on the couch with his arm around Harry's waist.
After moments lost in thought, Harry was unable to push down all his numerous doubts and concerns. He was not blind, he could clearly see that Voldemort was exhausted after the furor of the past two weeks, what he should be doing is resting. Everything else can wait until after the beginning of term, there was no rush. "Voldy, please go rest, we still have to go to Hogwarts tomorrow for the start of term."
The words filled Voldemort's heart with warmth, even though Harry was still unwilling to get close to him, these simple words of concern still made him very happy, his feelings of fatigue felt like they have completely evaporated.
"It's alright, I'm not tired. There are some things that I have to tell you in person."
"So, the investigation yielded results?" Harry waited a moment, then couldn't help but ask.
Voldemort nodded softly, "Under the combined talents of the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters, even the best hidden secret would be discovered."
"Who was responsible?"
"The goblins."
56-58.
In Harry's mind's eye appeared the image of those pointy eared figures in Gringotts, with their sharp claws and red uniforms, they were greedy, devious and magically strong. "They… attacked for their own gain?"
This was not the first time that goblins had attacked wizards, the last time they were more open about it and this time they had taken the most crafty route.
"They wanted to use the chaos generated to squeeze some profits for themselves, but their plan backfired, the giants and trolls slipped their leash, they had no idea things would turn out like this." Voldemort scowled, those midgets would always just be a bunch of clowns.
Harry still did not understand, "How did they control the Inferi? And how did they get their hands on the potions to create the magic sapping field?" Goblins had no skills in these areas.
"Of course they had accomplices in the magical world, but most of them have been eliminated." Recalling the recent purges in the magical world where everyone was afraid of their own shadows, Voldemort smiled coldly. So many were taken in, it was hard to say how many were actually in league with the goblins but he would rather err on the side of caution than to let a single guilty person go free. Dumbledore had been adamantly opposed at first but had capitulated under the pleading of most of the members of the Order of the Phoenix. In the face of harm to their own flesh and blood, there was no room to consider the fears of others.
"So, what's the final verdict against the goblins, giants and trolls? They won't be let off just because they're rare magical creatures right? Even though the attacking force itself was not that great in number, they must have all been involved in the planning."
"The ring leaders were of course sent to Azkaban and given the Dementor's kiss, accomplices were sent to the underground ice prison in the Northern Ice plains, for a term of 200 years, the "Preservation of Magical Creatures Act" will be amended, the rights of goblins, giants and trolls have all been relegated to the lowest level they have ever been." Voldemort related the facts evenly.
That was not all, for example Voldemort had wanted to wrest control of Gringotts from the goblins and transfer it to the hands wizards but that had been vetoed by Dumbledore, "Not every goblin was involved in this incident Professor Voldemort, the goblins of Gringotts have always followed the edicts of the magical world." Damnit, he had planned to use this excuse to take over Gringotts, but the old coot had ruined his plans.
Voldemort told Harry several more pieces of inside information.
Number 1- As Nagini predicted, the new Minister for Magic was neither Bartemius Crouch nor was it Frank Malfoy, instead it was some elderly member of the Wizengamot, Crouch and Malfoy had both been made senior undersecretary instead.
Number 2- The Quidditch World Cup has been rescheduled to October 20th at the same stadium. There will be no tickets sold for this match, nor will there be any VIP boxes, wizards will be able to enter freely and move around each section to watch the match, as a sort of remembrance for the wizards and witches that died on August 15th.
Number 3- Harry would be receiving an Order of Merlin, First Class, the ceremony will be held on December 15th at Hogwarts and a statue of Harry will be unveiled at the same time.
"A statue?" Harry couldn't help grimacing. He had read on the paper that there was something about a statue but he had paid it no mind, he hadn't realized that they were really going to erect a status for him. "It's too much." Harry mumbled.
"Not at all. You saved more than ten thousand wizards and witches, erecting a statue of you is nothing." Voldemort thought that this was not enough. But his little Harry had no ambition and only wanted peace and quiet, if some other child had done something so monumental, like that James Potter, he would probably be expecting to be made the Minister for Magic.
Number 4- After two weeks of planning, the Harry Potter Foundation was officially in business, 1000 orphanages will be opening all over the world to provide homes for orphans, single mothers will receive 100 galleons each month and will be given jobs at nearby businesses owned by Voldemort.
"Thank you Voldy." Harry could not hold back his gratitude and willingly embraced Voldemort. This man kept surprising him and bringing him joy, it made him feel both happy and bittersweet. This man, why did it have to be Voldemort? Why Voldemort?
"Are you truly happy Harry?" Voldemort was puzzled as he looked at Harry, who should have been overjoyed, but whose eyes were faintly lined with sorrow. What had happened to upset Harry? He truly wanted to know but was not confident that Harry would tell him. This child had too many secrets, like his abnormally strong power, like his ability to be calm and even brutal in combat situations, these things increased his mystique but they also filled him with terrible sorrow. Harry preferred to swallow this sorrow deep inside rather than sharing them. The people he sent had been unable to find anything about Harry prior to the age of eleven. If it wasn't for the difference in ages, Voldemort would have thought that Harry had used a time turner again. The only thing for certain was that Harry's past was complicated, and something in that past had given him his mysterious power and abilities, but it had also caused him a lingering pain.
Voldemort's words were a shock to Harry, in the man's eyes Harry could see the reflection of his own form and could see his own worry buried under the caring. He can't seem to feel happy whenever he recalls the tangled relationship between he and Voldemort. Voldemort was his enemy, one day he will kill his parents and almost kill him because of a prophecy. But it was also Voldemort who had given him the warmth of a true family, something that he had always yearned for but never found, he had made him feel warmth and caring that he had never felt before. Since coming to this time, he had hoped that one day he could live a peaceful and quiet life, no need to save the world, no heavily expectant eyes weighing on him, now that he was almost used to this kind of life, Voldemort's feelings were about to destroy it.
Determined, he turned this head, [Nagini, I need to talk with Voldy, could you please…]
Nagini flicked her tail and gave a hissing laugh, [I know, I know, I'm leaving.]
The snake slithered quickly out of the living room.
"I think that I will not want to hear what you are about to say." Voldemort ignored Harry's slight struggles and pulled him into his lap. Looking at the determination on Harry's face, he realized that the boy had made a decision that he wouldn't want to learn about.
Harry turned away then quickly turned back to look at Voldemort, "Voldy, you like me, right?"
If Harry had asked something like this yesterday, Voldemort would have been ecstatic, but coupled with Harry's stubborn eyes, this question chilled Voldemort a little. For an instant, countless possibilities flashed through his mind, but finally he answered truthfully, "Like is not enough to express my feelings for you Harry, I love you."
"I love you."
Harry's mouth flooded with bitterness. He had expected something like this but the actual words still plunged him into helplessness, all the preparation and words were thrown to the back of his mind and Voldemort's tender gaze filled both his eyes and his heart and a pervading happiness mixed with threads of bitterness burned in his rapidly beating heart. He was familiar with this feeling, he had experienced it before. That time, a redheaded girl had shyly said "I love you", he had been both happy and sad, it was the bittersweet taste of love. He had not thought that he would feel this again more than ten years later and three decades from that point in time. The difference was that last time it was the sweetness that filled his heart, giving him the courage to continue fighting the enemy, and this time, it was sorrow that filled his heart, plunging it in ice. He had not realized that he was not unaffected, neither had he realized that he had fallen in love without realizing it. This man in front of him, with his tenderness and caring and even his domineering protectiveness had captured his heart, without realizing it he had given away his love. Falling in love was natural, as long as it was at the right time and with the right person. But he had fallen in love with the wrong person at the wrong time, he had fallen in love with the one who would kill his parents, the one who wants to kill him, he was in love with his sworn enemy. Perhaps they were not yet enemies in this time, put they would never be companions with similar goals, their ideals were at opposites, and an insurmountable gulf stretched between them, love would not be able to bridge that gap, love was not all powerful.
"Shouldn't you fall in love with a pureblood?" Harry lowered his eyes, asking his question in the tone of a statement. According to Voldemort's principles and ideals, he should choose a pureblood mate like someone from the Malfoy family.
Voldemort didn't know how to explain this to Harry, tell him that he had met the future, adult Harry when he himself had been a child? Tell him had he had fallen deeply in love with Harry from the time Voldemort had been child? Harry would think he was lying. "Ordinarily, that would be the case. But I met you. At first, I just wanted to look after a blood relative, but somehow, I found that I couldn't take my eyes off you anymore."
This was 100% true. He had loved the young man that had appeared in front of him one beautiful afternoon in his childhood, the tired yet determined face, his poise which held wisps of fatigue, kind, caring, decent, strong. The young man had given him the strength to live on, pointed him towards a clear future direction, urged him to give it his all and never give up, that apologetic yet caring embrace had filled his heart during countless lonely nights. Yet he also loved this youth standing in front of him, talented yet self-effacing, filled with deep thoughts yet wanting to live peacefully and low key, pure of heart and resilient, willing to work hard for his ideals and goals, holding his overwhelming sorrow deep in his own heart, that bright and moving smile. He isn't sure whether it was because Harry was that young man or because that young man was Harry, but the one in his dreams at night was no longer just that trembling yet courageous young man, there was also the resilient and self-effacing youth. His cheeks puffed in anger and unable to speak over his domineering ways, unwilling emerald eyes pulling out all his loving indulgence; willing to approach him for help to achieve his own goals, keen eyes looking at him as though he was the centre of the world, it was just that, back then, he had still thought that he had only been caring with Harry because of who he would mature into. It was at the shocking and bloody attack on August 15th, when he had rushed to the area under the dark mark to find the Quidditch pitch holding tens of thousands of people safely, yet he had not been able to create a safe haven for Harry. "He went to save more people." Snape and Lucius had told him this with shame and lowered eyes. His heart had frozen, an underage wizard going up against resilient giants and even more terrifying Inferi? The emerging pain, frustration and hopelessness had made him start thinking, to wonder whether his heart had been irrevocably captured by the young Harry.
Harry's head was still lowered, the more Voldemort emphasized his feelings for Harry the worst he felt. He knows that Voldemort is speaking the truth. He had known Voldemort for a long time, a very long time, long enough that he could easily tell whether he was lying by observing his expressions and mannerisms, not even needing to use legilimency. When Voldemort was lying the corner of his mouth turns down a little, when he was speaking about his feelings his eyes narrow slightly, these are habits, very difficult to alter, because they would only be noticeable to someone who truly cared, no one had ever warned Voldemort and these habits had remained unchanged. When he had spoken a moment ago, Voldemort's eyes had been slightly narrowed, he was not lying.
"You love me, but I don't love you." Was Harry's cold reply to Voldemort's heated confession of love, "I will never love you." Rather than letting the love be slowly destroyed by future doubts and irreconcilable differences, it would be better to put out the as yet insubstantial flames.
Voldemort laughed softly, filling Harry's face with confusion, had his rejection shocked the confident Voldemort so much that he had lost touch with reality?
"Harry, is it that you will never love me, or that you don't dare to love me?"
Harry's eyes grew slightly hazy, "Will never, don't dare, what does it matter, the fact is I don't love you, the reasons are irrelevant."
"Do you really feel nothing for me?"
"It's not like I need to lie about something like this? Um—"
His chin, which was almost touching his chest, was abruptly and forcefully lifted and his delicate lips were covered by sensuous ones.
59-61.
Different from their last, more violent kiss, Voldemort's kiss was soft and lingering, the gentle sweetness of the slowly moving lips made Harry's head spin. Voldemort pried open Harry's teeth with ease and his agile tongue brought Harry to new heights of passion.
"You do not hate my kiss Harry, that at least tells me you have some affection for me." Voldemort's voice was rough and he was out of breath
Harry struggled to get out of Voldemort's lap and stand, his face growing flushed and then pale, he opened his mouth several time to give a retort but the words would die as they reached his lips. He gathering his courage to speak but his voice was barely audible, "It's not enough to have some affection, the differences between us are too great."
Taking a deep breath, Voldemort's eyes cleared as he suddenly understood, "Differences… you are talking about the differences between your stance and ideals and my goals and principles?"
Harry admitted, "Similar positions and outlooks are the basis of a relationship between two people."
Voldemort did not agree with this view, what constituted similar positions and outlooks? Was it as simple as a similar stance and ideals? Was liking to research dark magic similar positions or outlooks? Would liking Quidditch suffice? "There are many kinds of outlooks and positions…"
"Similar ideals and principles are vital. Too much divergence would bring about ruin."
Voldemort was not so sure, "Even so. Our differences are not as great as you imagine."
Harry was angered by Voldemort nonchalance, as though Harry was blowing this out of all proportion. "You hate muggles, to you they only exist to be playthings for purebloods; I believe muggles are smart, even without magic, they have come up with many ways to do things, they should have the same rights as wizards." At this he stopped then waved his hand tiredly, "We've had this discussion before, and both of us have conceded as much as we can, I tried to accept it, but I don't know if I will really be able to. If our relationship deepens, this will continue to plague me and cause me pain."
"Anything else?" Voldemort urged.
"You're too ruthless when you want to achieve some target or goal, you have no regard for human life when you make your plans, you don't keep your word and you're heartless, this… this is unacceptable to me." Just the thought that he had fallen in love with someone so lacking in morals and a conscience caused Harry's eyes to redden and fill with tears.
Harry's judgmental words did not upset Voldemort, rather they filled him with joy. Even though he was so despicable in Harry's eyes, he couldn't help feeling affection for him, this pleased him very much. "Even so, you still feel affection for me."
"That's because…" Harry's voice grew even softer, "Because you are so good to me." He felt slightly ashamed.
Voldemort hugged Harry's waist happily and softly laughed, "You spoke well. Love is supposed to be something that exists between two people Harry, what use is there in dragging so many others into it? When we are together, all that matters is that I am good to you and you are good to me, other people and situations are irrelevant. They are not you so of course I would not stay my hand. Even Dumbledore has done many not so "light" things under a benevolent exterior. Compared to him I believe I am just more open."
"Don't twist things around!" Harry replied angrily.
"I'm not twisting anything. History is written by the victors, the winning side is the righteous side. Dumbledore says that he is working for peace between the wizards and the muggles, I can also say that I am trying to eliminate the fanatical, magic hating and useless muggles." Voldemort lifted his hand to stop Harry from interrupting him, "I know what you want to say, you do not think that is "right" and this has resulted in much dissension and conflict between us, damaging our relationship. But Harry, why are you not thinking about ways to change the situation. When you feel that my actions are beyond your endurance, you can remind and urge me in a better direction, until the plans become something that both you and I can accept, this way you will no longer have to suffer. And with you by my side, I would not be too hard on the muggles."
Harry's head was spinning after hearing Voldemort's words, can the situation be taken this way? It seems to make sense, but there also seemed to be something wrong…
Seeing Harry's reaction, Voldemort knows that his logic processes were completely disrupted and hurriedly added, "The future is in our own hands Harry. Escaping or turning away will not resolve the issues, we must actively try to work on them instead, turn the situation in the direction we wish it to be in. If we try hard enough perhaps our future can become something else altogether."
Harry was stunned. Voldemort's words reminded him of the only real goals he had set for himself after coming to this time, to save his parents who will be murdered by Voldemort in the future, to save Sirius, and to make it so that Remus does not become miserable and destitute after losing both Sirius and his parents. His basis for not deepening his relationship with Voldemort was their past history, history that he was determined to change. If Voldemort does not kill his parents, would Harry still reject him? Or if he became involved with Voldemort, would it be possible that he would not kill his parents?
Harry's thoughts were completely scrambled and he didn't know what to do anymore.
Was the future truly unchangeable?
Voldemort caressed Harry silken black hair, "I will wait, wait for you to think over this clearly, until you understand." After all, Harry was still underage, he had plenty of time.
Voldemort's accommodating attitude caused Harry to let out a relieved sigh, he did need time to truly think about this paradoxical issue.
September 1st, beginning of term at Hogwarts.
Harry's arrival at Platform 9 3/4 this year was much more sensational, a twelve foot snake leading the way, one of the most power men in the magical world walking alongside him, a house elf pulling his luggage behind him.
His compartment was still the last one in the train, but his seat was covered with candy and cakes, Snape was still the only one in the compartment with him.
"Severus, is everything going alright?" Meaning Remus.
Snape nodded, his eyes filled with desolation.
Harry's compartment was quiet as usual, but in the third compartment, the unusually quiet James and Sirius were sitting and studying, not playing any pranks or going in search of Lily.
The evening before, the Potters had spoken with James and Sirius, advancing the mental age of the boys substantially in a single night.
At the time, Mr. Potter had spoken first, "Although Dumbledore hasn't said anything, we can see his concerns, he is worried that there is no one to take over after his is gone."
"That's not possible! Both Sirius and I are available." James objected loudly, exchanging a smug glance with his friend.
"I had thought the two of you would be suitable, but after seeing Harry Potter, I am not so sure." Mr. Potter shook his head sadly.
Sirius was not impressed as he argued, "Everything Harry Potter knows is restricted. Underage wizards are not permitted to apparate, and Avada Kedavra is the worst unforgiveable out of the three. None of these are things respectable children like James and I should know.
Mrs. Potter nodded in agreement with Sirius' words, but immediately presented her counter arguments, "Sirius, you are talking about the peace time rules for underage wizards, but we are not at peace, war might break out at any moment. During the vicious attack on August 15th, some young wizards and witches did survive, some survived because of their parents' sacrifice, others survived because their parents had taught them dark magic or even unforgiveables. Of those children with relatives in the Order of the Phoenix or those from law abiding families who survived, none did so due to their own strength or efforts. On this point the Order is falling well behind the Death Eaters. This makes us greatly concerned over the future and the next generation of the Order."
Mr. Potter continued, "James, Sirius, you both think that it is wrong that Harry Potter can calmly cast the killing curse, is that correct?"
"Of course it's wrong!" Both boys shouted together.
Mr. Potter shook his finger and solemnly explained the situation to his two sons, "Firstly, when facing an enemy, one must stay calm, impatience can lead to defeat, secondly, on the battlefield, it is kill or be killed, if you can damage your enemy and protect yourself, it doesn't matter what spells you use, thirdly, if war breaks out, the ban against the three unforgiveables might as well not exist, your enemies will definitely use them against you, so you must use them against your enemies, that is, if you don't want to die." Seeing the combative, angry expressions on his sons' faces, Mr. Potter continued, "On this point Voldemort and the Death Eaters are way ahead of the Order, Voldemort has raised Harry Potter, a perfect heir. Even if he were to die right now, Harry Potter could take over from him and become the second emperor of the Death Eaters. What about us? If Dumbledore were to pass on, and our generation was no longer around, could you two children, who can't even think about the unforgiveables, really lead the Order of the Phoenix to war?"
"What we just pointed out is not what worries us most. Our biggest concern is the benefits Harry Potter has brought to Voldemort. Harry Potter's actions were too outstanding, not only winning acclaim, a medal and a statue, on some level it has changed how people view Voldemort and the Death Eaters. The people are saying that someone with such a kind nephew could not really be evil. Everyone that Harry Potter saved, and their families, many of them are willing to join the Death Eaters, and that is not counting the boys and girls that idolize him.
"Then what are we going to do? We can't let Voldemort lord it over us!" Sirius was completely enraged.
"The only thing you have to do is grow up as quick as possible. Become more mature and stable, react calmly, even ruthlessly. Learn to look at the big picture and act accordingly, do not let the little things distract you. You need to develop your strengths, you need to know about dark magic to be able to defend against it, you must be able to cast the unforgiveables at will. A war cannot be won by always being just, that would only increase the chance of failure." Mr. Potter made another series of suggestions.
Mrs. Potter guided the boys in another way, "I know that you have been targeting a Slytherin student called Snape."
Sirius smiled proudly and smugly, "James likes a girl so he thought he could demonstrate his abilities in front of her."
"Her name is Lily Evans? I remember you sneaking looks at her." Mrs. Potter was smiling as she looked at her son, but she also dumped a metaphorical bucket of ice water over his head, "I suspect that your behavior has not impressed her in any way, instead it has made her despise you."
"How did you know?" James blurted out, then scratched his head in annoyance, making his hair even more messy.
"I have spent some time with this girl, she is a very thoughtful and honorable child, this is why your behavior can only appear childish and immature in her eyes. A truly dependable man does not need to crush someone else's dignity to demonstrate his own strength, instead he should show his abilities when the girl needs him. Like helping a girl dispatch a Dementor, or killing giants to protect your companions… don't look at me like that," Mrs. Potter was unmoved by her son's indignant gaze, "That's right, I am talking about Harry Potter. Even though he is not on our side, that does not mean I cannot be impressed by him. He is one of the best wizards I have ever seen, adult or underage. As I see it, only Dumbledore may be better than him, and if Voldemort was not so evil, he may also be another.
James restrained Sirius as he was about to jump to his feet in anger, James' eyes were filled with never before seen determination, "I will not lose to him. What he can do, so too can I, what he cannot do, I will be able to." He vowed, he would win the war and utterly defeat Harry Potter.
As usual, Harry and Snape were the last to disembark from the train, Lucius was waiting for them in front of a carriage with his arm around Narcissa. But their eyes kept flicking towards the front of the carriage, Snape looked to see what had caught their attention and froze.
"What's up with you guys?" Harry poked his head out of the carriage and asked.
"There's something… in front of the carriage…" Snape squeezed out between his tightly clenched teeth.
Lucius and Narcissa were also uneasy, "They had never been there before, we thought we were imagining it. At least everyone can see them."
"They were always there, you just couldn't see them before. Only someone who has seen death can see thestrals, they're pretty good for pulling carriages, they fly pretty fast too." Harry placidly related the facts he had learned before, then pulled his head back into the carriage.
Hearing that they were thestrals, the three were quite uneasy, but at least they were able to get into the carriage.
After passing the great lake, the home of the giant squid, the noise of two first years arguing drifted towards them.
"Gryffindor is better! Dumbledore was a Gryffindor!"
"Slytherin is better! Harry Potter is in that house so it must be the best!"
Amusement appeared in the eyes of all four.
Getting out of the carriage, Harry walked up the staircase leading to the Great Hall, the students rushed forward to get a view of him but did not forget to leave a path for him to walk.
"Harry, you are now the most powerful student at Hogwarts." Snape said.
"In the near future, you will become an heir that Professor Voldemort could depend on." Lucius concurred.
Harry did not comment, in truth he gave the matter no thought, that was not his goal, his future… he just wanted to live peacefully, if Voldemort would let him.
Four students rushed past but after a glance at Harry and the others, slowed then turned back.
The one in the lead had messy black hair, deep blue eyes and features similar to Harry, as well as a similar figure, although this person was more sturdy—James Potter.
Harry wrinkled his brow, in the past five years, James had started needling Snape the moment they got off the carriages, he had thought that after these particular summer holidays, this arrogant fellow would curb his actions given that Harry had saved his life, it appears that he had expected too much. It was not entirely unexpected, even on that dark and bloody night, James had been filled with animosity toward him.
Coldly watching James descend the stairs until they were on a level, Harry took a deep breath and like Snape, who stood beside him with his body wound tight, he prepared for battle.
Unexpectedly—
"Harry Potter, thank you for saving my life that night, and thank you for saving Sirius and Remus." James' smile was stiff, but his gratitude was sincere though his voice was a little loud, it was clearly audible to the students around he and Harry. "Snape, thank you for saving Remus."
Harry and Snape looked at each other blankly, Lucius and Narcissa were likewise confused.
What was James Potter doing?
"I'm sorry Harry Potter, my friends and I behaved badly that day, I hope you will not take it to heart." James didn't seem to have seen the guardedness and astonishment in Harry's eyes and continued on, "Snape, I must apologize to you for the things I have done in the past, I hope that you can forgive me."
Sirius immediately repeated the same sentiments in his own words.
They're up to something!
Harry and Snape exchanged a look, then unobtrusively glanced at Lucius, "It's nothing James Potter, we're all fellow students here, there was no need to apologize to me so formally. I accept your apology." No matter what James was up to and no matter what would happen later, given that James had apologized, it was necessary for them to be magnanimous in return.
Snape nodded at James, "Like Harry said, we are all fellow students. As you have not been too hard on me in the past, and have now formally apologized, let the past be put to rest."
"I'm awed but your generosity." James still seemed quite sincere as he looked at Harry, "Harry Potter, I hear that you will be Slytherin's new seeker."
"That's right."
James' eyes brightened, "I look forward to our match in October, it's bound to be very exhilarating."
"It will not disappoint you James Potter." Harry's smiled slightly.
"Well, we'll just go then." James acted as though he had just been chatting with a friend, then calmly left.
"What was he trying to do?" Lucius asked with revulsion, "He wouldn't really be trying to be friendly with Slytherins right?"
Harry shook his head as he smiled, "Of course not." He eyes swept to the side for a moment, "He's only acknowledging his mistakes in the past, we can only say he is growing up and taking responsibility. This can only be good for his image."
Lucius followed Harry's gaze then raised his brow, "I don't think that that is sufficient reason, he must be planning something else."
Snape's voice was chilly as usual, "I also believe that James Potter is not someone who will bow his head for a woman."
Harry smiled confidently, "Who cares, it's not like he could better Slytherins in strategy?"
"You're right, that is Slytherin's strength." Lucius raised his head in pride.
"We can turn his schemes back on him, let's see what kind of plans those idiots with more brawn than brains can come up with!" Snape's smile was evil.
"Hey, Lily, did you see that? James apologized to Harry Potter and Snape! That's… I'm not saying that James was wrong to apologize, what he used to do to Snape was quite unbearable."
"… it seems that he is finally growing up after having faced death and Harry did not save his life in vain. That is how a Gryffindor should be like, isn't it?"
"Um, that's true. Hey, Lily, if James has really changed, would you like him?"
"Who knows whether that impatient fellow had really changed or if he's just planning something?"
A/N: This is so exciting, we are finally approaching the point where Crownofglory stopped, there will be "new" content on the next post! I hesitated over whether to start from the beginning but I truly feel that I can get a better feel for the characters this way. Sorry for making all of you wait so long for new content, hopefully I will be able to get the new post out tomorrow, or the day after at the latest. ; )
