Voldemort stalked past shelf after shelf full of old tomes and ancient texts. He grabbed a random book, angrily ripping it to shreds before tossing it into the fireplace. He'd searched his entire private library and hadn't located anything the least bit helpful.
"Find anything?" Miss Fallow asked from the doorway.
He shook his head. "No, and I just realized that I donated my best books to Hogwarts. Perhaps a trip is in order."
"But what about Harry? The poor lad's very upset."
Voldemort ran a hand through his hair as he considered his options. Leaving Harry at the castle while he ran to Hogwarts wasn't the best option at the moment. The boy had been extremely despondent since their visit to Diagon Alley. But taking the child to Hogwarts wasn't the best idea either. School was still in session and the place would be teeming with children.
"I'll go have a talk with Harry and see what he'd like to do. Perhaps a visit to Hogwarts would cheer the boy up."
The corridor outside Harry's bedroom was completely silent, which was a very odd thing considering that Harry and Nagini usually make enough noise to wake the dead. Voldemort slowly opened the bedroom door and peeked inside. Harry sat on the bed, wand held limply in his hand.
"Harry," he called out, "Would you like to visit Hogwarts today? I need to do some research and it seems I've donated some of my best books to the school's library."
The child's expression grew worried. "Won't it be full of children…students?"
Voldemort nodded. "I assure you they know better then to bother me or anyone with me. I know it's hard to believe Harry, but even my name frightens most witches and wizards." He moved to sit next on the bed so Harry could lean against his side.
"I always forget that," Harry chuckled and Voldemort grinned, giving the boy a light squeeze.
"Now get your good robes on. No reason we shouldn't look presentable and scare some first years at the same time."
"But I'm smaller then the first years," Harry protested, "How could they be afraid of me? I can't even get my wand to work."
The Dark Lord moved to one knee and took Harry's small hands in his own. "Do you feel that Harry?"
Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "You feel it too?"
Voldemort nodded. "I can feel your magic Harry, just as you can feel mine. I don't know why it's like that for us, but I have a feeling that is somehow connected to this mystery with your wand. That's why I want to go to Hogwarts. I want to research magical connections and bonds, so will you accompany me?"
"Okay, but I want to explore the castle a bit. Oh! Can I go to a class? I want to see what classes look like and…"
"And?" Voldemort questioned.
A frown tugged at Harry's mouth. "It's nothing really, but I want to see what other children are like. I've only ever seen them at Diagon Alley. I've only been able to watch them from a distance."
Voldemort frowned at that. He didn't know if he wanted Harry spending time with other children. "We'll see what can be worked out once we're there. I have a set of rooms in above the Headmaster's tower, perhaps we might sleep there for a few nights."
"Shouldn't you tell the Headmaster that we're coming?"
The Dark Lord grinned evilly. "And ruin the surprise?"
The two apparated to Hogsmeade and walked to the gates of Hogwarts. It was a beautiful fall day and Voldemort enjoyed the sound of dry leaves crunching under his feet. Harry was stiff in his arms due to nervousness, but he didn't mention it to the boy, knowing that calling attention to fear can only make it worse.
A class was taking place out on the grounds near the forest. "Must be Care of Magical Creatures," he commented idly. "Would you like to go and see what they're studying today?"
Harry stared at the large group of students with a worried expression in his bright green eyes. "You won't leave me with them, will you?"
"Of course not," the Dark Lord stated, placing the boy on the ground and grabbing a hold of one of the boy's hands. "We'll walk over together."
The professor didn't notice them stroll up behind the students, at least he didn't notice right away. Once he did he was a bit more than flustered, which made all the students turn to stare.
"My Lord," Professor Simmons whispered in an awed tone before falling to one knee and the students did the same a second later.
"Good morning Professor Simmons, students," he greeted in a polite but hard tone. "Please continue with the lesson. Harry is quite curious as to what you might be studying today."
"Of course, My Lord," the man stammered as he rose to his feet. The students remained sitting on the ground. Voldemort pulled Harry toward the front so he'd be able to hear the professor.
"Today we're studying runespoors," Simmons continued, "Of course I haven't actually been able to acquire one, so we're mostly reading from a few books on the subject."
"Really," Voldemort interrupted. "Give me a few days and I'll see what I can do. I'm sure I can at least get you two or three." He flashed the students a charming smile. "Hogwarts is the best school in Europe and its students deserve the best education. Don't you agree?"
Professor Simmons nodded shakily. "Certainly, My Lord. Thank you so much, My Lord."
"Come along Harry," Voldemort commanded as he headed toward the castle.
Harry was glad to get away. "Doesn't it get awfully annoying to have people act like that all the time?"
Voldemort couldn't help but grin. "It's respect through fear," he explained, "and it's just the way I want people to act in my presence."
The child's brow furrowed. "But it still seems like it would get awful sickening to have everyone treat you that way."
"That's why I keep you around," Voldemort chuckled, "You don't act like that."
"I used to when I was small," Harry stated with a slight wince. "Give me a good smack if I ever act like that again."
"You're still small. Ow!" He rubbed the side of his leg where Harry had slugged him. "See what I mean, no one else would have the guts to physically attack me."
Harry grinned. "Miss Fallow does all the time when you help me break rules and I'm not small, I'm nearly six and a half."
"Well that's different, Miss Fallow is a demon in disguise…bloody tyrant, that's what she is."
The library was as quiet as a funeral when they stepped through the large oak doors. Madam Pince was sitting behind her desk, watching the children as if they were all hooligans that would destroy the place if she were to turn away for even a moment. Voldemort felt a great deal of respect for the woman when she showed no surprise at his entrance.
"My Lord," she greeted in barely a whisper. "Is there anything I can help you find?"
He shook his head. "I'll be heading to the Restricted Section," he explained. "Harry will be with me most of the day but he may wander a bit."
Pince looked down her nose at the small boy. "Hello Mr. Potter. I'm sure I need not tell you the rules of the library."
"No ma'am," Harry replied politely. "No food or drink and no loud talking."
She nodded, a slight grin tugging at the corner of her mouth. "And do be careful in the Restricted Section. Some of the older books are very…temperamental."
Harry followed the Dark Lord to the Restricted Section, excited to take a closer look at some of the rare books contained there, but something else drew his attention. All around were students of different sizes and ages studying at low tables. Voldemort must have noticed his interest.
"Go and wander Harry. Observe."
Harry nodded and sucked in a deep breath, pooling his courage. The teenagers didn't look very intimidating and he'd been living with the Dark Lord for the past few years, why should he be afraid. Keeping that air of superiority around him like a cocoon he ventured forth, silently daring the children to give him an odd look.
As it was, most of the children were highly engrossed in their studies so most didn't give him any looks, let alone any odd ones. Those that did appeared mildly surprised, but too frightened to say anything. Harry came to the decision that most children were boring and he was lucky to have Voldemort to spend his days with. He wandered to the Restricted Section and found Voldemort diligently perusing the shelves. Harry noticed that all of the books seemed to be behaving themselves while the Dark Lord was near.
"Find anything?" He asked quietly.
Voldemort shook his head. "I need to go and speak with Dumbledore. I have a feeling that he'll have some information for me. Would you like to go with me or stay here?"
"I don't want to stay in a boring old library all day. Can I explore a bit?"
"As long as you're careful," Voldemort stated firmly, "and take Nagini with you. I think she'll be bored with me." He hissed something to the snake and she nodded her head.
Voldemort watched as Harry and Nagini disappeared around the corner. He was sure they'd be fine. Harry was more than a match for most of the younger students at Hogwarts, even without a wand and Nagini was enough to scare even the boldest sixth or seventh year.
"I need to use your office Severus," he commanded as he opened the door to the Headmaster's office.
Snape sputtered for a few seconds before regaining his wits. "Of course My Lord. I only wish you would have told me you were coming so I'd be a bit more prepared."
"What's to prepare?" Voldemort questioned. "The house elves do everything around here. By the way, Harry and I will be staying in my private rooms for a few days. I'll be doing some research in the library."
"And where is Mr. Potter?" Snape gave him a curious look.
Voldemort shrugged. "In the castle somewhere, but don't worry, I sent Nagini off with him. Perhaps you should go and make sure she hasn't bitten any of the students yet. She can be a bit paranoid at times." Without a word Severus rushed from his office.
"Now that we're alone, I need to speak with you." He strolled over to stand in front of Dumbledore's portrait. The old man was giving him a questioning look. "I took Harry to get his wand."
"He's a bit young, isn't he?" Dumbledore interrupted.
Voldemort ignored the question. "The wand didn't work even though Ollivander assured me that the wand is Harry's. You would be interested to know as well that the wand is holly with a phoenix feather core. The feather came from Fawkes."
"Brother wands," gasped Dumbledore. "How curious."
"Yes, isn't it," the Dark Lord agreed, tapping his wand against his thigh. "Ollivander suggested the Harry isn't truly Harry Potter. Really it was as if he didn't even notice the boy was with me until I pointed him out. I know Harry's not too young to use magic; he uses my wand all the time. So what am I missing here?"
"What did Ollivander say exactly?"
"He said the connection is missing something but he hadn't an idea what it might be."
Dumbledore ran a hand over his long white beard. "A connection," he murmured.
"I expect he means the connection Harry should have with his wand."
"Perhaps," Dumbledore shrugged. "It all sounds very ominous."
"I fear," Voldemort stumbled over his words, finding it hard to admit that he feared anything. "I fear that I may have made a mistake when I took Harry. Perhaps things were supposed to work out differently."
"Do you regret not killing him?" Dumbledore asked with a most serious expression on his aged face.
Voldemort shook his head fiercely. "No, I don't regret it. But perhaps Harry was supposed to die that night. What if fate is attempting to take him away from me?"
"I do not think so."
"Then what?"
"Tom, have you ever heard the prophecy in its entirety?"
He shook his head.
Dumbledore sighed. "I supposed it doesn't truly matter if I tell you now. Would you like to hear it?"
Voldemort hesitated for a moment. Did he truly want to hear the prophecy that had sent him to kill Harry? After a few moments thought, he nodded his head and motioned for Dumbledore to proceed.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies."
The room seemed to spin around his feet as he absorbed the words. He had been so close to killing Harry and perhaps he'd still have to. The prophecy did say that neither could live while the other survives.
"Does it mean I have to kill him?" He asked, his voice sounding pathetic to his own ears.
"Divination is a sketchy business. By taking Harry instead of attacking him you changed the future."
"I never marked him as my equal."
Dumbledore nodded. "Who knows what would have happened if you would have tried to kill Harry? The prophecy couldn't have been valid yet because you hadn't marked the boy as equal and as far as I know, you still haven't."
"No and I don't even know how I would. But what if that has something to do with Harry's wand not working. The basilisk said something strange as well about Harry's voice being an odd color. She said he's missing a piece of his soul."
Dumbledore steepled his fingers within his frame. "I fear telling you this, but feel that it is more dangerous to allow you to stumble in the dark. There is a room here in Hogwarts that has been kept hidden for hundreds of years."
Voldemort nodded. "I assume you're not speaking of the Room of Requirement. Well, what's special about this certain room?"
"The Room of May Have Been," explained Dumbledore. "There is little information regarding its construction. The only thing I was able to discover was Rowena Ravenclaw came up with the idea and it was she who locked it away after realizing the danger it posed."
"But what does this room do? Why is it so dangerous?"
"It is as the name suggests, a room which shows you what may have been. I have to admit that I used it once in my time as Headmaster, but found it too…disconcerting."
"But does it show you the truth?" Voldemort asked.
Dumbledore shrugged. "Who can know? It shows a person what may have been if a past decision was changed."
"So you're saying that I could walk into this room and it could show me what might have happened if I would have killed Harry?"
The old wizard nodded sagely. "But be aware that you have no hand in events within the room, you may only watch. It can be very difficult to see tragedies happening all around when you have no recourse. Also remember, whatever it shows you, good or bad, cannot be changed. As you know, there is no way to change the past."
"Tell me where I can find this room."
"Are you certain that…"
He cut the former Headmaster off. "Tell me where it is."
Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "It is here in this room, behind the fireplace. Severus does not know it is there and I ask you not to inform him of the room's existence. I fear what it might do to him."
"Of course," Voldemort agreed before turning toward the fireplace. "How do I enter?"
"Walk into the fireplace with your hand outstretched and ask your question in your mind. Push on the top right stone within the fireplace and the room will do the rest. Remember, you may only change one decision or action and it must be something that you were responsible for. You cannot see what may have been if someone else may have done something differently."
Voldemort nodded, his lips set in a stiff line. It would hurt him to see a world where Harry had died as a babe, but it was something he needed to see. He needed to know what might have been different. Would he be more powerful now if he would have killed the boy then?
He held out his outstretched hand and walked into the fireplace. "I wish to see what may have been if I would have chosen to kill Harry Potter." He reached up slowly and pushed the stone. The world around him disappeared in a swirl of color. When things became clear again he found himself standing in a familiar nursery.
"Avada Kedavra," he heard his own voice hiss malevolently.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for all the reviews and support.
In the next chapter: Harry and Nagini have a bit of an adventure while Voldemort sees what may have been if he'd done what he'd originally set out to do, kill Harry Potter.