Darkness Is My Ally
Disclaimer: SEE FIRST CHAPTERS
Plot: Dumbledore's worst nightmare seems to have come to pass: finding Harry at Wool's Orphanage and then seeing him in Slytherin, the headmaster is faced with the prospect of another Tom Riddle, but the real truth about Harry is darker than he could ever imagine.
Author's Note: Now, before I get onto this story, I can take a guess at what you're thinking: DZ2, where did THIS come from?
The answer to that is that, lately, I've been working on Supernatural-themed stories and so, with a bit of imagination, I decided to complete what I call the dark trinity of Supernatural characters: Vampire, Werewolf and now…well, you'll see when I write it. Beyond that, I only hope my readers enjoy the story and enjoy how I add to my dark repertoire.
As always, I'm not going to rant this time, but if you don't like it then DON'T READ IT!
Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this story to my friend Winged Seer Wolf, who has always encouraged my dark side to show itself; my recommended reads are Demon Contract by 9foxgrl, Hadrian Potter, Darkness Rising by AvatarVecna and The Rise of A Dark Lord by Little Miss Xanda; three amazing Dark Harry stories.
Hadrian/Pansy
Eventual Neville/Hermione
Other Pairings TBC
Normal Speech
'Thought'
'Shadow Speech'
/Parseltongue/
Review Answers:
Lu Bu: That's not what I had in mind, but the reference is well-earned, I'd say;
T4: Maybe…or maybe our favourite SK had something a little more devious in mind;
Winged Seer Wolf: Shoulda, woulda, coulda; in the end, the git got more than he deserved…but is it over yet, I wonder?
StormyFireDragon: Here's where all is revealed, Storm: I hope it was worth the wait;
Jordan Cross: It's not going to be a love-based thing, but it's something like a slave-thing: just think of it as one of those new ideas I've wanted to have a go with for a long while now;
"This will be your point of no return," Hadrian explained, his eyes looking at Neville as he added, "From here, I'll expect your full loyalty: not even the Brotherhood knows what I'm about to tell you."
"But why are you telling me this?"
"Because it's how I'll give you the power you so rightly deserve," Hadrian answered, noticing a look in Neville's eyes akin to malice mixed with wonder. "But only if you're sure about what I have to tell you."
"I…I'm sure," Neville answered.
"Then tell me, Neville Longbottom," Hadrian replied, his eyes now holding a hint of raw power to them as he asked, "Have you ever heard the rather spell-binding story of Lord Acheron?"
Chapter 13: DIMA: How It All Began
After the disappearance of Lockhart, the final life-pledging step of Neville and the revelation about his mentor, Hadrian felt like the end of the year couldn't come around fast enough. In the run-up to the end of the year, Hadrian had Neville keep a close eye on Hermione as he explained how it was a sign that the once-broken Gryffindor could work with the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange.
As for the Brotherhood, they remained closer to their King than ever before: Pansy, Draco and Blaise helped Hadrian give life to what some called the Silver Quartet, but, on the inside, the infamous foursome were not so willing to let names spoil their time together. Blaise and Draco kept an eye on Hadrian's work as they worked with him and for him to ensure he remained at the top of the class, right where the Slytherin King belonged.
As for Pansy, she spent her time close to Hadrian, keeping an eye on him with an air of comfort and support that she only ever showed when she was allowed to join the boys in their dorm or stand near Hadrian's self-appointed throne. Whenever she was here, she would soothe her King with gentle massages to his shoulders or she would be on hand to act as his sword for any that showed resistance or trouble for the Slytherin King.
Pretty soon, it was a well-known fact to every Slytherin that their blood meant nothing when compared to the power of the King and so, just before the end of term, the entire House proved their loyalty to Hadrian when, as he returned from one of the last days of lessons, every snake bowed their heads to him in submission. Some of them even went to their knees and waited for Hadrian to step past them before they moved again.
'My power has them frightened,' Hadrian thought, smirking to himself as he made for the dorm; once inside, he drew out Tom Riddle's diary and, opening its pages, he wrote, 'Are you there?'
'Always,' replied Tom, before, a few moments later, a black ooze began to form from the pages and, when Hadrian looked up, he saw Tom standing there: it had been a surprise when the spirit of the diary had done this for the first time, but over time, Hadrian got used to it.
He was also surprised at the similarities between him and Tom Riddle when he was younger: they both had pale skin and Tom's eyes had a hint of darkness to them that was both inspiring and welcoming. Their dark hair fell to the same patterned state behind their left ears and, when Tom spoke, it was with an air of dominance and command.
Though, of course, such tricks didn't work on Hadrian as he closed the diary and, looking to the spirit, he told him, "It's almost time, Riddle: soon you'll have the power you need to become flesh and blood, but, before we get to that stage, I have a question for you."
"Ask away," Tom reasoned, sitting down on one of the other beds, though in his spectral form, he was as weighed down and physically heavy as a ghost.
"I've been feeding you small portions of my magic through the diary," Harry reasoned, "We have similarities in that our lives are almost equal and yet, where you have failed, I will succeed."
"I don't hear a question, Hadrian," Tom observed, but Hadrian wasn't done.
"You are Voldemort," he told him, his eyes as cold as ice as he glared at Tom, "So here's my question: you come back, flesh and blood, as a reborn Dark Lord: what will that mean for our little…relationship?"
Tom gave a half-hearted chuckle before he looked to Hadrian's green eyes as he spoke, "I've had months to think about this, you know? Thinking about ways to turn your power to my advantage, but each and every time I do, I'm reminded of one small fact. And that is that, while I would return to the world, it would merely be as my sixteen year old self and as Tom Riddle."
"Yes."
"So I began to think of my own future," Tom continued, "And I thought about the other me that's out there looking for a way to return to the world: when he meets me, he'll try and claim my power and make it his own. And, as much as we are alike, I find myself being forced to admit that…I don't want that to happen."
"So what do you want?" asked Hadrian, looking somewhere between curious and determined as he asked, "My death?"
"No," Tom answered, before he rose from the bed and, crossing to Hadrian, he kneeled before him in the same manner that the Slytherins had done, his eyes lowered as he admitted, "I want…I choose to serve you, Hadrian: with my knowledge and your power, I can help make you the greatest Dark Lord in history. I don't request anything in return as you have done with others on your side; all I ask is what anybody would ask: I ask to live."
"Really?"
"Yes," Tom answered, looking up at Hadrian as he explained, "We are the same with our lives, though your power is greater than mine and it always will be: like you have your apprentice, you've also told me of the truth behind your greatness and, knowing it as I do, I know it's a fool's errand to challenge that. You have a darkness in you that I will never hold and I'm not afraid to admit that: therefore, rather than risk going back into the empty abyss of death, I am prepared to pledge my life in servitude and aide to you. I will help you either conquer or destroy my other self and I will tell you anything you want to know about my power and abilities."
"But what's going to stop you from turning your back on this?" asked Hadrian, looking into Tom's dark brown eyes as he added, "What is stopping you from breaking the pact with me and going over to the side of your other self?"
"I know the risks of such an act," Tom explained, smirking as he added, "But I will give you what you ask, my King: once we are free and clear and I have my full corporeal body back, I will pledge myself in the only way I know how: an Unbreakable Vow of allegiance to you. Then, should I do that which you question me about, my soul is yours, my King."
A smile touched Hadrian's lips before he asked, "And, on estimate, how long should it take you to regain your corporeal self, Tom? After all, you know that this is the year where everything changes for me as well."
"I do," Tom agreed, smiling himself as he added, "I shall be human by the time the moon has passed its second closed state: translation…a month and a half."
"Just in time for my thirteenth, then?" Hadrian reasoned, earning a nod from Tom before the Slytherin King added, "Tick-tock, Tom: tick-tock goes the clock, until the midnight hour; tick-tock goes the clock then you bow to my power!"
Darkness Is My Ally
Dumbledore was at his wits' end;
Harry was still in the dark with his decisions to walk alone and, flanked by known Death Eater heirs and heiresses, the boy now had no real qualms about showing off his power to those who stood in his way. When he'd heard that Lockhart was missing, the headmaster's first thought was that Hadrian had done away with him, but when there'd been no reports since Halloween, it was inevitable that the old man had realised how he'd done it.
The Chamber of Secrets had been opened again, just like when Tom Riddle was at Hogwarts, and just like then, there was an unexplained death and a mysterious disappearance.
Harry was becoming too much like Tom for Dumbledore's tastes;
Thankfully, the disappearance of Lockhart gave him an exciting opportunity to get the boy back on his side before it was too late;
It was time to call on an old acquaintance.
One who would ensure the boy's return to the Light and back to the path that sent him back into the darkness…
The darkness of Death!
Darkness Is My Ally
Returning to Malfoy Manor was like going home again for Hadrian, though the Slytherin King did not let his guard down;
Instead, he waited with Draco and Hermione for the arrival of their other guests, the eyes of the Slytherin King filled with strength and determination as he watched the setting sun.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Draco, though the cold-eyed glare of his liege-lord told him that it was a pretty stupid question.
"Better now than afterwards when it's too late to turn back," Hadrian mused, his words cut off as the gates of Malfoy Manor suddenly rippled with magic and, seconds later, Ginny, Blaise, Pansy, Theo, Neville, Daphne and Luna all walked through them, the Brotherhood members making their way towards him where they bowed at his feet like the warriors they were.
"Rise," Hadrian commanded, each member of the House obeying his command as they stood and, following Hadrian inside, they listened as he addressed them, "I know you'd rather be resting at home with this, but there are things you need to know. For you see, from the end of next month, things will be changing and, when I return to Hogwarts, it will not be as the Hadrian that you think you know. Neville knows this already; Draco, you've suspected it and there's one other who knows the truth of this as well. But today is the day where your questions will be answered and, at the end of it, you'll be given a choice."
"What choice?" asked Ginny, watching as Hadrian led them into a study where, to their mixed reactions of surprise and shock, Lucius, Narcissa and Bellatrix were all standing, the eyes of the wild-haired witch watching as Neville glared at her.
"In a minute," Hadrian answered Ginny, nudging Neville as he added, "Go on: it's okay, you can say it."
Steeling his resolve, the Dark Apprentice approached Bellatrix before he lifted his hand and, without any remorse or malice, he smacked her clean across the cheek, leaving a pretty deep mark while he also grabbed her by the throat, the eyes of the Lestrange woman watching as neither her daughter nor her honorary son did anything to stop him.
"You," Neville snarled, his voice edged by darkness as he spoke, "You get this through your head right now, you bitch! I don't like you; I'll never forgive you and I do not like the fact that you still live and breathe. The only reason I'm not even going to bother killing you is because you are of use to my Master and you have helped turn him into the Dark Lord we know he is. But be warned, if and when that pretender comes back, if you even think of jumping ship, I will break you into a thousand pieces and feed you to my Master's newest pet!"
With that, he threw Bellatrix down onto the ground before he turned and, dropping to one knee, Neville spoke with calm determination, "Master, I have spoken my words and you have given me the right to do so: I am now yours forevermore! Command me as your servant, use me as your tool; teach me as your apprentice. Whatever you ask, I will serve!"
"Thank you, Neville," Hadrian remarked, moving to a chair next to Lucius while the Malfoy Lord conjured more for the Brotherhood; once everyone was seated, Hadrian took a deep breath before he added, "You can show yourself now."
From the shadows of the study, Tom Riddle appeared, his eyes fixed on the members of the group before he approached Hadrian's chair and, like Neville, he lowered himself down in homage to his leader, who nodded once while Tom rose and went to sit next to Draco.
"As you can see, Ginny," Hadrian told her, smiling with cold victory in his gaze, "I have taken great pleasure in using your gift to me: now, you asked me about the price and here it is."
As the Brotherhood members watched, Hadrian made a gesture with his hand and, seconds later, they all shivered as they felt his bloodlust and killer's instinct rearing up from where he was sat. As the feeling intensified, only Ginny and Theo trembled as they'd felt the power of this influence only once; the others, however, lowered their heads as they endured the dark power of the Slytherin King.
"You feel that?" asked Hadrian.
They nodded.
"That is my true power level," Hadrian explained, "And what I am about to tell you is not to be repeated: no matter what you do, no matter how you're threatened or plagued by those who would see us as weaklings, you say nothing about this. Or else, simply put, you will never see another dawn!"
There were a few moments of silence from the Brotherhood before Hadrian continued, "Since you do not flee from this power, I assume then that you are willing to be mine to the very end: not unlike the Death Eaters to my friend's other self, you will be my warriors, my soldiers and my aides in achieving my one true destiny. Is this what I see before me?"
As one, the Brotherhood answered in the correct turn of phrase, "Yes, my Lord!"
"Then," Hadrian added, indicating each of them as he spoke, "Before you become mine officially, come before me and pledge yourselves, but, as I told Neville when he heard the tale I am about to tell you, this is the point of no return!"
One by one, the Brotherhood rose, including Tom, though he was not yet fully corporeal: approaching Hadrian, each of them kneeled in turn before they swore their oaths:
"I, Blaise Romero Zabini, pledge myself to the teachings and path of Hadrian James Potter; forever am I his to command, punish, order and use as he sees fit until death doth claim me or my lord and master release me; so I pledge it, so mote it be."
"I, Hermione Jezebel Lestrange, pledge…"
"I, Draconis Alexander Malfoy, pledge…"
"I, Neville Franklin Longbottom, pledge…"
"I, Daphne Alyssa Greengrass, pledge…"
"I, Theodore Adrian Nott, pledge…"
"I, Luna Artemis Lovegood, pledge…"
"I, Ginevra Isis Lovegood, pledge…"
"I, Pansy Kristen Park…"
"No," Hadrian added as the Parkinson Heiress went to make her oath; while the magic touched the others and made a few of them – Theo, Ginny and Neville – shiver with a dreaded cold, Hadrian stopped Pansy as he told her, "Not you, Parkinson: your oath will come, but I have another offer for you. One that will become clear once my last warrior swears his vow."
"I am prepared," Tom reasoned, earning a smile from Hadrian.
"Your magic will make the vow for you, Riddle," he told the former Dark Lord, "But you won't swear it as Tom Riddle: after giving it some thought, I have a new name for you and it is the name you will take from this day forth. After all, the Tom Riddle I know and loathe destroyed my life before another helped me rebuild it: since you are my sword and my servant, you will not remain as Tom Riddle."
"Then as whom, my King?" asked Riddle, watching as Hadrian rose before he walked over to the spirit, who bowed his head as Hadrian put his hand on top of his head.
"The boy you were in the diary is dead," Hadrian explained, "Through darkness and death, you are reborn like the phoenix and it is through that darkness that you shall be named. Tom Marvolo Riddle is no more: now you are Lucien Anubis Drake…and you are forgiven for the crimes of your other self. Rise, Lucien: and proclaim your vow."
Tom, or Lucien as he was known from that day on, moved to stand next to Pansy as Hadrian returned to his throne; once the King was seated, Lucien dropped to one knee and spoke his vow, "I, Lucien Anubis Drake, pledge myself to the teachings and path of Hadrian James Potter; forever am I his to command, punish, order and use as he so wishes. If I fail in this duty, my life is his to take and my soul is his to destroy: all I am, I pledge to his service, all I have, I give to him: so I pledge it, so mote it be!"
The magic of Lucien's vow was even stronger than the others and, when it faded away, the boy once known as Tom Riddle was truly no more: now, he was a straw-blonde-haired young man with sharp, amber-coloured eyes like those of a hawk. His features were sharper and more pronounced and, when he spoke, it was with a mesmerising, but haunting hissing tone – think Anakin in ROTS after being turned.
With the vow and the change complete, Hadrian let Lucien return to his fellow warriors before he turned his gaze on Pansy, who lowered her head as she waited for his orders.
"Pansy Kristen Parkinson," Hadrian mused, speaking each word of her name with a cold sense of amusement to his tone, "You challenged me when we first met, do you remember?"
"I do, Sire," Pansy answered.
"You redeemed yourself when you saw and felt my true power, do you remember?"
"Yes Sire."
"And when you found out a secret about my weakness, you did not exploit it, but you remained loyal to me, yes?"
"Yes."
"Then," Hadrian replied, looking first to the Malfoys, who nodded with unspoken support before Hadrian returned his gaze to Pansy as he added, "I'd like to reward that loyalty, Pansy: you pledged your fealty to me, now I wish to give you something. Instead of pledging yourself again, Miss Parkinson, I'd like to reward your devotion to me…by naming you as my Consort to the Slytherin King!"
There were gasps of shock from the group while Hadrian remained pretty easily stone-faced; Pansy, meanwhile, looked to the adults in the room before she returned her gaze to Hadrian as she asked, "M-Me, Hadrian? Why?"
"If I were to seek a consort," Hadrian mused, "I would actually have to feel love and devotion for them as they would for me: but for the feeble minds of the females of our institution, I am little more than a trophy for them to win. Even young Ginny felt the same way before I helped her see the light, is that not true, Ginny?"
"Yes, my Lord," Ginny answered, though she was just as equally surprised as the rest of them.
"Therefore," Hadrian mused, "Since I don't truly know what love is and have never felt it except in the care and support provided to me by Bellatrix and the Malfoys, I knew I needed someone who didn't care for love and would be proud and honoured to stand by my side, share my throne, my reign and, eventually, my bed and bear me an heir to this. I needed someone devoted to me to the point of death, even beyond life and magic and, when you made that vow to me, I knew you were a likely candidate, Pansy. So, what do you say?"
Pansy didn't know what to say: admittedly, she'd always felt a small sense of dark attraction towards Hadrian's power, but never had she expected such a twist as this. As she looked into those eyes, she saw a hint of innocence coupled with the same dark want that Hadrian always showed whenever learning about magic or demonstrating his power.
Another thing that Pansy knew was that, with his third-year approaching, Hadrian was also going to show signs of being drawn to those of the opposite sex, but he wasn't about to let the mushy business of love ruin his chances at power. No, this was why he wanted a consort: in a way, he was saying that she could love him, but as long as it didn't disrupt his plans, endanger his future or change him from the powerful sorcerer he had become.
That was it, wasn't it?
"Yes," Pansy answered, though the word seemed to come to her unbidden; stepping forwards, she spread her robe and lowered herself completely before Hadrian, her eyes low as she told him, "If it is what you want, my King…then I shall be yours…your Consort."
"Then rise, Pansy," Hadrian told her, watching as she obliged him before he added, "Come; stand by my side while you learn the true secrets of my power…as will you all."
When Pansy stood at his side, she could swear that, for a moment, a tendril of magic seemed to snake out from Hadrian's body and wrap around her like a serpent, its dark energy digging right into the core of her soul and, in her mind, she heard the same condemning words from before, 'I shall be yours…'
Gathering herself, Pansy looked down as Hadrian linked his fingers before he began to speak, "To fully understand where this comes from and what it all has to do with me, we have to go back even further than my lifetime: to a time when magic was all dark because it was not our own kind that feared it, but Muggles! In those days, one sorcerer rose above the ranks of others and ensured that fear became something witches and wizards fed upon rather than acted upon from the emotions of Muggles: his name was Lord Acheron!"
"Acheron?" asked Hermione, earning a nod from Hadrian.
"The darkest river in mythological history for its border with the plains of Hell," Hadrian added, smirking knowingly as he added, "Lord Acheron was a master with the darkness: he could make it do anything he desired and, in time, he no longer needed a wand, sceptre or staff to work his will. Instead, he just envisioned it within his own darkness and, pardon the pun, but like magic, it happened: however, as all must do, Acheron soon passed on and, before he did, he taught his knowledge to his disciples, who took it upon themselves to create a bastion where fear and darkness ran rampant. A bastion that still exists today, in fact: any guesses?"
"Azkaban," Draco muttered, earning a nod from Hadrian.
"Bingo: Azkaban, once known as Acheron Castle, was the very bastion where the power of darkness ran rampant, filling the people within it with powers beyond imagination. However, over time, the goody-goodies of Light caught onto it and turned it into a prison, believably sealing the powers within for all time, but this was not so. For the true Acheron Castle existed in a Shadow Plane, a dimension between our world and the realm of darkness and it was there that the soul of Lord Acheron still reigned…waiting…and watching."
"So…are you Acheron?" asked Hermione, earning a smirk from Hadrian.
"Spoilers," Hadrian chuckled, leaning back into his throne as he explained, "Let me finish the story first, Hermione: anyway, around about thirteen years ago now, a Seer under the banner of Acheron made a prophecy claiming that Acheron's Son, the Heir of Darkness itself, would return to the world. A prophecy, I should add, which was known to all that flew under Acheron's banner, such as the members of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black!"
"The One?" asked Draco, noticing a nod from his Father.
"Your Mother told me its meaning when we were alerted to the prophecy's creation," Lucius explained, standing now at Hadrian's left-hand side much as he had done for a certain other Dark Lord. "On that day, my Mark as a member of Voldemort's forces was erased from my flesh and I was devoted to finding the Son and aiding him in any way I could."
"What did this…prophecy say?" asked Hermione, looking to the others as she asked, "I mean, do you know it?"
"I do," Hadrian smirked, before he glanced along the group's number as he added, "But how about you, my dear Dark Oracle? Do you know of the Prophecy of Shadows?"
"Do you wish me to recite it, my King?" asked Luna, earning a nod from Hadrian before she cleared her throat and, standing up for emphasis, she began to speak:
Into this generation shall come a truly malevolent child
One whom shall tame the darkness and work with chaotic forces so wild
A child blessed with powers beyond the human mind
A boy who will bridge a gap between human and demon-kind
But when the child returns to his world and the hands of fate shall turn
Then the shadows shall rise and fires of vengeance burn
Tis then the Black Kaiser's empowered form will sit upon his throne
And chaos and demons shall descend on those who robbed him of his home
"Spooky…" Blaise drawled, before he looked to Hadrian as he asked, "Sorry for skipping ahead here, boss, but are you the child?"
"I am," Hadrian answered, "And the soul of Lord Acheron is a being that, for nearly twelve years, I've seen as my Father: he trained me in the ways of magic to the point where my power equalled his own. He found me a respectable guardian tied to my destiny and hid her in plain sight: that's Bellatrix. And now, thanks to this power, I have everything I need to continue my path to the next step: reminding the world why the darkness is something to fear!"
"How?"
Hadrian looked over at Lucien as the former Dark Lord looked back at him, "Excuse me?"
"How did Acheron find you?" asked Lucien, "I mean, some said you were raised by Muggles, my King: so how did you go from that to…to this?"
"His relatives didn't want him," Bellatrix piped up, speaking for the first time that day as she stood behind Hadrian, though Pansy kept her King calm with her usual soothing massages, "They dumped him on the steps of Wool's Orphanage barely two hours after they'd found him: it was then that the soul of Acheron found Hadrian and promised him protection and power if he agreed to accept the fate of being the Son of Darkness. At that same time, I was on the run from…my own actions," she glanced to Neville as she said this, but the Dark Apprentice did nothing as she continued, "And I felt the power of the Blacks rearing up: knowing of Acheron as I did, I answered the call and have raised, protected and cared for our Slytherin King since that day."
"And the Muggles?" asked Lucien.
"Well here's the strange thing," Hadrian answered, looking genuinely concerned as he explained, "Barely two days after Bellatrix found me, they were committed to somewhere called St Brutus' Insane Asylum for Hopeless Cases apparently terrified of even the ticking of the clock."
"Nothing less than they deserve," scowled Narcissa, earning a nod from Hadrian as he looked back to the group.
"I don't quite know if my powers have any limits, but, in less than a month, on my thirteenth birthday, I'll be going to that very plane where the Castle resides to come into my full power and become Lord…or rather Kaiser Acheron."
"The Black Kaiser," Ginny muttered, looking now to Hadrian as she added, "It's a clue to the line: the House of Black has ties to the House of Potter after all."
"That's old history," Narcissa reasoned, before she nodded as she added, "But you are right with your theory, Miss Lovegood: our family was the one that would bring the Kaiser to life. At first, I'm not ashamed to confess, I actually thought that it would be Draco before we saw Bellatrix again with Hadrian in tow."
"So everything you did," Theo asked, now speaking for the first time himself as he asked, "What happened to me; that intense cold we always feel; the Stone, Lockhart…it was all because of this power of yours?"
"Yep," Hadrian answered, putting emphasis on the 'p' as he explained, "Being a Master of the Darkness, illusions and the thought of making them seem real means nothing to me. But, if it's any consolation, Nott, you have earned my trust and forgiveness for your folly."
"What about Rosier's brother?" asked Daphne, her own voice edged by shock from everything she'd learned, "That was real!"
"That was a simple act of Dark Transmogrification," Hadrian replied with a shark-smelling-blood smile, "Also known as Shapeshifting or Conjuration: like I said, Greengrass, my powers could be limitless. Oh, and before you say anything, I want you to have Tracey meet me before the third-year begins so I can share this with her. All members of the Brotherhood are equal, after all."
As Daphne nodded, she then asked, "Erm, I don't mean to question you, Hadrian, but what about my family? My sister and my parents? Can they…"
"No," Hadrian answered, "If your sister proves herself worthy to join the inner ranks, then you may tell her to meet with me; otherwise, keep it shut. I don't think I need to remind you of what I said would happen if you chose to jump ship."
"No, my Lord," Daphne replied, going into her Brotherhood persona as she lowered her head to Hadrian.
"So?" asked Draco suddenly, now looking at Hadrian as he asked, "You go to this castle place, but what about us? I mean there has to be a reason you told us of this."
"There is," Hadrian answered, indicating Lucien as he explained, "As our newest member should tell you, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lord Voldemort is returning: sooner or later, he'll come back and, when that happens, I'll be bringing the equivalent of the seven circles down on him. To that end, I hereby invite each of you to spend the holidays and…odd moments at Acheron Castle with me learning about not the Dark Arts, but the Shadow Arts! Then, when it happens, we'll be able to destroy him before anybody else has a chance to stake a claim to fame for themselves."
"You mean like Dumbledore?" asked Hermione.
"Exactly," Hadrian nodded, smirking to himself as he saw their searching glances, "Take the summer to think about it, but remember that your lives do now belong to me: say no if you wish, but if you even think of betraying me, then…well, there's a reason people fear the darkness: go on, ask me what it is."
"What is it?" asked Pansy, sharing Hadrian's shark-like smile as she saw him in his element for the first time in a long time.
"Me!"
Chapter 13 and there it is: the story of Lord Acheron is told, but what changes will Hadrian go through on his thirteenth birthday?
Plus, if Acheron is the supposed Founder of Azkaban, does that mean Hadrian knows of a certain someone on his island?
Keep Reading to Find Out…
Next Chapter: Happy thirteenth birthday, Prince Acheron: plus, the Castle is revealed to the group along with a bit more intel on other Sons since Acheron's time;
Please Read and Review…
AN: And there it is: I hope it was worth the wait: I also hope you like what I've done with Tom/Lucien; I don't know why, but I just had that image and that name in my head for a while and, if you remember, he will be joining the group at Hogwarts, so wait and see what sort of fun unfolds…
AN 2: I hope you like how I've decided to use the Hadrian/Pansy pairing for this story: there will be love moments, but not that many seen or mentioned: after all, he is the Prince of Darkness…