A/N: Hello, people!
I don't own Harry Potter.
I have no beta.
ENJOY!
CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.
-Alesandese is a Basque name that should mean, "defender of man". As Salazar is Basque in my story, it seems only appropriate that he would gift his familiar with a Basque name also.
-Great strides are made during this chapter! Woo!
-We need some fluff and humor now. Just to make things a little better.
Harry looked over the report that Bellatrix had made for him in regards to what she had witnessed while traipsing about Umbridge's mind. And none of it was good. Basically, the only good thing involved was the fact that they now knew that the former DuBois Heir Apparent was involved and that he and she had signed a Blood Agreement.
The annoying part was that the woman simply took his word and didn't bother to read what she had signed, meaning that she didn't know what would happen once she accepted the needles from the man. She simply assumed that the illness would take over much like it had with the Elf No-Name had shown her.
This was why Harry stressed that people needed to read the details of anything before signing anything. Because this was the kind of thing that happened! People would take advantage and then what would happen?!
At least it was official that Reginald No-Name was the reason for all of this, and while Harry could guess the reason, he was still a little confused.
No-Name was a Dark Wizard. Did he not know that his own creation could literally kill him? Did he not understands that not only was this taking out creatures, but it would also take out people as well? Was the man aware of any of this, or did he do it all deliberately because he just didn't care?
Jealousy aside, there was literally no reason for him to do this. The man had lived a good and successful life. You didn't want for anything, he was a Master of Runes with enough accolades to get himself a good job if he wanted to. There was literally nothing in his life that would bring him to do something like this other than the fact he did not like not getting his way.
Harry leaned back in his chair and sighed once again. He was honestly too young to be dealing with pandemics and murder and politics. That was why he was not the Lord of the Ancient House of Potter. Because he was not old enough nor responsible enough to take on such a role in his life.
On top of everything going on, he had over fifty Masters and Mistresses in various Arts, working on a cure for this damn disease.
Different kinds of Alchemic Creations were being made. Snape had already created four potions from the stone used to start the disease. Harry's own mother was learning the intimate details of the stone itself, and what exactly would happen when Runes were mixed in with it.
There was always something new to add to the information. With various human and Goblin healers working to keep all of the infected, properly tended to.
Harry had already had to write over twenty-four letters by hand, expressing his sadness for the loss of the families who had unfortunately lost mothers or fathers or children. It was not something he had ever envisioned himself having to do, and to sit there calmly, trying to write a letter about the death of a baby, did not sit well with him. In fact, he cried.
Everything going on lately was just made him want to throw up. Harry honestly did not feel that he was mentally or emotionally prepared for anything like this, and to have it suddenly come out of nowhere was harrowing. Just plopped on his lap without a by your leave.
And then there were the people like Snape and Bellatrix who were working extremely hard despite the fact that both of them were at risk. Despite the fact that their Lord had fallen. That people like the Malfoys had managed to keep their heads up high and still forge on despite how worried they were over their son and other family members, still impressed Harry.
He felt that he could take at least some strength from their examples. Personally, Harry felt that he needed guidance more than ever. But at the same time he was very cautious about extending his need for assistance to more people than those who were already helping him.
He didn't want to rely on Dumbledore too much, simply because Dumbledore had been the Light Lord and he had particular views that Harry did not exactly agree with. Harry did not want to surround himself with the man too much, for fear of being influenced. He was grateful for the man's assistance, but he did not want to make this a regular thing.
Which left Harry to contact Luna more times than he cared to admit.
As a Seer, Luna was capable of things that other people weren't. In times of disorder, Luna was able to keep calm and level-headed, in order to provide the advice that somebody needed. And she always knew and somebody needed advice.
All Harry had to do was Fire-Call her, and she would immediately have the answer that he needed.
Honestly, Luna was like a political adviser. Sometimes it was better to get an outside opinion. Somebody who was not directly involved in the situation. She did not know all of the details, because her Visions did not allow her to See everything she wanted to See or needed to See, but she did know enough. Luna could look at things from a fresh perspective, and not consider them through the emotional cloud that Harry or Dumbledore were seeing them from.
As for his other friends, Hermione and the twins had gotten together a few times, in hopes that they could create something that would ease all the worry that had spread throughout the country because of the disease.
The twins were inventing products in an almost rush, in order to liven up the negative atmosphere around Magical Britain.
Harry had a feeling that Hermione was doing it in order to keep herself fixated on something, so that she would not be worrying about everybody and their health. Hermione had the tendency to worry about everything, and would try to find the nearest library in order to fix whatever was going on. Because in Hermione's world, books always had the answer.
Harry had only been able to talk to Rigel a few times since the child had been sequestered inside his family matter. The teen was put out, because he was not allowed to have a lot of visitors, and the only people who could visit him, were Fred and George. However, Bellatrix made the twins go through a very intense cleansing ritual before they could even enter the grounds.
Harry was once again sitting in Voldemort's office, considering all the paperwork before him. He was looking longingly at Voldemort's diary. Instead of doing all this work, he wanted to be talking to Tom. Tom was the closest thing to Voldemort at the moment, and Harry found the talking to him was comforting.
Tom also knew a lot of stuff. Talking to him was like reading a dictionary. There was always something new to learn.
Of course he was also very sneaky, and he tended to get really haughty. Sometimes even making fun of Harry, which prompted Harry to retaliate. But it wasn't his fault. Harry was young. He did not have the seventy-two years of experience that the diary had. So of course the things he said sometimes would be a little juvenile or naive. That was perfectly fine, so long as he did not act in such a way in front of other people.
If they were smart enough, they would take advantage of such naivety. Harry was not one to make himself vulnerable.
Taking up his quill once again, Harry bent over the nearest parchment and began to compose a reply.
The Spanish had proposed a trade agreement, and Harry was trying to determine if it was worthwhile or not. It wouldn't benefit him in any way, but who would it benefit?
Nagini coiled around the chair, reminding him that she was still there.
At least he wasn't alone in this.
"It's not for forever, Hagrid. Things will get better eventually. We simply can't let them stay outside anymore. I've already told them why."
Hagrid was a big softy. Hagrid loved animals and creatures, and this entire epidemic had completely broken his heart even more than Harry. He took it a lot harder than anyone Harry knew.
The Thestrals had to be brought into the stables instead being being allowed to remain in the forest at their own leisure. Harry had to talk to them for a very long time before the herd leader had agreed.
Harry was personally setting up the wards on the stables. He wished he could do more, but this was as best as it could get.
And if the Runespoor slipped into his pocket as he left, well no one needed to know about that.
Lily was drawing various Runes meant for health, whether for healing or hurting. The Runes were being drawn on normal stones that she was quickly placing in the small jars with the pieces of Caelite.
The different reactions to the Runes were noted and she realised that she might be on track with the Runes. The Unspeakables had mentioned that the stone would take on the the properties of the activated Runes nearest it, which meant that this could have been it.
Lily had one hundred separate jars. Fifty were filled with ground up Caelite, and fifty held simple pieces of Caelite.
Her idea seemed to have merit because the ground up Caelite in the jars were turning different colors once making contact with the Runes covered stones. There was a better reaction compared to placing the stones beside each other, which simply glowed white.
Harry came up behind her, her son staring at the different jars.
"You know what we have to do now, right?"
She shook her head.
"We now draw the Runes with blood and we try every kind of blood type, as well as different animal and creature bloods, and even blood from people with different magical cores, and people without cores."
Lily sighed once again. This was taking forever, but she had a feeling they were on the right track.
"What about this caught your eye?"
"The particles seem to be clumping together now."
The one Unspeakable leaned over her microscope, fiddling with the knob until the focus was clear. Exactly what her partner was talking about. Clumping together in a peculiar pattern. A familiar pattern actually.
Sitting back, she frowned. "That reminds me of-"
"-dragon's blood, I know."
"So then he mixed Caelite with creature blood?"
"And Runes apparently."
They were getting closer to an answer.
"Which dragon though?"
"Thank Merlin there aren't many breeds to choose from. We'll just have to try every one until we find the answer. Perhaps Dumbledore can help there. He knows a lot about dragon blood."
"True."
"Harry, how are you holding up?"
The teen lugged back and entire pint of Firewhiskey. He needed it after the week he had.
"Not well. There's too much drama recently and I kind of just want to crawl under my bed and not come out forever."
Hermione gave a hum. "Is there any possible progression in the cure?"
"So far, we've learned the stone involved, the Rune involved, and now dragon blood was involved, but they're busy determining which dragon it came from. From there, it'll most likely be up to Snape to work through it. He's got that natural talent for Potions that not many get."
Hermione nodded. "He was the one who wrote the Potions books for the N.E.W.T. students after all. He's got really high standards."
"I have faith in him. Though I still can't help but feel that there is something else involved. Something all of us are missing.
"How's Malfoy?"
"I had to contact Rigel in order to get any information on him. He has not regressed nor progressed. He's simply unconscious right now and thankfully nothing serious has happened yet."
"Good. Rigel is practically dying at home. I had to send the twins to him because they went to his house and then didn't even speak to him."
"What could they have gone there for?"
"They caught something going on in Knockturn Alley and went to tell Bellatrix. We found out that the bane of your existence, Dolores Umbridge, partnered with Reginald No-Name in spreading this disease."
Hermione's enter body froze, eyes lighting up with anger. She was obviously livid.
"So that explains why she was suddenly carted off by Aurors. And what will her punishment be?"
"It hasn't been decided, but she does have a lovely cell in Azkaban at the moment. We're on the look out for No-Name now."
"I'll keep an eye out then."
The two lugged back the rest of their liquor, allowing the effects to take hold.
When all of this is said and done, can you come and speak to me still?
Despite what one would think, this was not a smart way to achieve immortality.
I am honestly stuck in this book and I get no entertainment except from Voldemort.
Aw.
Isn't he a part of you?
Shouldn't you like him?
Have you ever heard of the phrase, 'you are your own worst critic'?
Yes.
Think of that.
To me, he is an old man who doesn't seem to understand how I feel.
I am perpetually stuck as a sixteen year old.
Emotions and puberty included.
It isn't pleasant.
And similar personalities are said to clash on the regular.
You don't like talking to yourself!
No.
He gets to be free. To go out there and do things.
I'm stuck in a book.
And the only way I can possibly get out is if I absorb someone's soul and magic into myself.
But that would kill them.
And you are the only other living being I've been introduced to in the past half century.
And I don't wish to kill you.
Aw.
I'm strangely touched!
And if I can wrestle you away from Voldemort, then sure.
I don't think he'd mind.
And I'd do it anyway, even if he did.
Thank you, Harry.
You're welcome, Tom.
§Nagini, are you sure this is a good idea?§
The snake bobbed her had with surety. §Master usually visits often and brings offerings to keep the Serpent King agreeable. He is not well, so you must go in his stead and offer the gifts to the great snake.§
Harry swallowed his discomfort and stared at the bathroom door. He hadn't exactly wanted to do this, but Nagini insisted that it was the right thing to do. That as her master's 'mate' - he hadn't been able to convince her otherwise - he had to take control when her master was not well.
Not only was he busy handling foreign affairs and drama from all sides, but now he had to play Chicken with a Basilisk.
He didn't want to do it!
§I am with you,§ Nagini reminded him, making him feel only a little better.
The entrances to the Chamber of Secrets were spread throughout the school, but Nagini suggested this one because it was 'the most fun' and Voldemort apparently hated it so he never took it anymore.
It was Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, though Myrtle was nowhere to be seen. Harry didn't linger on the thought as he approached the sinks.
§Open,§ he hissed quietly, watching in awe as the sinks separated to reveal a very large hole.
§Are there any stairs?§ he asked, slightly put off by the thought of jumping down a hole he knew nothing about.
§No. It was made for the Basilisk to slither up, not for humans.§
Harry sighed and knelt down in order to throw his legs over the side, with a push, he fell into what he learned was a pipe. A very long pipe. Distantly, he felt like he was playing on a slide at a Muggle park.
But then he landed on a pile of animals bones and that feeling disappeared quickly.
§Voldemort didn't like the slide, did he?§
§No!§ Nagini moaned. §It is great fun but for some reason he thinks that 'Dark Lords shouldn't have fun'. Dark Lord's shouldn't shed salty water either but he still does that, so why can't he do this?§
With a snort, Harry dusted himself off and cast a quickly cleaning charm just in case. He didn't like being dirty.
§Where to?§
Looking around, there were several tunnels and he had no idea which one was the one to take.
Nagini lifted her heavy tail and pointed. §You keep walking until you find the door with the serpents on it. You'll have to give a Parseltongue password as well.§
Brilliant.
Harry trudged along, and briefly found himself faced with a large Basilisk skin, in which had pulled out his stored potion vials and proceeded to collect some samples because who was he to ignore such a gift? It would be foolish to simply ignore it.
After several moments of silent ambling through animal bones and ducking beneath jutting rocks, he found the door Nagini had spoken of. The serpents were spread out in a hand fan sort of pattern, and he could appreciate the intricate detail of their carving.
§Open.§
Each snake shrank back as a new snake slithered around the outer edge of the door and back into the hole it came from, having traversed the whole circle.
The door opened slowly, and Harry had to climb through and lower himself down an old, metal ladder.
§Keep your eyes closed,§ Nagini warned him. §At least until I explain who you are. Though you do smell like my master so there shouldn't be a problem.§
Harry staved off the blush that threatened to consume him, and simply closed his eyes and waited.
§Alesandese, I have brought my master's mate to meet you!§
There was a moment of silence, before a loud hiss returned, accented by a strange noise.
§And where is he that he cannot introduce his mate to me himself?§ a deep voice sounded, reverberating throughout the chamber. The 'King of all Serpents' that was tied to the Slytherin line, was a female. Unexpected. He thought Basilisks didn't have genders because they couldn't procreate? Or did gender not matter?
He'd have to ask.
§Master is ill, so his mate Harry is in control for now.§
There was a moment of silent, and Harry flinched when something long and warm touched his face.
§You may look upon me, Mate Harry, for my gaze will not harm you.§
Harry opened his eyes slowly, with Nagini's encouragement, and found himself staring into the face of a Basilisk. A Basilisk whose entire head was taller than Harry himself was. A Basilisk that just just licked him.
§I smell his magic and scent on you, but not enough of either. Why are you not carrying his hatchlings yet?§ the green being enquired.
Harry was mortified at the question.
Nagini was snickering as his misfortune.
"Why don't you take a break?"
Harry shook his head. "I took a break two days in a row and got pissed as a result. My head is still killing me and I have all this work to do."
"There are hangover cures available," Dumbledore told him calmly.
Harry shrugged. "Yes, but I knew what would happen if I drank too much and I'm leaving the headache as it is because I deserve it."
"I can honestly say that I don't know anyone who would punish themselves in such a way."
"I'm special."
Negini's hissy chuckle pounded in his ears. He didn't want to tell her to be quiet because he'd feel bad, but his head was throbbing.
"Tom said the very same once," said Dumbledore, nostalgia seeping into his tone. "I asked him about how he was doing and commented on how surprised I was that he managed to stay up so late into the evening just to study. He responded, 'I'm special' and left it at that."
Dumbledore seemed to like drawing comparisons between Harry and Voldemort on an almost constant basis. Whatever his goal was, Harry honestly worried over it. No one else seemed to be trying to push he and Voldemort together as much as Dumbledore was.
§Twinkles is right. You and my master are very similar.§
Scratch that, Dumbledore and Nagini seemed to be working toward the same goal. When Voldemort was better, Harry was cornering him and asking the man if he put his serpent up to this.
§My master never let himself hurt after drinking though. The first time he 'regurgitated' in the waste room and laid on the cold floor, whinging.§
Or perhaps he didn't tell her to do it. If he knew all the little anecdotes she had given Harry about his earlier years, he'd probably die of embarrassment alone.
§Master gets funny when he drinks the foul liquid. He sways and talks a lot. He once pulled me aside after drinking three bottles of the liquid, in order to teach me more writing, but all the words were about two-legger mating rituals.§
What?
§Apparently, mating can be even more comfortable if master enchants his mating organ to grow larger. Why he can't leave it as it is, is beyond me.§
Oh, Merlin!
Harry's body was wracked with silent laughter. He was trying so hard not to make his own headache worse.
That little bit of hilarity was enough to lighten his mood considerably, even though his head was pounding still.
§Did he teach you anything else during that lesson?§ Harry asked, unable to help himself from fishing for information. This was too good to pass up.
§He said he wanted to try it with you.§
Harry went deathly silent, blush staining his cheeks.
That pompous twat.
Another potion exploded and Severus Snape was ready to strangle someone. He'd gone through every possible combination in order to get this poison made.
The fact was, when one had the components of the poison they were trying to create a cure for, they could actually make a cure once they knew what to counteract. He would have preferred to have the poison already on hand, but that fool Umbridge had given all the needles she'd taken, and given them to others. And none of them had kept the needles once finished.
So he was stuck working this way, wasting ingredients that were worth a lot of money. All because some moron who couldn't understand that he had been beaten, had to act like a child. If they ever managed to capture Reginald No-Name, Severus wanted the first shot at him.
His godson, his Lord, his time. The fool would suffer.
He stirred clockwise and had to lunged to the side when the brew began to bubble.
The containment field around the cauldron stopped the explosion from reaching a certain radius, but that just meant that he had to start over again.
"No progress?"
Looking up from his position on the floor, the man blanched. Vitra LeFay was leaning over the ruined potion, looking curious.
"It is foolish for you to be out and about," he commented.
The woman scoffed. "So you can be out here risking your life for the sake of us Dark Beings, but I can't lend my assistance?"
The man bristled in annoyance. "I did not mean that to be-"
She simply raised a hand, cutting him off. "There has to be something obvious you're missing. Even Potions Masters can make mistakes or overlook things from time to time. List your process."
No one had ever questioned his potions knowledge before, and while he was a mite annoyed, he sighed and proceeded to detail his process.
Dumbledore, was busy separating the various vials of dragon blood, readying them so Severus didn't have to go hunting for ingredients, was watching with obvious curiosity.
LeFay was nodding as she looked over each and every item with a keen eye.
Potter sidled up beside the woman, neither reacting to one another. Not even a minute glare from LeFay over losing to the boy in the Fifth Task of the Tournament. Both were intensely focused on the table full of supplies.
Potter's head tilted to the side. "You're using fresh ingredients."
"Obviously."
The boy shook his head. "No, I mean you're using living plants."
While Severus was confused, LeFay's eyes went wide.
The woman turned to the boy and said, "Are you proposing that the natural magic within the plants is interfering with the poison creation?"
He nodded.
"What do you mean 'natural magic'?" the Potions Master demanded, not liking it when he was unable to follow along with a conversation. It rarely happened and it was annoying every time.
Dumbledore stepped closer then. "There is a belief of those who practice Wicca, that every living thing is connected magically and spiritually in a sense, and that there is a magic in Nature."
Potter nodded. "I learned at a young age that there is indeed natural magic all around us. I applied the idea to my Third Task, when I created the map of the room. I connected my magic to the magic of the hedge and used it to 'see' every other living thing in the room in a sense.
"So we've learned that No-Name, who is a Runes Master, used Runes to help create this poison. The ground up Caelite absorbed the power of the dragon blood drawn Rune that was then added to a brew. However, if the plants are living, then their inherent magic will be absorbed by the Caelite as well, possibly negating the effect of the Rune, or lowering its effectiveness. Therefore, dried ingredients wouldn't have magic in them any longer. The liquid half of this is less of a potion and more of just a poison. He could have probably used Muggle methods in this."
Dumbledore and LeFay both nodded, and Severus felt foolish. He hadn't considered that it wasn't actually a potion type of poison.
Sending the boy a look, he asked, "When did you decide to study up on such an obscure type of magic?"
Potter flushed and looked down at his shoes. "I was curious. They could do similar things as us, but weren't considered the same. It seemed stupid to my eight year old brain, so I decided to look into it myself. It's very intriguing."
Dumbledore was beaming, his bloody twinkle on display.
LeFay cracked her knuckles and sent a smirk his way. "Let's get to work then."
With a wave of her hand, the room was cast into a frenzy of floating ingredients.
When Snape started thinking more like a Muggle Chemist and less like a Potions Master, he was able to pinpoint specific plants used to paralyze people, and exactly what alkaloid could be used to the same effect of the poison.
Some time in the early morning on the seventh of December, Severus Snape held up the finished poison, looking triumphant in only the way Snape could. A small twitch of the lip.
"I'll have the cure in no time."
The man worked on multiple vials of Dreamless Sleep while Vitra LeFay acted as his assistant. The two worked in tandem in a way that Harry hadn't seen before, and he was curious but also hopeful.
By replicating the poison, Snape was several steps closer to cracking the cure.
This didn't meant that no one else had to work though.
Harry found himself taking a break from the paperwork in order to help his mother, who was busy working on negating the effects of the Rune in the ground up Caelite. By using the opposite Runes and different bloods, she was able to note that certain Runes could reverse the affects, as well as stop them altogether.
There was also a combination of Runes that could lower the effects of the Caelite as well.
Harry was charged with handling the Caelite personally, because he had more magic so if it accidentally absorbed some from him, he wouldn't faint immediately. He'd do anything if it meant the infected could get better. Leave this epidemic as a three month long horror in Magical Britain's history.
Dumbledore had Fawkes flitting about, crying here and there. Harry resolved to reward the bird for his immense assistance when he had time. Animals and creatures didn't like feeling like their existence was only for the use of others, and Harry would not have any he knew, feeling such.
That also reminded him. He'd have to give Nagini a proper massage once all was said and done. She'd been doing a lot for him recently in terms of helping.
Things were getting better.
There was darkness. Not the warmth that one would usually feel when steeped in Dark Magic. Not the cloaking feeling of protection that a Dark Arts practitioner felt when they had just cast successfully. This darkness was cold and frightening.
It did not give comfort. It did not feel good.
It was cloying in a sense. Unknown in another.
Two things of which he hated.
There was silence. Always the silence. Probably the first time that he was not agreeable with everything being so quiet.
And it couldn't be a dream because he was perfectly aware. Dreams did not allow awareness. True dreams at least.
His body was heavy, limp and listless. Unable to move in any direction. He could not see beyond the darkness. No light. Could not smell anything or hear anything.
Not even his own thoughts.
He lay - or floated, he honestly didn't know - in the darkness for an undetermined amount of time.
There was nothing.
And then randomly, after what felt like ages, there was light. Or rather, lighter darkness. As if he was viewing light through a dark curtain.
There was a buzzing in his ear, and he could feel something warm. Warmth after such a long time in the strange cold. It was a welcoming feeling. He tried to reach for it, feeling even more warmth in return.
The buzzing became louder and clearer in his ear, until he could sort of make out his own name. His name just being blatantly stated. No honorific. No respect. This wasn't one of his followers, that was for certain.
"Voldemort."
A familiar voice, smooth and young.
§Master.§
Another familiar voice, though more serpentine. Parseltongue. Nagini.
"Voldemort if you don't wake up I swear I will hex your bollocks off!"
§Master, you will need those if you intended to go through with that mating plan of yours.§
§Don't encourage him!§
With a slowness that frustrated himself, Voldemort's eyes opened to reveal bright light that he immediately wanted to destroy.
And the other things that stood out, were the fact that his hand was warm, where two smaller hands were wrapped around it, his body was freezing everywhere else, and Harry Potter's Avada green eyes were staring down at him from above, like some kind of dark angel.
A slow grin spread across the young man's face.
"Thank Circe. You were out for quite a while."
A/N: Another is done!
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CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.