Hereby the newest chapter.
I've decided that I really like university! It's fun and the subjects are way more fun and useful than anything I had to learn in highschool. Though, I can't say that I'm really happy with the fact that I've finals of the first couple if subjects in two weeks!

There will be mistakes in this chapter. So if you see a mistake: please tell me and I'll change it.
I just wanted to get this online so... yeah, mistakes.

Summary: When Sirius told Harry that all pure-blood families were interrelated, he wondered if he had other living family members, besides the Dursley's, who were close enough related to fall under the blood protection, hoping that once he found them that he could legally live with that family and leave the Dursley's forever. What he found changes everything, for both him and the war... Dark Fic.

Disclaimer: It's not my name that's written on the cover of the Harry Potter books, now is it?

Warnings: No warnings as far as I know...

Pairings: TR/OC, HP/LL (no offense to anyone but I'm not going to change this pairing as you guys as readers actually chose this pairing!)

I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, it's appreciated.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave a review once you've read it!

Family ties

Chapter 25

Letters, books '…'
Spells, inside the memory …
Parseltongue ":…:"

oOoOoOo

Albus sighed as he rested his head on his entwined hands. Things had changed and it weren't exactly good changes.
The worst thing was that he couldn't say what the changes were or when things had started to change. The only thing he knew, was that they had something to do with his old pupil, the now Dark Lord Voldemort.

He had been such a brilliant boy, so smart, so handsome and so charismatic, but oh so hate filled and so dangerous. He had never trusted him, he respected him – how could he not respect one so powerful and smart? – but he hadn't trusted him. And that might have been his first mistake. The boy had been just eleven when he has started to distrust him and he had never given him a chance.

Years after he had told Dippet that Riddle had been too young when he had first asked to become the DADA teacher he still wondered what would have happened if he had made sure the boy had been given the job. Would he have turned into the cruel, heartless Dark Lord he was now? Or would he have mellowed over time, enjoyed the job of a teacher?
He would never know.

The boy – now man – had always been unpredictable, at least, he had been until he had started to make his horcruxes after which he had – which had been fortunate for them – descended into madness.
Tom had managed to unleash Slytherin's monster without him knowing until it was far too late and a muggleborn had been killed. He had managed to blame someone else for said death while he had thought that person to be safe. And he had managed to make his first horcrux right under his nose without him finding out.
Oh, he had always kept a watch on him and he had found out about the horcruxes eventually – almost 40 years after he had made his first one to be exact – but by then the once charming, handsome and genius boy had turned into a mad, ugly but still genius freak of nature.

But even that had changed. Somewhere, somehow, Tom had changed this year. And he was, once again, left behind to guess the how and the why – and the man's plans.
The man was once again beginning to become unpredictable – the fact that some new rules and regulations were deceivingly pro-wizard and anti-muggle and that there had been some successful raids on important but previously unknown light wizards that had worked in the government and were member of the Order of the Phoenix showed that much – which meant that a part of the madness had disappeared.
He could come up with different reasons but, up until now, none of them seemed logical.

His first idea was that Tom had finally figured out that immortality wasn't as fun and rewarding as he might have thought. It was illogically though because the madness the horcruxes would have created wouldn't have let him consider the idea of immortality or mortality. It only caused him to obsess about one single thing at the time. Sadly enough, that thing had been Harry – and the prophecy – for the last couple of years.

So that left him with idea number two: Tom felt remorse for what he had done and the soul pieces were starting to return to him.
This sounded just as illogical, as he was convinced that Tom didn't feel emotions like love, remorse, guilt or any other possibly positive emotion.

Option three was that Tom had somehow managed to find an alternative to regain the lost parts of his soul. But that was just as illogical as the first option as it would need sanity and focus to research something, let alone something as complicated and difficult as the human soul.

So that left him with his latest and newest possibility. Somehow someone was grounding Tom enough to keep the madness away. That possibility had only come after he had heard about Tom's heir.
But who was this heir and what was his – not that he was sure that it was a he, it was just the most logical of the two genders – relation to Tom. What did the heir even mean to Tom?
The idea that it was his son – or grandson – was simply preposterous. Tom had been as asexual as they came when he had been in school and he doubted that thathad changed after he had graduated.

So that left two options open.
One, it was one of his followers' children – Draco Malfoy came to mind – or two, he had somehow managed to convince Harry that his side was the right side of the war... After all, Harry would make a great addition to the dark side and he was a Parselmouth to boot.
He didn't even want – nor need – to consider the second one. The chance that Harry would willingly follow the murderer of his parents was small, very, very small.

And that thought turned his mind toward Harry.
He had known that there was no love lost between the Dursleys – he had been aware that they had a strange dislike for magic – and the child, but he had hoped – prayed to every deity he knew even – that they would at least raise him with care – as he had known that love would be too much to ask. But no such thing.
The boy who had stepped through the doors of the Great Hall had been too small and too thin. His cloths had been shabby and too large and his glasses had been broken one too many time. Though the worst thing had been the closed off, defensive and weary expression the child had worn.
All in all, everything showed that the boy had been neglected, abused even.

And that had hurt him more than he would like to admit. It had also scared him because it reminded him a bit too much of another dark haired boy that had been neglected and abused. And he had grown up to become a Dark Lord.
But Harry had been kind, sweet and brave, so very brave.
It had made him feel bad when he was forced to send him back to the neglectful environment he knew the Dursleys' household to be.
But there hadn't been a safer place and he was sure that he could convince the boy that it was better to be abused than to be dead.

And now that sweet boy had to kill a man that had at least fifty years of experience over him and that was known for his intellect, his cunning, his ruthlessness and his brilliant mind.
A man that was said to fear no one but one old man: he himself.

Oh he knew that Tom had never feared him – Tom was more powerful and had much more knowledge and he had always known it – but he did admit that he had always wondered why the man hadn't attacked Hogwarts.
He had enough knowledge over both wards, dark magic and probably even light magic to simply destroy the ancient wards with just a flick of his wand, but he never had.

He sincerely doubted that it had something to do with the man's respect for him – as he was quite sure that he didn't even respect him – or his love for Hogwarts. He also doubted that the man would've let the world believe that he was afraid of one single ancient wizard if he had been in his right mind…

Albus sighed again as he felt a headache appear. Tom had always been a Riddle – in every way, shape and meaning of the word – and even after all these years – the years in which the man had been mad clearly didn't count – he still didn't know what to expect of the genius boy turned man.

oOoOoOo

Harry and Neville entered the new potion room – which was located on the first floor instead of in the dungeons – together, both relieved that Snape wasn't the potions teacher anymore and both beyond curious about the new potion teacher.

The first thing they noticed was that the room was large, brightly lid, airy and open, meaning that there was enough space for at least the double amount of cauldrons then needed, that the smoke of the potions wouldn't hinder the sight of the students and that the students could easily read the instructions on the large school board.
There were enormous cabinets along the four walls – only the door and the space were the school board hung weren't occupied by the cabinets – and large posters showing different, boiling potions decorated the large doors of the cabinets.

The second thing they noticed was the large, clearly heavy, wooden desk that stood in front of the classroom next to the board – and in front of one of the large cabinets. Behind the desk was an equally large, leather chair that showed signs of age and use.

They seated themselves in the middle of the classroom, only to be joined by Hermione and Ron a couple of seconds later.

"Let's hope this teacher's better than the old bat!" Ron muttered as he slumped in his chair.
"Ron," Hermione hissed, "show some respect!"
"He is dead," Ron grumbled, "not like he's our teacher anymore."
"Show some respect for the dead!" Hermione almost growled, "it's rude to show disrespect for the dead!"
"Is not like he can hear me!" Ron exclaimed.
"That's the point!" Hermione almost shrieked, "the dead can't defend themselves. So show some respect!"

Harry and Neville shared glances before they both rolled their eyes, already used to the couples odd fights.
Ron and Hermione kept bickering and Harry wondered for the umpteenth time since the beginning of the new term how the two managed to stay a couple.
Meanwhile, the other students slowly entered the classroom until everyone who should be present was present and still the teacher hadn't shown himself.

A soft click sounded some five minutes after the lesson should have begun from the general direction of the classroom door and Harry – and some of the other students, including Neville – moved slightly so he could see the entrance. Only to stop short as he saw the man that had entered.
The man was old, nearly bald, incredibly short – he was barely five feet tall – and enormously fat. His stomach was the first thing one would notice and the small, normally elegant buttons on his old-fashioned waistcoat threatened to burst off if he breathed in too much air.
The next thing one would notice was the shrewd look in the gooseberry coloured eyes that shot from student to student to study them and to – for all intent and purposes – judge their worth. Those eyes were sharp and immediately dismissed some of the students – including Ron, who was still bickering with his girlfriend and who had yet to notice the man.
The man's clothing were old-fashioned and his hair – the small amount he had left – and his walrus moustache – and didn't that bring back such happy memories! – were silver coloured.
All in all, he was the third most weird wizard he had ever seen – Dumbledore and Voldemort held respectively the first and second place.

The man waddled to the front of the classroom and the students who had yet to notice him ceased their conversations and turned their attention towards the new potions teacher.
"Hello class," the man started as soon as he had reached the front of the classroom and had seated himself in the massive chair, "my name is Horace Slughorn and I'll be the new… well, your new potions teacher."
His voice was jovial and good-natured but there was an undertone to it that Harry only noticed because he was used to dealing with his uncle Vernon and his ever changing moods and Voldemort and his near emotionless way of talking and acting – and both men were… had been too dangerous to not keep an eye on their moods.

"I used to be the potions teacher and head of house of Slytherin before I retired and Severus Snape became your potions teacher," Slughorn continued, "now, who can tell me about Invisibility Potion?"
Hermione's hand immediately shot up and Slughorn – after he shot a cursory glance around the room to see if anyone else raised his or her hand – motioned for her to answer the question.

Her answer sounded – like it always did – as if she had swallowed the potions book and Slughorn nodded briefly at her before he asked another question and motioned for someone else to answer the question.
The rest of the lesson continued in the same fashion.

oOo

Harry put his books, parchment and quill back into his bag and made to move out of the classroom when Slughorn called his name. Harry turned towards him.
"Mister Potter, a word if you don't mind," the new professor said and Harry nodded before he turned back to Neville.
"I'll see you during DADA," he muttered softly and Neville nodded and left the room.

The man motioned for him to come closer as he made himself comfortable in his chair, a small box filled with what seemed to be sugared pineapple next to him. Harry did as he was told and he sat himself in the chair in front of the desk.
"How can I help you professor?" he asked curious.
"Ah, you remind me so much of her," Slughorn muttered softly and it was clear that it was only meant for his own ears, "straight to the point but polite."
He cleared his throat and grabbed one of the pieces of pineapple, "Minerva mentioned that no one ever told you stories about your mother. If you wish I can tell you about her."
His tone was deceivingly jovial and candid but there was a slight shrewd and greedy tone that he couldn't hide and his eyes reflected the tone.

Harry shifted slightly until he almost lounged in his chair – a strategy that should show the other person he was not to be messed with… at least, that was what Voldemort had told him, he didn't quite understood the logic of it – before he asked lightly, "not that I don't appreciate the offer professor, but what is in it for you?"
Slughorn looked startled at him as he studied him briefly.
"You remind me of him," Slughorn said with a sigh, "sharp as a knife and always suspicious of others."
"Yes, I'm quite sure I remind you of my father," Harry said and he forced himself to not roll his eyes. He had heard a bit too often that he resembled his father to a T.
"You look like your father," Slughorn admitted, "but you act more like an old student of mine. You probably wouldn't have heard of him. His name is…was… is Tom Riddle."
Harry felt himself stiffen slightly – and he hoped that Slughorn hadn't noticed – before he forcibly relaxed.
"I believe he has a shield in the Trophy Room," Harry said pensively instead.
"Yes, he does," Slughorn said delighted, "he was such a brilliant boy. He saved this school from Slytherin's monster , he did! You truly remind me of him. Both talented, both smart, both orphans. I wonder what happened to him?"

Harry wished he could shift slightly but he steeled himself and said, "you didn't answer my question sir: what is in it for you?"
Slughorn sighed, "yes, so like him… I have small get-togethers once every while. I would be… honoured if you would attend them. In return, I'll tell you everything I know about your mother, you father and the Marauders."

Harry thought it over, "I would like to think this over, if you don't mind."
Slughorn nodded and Harry stood from his seat and moved over to the door where he paused and turned back to the still seated teacher.
"If you want to know what happened to Tom Riddle," he said, "you could ask the headmaster. He seems to know a lot about the alumni."
Slughorn nodded his thanks and Harry quickly left, glad to be away from the potions teacher who reminded him a bit too much of a certain giant spider.

oOoOoOo

'Hi Snuffles and Moony,

How are you guys? I'm… well… the first week has come and gone and I almost wish I was back with you guys. As you know, I wasn't with either you, the Weasleys or at Hogwarts during the Christmas holiday and Ron and Hermione – and others – keep bothering me about it. I understand they are worried but I was safe, I promise! Saver than I ever was when I lived with the Dursleys, in fact…

Anyway, Malfoy is starting to become more and more like my now deceased cousin, except he has stopped targeting me. And Umbridge has decided that I'm her new favourite student ever… So that's just plain weird.

And now the good news: Slughorn is a much better teacher than Snape ever was and he even offered me to tell me about my mum!
I'm sorry about the short letter but please write me back soon!

Harry'.

oOoOoOo

'Sir,

How are you? I'm mostly fine. I haven't gotten in trouble though headmaster Dumbledore and professor McGonagall asked me to accompany them to the headmaster's office where they asked me questions concerning where I stayed during the Christmas holiday.

Besides that: we have a new potions teacher. Horace Slughorn is his name and he offered to tell me about my parents and the Marauders. In return he asked me to attend some get-togethers he organizes. Should I take his offer?

About the library here at Hogwarts: I managed to convince madam Umbridge that I really need an all access permission pass for the Restricted Section and she agreed so I've started my search for that subject. I've yet to find anything, though.

I'm awaiting your answer,
Harry.

PS: This is the correct way to write a letter, right?'

Not much of Voldemort in this chapter. He'll appear in the next one though... I think. (Not quite sure what I'll write about in the next one... I'm a bit busy with my finals... which are either about the beginning of human kind (literally... has anyone ever heard of Australopithecus afarensis? no? Well I didn't either before I had to learn about it...) or the stratigraphy of rocks... very interesting but not really useful for a chapter...)

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.

Anyway: don't hesitate to leave a review! I really like them XD They make my day, especially when my bloody train won't go/ drive/ ride... whatever...

~Marwana