Notes:
A very attentive reader notified me that I made a mistake by calling Harry Dudley's nephew, while it should be cousin. It was an error on my part. Sorry and thank you for the feedback!
Chapter 2: I'm your what?
Voldemort Apparated into Harry's bedroom with a soft pop throwing up a muggle repelling charm on the door, muffliato, anti-apparition charm and some other spells to prevent young Potters escape and being disturbed by any unwanted guests.
Gazing at the young man sprawled in the bed, one leg above the blankets, both arms up above his head much like how a baby would sleep.
Voldemort soundlessly moved towards the bed, red eyes glaring at the young man that defied him in every step he made so far, but tonight that would stop. He would be victorious over the young potter and fulfill the prophecy. A quick killing curse should suffice, though that would just be too easy, perhaps some rounds of crucio, or sectumsempra and watch the boy bleed out. He could almost envision the look of despair on that old coot's Dumbledore's face as he gathered the broken dead body of the boy who used to live. The thrill of the thought shot though Voldemort's body like an electric shock, so delicious to finally be able to extract his revenge.
Taking a step closer he saw a familiar form huddled up in the crook of Potters neck. The snake was awake and almost vibrating with joy. His master had found her! "$Come Nagini, I do not want you to hurt yourssself$ he hissed and held out his hand ignoring the fact that his beautifully Horcrux had turned into a pint sized snake. The snake looked at the still sleeping Potters face seemingly hesistant before slithering off to her master's hand. Shivering in pleasure as their bond fully opened again the moment they touched. But not only the bond opened, she instantly increased in size and within seconds had regained full size again.
Harry's eyes shot open as he felt a weight on his chest, seeing the now gigantic body of the snake he had saved slither off his chest "N..nagini?" he said sleepily and rubbed his eyes trying to get up. "Yess.. Nagini, my snake Potter.. "came the sibilant hiss from right next to him.
Harry's eyes snapped open, brilliant green met blood red and for a second everything stopped. "Fuck me.." Harry cursed and grappled for his wand. "Ah ah ah" tutted the dark lord who was now holding his wand. "So careless, I truly do not understand how you managed to live for as long as you did".
Harry jumped out of the bed and tried to get as much distance between them as possible. Looking at Nagini again he remembered the attack on . "Very good Potter, it seems you are starting to remember" Voldemort hissed as he held Harry at wand point. "I remember because I was there.. I was the snake, I.. " he said stopping as his throat seemed to close up with emotions. It had taken a lot of him to try and rationalize that it wasn't him possessing the snake but Voldemort. But seeing that snake attack the man he would consider a father with the exception of Sirius and he was powerless to stop it, could only watch. He had even felt the excitement of the snake as the fangs bore into the mans flesh, felt the venom leave its teeth and inject itself into its victims veins. Tasted the blood that pored out of the man as he was relentlessly attacked.
While Harry was close to having a panic attack Nagini was hissing at her master pleased that she regained her previous form. $"Massster.. young hatchling saved Nagini, fat human would have burned Nagini$" But Voldemort held out his hand silencing his dearest horcrux. His mind was pre-occupied with what the boy had just said and then it clicked like the final puzzle piece in a puzzle. The boy was a horcrux.. his horcrux.. the one he did not intent to make. It made so much sense that he let out a sardonic laugh, all the visions he shared with potter, the ability to make the boy hurt by just feeling angry or coming closer. Though that was now pas tense since he had absorbed some of the boys blood in the graveyard ritual. It was because of the connection between his horcruxes the moment potter touched Nagini that he had been able to locate them both.
Staring at the boy, red eyes wide and breath increasing he did a step closer. This would change everything! He felt relief that he had not been successful in destroying the boy, if he had he would have lost a piece of his soul. He wondered if Dumbledore knew.
"Potter… Harry" he hissed and took another step closer to the panicking boy.
Harry looked at the man just staring at him, then his red eyes widened making them even bigger then normal and the stare he received was enough to give him goosebumps. Soon that feeling changed into something else that he quickly suppressed. His breaths were coming out fast creating little clouds in the air. The room was truly freezing, and he was happy that he was at least not sleeping naked. The thought about standing naked in front of the dark lord was strangely hilarious and he couldn't help but smirk lightly as he got his bearings back together. This was Voldemort, he had to fight, alert Dumbledore. Anyone...
"What do you want.. how did you find me! $you tricked me$ Harry hissed to Nagini making the large snake shake her head. Before she could speak Voldemort spoke up $Of course you also speak the tongue..i wouldn't expect anything lesss from my dear Horcrux"$.
"Your what!?" Harry nearly screamed, horror gracing his features. Shaking his head his green eyes filled with tears. It made sense in a weird way, their connection. His ability to speak to snakes. But he just didn't want to believe it. No no it just couldn't be Voldemort was lying, he must be. Looking up at the other he took a brave step forward, trembling hands clenched to fists. "Liar" He hissed. "You are just trying to manipulate me.. Dumbledore warned me you would try this, that's all you do, you lie and torture and kill" he spat angerly his green eyes shining brilliantly.
Voldemort snarled and advanced quicker then his pet snake. His long body pressing Harry against the wall. He wandlessly bound the boys wrists above his head with a sticking charm making Harry's chest press forward against his. "I have no reason to lie to you $my horcrux$ "he purred his mouth hovering close to Harry's "You know it is true..you feel it" he hissed and pressed closer.
Harry whimpered and flushed as the man pressed against him, the emaciated skeleton that had emerged last year from that cauldron seemed to have disappeared, muscles and flesh now replacing bone. He seemed fit even. Harry wanted to feel disgusted, he really did. But his groin stirred at the proximity, his scar gave him a pleasant buzz and to add to his confusion Voldemort seemed equality affected.
"Fuck you" harry spat angerly and Voldemort laughs, the sound strangely warm.
"Hmmh perhaps later my dear Horcrux.. "he said reveling in the boys confusion.
Harry closes his eyes and averts his face from the dark lords. "Just get it over with and do what you came here to do" he spat his while body trembling with anticipation. He's at the mercy of his worst enemy and can only await his fate.
"Come on Harry, where is that fiery temper, that spirit you have shown me for all these years hmm?" came the hiss near his ear. If Voldemort had a nose it would have brushed against the shell of his ear but as he didn't, his scaly skin brushed over it makes him shudder in what he can only pray will be perceived as disgust.
Voldemort gave a deranged smirk. "You cannot hide your true feelings from me my horcrux..not anymore..not when I know how you feel like, inside of me. Why fight, what has the light ever done for you? Dumbledore has ne-". Harry's head shot up and his eyes narrowed "Don't you dare speak of him, Tom!" he snarled interrupting Voldemort's speech. The dark lord's eyes flashed a darker red at the mention of his name and he roughly grasped the boys chin. "You might have earned certain.. benefits for being a part of me Harry, but if you want your life to be pleasant I suggest you refrain from using that name.. do NOT forget whom you are dealing with" he hissed deceptively quiet and released him seeing crescent marks from his nails in the boys skin. Tutting to himself he gently stroked a finger over the little marks healing them instantly.
"I think I will take my leave for now.. Do not try and contact your friends or teachers mentioning our little meeting here or finding Nagini.. I will know and that post will be brought straight to me, the owl delivering the post will be destroyed. I need to think about our next move my dear Harry". Voldemort hissed and gave the young man a contemplative look before stepping back abruptly and negating the sticking charm binding Harry's wrists.
"Y-you're leaving?" came the slightly baffled response from Harry. "Don't worry, I will not stay gone for long, you see dear Harry, these events have effectively derailed my original plans, you do not think I still intent to kill you now that I know what you are?" Voldemort scoffed as if the boy was an idiot. "I need to come up with a new plan, you need to be protected..".
This time it was Harry's turn to scoff. "Protected, right.. says the psychotic killer who killed my parents and tried to kill me for years.". The dark lord ignored that jab for now and gently touched Naginis head as he lifted the spells he had in place with a graceful move of his wand. He carefully placed Harry's wand on his bed not breaking eye contact with the boy before retreating. "I will be seeing you.. Harry" he said and disaparated with a small pop.
Harry's legs gave out and he heaved in big gulps of air. What the fuck just happened? This was all a dream, it must have been. Yes he would wake up soon, find the snake he found curled on his chest and not just experienced the most peculiar, totally non erotic conversation he ever had with the Dark lord. After a minute or so he trusted his legs enough to hold him up and he stumbled to his bed, grasping the familiar wood of his wand. Staring at it he shook his head and climbed in, cocooning himself in the blankets. The heat of the woolen blankets soon lulled him back to sleep, tomorrow all would be well. He just knew it.
Morning came quicker then he had wanted, his wand vibrating to alert him that it was time to get up. Having taken up a training regime to combat the boring feeling during hols and also deciding that if he needed to fight Voldemort, he'd better be fit and not faint as he ran for his life. Groaning he stretched and winched as he felt the cold from the room permeate his deliciously warm cocoon. "Bloody cold.. bloody cheapskate family" he muttered. Entertaining the thought of paying a sum to the Dursleys to make sure the heating at least stayed on to prevent the house from practically freezing over at night he quickly dismissed it. At least he had blankets.
He then froze suddenly remembering his dream. Looking down to his chest he expected to see Nagini there but the empty space said enough. "Fuck.. fuck fuck!" he stammered and looked around hoping the snake had decided to explore. A tap on his window startled him enough to make him almost scream like a little girl. Carefully looking at what it was he saw a large dark owl in front of the window carrying a package and a letter. The poor birds feathers were ruffled because of the cold and it didn't look very happy. Deciding the owl would be a lot colder then him he left the warm confinements of his bed and hissed as he walked to the window, opening it to let the owl in.
The bird just stared at him seemingly saying -that's what you get when you take 100 years to open a bloody window-. "Well get in then you ruddy bird!" Harry growled. The bird silently wobbled inside and stuck out a leg containing a letter and the tiny package.
"I wonder who's owl you are, I don't recognize you" Harry muttered and quickly freed the bird from his load. Opening the letter he froze, he recognized that cursive, it was similar to the diary that Harry had found, the Diary belonging to Tom Riddle, the diary he had stabbed with the basilisk fang. He thought morosely. Even though he did it to save Ginny, he never stopped feeling guilty and had dreams of Tom slowly being consumed by flashes of light each time he stabbed the book, the blood that pored out of the diary added an additional dimension to it. Giving a full body shudder he took a deep breath and read the note.
"My dear Horcrux,
Even though it is still two days before boxing day, I can not stop myself from presenting you with an early Christmas gift. I do hope you like it.
Stay out of trouble.
Lord Voldemort.
P.S: The owl who is bringing the package is called Genwid, he has quite the temper and will bite. "
Harry's hands trembled as he dropped the letter. It had been real, it was all real. Voldemort had been in his room, the snake he saved was Voldemort's murderous pet snake and he was a Horcrux, the thing he was hunting and killing to destroy the dark lord and restore peace in the wizarding world.
The owl gave an indignant squawk and having to wait to long and impatiently thrust out his other leg. Harry carefully detached the package which was a small luxuriously looking box. He didn't think he had ever received a gift so well packed. Scoffing he rolled his eyes. Well it did come from Voldemort, the pompous ass wouldn't accept anything less then perfect, so like Malfoy.. Harry mused and wanted to open it when the owl suddenly pecked his hand hard.
"Shite naughty owl!" harry hissed and clutched his slightly bleeding hand. The eagle owl just stared at him with a haughty look in his eyes. "I don't have any treats, you can go now" he said and carefully opened the window clutching the letter and the gift close to his chest automatically.
The owl stared at him for 10 more seconds and Harry thought that it might be waiting for a reply but then the big bird suddenly ruffled its feathers startling him and hopped to the window before taking flight. Shutting the window to prevent more cold from creeping in. He sighted in relief as he heard the boiler jump on. It seemed that aunt Petunia was awake.
Sitting down on his bed he stared at the little black box in his hands pondering at the content. Musing that there might be a curse inside he chuckled. How lame would that be, no Voldemort wouldn't resort to something so low. Throwing caution in the wind he opened it almost greedily, opening the lid he frowned as he saw a tiny book. Picking it up between his index finger and thumb he held it at eye Hight and dropped it as it suddenly enlarged. The book fell on the floor with a dull thud.
After having a quiet staring contest with it Harry picked it up and brushed off any imaginary dust off of the book. Surely he didn't Harry thought and opened the book. On the first page was a sort of introductory page with a single sentence.
"A drop of blood is all that is required, so open up and be inspired".
Rolling his eyes at the goofy rhyme he looked at the tiny bite mark, it had almost stopped bleeding but he was sure that he would be able to squeeze something out, after all, he had already unwillingly provided blood to the dark lord, what harm could it be to give him a little more. Hovering his hand over the page he pinched the skin and soon enough a drop of blood gathered and dripped on the page. Taking his hand back he gave the little wound a lick and gasped as the book lit up for a second before flipping to the first page.
"Dearest Horcrux, I do hope you enjoy this way of communicating with me opposed to painful visions. I hope you do not mind the reference to my precious diary (which you destroyed). I thought it would be..fitting. Write anytime and I will respond when I am able, this book also contains a portkey, to activate you need to touch the book and call out -Lord Voldemort-. It will portkey you straight to my mansion but please refrain yourself from using it unless there is an emergency hmm?
Merry Christmas Harry.."
Harry closed the notebook refusing to think of it as a diary and rubbed his face. He needed a run.