Harry was pacing back and forth in the library. After Dumbledore´s confession he had excused himself. He assumed that four wizards would be able to handle one Dark Lord in his current form.

Marv – he had ha come to like the strange animal over the last six months, despite it´s strange behaviour at times. At least now the behaviour made perfect sense. The same did Snape´s behaviour. No wonder the man almost had looked close to having a heart attack at the thought of Marv sleeping in his bed. Harry winced. He had actually shared his bed with Voldemort. Not to mention everything else like Marv walking in on him in the bathroom as he exited the shower, or laying half asleep on the bed as Harry had changed clothes. Then there were all the conversations. Harry had found it rather therapeutic to talk to Marv about everything that was going on. To think he had actually confessed all his feelings, wants, and fears to Voldemort was rather hard to wrap his head around.

And the bloody thing had grown on him and he still felt something for the damnable cat even though it was him. The Dark Lord that had vanished eight months ago. The Dark Lord he had shared his house with for six months.

Merlin. Harry pushed a hand through his hair and sighed. The best thing for everyone would be to let Dumbledore take Marv with him and get rid of him. Then the world would be rid of Voldemort and Harry could finally get his life back.

The sound of claws clicking against bare floorboards made him whip around – wand out. Marv came through the open door to the library and seated himself in one of the armchairs, tail curling around his body. The ears twitched and he moved his front paws slightly, giving of a nervous energy.

Harry sighed and lowered his wand. The cat was no threat to him at the moment.

"What?" he snapped sinking into the other armchair. "You have tried to kill me more times than I would like to count. You killed my parents, your insane followers got my godfather and Cedric killed. You are trying to enslave the muggleborns and – I actually don´t know how you are thinking you can change things to the better, but I´m going to assume you have some misguided plan or are delusional. The latter is probably the most likely, seeing as you split your bloody soul six times because you were afraid of dying. Couldn´t it have been enough with one, or two?"

The tail twitched slightly.

"Harry?" Dumbledore´s voice came around the door before the man appeared. "Is Tom here?"

Harry made a gesture towards the cat that looked slightly more panicking at the sight of Dumbledore.

"How did you manage to loose a cat?" Harry snapped. How hard could it be to keep Mar-Voldemort in the kitchen?

Dumbledore smiled. "He was quick out the door before we could catch him, but seeing as he can´t leave the premise it wasn´t something to worry about. I was though surprised he ran up her." He looked at Voldemort, who in return glared.

"Are you taking him with you?"

"Yes. Although it would be a slight shame as it´s actually Tom´s birthday."

Harry turned to stare at the cat again. Birthday? He knew logically that the man had to have been born at some point during the year, but on New Years Eve? "Happy birthday," he said, the irony and anger heavy in his voice. It looked like the cat almost winced at the tone. The eyes blinked before Marv turned his attention to the floor, moving his front paws.

The turkey was probably excellent but Harry had to admit he didn't have an appetite. He kept moving the food around on the plate, occasionally taking a bit without really tasting what he was eating. Hermione and Ron were talking quietly. They had tried to include him a couple of times, but had given up in the end.

Marv was gone. Dumbledore and Snape had taken him with them when they left. And for some reason the house seemed impossibly empty with out the cat. Harry hadn´t come to realise just how much he had appreciated Marv until he was gone. The bloody thing had grown on him. The thought of Voldemort having grown on him was unsettling to say the least.

He remembered all the quiet evenings in the sitting room. Him with a book and Marv draped either across his lap or beside him. The last month or so Marv had been a lot more affectionate as some sort of calm had settled over him. Looking back Harry assumed it was Voldemort finally more or less giving up as he probably had felt one after the other of the horcruxes being destroyed. Or perhaps it was the cat instincts taking more and more over?

Harry could remember Sirius telling him that it was dangerous to use ones animagus form for too long because the animal instincts could take over and make it difficult to remember the human side. Perhaps that was what had happened to Voldemort over the last eight months? Logically Harry assumed that Voldemort would be able to withstand the effects of being in his animagus form for so long, but instincts could be powerful.

"Harry?" He lifted his head. It sounded like Hermione had called his name a couple of times by the sound.

"Yes?"

"You seem lost in thoughts."

Harry sighed and put down his fork and knife. "Sorry. It´s just…" he trailed off.

"The thought of Marv being him?" Ron supplied. "Living in your house. I can´t begin to understand what Dumbledore was thinking. Couldn´t he just have put the cat in Azkaban or something. At least he´ll probably be dead by the end of the night." The hate in Ron´s voice was so strong it took Harry back a bit.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed. "I know Marv is V-him, but no one deserves a death sentence."

Harry could feel his head starting to hurt. "What would you have us do with him then?" He snapped. "What if he breaks free of that collar? What if one of his followers figures out what happened and comes looking for him?"

"I know! It´s just…" Hermione ducked her head and stared down on the plate. Harry sighed. "I know," he said as well. "I know."

"I liked Marv," came the quiet confession.

Harry sighed again. "Yes, I liked him too."

They continued the meal in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts.

The headache Harry had the next morning did noting to elevate his mood. The bed had felt strangely empty without the large cat and he hadn´t slept well. The whole house felt like it was missing if he was being honest. Perhaps he should go to one of those shelters he had threatened Marv with and get a new cat. Although it wouldn´t be the same. It didn´t want just any cat, he wanted Marv.

Coming back down into the living room he found a box and started gathering up Marv´s toys and faux-fur blanket the cat had preferred to sleep on in front of the fireplace. Next were the bowls in the kitchen, the scratching post that he had bought to get Marv to stop clawing on the couch. The last thing he packed was the mouse filled with cat nip that had quickly becoming Marv´s favourite. Staring at the mouse in his hand he barely registered that the Floo connected fireplace in the entrance hall flared to life and Snape stepped through.

"Potter," he barked before noticing Harry just inside the living room. "Come. The Headmaster needs you."

Frowning, Harry put down the box and went to the entrance hall. "Why – more cats on the loose?" he snarled. Snape just looked unimpressed and gestured towards the fireplace. Feeling the anger brew Harry wanted to refuse. He didn´t want any details about how Dumbledore had made Marv disappear and the Dark Lord with him. In the end however he gave in. Stepping into the fireplace he dropped the Floo powder and watch as the world turned green.

He arrived in the Headmasters office, stumbling slightly as he exited. The room was empty and he dusted of his clothes just as Snape came through.

"This way," the man said and led the way out the door. They continued down the stairs and into the dungeon where the Slytherin dorms were. Harry wanted to ask where they were going, but it would be a vast of time, as he already knew. They rounded a couple of more corners before Snape stopped before what looked like it was a solid wall. He held the tip of his wand to the bricks and they started shimmering. Without looking at him Snape walked through and, after moment of hesitation, Harry followed.

The room was square and completely empty. No windows, no door, no nothing. When Harry looked back at the wall he had come through it looked completely solid and unyielding. Turning back he looked at the sight in the middle of the room.

Marv was nowhere to be seen, but in the middle of the room, on his knees was Tom Riddle, looking only slightly older than his diary self. His hands were chained to the floor, and around his neck was the same collar Harry remembered Marv wearing, only that this seemed to be lacking a crystal. The red eyes were glaring daggers at Dumbledore who was standing a bit off to the side; his wand in one hand and a small, somewhat cold smile on his lips. For a moment Harry was confused to as how Voldemort looked like the handsome Tom Riddle again, but then he remembered Dumbledore telling him that he had been doing something about his looks. Apparently he had succeeded. The sight of the all too gorgeous Tom Riddle on his knees wasn´t an unappealing sight if Harry was going to be honest. Before he could consider down that road, which was one which he didn´t want to entertain, Dumbledore spoke.

"Harry, nice of you to stop by."

Harry, not being able to tear his eyes from the young looking Dark Lord only nodded.

"Look into his mind, you old fool, and tell me if I´m lying." The words were spat with so much hate that Harry almost flinched. Dumbledore only smiled and stepped up to Harry.

"My boy, if I could." Confused Harry looked from the furious Dark Lord to Dumbledore. The question was clear on his face.

"Don´t worry," Dumbledore smiled. "I won´t hurt."

Well, that sounded reassuring Harry thought. Before he could ask what wouldn´t hurt he felt a pressure against his mental shields and the feeling of someone sorting through his mind. Before he could manage to pull up his shields the pressure disappeared. Blinking and feeling slightly of balance Harry caught the sorrow and seriousness that had appeared on the headmaster´s face.

"Well?" Voldemort demanded rudely and Harry suddenly felt a strong need to flick the man on the nose as he had done so many times with Marv.

"Headmaster?" came Snape´s more quiet voice.

"It´s seems you are not lying, Tom."

Harry couldn´t remember ever seeing Dumbledore as serious as he was at that moment. "Headmaster?" He asked, a feeling of trepidation washing over him.

Dumbledore sighed and dragged a hand over his face.

"You see, Albus," came the goading voice from the floor, "are you prepared to sacrifice the boy to get rid of me? You little golden savi-"

"Shut up, Marv," Harry snapped, his irritation over having to deal with the human version of Voldemort getting to him. He wasn´t sure if it was the use of the cat name or the order itself, but Voldemort did shut up. "What in Merlin´s name is he rambling about now. Why is he even still alive?" The last question almost made Voldemort wince.

Dumbledore looked unsure for a moment, as if not even sure how to proceed.

"Are you going to tell him, or should I?" The last of his patience gone Harry turned and flicked Voldemort on the nose the same way he had always done with Marv. "I said, be quiet." The surprise on Voldemort´s face at the gesture would have been hilarious in any other setting, but Harry was too annoyed for it to register. Snape looked slightly disconcerted.

"It seems Tom made one more horcrux without meaning to."

"What?"

"You, Harry, it would seem that the night he killed your parents a small piece of his soul latched onto the only living thing in the room – you. You are the horcux he never meant to make."

Harry stared. "What?" he repeated. His mind reeling as he tried to make sense of what Dumbledore had told him. A horcrux? How was that even possible? Then he suddenly remembered that Voldemort wasn´t mortal until all the horcruxes were gone.

"What now?" He forced himself to ask.

Dumbledore looked unsure. "Unfortunately we can´t kill him."

"Unless you kill me first," Harry deadpanned. Dumbledore nodded.

"Killing you isn´t an option, but we can´t risk Voldemort returning either. I´m load to keep him chained up in here, but there is really nowhere else to keep him. We can´t send him to Azkaban either."

Harry suddenly saw where Dumbledore was most likely going with his little speech, apparently so did Voldemort. "No!" Both of them said simultaneously.

"You are not forcing me to turn into that blasted creature and leaving me with him," Voldemort snarled, pulling at his restraints. Not that he could get far, chained on his knees as he was. Harry assumed something about the collar blocked his magic, seeing as they weren´t all dead yet,

"I´m not sharing my house with my parents killers!" It did register for a moment that for once he and Voldemort agreed on something. "I don´t care how "harmless" he is in his animagus form and with that collar on."

"I´m not spending anymore time being his bloody pet," snapped Voldemort behind him, sounding like he wanted to chop of his own hand instead.

"Tom, the alternative is staying here, in this room, for the rest of your time," Dumbledore warned. Making a gesture to the empty, square cell. "Harry, it would be better for Tom to stay with you than in this cell, don´t you agree."

Harry rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Can´t you take him yourself? Or Snape, or just give him to a shelter or something?!"

The sound Voldemort made at mention of a shelter reminded Harry that Tom Riddle had spent his whole youth at an orphanage. Suddenly he understood why Marv had balked at the mention of being given to a shelter, it was probably a hit far too close to home when it came to memories of his youth. Suddenly a stab of guilt it him like an arrow.

Voldemort had never had a home, no one to care about him or to look after him. His whole life had been one battle of surviving after another; first the orphanage during the war, then in Slytherin, being presumed to be a muggleborn, then as an adult with no money or family.

His mind went back to the last six months with the cat, with Marv. It hadn´t exactly been easy, but things had smoothed out over time. They had found somehow to co-exist. If he took Voldemort back now it would probably be like turning back in time to the first weeks when Marv had arrived, but perhaps it would once more smooth out?

He turned around and looked at Voldemort. The man was kneeling, his back straight as a rod and his eyes locked on Harry´s. For once Harry could see the emotion swimming in them. He wasn´t sure if it was Voldemort faking it, but somehow he doubted it. Mind made up, he turned towards Dumbledore. "You are absolutely sure the collar will keep?"

Voldemort opened his mouth to speak, but Harry silenced him with a movement of his hand. The outraged look on Voldemort´s face not scaring him one bit. How scary was a young Tom Riddle on his knees anyhow?

Dumbledore smiled, probably realising where Harry was heading with his question. "Yes."

Harry nodded, he cast a look at Voldemort and saw some sort of emotion in his eyes he couldn´t quite identify, but it made him feel unsettled. "I guess everyone deserves a second chance.

"Harry!" Hermione and Ron were waiting in the entrance hall when Harry Floo-ed back home, one pissed of black cat in his arms. It had been a fight to the bitter end to keep a hold of Voldemort as they returned home. As soon as they stepped out of the fireplace Harry let go of the cat. Vold-Marv jumped down, hissing and growling before disappearing from sight.

"Don´t," Harry began, holding up a hand. "We can´t kill him. This was the second best thing."

At the confused look on his best friends faces he went on to explain the events of the day. By the end of it Hermione was nodding, while Ron looked slightly ill.

As he finished up the story a loud meowing was heard and Marv appeared in the doorway leading to the kitchen. He meowed loudly, tail twitching.

Harry groaned. "Yes, I know there´s no food. I´ll come." He started making his way towards the kitchen. Behind him Hermione laughed.

"You know, Harry, cat´s don´t have owner, they have servants."

The pleased look that appeared on Marv´s face at the words made him look like a cat that had gotten both the cream and the canary all at once.

THE END

A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing :D I hope you have enjoyed the journey!