The Devil in Me

I Am the Violence

The chapter title comes from the song:

Blood/Water by grandson

~ WARNINGS ~

Past rape/sexual abuse, past child abuse/neglect, drug use, forced drug overdose

When Harry woke up the morning after his tryst with Theo, he felt more content than he had done in a long time. The few hours of sleep that he had gotten the previous night had been more than he'd had in weeks and he felt amazingly refreshed for it.

At first, Harry wasn't sure what had woken him. There were no windows in his dorm room now that he resided in the Slytherin domain – underneath the lake – so it hadn't been sunlight. The warm body against his wasn't shuffling, so that wasn't the source of his abrupt awakening either.

Harry blinked sleep from his eyes just as one of the doors into his bedroom opened, "Are you going to drag your lazy arse out of-"

Lily stopped when she saw the scene before her. Harry wondered if she might be jealous, but he quickly realised how stupid a thought that had been – this was Lily Moon who had only ever been used by men and therefore expected nothing less from them.

"Well, that's entirely unexpected," She said, throwing herself onto the edge of the bed with a pair of heels in her hand, "Although it's a little unfair, I didn't get cuddles."

"You didn't ask," Harry said with a grin, grabbing her and pulling her to his side to hold her tightly.

Lily made an indignant noise, and Theo grumbled then shuffled against Harry, muttering something incoherent.

"Evidently he's not a morning person," Lily said, eyeing Harry with amusement.

Harry grinned and kissed her, "Good morning."

Lily made a face, "Your breath stinks, and I don't think I want to know where that mouth has been since you last brushed your teeth."

Harry considered that for a moment, "Yeah, you're probably right."

She wriggled out of his grasp, then sat on the edge of the bed to clasp one of her shoes on.

"Did you speak to the Dark Lord about me last night?"

"No, I did that a few days ago," Harry replied, looking down at his watch, "Are you avoiding the elephant in the room, or are you okay with it?"

"I don't mind," Lily said, clasping her other shoe on, "But if you insist on sleeping with both of us, just make sure you use the right protective charms. I don't want to catch any diseases from him."

"Rude," Theo muttered sleepily.

Harry chuckled, "We did last night. Don't worry; I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were," Lily said, shooting Harry a smile, "What did the Dark Lord say, about me?"

"That he was content for you to join us," Harry answered, "It will happen tomorrow, I promise."

"And is it just me?"

"No, you and Reyna Rookwood," Harry said, he nudged Theo to try and motivate him to wake up properly, "She and I have a bit of a history by the way."

"Oh, is she the Ravenclaw who came before me?"

"She's the older woman who corrupted him," Theo mumbled sleepily.

Harry snorted, "You make it sound like I was an unwilling victim, Theo."

Theo cracked open one eye, "She dragged you off into the woods, Harry."

"And then I defiled her," Harry said against the shell of Theo's ear. The other boy shivered, and Harry chuckled, glancing back to Lily, "But her father told me in no uncertain terms that he would kill me if I went there again, so I didn't."

"And then little old me came along," Lily said, turning around and kneeling above him, "But who corrupted who between us?"

Harry smirked, "I thought you didn't want me to kiss you."

"Scourgify," Lily muttered, making Harry cough distastefully.

"This better be worth it," He muttered as he claimed her lips.

Lily chuckled against him and kissed him harder than she had before, pressing herself against him as she did so. There was something about her in her school uniform; there was something about the Ravenclaw uniform in particular.

Lily broke the kiss, too soon for Harry's liking. She pushed herself to her feet, smirking in amusement at Theo, "Now you're awake?"

"Wasn't going to sleep through the show, Moon," Theo teased.

Lily chuckled and glanced back at Harry, "Anyway as I was saying, there was Reyna then me, and now you're into boys?"

Harry grinned, "I'm into you both, at the same time if you want."

"I don't do threesomes," Lily said, kissing Harry a final time before walking towards the mirror, "I don't like to share. My school report always did say that Lillian didn't play well with others."

Theo chuckled under his breath, and Lily fixed her hair in the mirror. She glanced back at him with a smirk, "And you two are going to be late for class, by the way."

"You've never sounded more like Granger," Theo muttered.

"Call me that again, and I'll hex you so Harry can't find it the next time you want some," Lily said, overly cheerfully and with a playful wink.

She left, and as the door swung shut behind her, Theo remarked, "Pity she doesn't do threesomes, she's hot."

"Tell me about it," Harry said as he pushed himself out of bed, "She keeps a switchblade in her underwear drawer. I'm both terrified and more worryingly, slightly turned on by it."

"You would be," Theo joked as threw the covers back and dragged himself out of bed.

Draco noticed the shift between Harry and Theo the moment they walked into Offensive Magic together, almost late. He didn't mention it straight away, but at lunchtime when he sat down next to Harry, Draco brought it up.

"Theo didn't come to the dorm room last night."

"Hmm," Harry agreed as he grabbed an apple, "No, he was a bit busy elsewhere."

Draco lowered his voice, "Remember what the Dark Lord said to you after he found out about you and Reyna."

"I remember," Harry said, taking a bite out of his apple.

Draco gave him a long, hard look, "Death Eaters and their children are off-limits, that is what he told you. Do you think he didn't mean that?"

"No, I know that he meant it," Harry said, not bothering about the other Slytherins who he knew were listening in, "But even I have limits. He is my master, and I will carry out every task he gives me, whether I agree with it or not. When it comes to my life, though? I won't let him dictate who I get close to, because that was what Dumbledore did to me and I won't be controlled that way anymore. I'll sleep with whoever the hell I want to and if the Dark Lord has a problem with that, he can kill me."

Draco swallowed and shook his head, "You're playing with fire, and you're being an idiot. You know that, right?"

Harry got to his feet and shot Theo an amused look, "Well, you only live once, right?"

Theo chuckled and glanced down, but said nothing as Harry strode from the hall.

Daphne had watched the interaction with interest. She looked from Harry's retreating back to Theo, who seemed vaguely amused, and Draco, who just looked worried. One thing was certain – after a short time of being a Slytherin, Harry Potter was well and truly making waves. She glanced at the Ravenclaw table and caught the eye of Lillian Moon, who had also been watching the scene but with amusement rather than curiosity.

The two girls maintained eye contact for a moment before Lily looked away, leaving Daphne more curious than ever about Harry and his intentions.

In Herbology, later that afternoon, Theo brushed past Harry and pressed something against his hand. Harry instinctively closed his hand around the object and looked into Theo's dark eyes.

"Moly," Theo murmured, "It counteracts enchantments when eaten. It might help you keep him out."

Harry knew what Theo meant, so he gave the dark-haired boy an appreciative nod and looked back down at his textbook.

"What was that about?" Draco whispered.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Harry replied, maybe a little too abruptly or harshly. But it was bad enough that Theo had worked out what he was, Harry couldn't have Draco looking too far into it again – he had already heard enough the night that Harry confronted Dumbledore atop the Astronomy Tower.

Draco was itching to find out more, but he forced himself to keep his mouth shut.

"Full moon tomorrow," Harry whispered, looking at the ghostly moon as it shone through the clouds in the late afternoon sky.

"Have you managed to recruit anyone apart from Moon?" Draco asked in an undertone.

"No, it will just be her and Reyna," Harry said, glancing across the greenhouse at Lily, "But we have only been back for a few weeks, Draco – all in good time."

Draco ignored the cryptic comment; he had learned that there was no point in asking Harry to elaborate because he rarely ever did.

In the Slytherin common room after dinner that night, Harry voiced a question intended for Theo.

"What do you know about the Wood family massacre?"

Theo looked up from his book to frown at Harry, "Nothing because nobody who was there has ever talked about it."

"Nobody?" Harry asked in surprise.

Theo shook his head, "No. There were six Death Eaters there – the Lestrange brothers, Bellatrix, Dolohov, Yaxley and Rookwood and as far as I know, none of them has spoken about it since."

Harry tapped his book thoughtfully, "Betsy Wood was killed that night, wasn't she?"

"The squib girl? Yeah, the whole family was pretty much wiped out," Theo said, looking back down at his book, "Apart from Emmeline and her two kids because they fled."

"That's Oliver's mother?"

Theo nodded, "Yeah, she ran off with the kids and abandoned her husband."

Harry frowned at his friend, "So who was Betsy married to?"

Theo looked up and gave him a strange look, "Nobody, she was a squib."

"And she had no kids then?"

"No, why are you asking about this?" Theo asked, frowning at Harry.

Harry shook his head, "I don't know, just something I heard. It's probably nothing."

He was surprised that Theo accepted his terrible, evasive excuse, but all the same, Harry was pleased that Theo wasn't questioning him too much. Harry looked away from Theo, contemplating asking Draco what he knew about the massacre, but the moment he looked up, his eyes met Daphne's.

"Potter," She said, pushing herself to her feet, "Could we have a word, in private?"

Harry's eyebrows shot up, "For you, Daphne? Anything."

Daphne gave him a cold look, "Now, please."

Theo snorted and kicked him in the leg, "Don't deny the Queen."

Harry shot Daphne an amused grin and held his hand out, "My lady."

Daphne looked at his hand disdainfully and walked past him into the dorm room corridor. He followed her, wondering what on earth could be so important that she needed an immediate audience with him.

She opened the door to the seventh year girls dorm, and Harry's grin widened, "Greengrass, I didn't think you were into me."

"I'm not," Daphne said, and she didn't sound cold or irritated, she just sounded tired.

Harry stepped into the dorm room where the other three Slytherin girls were all lounging around.

"Girls," Daphne said, with the same air of authority that Harry used when he was leading a meeting, "Potter and I need some privacy so if you don't mind," she nudged her head in the direction of the bathroom.

Pansy rolled her eyes, "This is our dorm, Daphne."

"And whose father keeps overlooking the fact the Parkinsons rarely pay the correct import and export taxes, Pansy?" Daphne asked calmly, her icy blue eyes latching onto the dark-haired girls.

Pansy huffed and got to her feet, Tracey winked at Daphne, "We shall give you the room, your highness," she teased, grabbing Sophie by the hand and pulling her into the bathroom after Pansy.

With a flick of her hand, the bathroom door swung shut. Daphne pulled her wand from behind her ear and murmured an intricate silencing charm, then she fixed that icy gaze on Harry, "Why are you asking questions about the Wood family massacre?"

Harry kept his gaze on hers; she didn't intimidate him like she did the others, "Why do you care?"

"Potter," Daphne snapped, "Why are you asking about the Wood baby? What do you know?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, "What do you know?"

Daphne crossed her arms over her chest and surveyed Harry, "I can only presume you found out something about what happened that night. The only way you could have done so was from a Death Eater who was there, and since I very much doubt it was a Lestrange or Yaxley who told you, that narrows it down to Dolohov and Rookwood. I will hazard a guess that it was Rookwood since you spent your summer screwing around with his daughter."

Harry didn't let her words faze him. Instead, he nodded, "Very perceptive – congratulations. In answer to what I know about the Wood baby? I know who she is."

Daphne frowned, "Who she is? Potter, what are you talking about? She died in the massacre, just like every other Wood apart from Emmeline who survived on her cowardice alone."

"She left to save her children, you could argue that makes her the opposite of a coward," Harry pointed out.

Daphne fixed Harry with a sceptical look, "The Wood baby died."

"Says who?" Harry asked, "Because I heard it from the last person on the scene – the man who knelt next to Betsy Wood and cried because of the crimes he had committed against humanity. The man who could have gone home to his two young daughters, but instead chose Azkaban because he felt he deserved it."

Daphne looked at Harry hard for a long moment, "What did Rookwood tell you?"

"That the girl was handed over to muggle authorities and adopted," Harry replied.

"By Muggles?" Daphne asked.

Harry nodded.

Daphne's eyes widened, "And if you know her, that means she's a witch."

"And since you aren't surprised by that, and knew of her existence – you know who her father is," Harry concluded.

"Of course I know who her father is," Daphne muttered, "The girl is my cousin. My uncle Julian is her father."

Julian…Harry placed the name, Julian Crouch.

"Your drunken deadbeat Death Eater uncle fathered a child with a squib on the opposing side?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Wow, Potter – could you have been any more offensive if you tried?" Daphne deadpanned.

"Yes, I could have been. Do you want me to try harder next time?" Harry asked sarcastically.

Daphne glared at him in response, "My uncle was in love with Betsy Wood long before he became a Death Eater. He worked at the Apothecary in Diagon Alley, and she used to come in for supplies, the Woods treated her like a glorified house-elf, and Uncle Julian took the time to speak to her like a human being. Over time, their meetings became coffee dates, and as the war was coming to its end, he was ready to marry her, squib or not and to hell with the consequences."

"But then she died," Harry realised.

"She died, and as far as he was aware, his daughter did too," Daphne pointed out, "So yes, he became a deadbeat alcoholic."

Harry cringed, "Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't think that through before I insulted him."

"Anyway, if the girl was raised as a Muggle then she must think she's a Muggle-born," Daphne said, changing the subject, "And she would be in our year at…oh sweet Salazar."

"You got it?" Harry asked, his eyes on hers – he could almost see the cogs whirring in her head as she pieced it together.

"Hermione Granger," Daphne said in disbelief, "Was Granger born in September 79?"

Harry nodded, "On the 19th."

Daphne shook her head, "Hermione is Katherine? How did I not work that out?" she smacked herself in the head, "She looks just like Betsy, ugh, I'm so stupid!"

"Woah," Harry said, gently taking her wrist, "Don't beat yourself up about it, why would you look for similarities when you thought the baby was dead?"

"Still," Daphne muttered, a look of distaste suddenly appearing on her face, "I'm related to Hermione Granger."

"Apparently so," Harry mused, "But then again, it's not really surprising that two of the four smartest witches I know are related."

Daphne raised an eyebrow, "Who are the other two?"

"Lily, and Reyna Rookwood," Harry replied with ease, "What are you going to do with this information?"

"Well, I won't be telling my Uncle at the moment, that's for sure," Daphne admitted, "The false hope alone would kill him."

"Hm," Harry agreed, "I would appreciate it if you could keep the news to yourself until I have a chance to tell the Dark Lord."

"If you tell the Dark Lord that my uncle fathered a child with a squib, you will be signing his death warrant!" Daphne hissed.

"If I tell the Dark Lord that there is a Crouch heir out there, but unfortunately she is descended from a squib, I won't be signing any death warrant," Harry pointed out with a smirk, "It's all about how I tell him, not what I tell him."

Daphne eyed him warily.

"Plus, if I don't tell him at all, I'll be signing my own death warrant which I'm not keen on doing," Harry said honestly.

Daphne uncrossed her arms and brought the silencing charm on the bathroom door down with ease.

"Fine, but leave my name out of it. I'm a Greengrass, not a Crouch – I'm neutral."

Harry nodded and grabbed the door handle, "I know," he promised, yanking open the door and leaving her in peace.

"What did you just put in your ear?"

Harry didn't open his eyes when Theo's dulcet tones invaded his dorm room, "Fancy little beetle thing. Lucius gave it to me as a gift. It stops the Dark Lord listening in to my thoughts."

"Have you had dirty dreams again?" Theo teased, his voice closer to Harry now.

Harry opened his eyes and looked to the foot of his bed where Theo was standing, "No, but I don't want him to find out that Hermione Granger is a half-blood just yet."

Theo frowned, "What?"

"The Wood massacre," Harry said, looking up at the roof, "Betsy Wood had a baby who survived. She was handed over to the muggle authorities because the Ministry assumed she would have no magical ability."

Theo's eyes widened, "You're shitting me – Hermione Granger is a Wood?"

"More than that," Harry said, sitting up in his bed, "Julian Crouch was having a fling with Betsy. Hermione is the Crouch heir."

Theo dropped onto the bed in front of Harry, "The Know-It-All Princess is my cousin?"

"Shit, yeah," Harry said, throwing himself back again, "I always forget that you and Daphne are related."

"I think she wishes she could forget sometimes too," Theo said, crawling up the bed to kneel above Harry, "What are you going to do with that information?"

"I'm going to tell the Dark Lord in a way that won't sign a death warrant for Julian Crouch, at Daphne's request," Harry said, catching Theo's eye, "And if I get a chance to talk to Hermione again, I'm going to be really fucking apologetic."

Theo grinned, "Oh, I'd love to see you grovel."

Harry snorted, "Never to you, Nott."

Theo's eyes flashed playfully, "How long do you reckon it'll be till he calls us?"

Harry grinned back, knowing exactly where Theo was going with this, "Oh, at least an hour."

Theo said, "Time enough then," before leaning down to kiss Harry with an equally mischievous grin.

Lily was more nervous than she let on when Harry side-apparated her to Malfoy Manor later that evening. She remained silent as Harry led her up the garden path, right up until a peacock blocked their way.

"What's with the peacock?"

"Lucius Malfoy has something of an affinity for them," Harry said, shooting Draco an amused grin from where he followed with Theo and Blaise.

The blonde boy rolled his eyes in response, and they carried on walking until they reached the doors. Harry thrust his wand towards them, causing them to billow open dramatically.

Draco muttered under his breath to Blaise, "I could have just touched them to open them."

"Yes but Harry Potter is a drama queen, remember?" Blaise returned.

If Harry heard anything of their interaction, he ignored it because his eyes had sought out someone else the moment they stepped into the busy entrance hall.

"Gus!"

Augustus Rookwood turned around and smiled, "Harry," he said, striding across the floor, "How are you? Better since we last spoke?"

"Yeah, I'm great," Harry lied, "I never got the chance to ask you when we last spoke, but how are things back at the Department of Mysteries?"

"Wonderful," Augustus said, putting an arm around Harry's shoulder and steering him away from Lily, "It is truly wonderful to be back."

Lily took a step closer to Theo in Harry's absence, and the Slytherin boy placed a hand on her shoulder, "It is nerve-wracking, but we all understand that. All of us have been in your position at some point."

Lily gave a stiff nod but remained silent.

On the other side of the room, Pyrites had meandered over to Harry and Gus as they caught up. He tutted and tapped his fingers against the mahogany stair rail, "Honestly – you educate a boy on his family history and babysit him all summer, all for him to find a new favourite teacher."

Harry chuckled, "He's my favourite teacher, Pollux, that much is true. But you're my favourite sassy advisor."

A soft chuckle escaped Pollux's lips, and he averted his gaze towards Lily, "I see that you work quickly."

"Hm," Harry agreed, "She didn't need much convincing if I'm honest. She hates Muggles, and she already has blood on her hands. I get the impression that she doesn't mind getting some more on them."

Before either of the men could comment any further, Reyna drifted over to them. Even in the plain black cloak she was forced to wear for the initiation, she looked as beautiful as ever. Her long brown hair fell around her shoulders, and her full lips were painted their usual cherry red.

"I see the favourite adopted son got a better reception than I did, Daddy," Reyna remarked.

Gus looked at her in a long-suffering way, "He is the Dark Lords servant and a friend to me, so drop that nonsense. You, however, are still fooling around with that idiot," he looked disdainfully over at Fawley.

Something flashed in Reyna's eyes, but she covered it up quickly, "Harry, nice to see you. Is that your new Ravenclaw over there?"

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and calmly replied, "That is the Head Girl, who I have convinced to join us, yes. Where is your sister? I thought she might want to witness your initiation?"

"On the contrary, I do not," A new voice said, "But Mother and Father informed me that I had no choice but to attend."

"Naomi," Gus said, his voice full of adoration as he looked upon his eldest child.

"And thus enters the favourite child," Reyna said sarcastically, she shot Harry an irritated look and lowered her voice, "And he wonders why I have Daddy issues?"

Harry fought to contain the colour that threatened to rise in his cheeks at the memory that brought back. It wasn't one he wanted to re-live in front of Reyna's father, that was for sure.

Naomi and Reyna looked very much alike – their dark brown hair was the same tone and freckles danced across both of their faces. The only difference was their eyes – Reyna's were dark, sometimes they looked green and sometimes they seemed to be a hazel brown. But Naomi had the most vivid blue eyes Harry had ever seen. She held herself differently from Reyna too; it was clear she thought a lot of herself.

"Naomi," Gus said, "This is Harry Potter, and Harry – this is Naomi, my eldest daughter."

Naomi shook Harry's hand and said, "You're acquainted with Reyna, I hear."

Harry wasn't sure how she meant that so he just nodded and replied, "Yes, I am."

Reyna smirked in response but said nothing.

A bell sounded from somewhere in the distance and they all, bar Lily, knew what that meant – it was time for the Death Eaters to gather outside for the initiation.

Naomi looked at her sister in the eye and said, "I hope you are happy; now that you are choosing this."

Reyna didn't let the words phase her, "I am," she said.

Naomi hooked her arm through her Father's and was led out of the room with one last nod. Fawley crossed the room and took Reyna's hand; he used it to pull her towards him and kiss her hard. Harry looked away, quite horrified by how brashly he was acting in front of his peers. When Fawley pulled back, he kissed Reyna on the forehead and murmured something in her ear that Harry couldn't hear.

Harry raised an eyebrow at Reyna, but she rolled her eyes, "Oh come off it, you have your new bit on the side over there to tend to," she motioned at Lily, who appropriately enough, was standing with Theo.

"Good luck, Reyna," Harry said on a parting note.

He didn't wait for a response as he crossed the room to stand by Lily's side, "Hey, you okay?"

Lily nodded, "I'm fine."

"Sorry for abandoning you," Harry said, leaning down to kiss Lily's cheek, "Stay in here with Reyna until someone comes to bring you out. After that, you know what to do."

"You've walked me through it enough times," Lily agreed, but she gave Harry a small, grateful smile.

"You'll be great," Harry assured her, placing a hand against her cheek and looking into her dark eyes – on days like this, they seemed more grey than blue.

Theo smiled at Lily, "You're smart and powerful, not to mention a little bit terrifying. Go out there, do what needs to be done and we'll see you when it's over."

"For a stiff drink," Harry added.

Lily chuckled and nodded, "On you go then, I don't want to make you late."

The two boys gave her a last nod, and supportive smile then made their way out into the grounds where the rest of their peers awaited. Harry scanned the garden, seeing it a bit more full than usual, which intrigued him. But what intrigued him, even more, was the sight of Voldemort, sitting atop his throne in his Tom Riddle 'disguise'.

I have my reasons, Voldemort thought, his currently blue eyes finding Harry's in the crowd of Death Eaters.

Do you mind sharing them with me? Harry asked.

You pointed out that I appear more human in this guise and am therefore more likely to be treated as such. I have used an ancient form of magic to apply a semi-permanent glamour charm to myself.

Harry frowned. So you could have done this at any point? Reverted to Tom Riddle?

I could have, yes. However, until this moment, I did not see any worth in doing so. It has occurred to me that should you continue to recruit followers from Hogwarts, my true appearance in this form may be more than a little unsettling to some. In the past, I have had to cultivate my image as a dark lord in order to spread terror, but now that we have control of the Ministry and Hogwarts, I do not need to be terrifying. It would be more useful to have people follow me out of adoration again.

Harry bit back his thought about Tom Riddle certainly looking good, but Harry knew he had heard it anyway because his lips quirked up in a smirk. Voldemort had made himself look younger than he was but old enough to show those who weren't in the know that he had been around for some time. In reality, he was 70 years old, but he looked like he was in his mid 40's – his once jet black hair was now flecked with grey, but he wore it well. Those blue eyes that Harry had first seen back in his second year were as bright and knowing as they had ever been. Even with the age lines upon his face, there was no denying that he was still handsome – he still had that square jaw-line, that knowing smirk, that aura that he knew everything about you just by looking into your eyes.

Yes, Harry decided in his own head, he had probably had a bit of a thing for the young Tom Riddle when he first got to know him through his diary back in his second year.

Who knew that you were so vain, Tom?

Voldemort looked him in the eye and smirked, Vain and handsome, according to you. Ah, here are your Ravenclaws.

Voldemort's thought drew Harry out of his reverie. He looked towards Malfoy Manor's doors just as Narcissa led Reyna and Lily out into the garden. A glance upwards told him that the moon was still high in the sky, shining through a gap in the clouds.

Two bonfires awaited their sacrifices and next to both of them were two dragons waiting for their cue to light the bonfires - their tamers stood close together at the back of the crowd, talking in whispers and looking into each other's eyes on occasion. Now that he had been intimate with Theo, Harry knew what that stance meant; he knew exactly what sort of relationship Charlie and Felix had.

Harry looked back to the front of the garden as Lily stepped forward – because initiations worked in alphabetical order, she was up first. Harry had to give her full credit, she held her head high and walked through the jeering Death Eaters, no hint of pain on her face at the names they were calling her.

When she reached him, Lily looked Voldemort directly in the eye and knelt before him, "My lord."

Voldemort smiled, a sight that looked less terrifying on him in this new, more human form.

"Rise," He said.

Lily did so, and Voldemort addressed his followers.

"You jeer at this girl because she is not of pure blood," Voldemort said, his voice high and crisp, cutting through the cold air, "I remember when you jeered at the man we call Osiris, for the same reason."

Osiris Zabini bowed his head in recognition.

"But I swore him in regardless," Voldemort continued, "Because he was a valuable asset, a spy for the light, and he has become one of my most loyal followers. He has married well, and he has given the Zabini family an heir. Now young Blaise is in our ranks, and when he marries a pureblooded woman and has a child, the Muggle blood that Osiris is tainted with will almost be bred out."

The air was silent, and Voldemort placed a hand on Lily's shoulder, unsurprisingly it was ice cold, but she did not flinch.

"Muggle-born or not, this girl is a powerful witch, and in time, I suspect she will prove that to you," Voldemort said, "Just as she will prove to the rest of this country that Lord Voldemort is merciful, that I am not a cold-blooded killer. It pains me to spill magical blood, and despite her heritage, this girls blood is indeed, magical."

Nothing was said on the subject, even though Harry was sure that some of the Death Eaters disagreed. Nonetheless, Voldemort continued with the initiation, having Lily swear an Unbreakable Vow to him.

"Lucius – the sacrifice."

Only Harry knew what was going to happen next, Lily having confided in him about her sacrifice and the significance of it.

"Mother," Lily said calmly, her cold eyes sweeping over the woman at her feet.

"Freak," The woman spat.

She didn't look like Lily at all – she was thin, her face pockmarked and ugly, her eyes dark and sullen. She looked ill, but Harry knew why that was – years of drug abuse made a person look inhuman. Harry supposed Lily got her looks from her father because her mother seemed like she would have been plain even before the drug use.

There was a general intake of breath amongst the Death Eaters, but Harry smiled, and he looked up at Voldemort – unsurprised to see a smirk on his face.

"This Muggle calls herself my mother," Lily said, looking out at the Death Eaters, "You jeer at me for being born from Muggles, for being beneath you. It makes you assume that I am a Muggle lover, but how could I love a woman who neglected me? Who treated me like a monster the moment she found out what I was capable of."

Lily pulled her wand out, and her mother flinched.

"She fears me, and she has done from the moment I came home from Diagon Alley with this," She gave her wand a little shake, red sparks flew out of it, and her mother shrieked in fear, much to the delight of the Death Eaters.

"And the irony is that she would have had nothing to fear if she could have just treated me like a human being," Lily said, pointing her wand at her mother, "So Mother, you have spent your entire life putting drugs, alcohol and the scumbags you sleep with before your own daughter and by some miracle, it hasn't killed you yet. I bet you feel lucky. I bet you feel invincible – you don't know what an overdose feels like."

Lily twisted her wand and murmured, "Imperio!"

The ease with which she had cast the curse impressed several Death Eaters. Lily pulled a large needle from her pocket and placed it in her mother's hand, "Inject it all – kill yourself with the drug that you love so much."

Lily's mother injected herself with the drug, and Lily cast a spell that Harry didn't recognise.

"That ought to speed up the effects," Lily said, crossing her arms and cocking her head at her mother as fear filled the older woman's eyes.

"Your heart is racing, isn't it?" Lily asked, "You're starting to sweat. You're becoming confused, disoriented; you can't remember where you are, can you?"

Her eyes spun around in fear, taking in the faces of the Death Eaters all around her. Lily smirked as her mother began to retch, "That's your body trying to expel the drug, but it won't work – I've made sure of that."

The sickness didn't phase Lily, she just took a step back and remained silent as she watched her mother, "When there is nothing left to throw up, you'll start vomiting blood, and I expect anytime now, you will start to hallucinate."

Her mother's eyes widened, and she scrambled back, towards the jeering Death Eaters. She shook her head, mumbling incoherently at something that did not exist. The Death Eaters laughed, finding this Muggle woman's suffering a great source of entertainment.

"No, don't," She said, a little louder, "Regulus, please!"

Harry froze in shock – the name meant something to him, and he could tell from the flicker of surprise that registered in his mind from Voldemort that the Dark Lord understood its significance too.

To Lily, though, it didn't mean anything. It was just a name, another name of a man her mother had probably slept with at some point. It was almost over anyway; her mother was flailing around, scratching herself, hitting herself and then she fell to the ground and began to seize.

"And this is the end," Lily said, standing over her mother's body as she foamed at the mouth, blood seeping out of her nose and eyes, "This is how you die."

Her mother's body stilled, and without a hint of remorse in her eyes, Lily levitated it onto one of the bonfires. Charlie stroked Sarris's head and murmured, "Light it up, girl."

With one gust and a strong breath, the bonfire lit up like a beacon, and Lily let out a sigh of relief, turning to Voldemort and rolling up the sleeve of her cloak.

Voldemort looked upon her for a moment as he took her wrist in his hand, his eyes never leaving hers. Harry could sense a shift in Voldemort's psyche; the new information had changed the way he looked at Lily. He viewed her as something of an equal now; he thought of her as a puzzle that needed to be solved.

Harry suspected Lily's pain threshold of being as high as his. As such, he was not surprised when the only indication of her pain, was a short cry and a few uncontrollable tears that rolled down her cheeks while the mark was branded upon her.

When he had finished marking her, Voldemort did not immediately drop her hand, "Stay with Narcissa. We shall speak privately after the ceremony."

Harry could have rolled his eyes, private conversations with Voldemort never ended well, but Harry knew why he was doing it. Voldemort wanted to tell her who her father was; he wanted to be the one to deliver that news; he most certainly did not want Harry to do it.

Irritated as he was, Harry pushed the thought from his mind when Reyna walked forward. Having seen Lily's show of control and wickedness, she looked, naturally, a little uncomfortable.

As Lily had, she knelt before the Dark Lord then made her vows. As a daughter of one of his most loyal followers, she made a standard vow of homage rather than an Unbreakable Vow. Her sacrifice was then brought forward, and as she had no personal grudges; it was just a random Muggle, plucked from the street.

All the same, Harry suspected that Voldemort had picked that Muggle very careful, to test Reyna – to see how devoted she was to his cause and to see how far she would go.

The Muggle was a boy, a teenager around 13, Harry would guess. His eyes were wide with fear, his clothes tattered and torn, he was slim, malnourished – a street urchin.

"Please don't hurt me," He begged.

Reyna showed no outward sign of emotion upon hearing these words.

"Please," The boy said, "Please, I'm begging you."

Reyna laughed, a high, humourless sound, "Are you?" she asked, pulling her wand from her pocket, "Surely if you were begging, you would be on your knees."

The boy fell to his knees, and something flashed in Reyna's eyes. Harry thought it was mercy - that for a brief moment, she entertained it and wondered if she was capable of cold-blooded murder. But if it was a moment of doubt, Reyna did not consider it for long.

She slashed her wand through the air, uttering the words as the green light hit the boy in the chest.

Voldemort gave a small, approving nod as Reyna levitated the corpse onto the unlit bonfire. Harry chanced a glance at her family, Augustus had a stoic look on his face, giving away nothing of how he truly felt and his wife, Johanna, held her head high. But Naomi kept her gaze downwards, and Harry wondered, not for the first time, if she might prove to be a weak link in the chain.

With a murmur of, "Now, girl," Lennox lit the bonfire. Felix gave her a dead ferret as a reward for her efforts.

Reyna held her head high and turned to Voldemort, offering her arm to him. Unlike Lily, she did not maintain her composure while he marked her. The pain brought Reyna to her knees; tears poured down her cheeks as she cried through her gritted teeth.

All the same, Voldemort did not look down on her because of it. He had seen men fall apart more than that when they had been marked after all.

"Welcome to our ranks," Voldemort said, his voice high and cold, "And let us all welcome in a new era."

There was some applause and cheering, then the group of Death Eaters dispersed across the garden. Harry watched cautiously as Voldemort placed a hand on Lily's shoulder and led her away. He was itching to find out what would be said between them, and he contemplated trying to slip into Voldemort's head to observe the conversation subtly.

However, before he could, Voldemort blocked him out and turned very slightly to look behind him. He caught Harry's eye and smirked, and it took every ounce of self-control that Harry had not to kick something and curse, "Bastard!" as loud as he could.

"Looks like the Dark Lord has a new favourite," Theo said darkly, "Bellatrix has fallen from grace, so it seems."

Harry followed his line of sight to Bellatrix, who Narcissa was scolding for something on the other side of the garden.

"So it seems," Harry agreed, finding an excuse to slip away from his friends. The moment he was alone, he pulled on his invisibility cloak and snuck across the garden so that he could eavesdrop on the Black sister's conversation.

"You heard what she said before she died," Bellatrix hissed, "That girl is a Black, Narcissa!"

"She may well be," Narcissa said coolly, "And if she becomes the Dark Lords new favourite then so be it, you worked hard for your place by his side only to throw it away in a moment of foolishness!"

Bellatrix looked around, then muttered, "Quiet!"

"You were foolish, and now, it may cost you your life," Narcissa hissed, "The Dark Lord met with me privately, Bellatrix. He made it clear that if this child is born, neither you nor it will survive."

"She will be his heir-"

"He has no interest in an heir conceived under a love potion," Narcissa cut in, "He does not want a child incapable of love to be brought into this world, not like he was. Did you not stop to consider that before you acted like a madwoman?"

Bellatrix was silent, "But…"

"He cannot love, but he can feel," Narcissa said, glaring at her sister, "He is aware of the limitations he has faced by his lack of ability to love. Why would he want to inflict that on another? He is merciful, and he has shown that time and time again. If he were not, you would be dead already."

Bellatrix swallowed, "I have dreamed of this for so long, I cannot lose this child."

"You will lose this child, whatever you do," Narcissa said, "But you have a choice in whether you die with it or not."

She shook her head, "No, Narcissa, no. We can convince him that the child is Rodolphus's-"

Narcissa laughed, "Rodolphus? Bellatrix, everyone knows that Rodolphus cannot have children. You tried for long enough, the moment the pregnancy comes to light, everyone will be aware of whose child it is. Lying, hiding it? Those are not options, and the Dark Lord cannot be tricked."

Bellatrix said nothing.

"This child cannot be born," Narcissa said with a note of finality, "I suggest you wrap your head around that before the inevitable happens."

Without another word, Narcissa spun on her heel and stalked away from her sister, leaving Harry's head reeling as he took in that information.

In the comfort and privacy of his private lounge, Voldemort urged Lily to sit.

Warily, she sat in an armchair by the fire and Voldemort sat opposite her. He surveyed her through those mesmerising blue eyes that were so difficult to look away from.

"I admire the method that you used to dispose of your mother," Voldemort said, his voice smooth, soft and low, "It was as inventive as it was vengeful."

Lily had been expecting some berating, so she looked up in surprise, "Thank you, my lord."

"I had heard that you already had blood on your hands and that you were more than capable, but all the same – the show you put on out there surprised even me," Voldemort continued, "I presume that she deserved it?"

Lily swallowed and nodded, "Yes, my lord – she deserved it."

Voldemort said nothing, but Lily could tell that he was intrigued and wanted to know more.

"She neglected me, that much is true," Lily said, keeping her gaze down, "But she let things happen to me, things that no woman should let happen to a girl, let alone her daughter."

Still, Voldemort remained silent, listening intently.

"The Muggle men she let in the house, boyfriends, people she slept with for money for her next fix," Lily cleared her throat, "Some of them were sick, some of them saw that she had a young daughter and they…" she shook her head.

"The two who got close enough to hurt me? They died," Lily said simply, "The first time I didn't even know what I was, I was 10, it was a few months before I got my Hogwarts letter. I just knew that when I got angry, my hands burned, and I could use them to inflict pain."

Lily looked up at Voldemort, surprised to see that his eyes were still watching her intently, even as she had been staring at the ground.

"And the second time, the Ministry didn't even investigate it. They just sent me a warning letter – don't use magic outside of school, Miss Moon – never mind that I had killed a rapist at only 13 years old."

Something flickered in Voldemort's eyes, and he rose to his feet.

"They didn't send anyone out to the hovel that I was forced to spend my summers in. They didn't do anything to help. I had to take matters into my own hands," Lily said, her eyes burning angrily, "I was just a kid and they – those Muggles – they did this to me."

Voldemort wouldn't admit it – not now and perhaps not ever. But Lily reminded him of his mother – she had grown up in poverty, a victim of domestic and sexual abuse at the hands of the people who were supposed to protect her. It made Voldemort feel something new, something he did not think he was capable of feeling – it wasn't love, but it was a territorial feeling – this girl had protected herself for too long, it was time for someone to take her under their wing, to protect her.

Lily did not flinch when Voldemort cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes, "You deserved more and now, you shall have it."

She swallowed and looked into his eyes, but she said nothing.

Voldemort dropped his hand, "You are not a muggle-born, you are a half-blood. When she was dying, your mother said the name 'Regulus'. She was referring to Regulus Black."

Lily frowned.

"Regulus was a follower of mine," Voldemort continued, "His elder brother, Sirius, was not. You may know of him; he was wrongly imprisoned for killing the Potters."

Lily nodded, "Then he escaped, and we all found out that he was Harry's Godfather. He died in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries."

"Precisely," Voldemort said, his eyes on the fire ahead of him, "His younger brother joined my ranks the moment he left school, but by the time Regulus was 19 he had disappeared entirely. I assumed that he had deserted, but as he never resurfaced when Harry Potter initially defeated me, I can only presume that he is dead."

"But…if he was a Death Eater, why would he sleep with a Muggle woman?" Lily asked, trying to wrap her head around this fact.

Voldemort pondered on this, wondering whether he ought to tell her the truth or sugar-coat it. In the end, he decided that she had been through enough to handle an unpleasant truth about the first war.

"I view Muggles as indispensable – whether they live or die, it does not matter to me," Voldemort explained.

"During the first war, my followers would raid Muggle areas to incite fear amongst the light, and in the course of these raids, some indiscretions did occur."

"Rape," Lily said bluntly, "They raped Muggles."

"They were supposed to dispose of them afterwards, in any event," Voldemort continued calmly, "But Regulus always was weak…"

"And therefore, here I am," Lily realised.

"Indeed," Voldemort said, curious blue eyes meeting stormy grey, "But in this instance, I thank Regulus's cowardice because you, my dear, are truly fascinating. You seem older than your years."

"Well," Lily mused, "I'm traumatised, so I guess that ages a person."

Her dark sense of humour made Voldemort smirk, "You joke about your suffering?"

"What doesn't kill you gives you a lot of unhealthy coping mechanisms and a really dark sense of humour," Lily returned.

Voldemort chuckled and held out his hand, "We ought to re-join the celebrations. I am sure Harry will be wondering where you have gotten to."

Lily took his hand and got to her feet, "Harry is not my keeper."

Voldemort held out his arm, and Lily hooked hers through it. They walked through the corridors of Malfoy Manor together, and Voldemort said, "Of course not. You are your own witch. This evening made that apparent to everyone."

Lily smiled triumphantly.

"Do you find that Harry has a rather short attention span?" Voldemort asked curiously, "I find it to be one of his more irritating personality traits."

"In his defence, because of the way the light side was with him, he's never really had a chance to be normal," Lily confessed, "I think in some ways, he might be catching up a little. I think if you let him act rashly, like the teenager he has never been allowed to be; maybe it will help him grow. He will be a stronger person for it, and he will be thankful to you for being the first person to let him be normal for a while."

Voldemort raised an eyebrow at her, "It is no wonder that you are in Ravenclaw. You are incredibly perceptive."

Lily shrugged, "I learned to read people at an early age. It was a survival skill with the way I grew up."

Her words made Voldemort think about the orphanage he had grown up in and the survival skills he had been forced to learn there. Flashes of that life invaded his mind – the Muggle children who had bullied him because they didn't understand him – they had suffered, of course, they had never been the same after they came out of that cave.

Voldemort pushed the memories aside and said nothing. He did not talk about that aspect of his life, let alone think about it, but this girl, this girl who he had just met forced those long-buried memories to come to the surface. He wondered why that was as they stepped out into the garden together.

Bellatrix looked torn between being horrified and bursting into tears when she saw Lily on Voldemort's arm, and the Dark Lord smirked at his former 'favourite' in response.

She would learn the hard way what happened to people who betrayed his trust.

Harry huffed irritably when he saw Voldemort emerge from the house with Lily on his arm. He leant against one of the statues in the garden and tried to close his mind as Voldemort invaded it, projecting thoughts about Lily over to him. Harry bit back an irritated growl; this was the Dark Lords way of punishing him.

"Not going to congratulate me, Harry?"

Harry looked over at Reyna and nodded in the direction of Voldemort and Lily, "Do you think life smokes after it fucks me?"

Reyna followed his line of sight and snorted, "Definitely – and not only does it smoke, it smokes expensive Cuban cigars."

Harry chuckled and looked at her, "Do you know something? I've kind of missed you."

Reyna smirked, "Of course you have. I would suggest a repeat of your birthday party but from the look on my fathers face, I would guess that was a write-off."

Harry looked across the garden at Gus, only to find the older man staring right back at him. He made a slitting motion across his throat, and Harry took a cautionary step away from Reyna.

"Not to mention your boyfriend and what he would say," Harry said, scanning the garden to look for Fawley, but not seeing him.

Reyna rolled her eyes in response.

Harry leant against a nearby tree and looked at the older girl, "I will admit. When I watched your initiation, at one point, I didn't think you would be able to do it."

Reyna frowned, and as regret flashed in her eyes, a spell around her flickered, briefly exposing a bruise on her face.

Harry grabbed her by the wrist, "What the fuck was that, Reyna?"

"What?" Reyna asked, yanking her wrist from his grip.

Harry glanced around and pulled Reyna into the peacock infested hedge maze, "You've got a glamour on."

"I always have a glamour on, do you think I would look this flawless without one?" Reyna joked.

Harry waved his wand irritably and muttered, "Finite Incantatem."

The glamour dropped, and the bruise on Reyna's face shone against the moonlight. She glared at him and tried to pull away, but he didn't let her. Instead, he acted on suspicion and lifted her top, seeing marks on her stomach and back. He had known they were there from their rendezvous in the woods, but it wasn't until now that Harry realised what they meant.

Reyna pulled away from him, pulling her wand out in one fluid movement and pressing the tip against Harry's chest.

Harry's wand was still in his hand, but he didn't raise it. Instead, he looked Reyna in the eye and said, "I am going to fucking kill him. Do you hear me?"

Reyna said nothing, her eyes on Harry's.

"What kind of cowardly man does that?" Harry hissed, "Did he hurt you when he found out about what we did?"

Reyna swallowed and lowered her wand, "I'm a big girl, Harry – I can take it."

"You shouldn't have to, Daddy issues or not, you don't get to stand by and take his abuse," Harry said, his voice quiet but demanding, "So answer the goddamn question – did he hurt you after he found out about us?"

"Yes," Reyna admitted.

"Show me," Harry ordered.

Reyna sighed and lifted her top, showing him a long, thin scar on her side.

"Cutting curse?" Harry asked.

Reyna nodded.

Harry pushed himself away from the hedge, and Reyna followed him, "Harry, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to ask for permission first, and then I'm going to kill him," Harry said hotly, "And by Merlin, I am going to enjoy it."

"I don't need you to fight my battles for me," Reyna said as he jogged after him.

"Apparently you do, Reyna," Harry said irritably, "Because otherwise, you would have done something about it by now. There's a difference between Daddy issues and full-scale abuse, and I know the difference better than anybody, except for maybe Lily."

Before Reyna could argue any further, Harry stalked up to Voldemort, who was still with Lily.

"Forgive me for interrupting, my lord," Harry said, remarkably calmly.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow, "You have a good reason for doing so, I presume?"

"Yes. I would like to ask for your permission to challenge Fawley to a duel to the death," Harry said, as calm as he had been when he stepped up onto the podium where Voldemort's throne stood.

Suddenly Harry felt that Voldemort's full attention was on him. He looked Harry in the eye and thought, Explain.

Harry did not break eye contact as he thought, I'll show you.

He focused on Reyna, on the bruise, the glamour, her scars and the conversation he had just had with her. Voldemort did not let on that Harry's thoughts and memories were flashing before him, but Lily looked between the two men as they communicated without words.

If you need him then, of course, I will not kill him, but I still want to duel him because nobody deserves that, far less one of our own.

I have no use for him, Voldemort thought. Then he said aloud, "Make an example of him."

Harry nodded and bowed his head, "Thank you, my lord."

"Harry-"

"He deserves it, Reyna!" Harry spat, stalking across the garden, his hand twitching his wand holster as he approached Fawley.

The curse breaker was talking with Azriel Gibbon when Harry reached him.

"Stuart Fawley, I challenge you to a duel to the death for the crime of abusing one of our own."

Upon hearing those words, Augustus looked at Reyna in horror. Her face fell as her father strode towards her.

Fawley laughed and pulled out his wand, "I have no idea what you mean, Potter."

"Oh, I think you do," Harry said.

The other Death Eaters were all making their way over, moving back to create a wide berth for the duel to take place.

"You think you, a baby Death Eater, can take on a fully trained curse breaker like me?" Fawley asked with an amused grin.

"I think me, a 16-year-old boy who wasn't even a Death Eater yet killed the great Albus Dumbledore," Harry said calmly, "So why would I be scared to take on a sub-standard Death Eater and barely capable curse breaker like yourself, Fawley?"

Fawley's jaw set and he threw an entrail expelling curse at Harry. However, Harry ducked before it could hit him, "Reducto!"

The curse destroyed the shield charm that Fawley had just put up, scaring the older man for the first time.

"Confringo!"

"Protego!" Harry's shield charm absorbed the fiery explosion, "Baubillious!"

The charm sent a bolt of lightning at Fawley – it was unshieldable but easily avoidable by transfiguring or summoning a large rock which was precisely what Fawley did. The lightning split the rock in half, but Harry used the moment of distraction to prepare for his next move – a bludgeoning curse.

The moment the rock split, the spell flew through the crack, hitting Fawley in the face. He reeled back and cried out in pain as the charm acted like a punch to the face. Before Fawley had a chance to recover, Harry slashed his wand through the air and cried, "Sectumsempra!"

He used his wand like a sword, slicing it through the air and causing deep, lacerations on Fawley's torso and back, in the same way that he had hurt Reyna. It was vindictive, and maybe even a little petty, but Harry felt that if anyone deserved it, Fawley did.

He brought his wand down with precision and at that point, a hand on Harry's shoulder stalled him.

Fawley was on his knees, screaming in pain, blood pouring from his extensive wounds.

"He deserves worse," Augustus's voice said, but it sounded different. It wasn't light and jovial; it was cold and low.

Harry looked over his shoulder at the older, taller man.

"He deserves to be ripped apart for what he did to her," Augustus growled.

Harry understood what his mentor meant. He smirked and held his wand out in front of him just as Gus did the same thing.

"Accio!"

They each magically took hold of one of Fawley's arms and pulled, earning a hiss from some of the more meek Death Eaters. Fawley's screams of pain filled the air, and then two sickening pops, punctuated by a feral howl of pain, made someone in the distance scream.

Harry trained his wand on Fawley's head, and Augustus did the same.

"Together?" Harry asked his mentor.

Augustus gave a curt nod.

"Reducto!"

"Reducto!"

The two spells, both cast by powerful wizards, hit Fawley in the head simultaneously. His head imploded, making the Death Eaters draw back as blood and gore sprayed everywhere.

With a manic expression on his blood-covered face, Augustus turned to the crowd of Death Eaters and roared.

"And if the rest of you ever so much as touch either of my daughters, that's the least I'll do to you! It won't be as quick as what happened to him; it will be long, slow and drawn out!"

Nobody said anything, but the fear on their faces was evident. Harry had known that Augustus was powerful of course, but he had also learned that the ten plus years he had spent in Azkaban had left him a little unhinged. He just hid it better than a lot of the other former inmates did.

The Death Eaters all looked from Augustus to Harry, whose expression was perfectly calm. He was covered in blood, just as Augustus was – beneath it, all that could be seen were his green eyes, glinting vividly and full of triumph.

At that moment, it was evident that they feared him more than they feared Gus – the man who had been one of Voldemort's most loyal followers for a long time. As the crowd began to disperse, Harry looked at Reyna.

Her big sister had her arm around her; she was as white as a sheet and shaken. He tried to catch her eye, but Naomi swept her away, both from Harry and Gus.

Harry sighed and spat out a mouthful of Fawley's blood distastefully.

"All that blood looks good on you," A sarcastic voice said, "Really brings out your eyes."

Harry looked up at Theo, "Funny," he said dryly.

"Seriously mate, you're in dire need of a shower," Theo said, a hint of concern in his voice.

Harry cast a basic Scourgify on himself and looked over at Lily – even she looked shocked at what she had just seen, despite what she had done to her mother earlier. He drew his eyes away as Draco walked towards them warily.

"Scared of me, Malfoy?" Harry asked irritably.

"Don't be so stupid, of course, I'm not scared of you," Draco snapped, "But you've been a Death Eater for all of two months, and you think you can kill whoever you want?"

"I asked for permission, Draco," Harry said, his eyes on the blonde boys.

Draco scoffed and shook his head, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Harry laughed bitterly, "Who do I think I am? - I'm who you were meant to be."

Draco didn't say anything, so Harry pushed past him towards the gate, and without a word to Draco, Theo followed.

"You seem shocked by that display of violence, my dear."

Voldemort's voice drew Lily out of her thoughts, "No, well…yes."

He raised an eyebrow at her, curious blue eyes meeting dark, confused ones, "You are unsure?"

"No, it wasn't the violence that shocked me," Lily said, looking at the mess that had once been Stuart Fawley, "I just never saw Harry as a proper Death Eater until tonight. I knew he talked the talk, and I could tell that he was intelligent, but I never realised how ruthless he was."

Voldemort hummed thoughtfully and sipped his firewhiskey, "And does it make you think less of him?"

"No, I'm just adjusting my impression of Harry," Lily mused, "It wasn't the way I would have killed him. It was messy."

"It was impulsive," Voldemort agreed dryly, "As are most of his decisions."

"I get the impression that's not a trait you like?" Lily guessed.

"You would be correct," Voldemort agreed, "Gryffindors are impulsive, they act rashly. I do not believe in rash actions."

Lily leant against the wall and surveyed Voldemort, "I had you down as a typical Slytherin, you know? I thought Lord Voldemort, the most feared dark wizard in the world, yeah, he must have been Slytherin through and through."

"And having met me, you doubt that?" Voldemort asked with interest.

Lily smiled, "You're not a madman, I think the light paint you that way to make you seem less human because the truth of the matter is much scarier – you are smart, so smart. I think you might be the smartest person I have ever met. I can see exactly why you were in Slytherin, but there is a lot of Ravenclaw in you too."

"The two houses are of course irrevocably linked," Voldemort said, his eyes on Harry as he stalked out of the garden with Theo, "And it is why Slytherins and Ravenclaws tend to lean towards the dark while Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs lean towards the light."

Lily cocked her head at him, "You're also very rational."

"You thought me to be a monster, I presume?" Voldemort guessed.

"Perhaps," Lily mused, "But then again, a monster is not such a terrible thing to be."

"No?" Voldemort asked, entirely intrigued by this girl.

Lily shook her head, "From the Latin, monstrum, a divine omen of misfortune. Then adapted by the Old French to mean an animal of myriad origins. To be a monster is to be a hybrid signal," she took a cautious step closer to Voldemort.

"A lighthouse – both shelter and warning at once."

"Do you want me to be your shelter, Lillian?" Voldemort asked quietly, his eyes still on hers.

Lily knew that the question had a double meaning. It was for this reason that she hesitated, her eyes still on his, her stomach squirming uncomfortably as those eyes bored into her mind, and her very soul it seemed.

"Yes," she eventually managed to say.

"I really think we should talk about what happened back there," Theo was saying to Harry in his dorm room later that evening.

"We don't need to talk about it, Theo," Harry said evasively.

"Come on, Harry, you just blew up a guys head," Theo said, "You need to talk about that."

"I don't need to talk about it, Theo, I'm fine," Harry said, pushing his shirt off and walking towards the bathroom in only his trousers, "I'm going for a shower."

Theo didn't say anything, so Harry stepped into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him. He kicked his trousers and boxers off and stepped into the shower, turning it on as hot as it would go and resting his head against the wall.

He shut his eyes tightly and felt a wave of warmth flood him. It had come from Voldemort; he was happy, happier than Harry could ever remember feeling him. The reason for that happiness was apparent – Lily.

"Look – badass Death Eater or not, blowing up a guys head is a big deal."

Harry's eyes snapped open, and he looked at Theo irritably. He was leaning against the shower, his dark eyes shamelessly raking over Harry.

"Oh for the love of Merlin, Nott. Could you just fuck off?"

"If you wanted me gone, you would have said that like you meant it," Theo said, his eyes meeting Harry's.

Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed Theo's wrist. With a yank, he pulled him into the shower cubicle and with an irritated mutter, he had vanished Theo's clothes.

"If you're going to be here, you might as well be fucking useful," Harry said, pressing the naked, wet man against the cold, tiled wall, "And just in case you haven't realised, I do not want to fucking talk about it," he growled.

Harry then crashed his lips against Theo's, pinning him to the wall with the weight of his own body and revelling in the heat of the water, almost burning his body, against the cool tiled wall that he had Theo pressed against.

Theo's attempts to get Harry to talk about what had happened died in his throat. He dedicated himself towards putting his tongue to better use, fighting with Harry for control of the kiss and losing spectacularly.

While Harry did not want to talk about what had happened, he couldn't deny that it had affected him. He pushed that down and tried not to think about it, he focused on Theo's lips, on Theo's teeth against the flesh of his neck, on Theo's hot body, pressed against his own.

But truthfully, Harry couldn't stop thinking about it. Every time his mind went blank, he was back in that moment, torturing and ultimately killing Fawley and maybe Theo was right, perhaps he did need to talk about it. All the same, it took him a while to admit that. It wasn't until he was thrusting into Theo, the heat of the shower bearing down on them both, that Harry finally came to terms with what he had done.

"He deserved it," Harry said, his mouth against the shell of Theo's ear.

"Yes," Theo gasped, tightening his grip on Harry's shoulder, "He did."

"He deserved every slash of my fucking wand," Harry hissed, thrusting into Theo harder than he had the last time, "And do you know what?"

"You enjoyed it," Theo said, his voice barely a whisper. The words, something about them, made Harry tumble over the edge – capturing Theo's lips in a messy, half-arsed kiss as he did so.

When Harry broke the kiss, they were breathing heavily. After a few silent minutes, Harry drew back enough to look into Theo's eyes – they were heavily-lidded and filled with lust.

"Damn right, I enjoyed it," Harry said, without breaking eye contact, "I enjoyed how powerful I felt in that moment. I enjoyed his screams, and I enjoyed his fear."

Harry tore his eyes away from Theo's and leant forward, resting his head on Theo's shoulder, "Maybe I am a monster now, but because of that, I was able to do something tonight. If I was still the old me, the pathetic Harry Potter, the lights fucking poster boy, there would have been nothing I could have done. But I made Fawley pay, and I did that because of the person that the Dark Lord shaped me into. I'm fucking proud of that, Theo."

Theo's chin rested on top of Harry's head, "And you should be. But you are also fucking exhausted, Harry. It doesn't matter how powerful you are when you get angry; you're also a 17-year-old kid who managed to stand up with a 50-year-old Death Eater and come off as the better person."

Harry looked up at Theo, his dark eyes were full of concern, "You need to sleep, and when you wake up, you need to eat something. I know you think you're invincible, but you're human like the rest of us."

Harry sighed and blew out a breath against Theo's neck, eliciting a shiver from the dark-eyed boy, "I'm so tired, Theo."

"I know," Theo said, his voice softer than usual, "I know, Harry."

* TBC *

A/N: I'm expecting reviews along the lines of, "Is anyone in this story actually a Muggleborn?!" so I'll pre-empt the issue and explain now! Harry's whole point is really, how many Muggleborns are actually Muggleborns? What if they just didn't know one parent? Or didn't know they were adopted? Magic has to come from somewhere. As it turns out, more often than not, he's right – a muggle-born actually has a squib parent, or magical parent basically proving Harry right and justifying the fact Voldemort isn't point-blank wiping out all Muggleborns in this story.

Hopefully, that explains the situation well enough It's also why Lily is so powerful because she's a Black and although they can be mad and inbred, we see from Bellatrix, Narcissa, Sirius etc that its also a family that produces very talented, powerful witches and wizards

Also: The section with Lily talking about monsters, and the quote about being like a lighthouse is from this source - Ocean Vuong, from "A Letter To My Mother That She Will Never Read", published in 'The New Yorker'.