AN: Sorry for the long delay, but I got lost in writing my DS fic, and kinda forgot about this one. Hopefully, I'll be more frequent now :P

Shattered

The first few days at Rosiers were barely manageable; ever since Voldemort had dropped him off, they all avoided him to a degree, something Harry had trouble understanding. They hanged out, sure, and they talked during breakfasts and dinners, but something was aloof, and the general feeling of the household didn't sit well with Harry.

He got fed up on the third night and walked into Eileen's room. Without knocking or announcing himself, he barged in and watched in delight when she screeched and covered herself with a pillow.

Why did she do so, he didn't know since she wore some kind of sleeping garment, but it was amusing nonetheless.

"Pray tell, Harry," she said. "When exactly did I invite you in?"

"I invited myself since none of you actually care that I'm here. It's not like it was you that invited me in the first place…"

"Evan did," she bit. "I told you to stay at Hogwarts."

"And to miss your company?" he asked and shook his head. "Never."

She did smile at that, but it was quickly replaced with a frown. "How did you like your… excursion?" she asked.

Oh, Harry realized. "It was interesting," he said in an even voice. "Not what I've expected though."

"And what did you expect?"

"Killing," he said bluntly. "A cruel monster that knows only how to kill and maim and torture."

She blinked. "And he isn't?"

"He probably is," he said and sat on the lower part of the bed, where her legs were just seconds ago. It was warm. "But he is also more than that. I don't know."

She hugged the pillow tighter. "Did you take into consideration that it could've been an act?"

Harry scoffed at her. "Of course I did. I'm not that stupid. But it just doesn't add up, you know?"

She nodded. "You're a fool to think him sincere after meeting him once."

He met him many more times, and this was the only time he found himself surprised, but Eileen couldn't know that. "You're avoiding me," he said instead.

She gave him a blank look, one she often wore ever since school ended.

"And I reckon it has little to do with me," he continued. "It's either your father or him. If you're mad at me it's only by association or some similar nonsense. I've had enough of it."

She bit her lip and looked down.

"Your father, I understand, and even Evan can be explained somehow, but I thought you friend even outside of these...machinations."

She still remained silent.

Harry sighed. "I'm entirely guessing here, but something needs to be said. I've met quite a few Purebloods so I'd start with saying that you're aloof because it is expected from you in these circles." He saw her bottom lip trembling. " You're probably afraid of your father too, and there is literally nothing to do until you're of age so you go with it and-"

"Stop," she whispered, but he did not heed her.

"He sent you away from the party, didn't he? Because you weren't appropriate? Because I remember our first conversation this year, and how you said that you were all proper, but it's not what you really want, right?"

"Stop," she repeated.

"Then talk to me," Harry said, his voice rising. "Say something. Anything!"

She looked at the side, in a poor attempt to hide her glassy eyes, but it was a futile attempt. He waited for a few seconds, and when he saw no indications she was about to start talking, he sighed and leaned forward, hugging her.

At first, she resisted, but soon, a sob escaped her, and she hugged him back tightly, almost painfully, and all he could do was tapping her back. "S'alright," he said, awkwardly. "I'm here."

And while she cried, he looked through her window, outside and far, but try as he might, he could see neither red nor bushy brown hair. He missed them both. He missed when the things were simpler. But now, they were just echoes of someone else, the person Harry once was.

He had no idea how long they stayed like that, but Evan's voice got him out of the stupor he found himself in.

"What are you doing to my sister, Potter?" he asked.

"We're snogging," Harry said, without missing a beat, and felt Eileen stiffen, and lean back away from him, her eyes comically widened.

Evan watched him with his eyes narrowed but scoffed the moment later. "She knows better than that. It's not like you have any chance with her anyway."

Harry smiled and even Eileen cracked a bit. Evan walked towards them, and with some pushing around, he settled himself between the two of them.

He sighed heavily. "A rough couple of days, huh, Potter?" he said, and Harry nodded. Evan was not Eileen. He wouldn't appreciate Harry poking his nose.

"Father is not happy with me," he said. "He said I was a fool for bringing competition in. Said it was supposed to be me the other night."

"Competition?" Harry blinked.

Evan shrugged. "He got this mad idea about ranks. Like if you got favor with him, you'd end up higher once all is said and done." He glanced at Harry. "I don't blame you though."

"Much appreciated," Harry said and faked a bow, and Evan pushed him so hard he almost fell off the bed, causing Eileen to burst into the fit of giggles.

Evan then pulled both of them in a half hug, each with one hand, and said, "So we'll be all stiff and boring while father is around, and hang out here later, normal and less boring, alright?"

Harry smiled a little. He liked that. "Have you written to others?" he asked instead.

"I did." Evan sighed again. "A lot of ruckus going on at their places too. Sooner than we thought. Wilkes said his mom will leave the country."

"Oh," Harry said. "Right."

"She's muggleborn," Eileen supplied.

"Ministry is getting bolder," Evan continued as if he hadn't heard them at all. "There's a new law that has been voted on in a record time. All forms of magical travel are being heavily monitored, supposedly for the safety of people, but it's really just to spy on everyone. Only a handful of ministry officials are authorized to create portkeys and floo directly into the ministry. It's madness."

Harry smirked even though he felt worry deeper inside. "Ministry must be seen doing something."

Evan raised an eyebrow, and looked at him strangely, and then nodded. "That's exactly what my father said. The minister is blamed for not reacting sooner, and dismissing the threat of Voldemort."

Eileen winced.

"What?" Evan asked. "It's what they call it."

No one answered that, and the silence filled the room. IT grew too heavy for Harry's liking, and so he tapped Wireless with his wand, and the voice of the speaker started to break the silence. It was the news, Harry realized.

...Riots in the Knockturn Alley continue to waste ministry resources, Abraxas Malfoy confirmed. This is the second day since they started, and ministry actions to bring the alley back into the peace are doing exactly the opposite; two more dead were found this evening, a hag, and a member of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. This brings the number of casualties to the highest number ever since the last goblin rebellion, and there are rumors that the numbers are growing still…

"Fuck," Evan muttered. "What exactly did you do there?"

Harry hesitated but said the truth. Both Eileen and Evan looked at him as if he were a ghost as he spat the tale, omitting the death of the Auror.

"He effectively pushed the ministry out of Knocturn without even raising a finger," Evan said, his voice full of awe and something else that Harry didn't recognize. "The public won't stand for it if people continue to die."

"He had to know," Eileen added with a small frown. And when Harry and Evan looked at her, she added, "That people would die. That chaos would follow. He had to know."

And Harry knew it to be true. It was a brilliant move, in more than one sense. Voldemort won people over but he also took the ministry's attention elsewhere, all while destabilizing it more.

Our guest, Abraxas Malfoy, a close advisor to the minister, agreed to answer a few questions for us. Mr. Malfoy, you said the ministry is wasting resources. Could you explain what you meant?

Certainly. Harry recognized Malfoy's voice. What alley demands is no different from Hogwarts, and is perfectly within their rights. Strictly speaking, their practices, even if some of us find them distasteful, are lawful and legal, as long as they don't experiment or use unforgivables, something we have no words of. The residents of this supposed 'dark' alley are not bothering anyone with their actions, and I say let them be.

Harry had to smile. Abraxas said nothing about wasting resources, but the context was clear enough.

But surely you cannot condone the murder of Auror?

Alas, a terrible business that, terrible, but practically invading part of our world is not the answer. It sets a dangerous precedent I don't want to be part of. Cooperation and diplomacy are our friends here, and we are more likely to find the man or men responsible with proper investigation, rather than this show of power that, in my humble opinion, is wasteful, and pointed at entirely wrong enemies.

And who is the right enemy?

Those who seek the end of our world. Those who take the magic out of magic. Those who do nothing once faced with the evils imposed on our small, fragile society.

The silence lasted too long.

"He said too much," Evan said. "Reporter is shitting his pants as we speak, I bet. Malfoy wasn't subtle at all." He shook his head.

"And everyone heard," Eileen added. "The way he talked, it was like the ministry is the villain here."

But Harry understood. "And everyone will doubt ministry now. They'll doubt everyone and everything. Malfoy said that ministry isn't to be trusted and because he's well respected, well…"

"Fuck," Evan said again. "Seems like we're on, guys."

Eileen and Harry exchanged the look behind his back. It seemed so indeed, but the two of them were much less excited about the prospect.

What Harry had feared the most, happened on his last day at Rosiers. The man himself knocked on Harry's door and with no more than a glance, he informed him he had got a visitor, told him to follow the elf, and disappeared before Harry could even ask more information.

Rude indeed, but when the red eyes greeted him, he thought that he had more things to worry about.

"Ah, my favorite Potter," Voldemort greeted him with a smirk, but his eyes remained as attentive as they were the last time. He saw them flick towards his wand pocket to the light tension in his shoulders and cursed inwardly. Voldemort noticed that too.

Harry nodded and took a seat two places away from him. Just in case.

"Thank you for responding so promptly as my time is precious," he continued and Harry shivered. As if he had any choice. "I've got a favor to ask you, though, and you're in a perfect position to deliver. It will, of course, be reciprocated in an equal measure."

"A favor?" Harry asked warily. "I won't do anything illegal." He thought for a second. "Or immoral."

Voldemort's smirk widened. "So brave," he mocked, but then suddenly got all serious. "I know I'd be better off asking someone else, but as I said, you're in a perfect spot for it, so my options are narrow, and here we are."

"I'd heard it first before agreeing to anything," Harry said, with more force in his voice and Voldemort narrowed his eyes at it.

Harry understood that he overreached and added, "For my own protection, of course."

Voldemort wasn't convinced. "Indeed," he said. "Well, the gist of it is that the former professor of mine happens to be the head of your house."

"Slughorn?" Harry asked, gathering his brows. Sure, the man was a bit ambitious and overly jolly, but in Harry's book a perfectly good man. He liked Lily too, even if she was a muggleborn. A decent professor too.

"Him," Voldemort confirmed. "I've been meaning to have a cup of tea with my old mentor, but it seems my owls keep evading him. That, though, would not do." There was an edge Harry didn't like to his voice and he blinked.

"You want me to arrange a meeting?"

"Of sorts." Voldemort nodded. "With a student of my trust from within Hogwarts, without Slughorn knowing who it is."

"What?" Harry asked.

Voldemort smiled a very pleasant smile that did not reach his eyes. "You'll have a date and time. You choose a place."

"And that's it?" Harry asked. It was too simple.

"My trustee will handle the rest." Voldemort nodded again. "The important part is that Dumbledore must not get a wind of it, neither of the meeting nor your inclusion if this is to be...beneficial."

Harry's heart screamed no, as the idea of what was going on started to take its root in his brain, and he was decently sure that he would become an accomplice if he said yes… But he already was. Knockturn alley trip made him already half responsible for the death of a man, and he winced. He was screwed.

If Voldemort's knowing look was any indicator, the man already knew and predicted Harry's train of thoughts. His face told Harry that he knew what answer he would get.

So he gave it. "Sure," he said and shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. But it is!

"Excellent," Voldemort said, his face passive once again. We will speak of your reward once it's done." He stood up, and turned towards the floo, but stopped halfway there, and slowly turned around to face Harry again, a movement that made Harry want to flee, but he stood his ground and matched the man's gaze.

"Oh, and Potter?" he said, sweetly. "Do not disappoint me."

And Harry wanted to do so the least in the world. He swallowed, breathed out, and then nodded, making Voldemort smile once again.

The King's Cross was almost empty when Mr. Rosier apparated Harry and his children at it, something Harry was unused to. It was almost as if they were the only ones that left for the holidays. The air on the station was dry and heavy, filling Harry's lungs with coldness he thought unnatural.

"You ready, kids?" Mr. Rosier said in a single grunt and proceeded to check the time on his grey watch that seemed to be decorated with some sort of golden, metallic leaves, enchanted to dance around his hand, enabling all else to see the actual time. Not that Harry minded at all. Without waiting for a response, the older man frowned, turned on a heel, and disapparated away with a signature crack of it.

"Finally," Eileen muttered, and raised her head to meet his eyes. "Shall we?"

"Aight," Evan added and nodded at them, half-turning around. "I got to catch up with Avery. I'll send Wilkes your way."

Harry was a bit surprised that he excluded Wilkes but not Mulciber, but did not comment on it. Some shady business of theirs, as usual. "Okay," he said in the end and followed Eileen in an empty compartment.

She waved her wand twice, and Harry felt the magic taking over the door, no doubt preventing all noise from escaping. "So, what did he want?" she asked bluntly, and Harry scratched his cheek, to buy himself a few seconds.

"We spoke of Knockturn alley," he lied then. "How did I take it, and such." He snorted. "He's been getting too interested in my person if you ask me."

She searched his face with her eyes, and Harry felt like he was forced some Veritaserum, and had to swallow. "No tasks? No demands?" she pressed on, and Harry shook his head, not trusting his words as much.

"Evan would kill to get a task from him, you know?" she continued, changing the topic so randomly, Harry had to collect his wits.

"Err, okay?" he said, her eyes still lingering on him. Her sight seemed heavier than usual. But she was his friend, and that meant something. Even if he had to lie sometimes.

She nodded for herself as if he hadn't said anything. "He's got his posters all over the room. Of his deeds in Europe and farther. And so does Regulus."

"They admire him?" Harry asked, not really sure where she was heading with it.

"More than that," she replied softly and grabbed his hand. "They both love him and hate him, for they want to be like him, powerful and strong, but are too afraid to do what it takes to be such, and it makes them feel weak. He's the poison in their minds, eating away their brain and filling it with doubts and paranoia, and planting the seed of himself deep within. A seed of promised power." She was whispering by now, her eyes wide, and her hand in Harry's trembling. "Do not let him do the same to you. Promise me!"

"I promise," Harry said without missing a beat. There was no way Voldemort could trick him. He knew him far too well for that to ever succeed. In his mind, it would be the other way around. Harry will come close to him, and once the evil maniac drops his guard, Harry will do what it needs to be done. "I don't get why you feel the need to say those things to me. It's like you think me dumb, or something."

"Oh, Harry," she said in a voice as if he were a baby. "It's not that I don't trust you, but… Be careful, alright? I think there's more to him than you know.

Harry snorted. If only she knew. "Don't worry," he replied and let her hand go, his own suddenly so cold and empty without the extra weight on it. "I got it figured out."

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but someone chose that moment to barge in, and Harry was relieved to see Wilkes' face behind the door, peeking behind the edge. "'Ello," he simply said, charmed his trunk to settle next to Harry's, and dropped next to him.

"Mother's gone to France," he said then, and Eileen and Harry exchanged the look. Harry tried to pat him awkwardly, but before he could do so, Eileen kicked his arm away and hugged the other boy.

His face betrayed little, but Harry thought he saw some gratitude in there. Once done, all of them pretended like he said nothing, and instead peered through the window each in their own thoughts.

After a long moment of silence, Wilkes decided to break the silence. "You heard about the ministry?"

Harry hummed, and Eileen nodded.

"People don't trust them to handle the crisis," Wilkes said. "I've got a word that there's an independent group of people trying to do something about the whole...thing."

Harry tensed, but kept his face blank as Wilkes continued. "There's a talk of recruiting and…" He grimaced as if he bit an especially bitter bit of lemon. "There's talk of fighting," he added quietly.

"Wilkes," Harry started carefully, pretty sure in his knowledge who exactly these people were, "where did you hear about it?"

Wilkes glanced at him, his eyes devoid of any emotion, and shrugged, but there was a bit of extra tension in his shoulders that told Harry he must've known more than he was willing to share.

"Around," he said. "Could be from my father."

"Right," Harry said, but Eileen's eyes were shining now, and she was grinning.

"There are people who want to fight him? That's very brave of them."

Wilkes frowned at that, and Harry didn't like the way he was looking at her. His head was slightly tilted to the side, and his eyes had a cruel glint to it, something Harry rarely saw there. "Brave, or foolish." He smirked. "It matters little. The change is coming, whether they want it or not. They are powerless."

Harry was suddenly reminded that these people were actual murderers in the future, Death Eaters of the worst kind. It was not like he ever forgot, but it was in some buried part of him that he didn't like to recognize as it made him like his friends much less.

Eileen raised her head a bit, her lip trembling. "And what would you know about it, half-blood?"

Harry saw Wilkes' hand twitching, but the boy managed to stop himself, and just smiled pleasantly. "More than you, if your father's word is anything to go by. In fact-"

But before he could continue, Eileen got her wand out and stood up, angry red sparks already at its tip. "Say it, you lackwit. I dare you," she said in a tone so low Harry's arm bristled. "Say another word, come on."

Wilkes' smile was still fixed on its face, but now it didn't look as handsome, but much uglier. Still, he didn't reply, and stood up too, coming so close to Eileen that one could say they were kissing. Harry wasn't sure if Eileen saw it, but his wand slipped from his sleeve into his hand, and Harry was forced to mutter a shield in between them, for every case.

"That's enough," Harry said, standing up, and they both turned at him, an accusation clear in their eyes. The last thing he wanted was to take a side in something he wasn't entirely sure is about. "We're all on the same side."

"That we are, Potter. That we are." Another voice made Harry jump, and he went pale when he saw Regulus standing there, his eyes brighter than ever, and ever-present smirk gracing his lips. "Cousin." he nodded at Eileen. "Lackwit." He did the same to Wilkes while Harry inspected the hallway; it seemed that for once, he came alone.

"What are you doing here?" Harry said through his teeth then. "Say your peace and get out!"

"Business, I'm afraid," he said as if he had no worries in his life. "An apology, if you will, for my awful behavior, and of course, the distasteful action of my associates. Alas, I wasn't aware their bladders were full, you see-"

Harry jumped at him, but Wilkes was quick enough to catch him in the air, and he pulled him a full step back. Regulus jumped back and bumped into the door of the compartment, but it wasn't enough to erase his smile. "Easy, Potter," he said. "It's all bad blood, and now it's cleared, right?"

He dusted his robes that were clean, to begin with. "It must be cleared if we are to do some good together." He leaned forward, right next to Harry's ear, all while Wilkes had him confined. "We are on the same side, right? We got a job to do."

Harry felt the blood leaving his face.