A/N: Hello, people!
I don't own Harry Potter.
I have no beta.
ENJOY!
CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.
-So a lot of stuff happens this chapter. A LOT!
-There is talking, between a lot of people. You might rest your weary hearts now. For a little while at least.
-This is when things start turning.
-No-Name(DuBois) was never done! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
-I've noticed that people who comment under 'Guest' only have stupid things to say. Which is kind of smart actually, because putting a name to your stupidity would just make you a laughing stock. Like, people reserve only stupid comments for 'Guest Reviews' because they know otherwise people would be PMing the shit out of them and tearing their dumb asses apart.
Wen u r dun powting come find me with Hary.
Nag.
Voldemort crumbled the damn parchment. His familiar had decided to once against disappear and it had been five days since he had last seen her. And where was she? With Harry Potter.
She'd left the note on his bed, but it had fallen to the floor when he'd gotten up. He'd only just found it under the bed when he was searching for shoes.
And not only was her disappearance annoying the hell out of him, but her spelling need a lot of work still.
Damn serpents!
Lulu,
Did something happen to Rita Skeeter? I swear,
she was bugging me yesterday and now she's gone missing.
I hate asking you to use your ability to help me,
I've just a little paranoid right now.
She isn't the type to give up easily you know.
Also, how are your classes and it there a possibility
that you can take your N.E.W.T.s early so we don't have to write letters so often?
Love,
Harry.
Harry,
You don't have to worry about Rita Skeeter any longer.
It turns out that she was a beetle Animagus and had decided to use
her unregistered ability in order to gather information on you.
She had been in your room, flitting about your possessions,
when Nagini found her in her beetle form, and swallowed her.
Rita is dead now. I in no way pity her.
Daddy and I wanted me to take my N.E.W.T.s early,
it's just that there is a price of expediting the process.
If I were to take it with the rest of my classmates,
I wouldn't have to pay anything.
And no, I don't want you paying for anything for me.
The offer is kind, but I don't need it.
We'll simply have to deal with writing letters.
Get a Dicta-Quill.
Luv,
Lulu.
Mione,
Luna just told me that Rita Skeeter was roaming around my house
as an unregistered Animagus and that Nagini - who has
sneaked away from her master in order to visit me - ate her while she was still a beetle.
Yes, I am just as disgusted as you are.
Problem here is that I did not set up wards against Animagi,
and she was apparently all over my bedroom for Merlin only knows how long.
Are there Runic Wards that can be made to ward off Animagi?
I can't remember if there are.
If you don't have an answer, I'll have to tell mum.
And you know what might happen then.
Love,
Harry.
Harry,
The book I sent with my letter has the answer
you are searching for. Apply it directly to the perimeter
of your building, as well as every 'tween'.
Those creations that their only use is to act as a path to
another place. Doorways, hallways, and the like.
As the 'tweens' lack any kind of magical use
or protection most of the time, it is very easy for someone
to override your wards or overpower them and enter through those areas.
And you might want to add a few more Runes that are in the book,
just in case. You can never be too safe.
Tell me if it works.
Mione.
Mione,
You have no idea how happy I am.
Mum can become a worrywart and if I
can avoid worrying her, everyone is just better off.
Trust me.
And I made sure to doubly apply everything.
The wards are now a lot thicker than before,
which makes me feel better now.
Also, do you have anything planned for the weekend?
I kind of want to go to the cinema again.
Yours,
Harry.
Harry,
My schedule might permit it.
I also just realised that we could have
just used the Floo this whole time.
I'm rolling my eyes right now.
And one of my coworkers is trying
to read what I'm writing over my shoulder.
I'm tempted to hex them!
Mione.
Mione,
Do it! Take a photo if you can!
Harry.
Harry,
The photo is clipped to the back.
Mione.
"Hello, Harry!"
Said young man turned around, not expecting to see Albus Dumbledore walking into his shop. But no, the old man was standing there, and perched on his right shoulder, was the most impressive Phoenix Harry had ever seen. Or rather, the one one he had seen, but still, it was impressive.
"This is Fawkes. A dear friend of mine."
The Phoenix crooned lowly, it's beady eyes blinking slowly in greeting.
ßHello, young one.ß It sounded aged. Wizened even.
Smiling, Harry responded with, ßSalutations, Lord Phoenix.ß His voice had come out in more of a trill than a croon, but he could tell that both Dumbledore and Fawkes were shocked.
Fawkes hopped down from Dumbledore's shoulder and onto the counter in order to peer much closer at Harry. His head was bobbing slightly, and his eyes looked around, as if trying to find something. He must have found it, because a light shined appeared and then disappeared just as quickly.
ßI sense a piece of myself here. My feather perhaps?ß the immortal creature proposed, head tilted to the side in curiosity.
Harry withdrew his wand and placed it on the counter. The wood glowed a bright shade of yellow, and gave a low hum. Fawkes nodded. ßThat is it. You have treated it well.ß He sounded approving, which made Harry smile all the more.
He bowed his head in appreciation. Never had he thought that he would meet the phoenix that gave the feather for the Core of his wand. It was a moment almost beyond his reckoning. Almost.
"Now this is an interesting development," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. Harry had a feeling that that was a usual thing for the man. "Fawkes is usually kind to all people, but he rarely gets so near."
"It's my wand core, sir," Harry told him. "I have the brother wand to Voldemort's wand."
Any further comment was halted when Nagini slithered into the room, insulting the 'fools who disturbed her rest'. She quickly slithered up Harry's leg, and looped herself around his shoulders a few times in order to get a better look at what was going on.
§The twinkling one is with you? Since when are you acquainted?§ she demanded, giving Harry what he could only describe as a searing look.
He shrugged. §About a month,§ he admitted.
Nagini coiled just a little tighter around him. §Master does not like Twinkles because he is right and Master doesn't like it when he is right. Master would be angry if he knew you and Twinkles were talking. So very angry.§
§'Twinkles' as you call him, is trying to get me to speak with your Master again, so whatever Voldemort is whinging about, he can suck it up. Dumbledore is doing him a favour and he doesn't even know it yet.§
The great snake nodded her head and turned to look at Dumbledore, who had been silently observing them.
"Mightn't I hope that you and Tom have worked out your differences?" the man ventured, looking hopeful.
Harry snorted, amused by his supposition. "She just sneaked out. She's done it before when he doesn't pay enough attention to her. Apparently he's been pouting in his room."
Nagini gave a hissy laugh, her head bobbing with the movement. §My Master is but a hatchling.§
Harry found himself nodding in agreement. The man who was in control of his country, was acting more like a teenager than Harry was.
"I'm sure Tom wishes to come and see you," Dumbledore said.
Probably. But then again, his pride was most likely getting in the way.
"He'll have to buck up. He knows where I am. I don't exactly know where he is though."
"True."
"Now, what can I do for you and Fawkes?"
"My dear friend has never had a physical before. I would simply like to verify that he is healthy. Also, you've never seen a Phoenix before, have you?"
"Only my Patronus, sir."
The twinkling persisted well into the hour.
§We're going to visit the Runespoor today!§ Nagini crowed, feeling all sorts of excitement.
Harry knew how to treat a serpent right, and she was excited to see the hatchling again.
Of course Harry hadn't even been awake when she decided to scream, but that was okay. His bell would be ringing in a few moments anyway, so what was a few minutes early going to do?
Harry groaned and rolled over, clutching his pillow to his head. Nagini wasn't having any of that of course, so she slid under the fabric and patted his face with her tongue. Immediately, he leapt up and out of bed, wiping his face repeatedly.
§Warn a bloke before you do that!§
Nagini's hissy chuckles filled the silence.
Severus Snape couldn't help but feel as if his life had somehow become one of those Muggle soap operas.
Harry Potter was denying the Dark Lord's hand in marriage. And the Dark Lord had sequestered himself in his manor, not bothering to come out at all in the past two weeks. Bellatrix was doing hard business with the Weasley Twins. Severus' godson was trying to find a way to court Hermione Granger of all people.
It was as if the universe was just laughing at him, forcing him to watch all of these events unfold and not be able to really lend any assistance.
Not that he wanted to be involved. But if these events persisted, then his annoyance would rise. So he was stuck in an uncomfortable position.
On top of that, some Knights didn't feel that Potter's actions were justified. That the boy should be grateful for the opportunity. Severus had already lightly poisoned two of his fellows. Though Avery got it worse simply because his mouth decided to run too far from his face.
All the while, Reginald No-Name had disappeared. They had enough on him to bring him in on several charges, but no one could find the coward. After he lost the Fifth Task, he had disappeared from Magical Britain altogether. Severus was certain that he was not finished with whatever his plans were.
This meant that not only did he have to deal with what was going on around him, he had to consider what might happen in the the future. And he really didn't want to.
So there was potential danger to his godson, Lily's son, and probably several other people.
Severus was going to have to begin planning.
Voldemort stepped into the shop and dropped his disillusionment charm immediately. After waiting two weeks, he'd finally decided to just suck it up and go see Harry. He also had to retrieve his familiar. Merlin only knew what she was getting up to without proper supervision.
There was a light ripple of magic against his senses. The wards of the building were active and very well crafted. Harry would know that he had customers and would have to come out to the front to meet them.
Also, he was certain that the door connecting the front and back rooms was enchanted to only let certain people in at certain times. A particular ward to prevent possible assault.
He was impressed.
"What can I do for yo- Well if it isn't the Twat Waffle!"
He sighed. That name was never going away, was it?
"Hello, Harry."
Harry was looking good. His hair was styled the same it was the last time they had seen one another. Voldemort found the little strand in front of his eyes to be fetching. Adorable even.
"It's been brought to my attention that we need to talk," said Harry, waving a hand toward the door. The OPEN sign flipped around, and the shade fell over it, so that people would only see CLOSED.
Voldemort felt relieved. He had wondered how this would go, but Harry already had an idea.
"Were you mocking my love for animals by pretending to be the snake-man?"
Voldemort couldn't help but frown in confusion. That was why Harry had been so angry with him? He thought that Voldemort was mocking the things that made him happy?
"Because someone told me that I might have jumped to conclusions, and while I'm not perfect, it wasn't like you weren't already lying to Great Britain, Tom Marvolo Riddle."
The boy was calling him by name. The boy somehow knew his name. Was it his parents? Did they tell him? They had been in the Order of the Phoenix, so it wouldn't be shocking if they knew.
"I was not mocking you. I had that particular Task planned out from the beginning. I appeared before all three competitors as such, though Zabini was apprehended, and Karasawa strangely enough, didn't make it home after the end of the tournament."
He glanced to the side, too proud of himself.
Nagini hadn't gotten to have her meal either. Meaning that he really needed to take her home because he didn't want to waste any more food on his prisoners than he needed to.
"Why the snake form then?"
The elder wizard fidgeted just a bit. Not much of course, but it was still obvious.
Harry's reaction had been overwhelmingly kind. So he didn't need to be worried about being turned away for how he looked. At least he hoped not.
Slowly, the glamour he always wore, melted away, revealing Voldemort in his true glory. Serpentine, scaly, and almost tall enough to hit his bald head on the ceiling of the waiting room. He glared at the boards overhead, as if it was their fault that they weren't high enough.
Harry's eyes went wide.
"This is what I really am, Harry. Foolishness of youth helped turn me into this."
Voldemort, the Heir of Slytherin, whose true name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, was actually the snake/human hybrid. And the clean, older Tom Riddle face he always wore, was the fake. Harry had decided to trust Nagini and Dumbledore's word, but to have it so blatantly verified was astounding.
"Why pretend?" he couldn't help but ask. "Why lie to all of Britain?"
Voldemort can a condescending laugh. "For whatever reason you have, you don't find my appearance appalling. Others aren't as generous as you are. Every time people see this," he grumbled, gesturing to himself, "they go mad. It makes cohabitation difficult. It makes my life more miserable. I don't like it, and it's not as if I have to tell everyone my business."
He had a point there. It technically wasn't anyone's business whether he wore a glamour or not. Still, Harry was annoyed over this whole scenario.
So Voldemort's Seventh Task was to reveal the form he hated and was embarrassed by to the last three competitors, to gauge their reactions. If being that way caused him problems, perhaps he was choosing his spouse based on the most accepting of the remaining three.
And Harry had been more than accepting. He'd basically gotten hard at the sight of the man. Was currently getting hard at the sight of him actually.
"The others didn't like your form, did they?"
A scoff was his only answer. So he was right.
"But I do. That was why you chose me, wasn't it? I don't mind your appearance and you were happy that the one you'd been obsessed with had proven to be the best person for you, in your mind."
That long neck bowed slightly, and the smooth head bobbed. The light from the chandelier above them reflected on the various scales on the other man's face, randomly scattered. They sparkled like silver.
Harry ended up running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Well, my denial of you was planned since the Third Task, however I embellished on the plan last month because I thought you had mocked me. You admitted to 'disguising' yourself in order to test us. Pretending to be something you weren't. Frankly, I'm not sorry for what I said or did. You deserved it."
Voldemort flinched a bit, and Harry was stunned that the man had been so affected by his words. According to Nagini, he'd locked himself away to pout. Dumbledore's words made more sense now. Voldemort actually liked him. More than the teasing and touching. More than the quips they shared. The man actually wanted him personally.
He probably didn't even understand what it was that he wanted. Dumbledore said he was 'socially inept'. Harry was as well. Neither had been in relationships no doubt, so it wasn't like he was blooming with self-confidence in this area either.
"You didn't deserve it for how you look," the teen continued after a moment of contemplation. "You deserved it for taking my rights and decision from me. You deserved it for putting me in the middle of something I wanted nothing to do with, and making my life even more stressful than it was.
"Not everyone is a natural genius like you were. I may be the best, but I had to work extra hard to match Hermione in everything. Hard work is my skill, and time I could have used for studying and preparations was taken away because of some ridiculous contest that wasn't necessary."
Voldemort's jaw dropped, revealing his forked tongue a little more. Though Harry's groin responded to the visual, he would not be moved.
"You could have picked anyone. You're just dramatic and wanted to make a big show of something.
"So no, I am not sorry for what I did, or said. And I feel not pity for the political backlash you're receiving right now. You aren't the only person in the world. My mum has been drilling that truth into my head for ages and damn it all I will do the same with you."
"Are you… opposed to the thought of marrying me?"
"Not really," admitted the shorter wizard.
"Then what do I have to do to get you to agree?"
Harry smirked then. He'd been waiting for this.
"Well, My Lord, it's because of you that I had to sacrifice much needed time to prove that I was worthy of your hand in marriage. So I think that in return, you should work to prove to me that you are worthy of my hand. Being the greatest Dark Lord in history means nothing to me. Nothing you do is impressive anymore, because you've been declared the best in many areas.
"This deals not with magic, nor your reputation, Blood Status, or even ancestry. This is you. I want a partner who cares about me. Who would fight beside me. Who would do whatever they can for me. Who wants the best for me. Who would agree to be on equal footing. Who would allow me the time I need to myself, and who would understand my needs. Someone who accepts me. I want what my parents and godparents have. And that's that little word you don't seen to like."
"Love," the Dark Lord murmured, eyes burning with understanding.
Harry nodded. "Yes. Love."
§Foolish, Master,§ the serpent murmured.
§Shut up!§ he hissed in return. He was obviously agitated, but brainstorming.
She tsked and shook her head.
§So… what did you learn?§
§That would be telling.§
§Nagini!§
He was frustrated as one would expect because he needed to find some way to woo an eighteen year old into marriage. Harry Potter wanted 'love'. That very word that Dumbledore seemed to advocate as if it was the most important thing in the world.
How did a man who had never been shown any love, nor experienced it, give it to another? It wasn't like he had anything to draw conclusions from.
He cared about Nagini. She was a faithful pet of almost fifty years. She was special to him. More than just being a Horcrux. She was the only family he ever really had.
But he didn't feel for Harry Potter what he felt for Nagini. It was more but not enough, he was certain.
§At least you know what you need to provide,§ said Nagini as she curled around his shoulders. §It could be worse. You could have no idea what is going on and still be shedding salt water in your rooms. And Harry would still be walking around angry with you.§
§I do not shed salty water!§ Voldemort protested, glaring at the snake.
Nagini's disparaging snort only served to infuriate him further.
§And my scales are white, silly master.§
Harry stared down at the gift he was being presented to him by none other than Voldemort. Yes, he'd decided to just continue to call him such. Unlike Dumbledore, Harry wasn't so rude as to refer to someone by a name they obviously disliked. The Dark Lord was an arse, but that didn't mean Harry had to be a disrespectful dick in return.
So Voldemort had taken his words for what they were and was now trying to kiss his arse by lavishing him with gifts.
It was flattering in a sense, to have someone showing him such attention. To know that there was a person out there who wanted him so bad that they would actually go to such lengths for him of all people. It made him feel warm on the inside. And the more he got to know the man, the warmer he felt.
He accepted the gift with a roll of the eyes. "You're ridiculous."
"Tom, my boy!"
Voldemort grumbled, wishing that he had not come to this damn meeting at all. Of course Albus Dumbledore would be there.
The older wizard had been walking beside Minerva McGonagall when he'd spotted the Dark Lord coming down the bloody corridor.
Of all the times to meet with Severus, this was not the best, he realised. He wouldn't be doing it any time soon if he could.
It was just that someone had to be chosen to plan the next Yule Ball and Severus had been the most experienced in that area, so Voldemort decided to back him into a corner until he agreed.
And now he was running into Dumbledore. It was some form of punishment for his actions. How dare he guilt trip someone into doing what they didn't want to, apparently.
"Minerva, it was a pleasure speaking with you again," Albus told the Scotswoman, before hurrying along to catch up with Voldemort. For a decrepit old fool, he moved too bloody fast.
She watched them with worried eyes until they rounded the corner.
"What do you want, Albus?"
"I simply wished in inquiry if you and young Harry have patched up your relationship."
Voldemort's eyes narrowed and he stopped in the middle of the corridor in order to fix the man with a curious look. "Why do you wish to know?"
Albus beamed. "I wish for love to prevail."
Of course it had to do with 'love'. Why was it always love with the man?
"Albus, there is no love."
"But there will be," the man insisted with a twinkle.
Grumbling, the Dark Lord began to walk again, hoping that he might be able to leave his once nemesis behind.
Dumbledore kept up perfectly.
Damn.
"You aren't as annoyed as you want me to believe, Tom," said Dumbledore cheerfully, completely unaffected by the Dark Lord's ire.
"And what makes you think that?"
"You haven't Apparated away yet."
Voldemort almost stopped again, but he refused to give in to the other wizard's provocation. He hadn't Apparated because he didn't feel like it. It had nothing to do with Dumbledore not being a nuisance.
"Young Harry doesn't seem to be the type to enjoy materialism. He likes things that last long and would help him. Practicality is key here. So get him gifts that make him happy. Not you happy, or the wife of one of your follower's happy. Take his interests into account."
Animals and books. Harry Potter really liked animals and books. Though he wasn't certain the young man would want a pet. Not if he was going to be taking care of the animals of Britain all the time. Not when Nagini continued to impose herself upon him as if she owned him.
Books it was. He'd already started that though.
Then it came to him. "What do you mean 'he likes things'? What would you know about his interests?"
Dumbledore's rosy cheeks widened as his smile grew. "I met him of course! He's such a charming young man. James and Lily are so proud of him, and they have every right to be. He gave Fawkes a physical."
Dread. And not the kind where he was fearing danger, spread through his body. If Albus Dumbledore and his love loving ways got together with Harry Potter, who wanted love from the 'worst/best Dark Lord in history', what would happen'? What was being said?
He glared at the man. "Leave Harry alone."
"My dear boy, I have to go back to his shop every now and then. Fawkes will have to be given the utmost care and Mr. Potter ordered monthly visits."
That old bastard!
"You will tell him nothing about anything involving me, old man!"
"Of course not!" Dumbledore said, and Voldemort had absolutely no belief in his words. The man was that manipulative.
"I mean it, Albus, do not poison him against me. I have enough hard work ahead of me right now and I don't want to have to worry about your influence either."
"Trust me when I say, no one can change his opinion of you but himself and you. And if I were to tell him anything, it would only be with the best of intentions in mind."
Those bloody eyes twinkled as Voldemort Apparated away, finally frustrated beyond belief.
Sev,
It can't be just me, but I swear that someone is trying to do something.
Like, my maternal instincts are off the wall, and I've already Flooed Harry
three times this week just to be certain. Something is bothering me.
Unfortunately, he's too worried about his current drama involving Voldemort,
so he hasn't noticed anything. But I can practically feel it. A shift in the air.
Also, something worrying is that Remus has become ill. Remus does not get sick!
He's a Werewolf for Circe's sake! He isn't affected by human ailments!
They took him to St. Mungo's but despite his very obvious illness,
they can't actually find anything wrong with him. So there is no way to diagnose it!
I haven't told Harry yet. I'm not sure I want to at this moment.
What should we do, Sev?
Lils.
Lily,
I will inform the Dark Lord immediately.
If there is some kind of unknown illness that has managed to take
down a fully grown Werewolf, he must be informed about it.
As for Lupin, bring him to Hogwarts as soon as possible.
I'm certain between Poppy, the Dark Lord, and myself,
we'll be able to determine the sudden illness.
And if not, we'll have to reach out of our borders for assistance.
Do you know if he's eaten anything new or gone somewhere new?
Severus.
Sev,
He was in Bristol the other day, but he's been there several times and nothing happened!
Also, I think Sirius has come down with whatever it is.
They are showing the same ailments and none of the Healers we have seen, know what it is!
James and I are bringing both over to Hogwarts tomorrow.
Lils.
Lily,
Enclosed are two Runic Rings that the Dark Lord has personally crafted.
Once you stun both, place the rings on their left wrists and both will be encased in a protective, quarantine barriers.
They need to be kept in stasis until we can determine just what to do.
The Dark Lord is displeased as I'm sure you have imagined.
Whatever you do, do not inform anyone else about this.
That is a direct order from the Dark Lord himself.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Severus.
Hermione stared at the blond who had practically sauntered into her small office. She did not often have to deal with Malfoy, but then again, it wasn't like they were put into each other's space often enough to speak.
The young man held out a single, white rose.
He looked her in the eye and said, "Hermione Granger, would you like to come to dinner with me?"
The brunette gaped.
"Who would this affect though?"
Reginald sighed and gestured to the bedridden Elf that actually wasn't infected with his creation. He simply knocked it unconscious. "Dark beings! As I stated several times already. I get my revenge on those who have wronged me, and you get your law passed. That is the deal."
The woman, if she could even be called that, tittered. She looked over the obviously ill Elf and nodded to his words. Fool.
"This plan is sure to be fail proof. Give me the poison and I will handle it."
Reginald held out the scroll, demanding her signature before doing anything. "We cannot have either of us walking around with this information free. With our signatures, we'll have contracted a Blood Agreement. I am Secret Keeper of my property, so worry not."
Dolores sighed, but summoned a Black Quill from her bag, signing her name with a flourish. Reginald then took the item and signed as well. The parchment grew warm, and glowed a bright shade of gold, before disappearing.
The wizard handed over a portion of his supplies, and bade the pink bedecked woman a firm farewell.
She only knew a part of plan, and that was okay. Because this particular poison worked through not only the body of the one being injected, but anyone with Dark Magic who touched them, could get it once they were contagious. So she would inject it into a few beings of her own choosing and so would begin the pandemic.
She also didn't know that he'd already injected his creation into several other beings as well.
This plan could not be ruined! He was sure of it!
A/N: Another is done!
-Some people did ask where he had gone because they knew that someone like him wouldn't give up after being so humiliated!
-Chapter 19 is finished already. I'm waiting several days to post is, as I've started typing chapter 20 already.
How was it? Let me know!
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See ya! :D
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