Author's Note: Dedicated to Cat Samwise and Kyohaku Celestiale Vespertina
who pointed out that, yes, something IS happening outside of Hogwarts or,
more or less, beyond Harry and Tom's relationship
Chapter Twenty Three -- The Rest of the World
Cho Chang sat on her bed, staring out the window. Hermione Granger sat next to her, watching the Ravenclaw seeker with interest. Cho had been silent for quite a while now, just staring out at the trees, leaves rustling in a warm breeze. It was once of those peaceful autumn days that seemed to lull by.
"You shouldn't be here," Cho said suddenly, looking at Hermione. "I could get in a lot of trouble for letting you into the Ravenclaw dormitories."
"I know," Hermione said softly. "I just thought that you needed to know. Harry meant a lot to you."
"I was in love with him," Cho replied. "I was really in love with him . . ." Cho looked defeated at that moment. For a moment, Hermione wondered if she should have told Cho everything about Harry's actual relationship with Tom Riddle -- The romantic liaison, taking place between the two. Harry had wanted the information to be gradually reveled to those who were close to him and, to Hermione, this seemed like a perfect time to tell Cho Chang all about it. "So that was the reason Harry had to break up with me. He's bound for life to Tom Riddle." Hermione noticed the extreme distaste that went along with that name -- Tom Riddle.
"He's not that bad," Hermione shrugged. "I suppose they're happy together. After all, binding spells are supposed to tie you to that one person in the universe who is completely complementary to you."
"I know," Cho sighed, leaning back against her pillow. "I really hope that Harry finds happiness. After all, I just want what's best for him . . ."
"Have you ever read the story 'The Lady and the Tiger?'" Hermione asked suddenly. Cho shook her head no. "Well, it's about this semi-barbaric princess who is having an illicit affair with a courtier."
"Are you calling me semi-barbaric?" Cho laughed.
"Of course not!" Hermione exclaimed. "Just listen to the rest of the story! Her father finds out and decides to punish to courtier suitably. The courtier is put in this arena with two doors in it. One door leads to a tiger that will eat the courtier whole. The other leads to one of the most beautiful ladies in the land who will marry the courtier instantly. The semi-barbaric princess knows which door hides the lady and which door hides the tiger. The only question is which door will she lead her lover to? Seeing the tiger eat her lover alive would be a horrible fate but watching her lover marry another woman would be worse yet."
"I understand," Cho said, bowing her head slightly. "I want Harry's happiness but in a way . . ."
"You would rather see him miserable than happy in the arms of another," Hermione finished.
"Yeah," Cho said quietly. "I just wish that . . . Well, you know how it goes."
"You wish he could have been bound to you," Hermione said, smiling with understanding.
"I wish he could have been bound to me," Cho repeated, looking dreamily out the window.
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"I just don't know how to treat him anymore," Lavender Brown sighed, helplessly. "I mean, he's still Harry Potter and everything but he's just . . . different now."
"Why? Because he's going out with Tom Riddle?" Parvati Patil asked, making a finishing touch on her Divination project.
"He's not just Tom Riddle. He's Lord Voldemort!" Lavender whispered, still afraid to say the name of you-know-who out loud. "How can Harry Potter, the boy who lived, be bound to Lord Voldemort? I just don't know how to treat him . . ."
"It's not his fault," Parvati said, crossing a t and dotting an i. "He didn't have any control over who he was bound to . . . It is strange though. I've been feeling really uncomfortable lately."
"Why? Because Lord Voldemort is roaming the halls of our school?" Lavender sniffed. "I think that would make anyone uncomfortable. One of the most powerful Dark Lords ever is just walking around Hogwarts. I don't know whether to write home about it or not."
"Don't," Parvati said insistently. "Your parents will probably send a letter telling you to come home. I don't want you to leave Hogwarts."
"I don't want to leave," Lavender replied, leaning against the wall. "But I don't want to stay either -- Not with him around."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ----------------------------------------
Severus Snape sat in a corner of the Slytherin Common Room, keeping an eye on all of the students as they conversed or, more or less, eavesdropping. His hooked nose was buried in a book, his eyes darting over the top of the pages from time to time to identify the speaker. Draco Malfoy sat on an overstuffed green couch with that little slut of his, Pansy Parkinson -- His arm casually draped over her shoulders. Blaise Zabini sat on a chair opposite the couch while Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle made themselves content on the floor.
"He seems very stuck of himself, doesn't he," Pansy snapped, automatically receiving a sharp slap from Draco which Snape chose to ignore.
"Don't speak that way about the Dark Lord," Draco exclaimed.
"Why bother?" Pansy asked, rubbing her cheek gingerly. "Everyone knows that your father is going to rise to his place among the Death Eaters, now that he's gone."
Draco blushed brightly. "Don't say things like that out loud, Pansy."
"Who doesn't know about it?" Blaise scoffed. "Everyone heard what Tom said to you in the Great Hall that one day. He called your father a 'despicable traitor.' Those were his exact words." Draco fumed silently at the girl's insolence. "See?" Blaise continued. "Even Tom Riddle knows. So it doesn't really matter if you say it out loud or not."
"Still . . ." Draco hissed. "You'd do well to keep quiet about it. You never know who might be listening in on a private conversation."
Snape quickly turned his eyes back to his book.
"I just thought he'd be more . . . hospitable to the Slytherins," Pansy commented, choosing her words very carefully. "After all, he is Salazar Slytherin's heir, is he not?"
"Yes," Draco said, contemplatively. "He is. But if that Potter has anything to do with it . . . I wouldn't be sure who I could trust." Draco examined all of his friends closely. They flinched under his silver gaze. "Not even the heir of Slytherin."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ----------------------------------------
Lucius Malfoy sat at his desk, jotting out notes -- His quill delicately lacing red ink onto the parchment. Narcissa entered the room and sat down on the ottoman in the corner. A house elf followed in his wake, carrying a large silver tray with tea, sugar, creamer, and some crumpets on it. The house elf made his way over to the desk and placed the tray down in front of Lucius, smiling with satisfaction at his work.
"Thank you dear," Lucius said, smiling at Narcissa and ignoring the house elf completely.
"Your welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Yes actually," Lucius said, blowing slowly on the parchment to insure that all of the ink was dry. He folded the letter and placed it in an envelope, pouring out green sealing wax and pressing his signet ring deeply into the warm liquid -- LM. "Narcissa, have this letter sent out by owl immediately."
"This wouldn't have anything to do with the Death Eaters, would it?" Narcissa asked, coyly.
"I don't see why that's any of your business," Lucius said firmly. "Just send the letter out and then tidy yourself up a little. Your lipstick is running."
Narcissa huffed a little and stomped out the door, the house elf picking up the letter and scrambling after her.
Lucius smiled to himself, thinking about all that the future held in store for him. With Tom Riddle out of the picture, he'd finally have the opportunity to become the Master of the Dark Arts. He'd be the one wielding the power, the one in control. There was nothing he lusted for more than control -- To be able to command his subservients to obey his every will. And soon . . . This would all be his.
Thanks to that lowly little Potter.
Chapter Twenty Three -- The Rest of the World
Cho Chang sat on her bed, staring out the window. Hermione Granger sat next to her, watching the Ravenclaw seeker with interest. Cho had been silent for quite a while now, just staring out at the trees, leaves rustling in a warm breeze. It was once of those peaceful autumn days that seemed to lull by.
"You shouldn't be here," Cho said suddenly, looking at Hermione. "I could get in a lot of trouble for letting you into the Ravenclaw dormitories."
"I know," Hermione said softly. "I just thought that you needed to know. Harry meant a lot to you."
"I was in love with him," Cho replied. "I was really in love with him . . ." Cho looked defeated at that moment. For a moment, Hermione wondered if she should have told Cho everything about Harry's actual relationship with Tom Riddle -- The romantic liaison, taking place between the two. Harry had wanted the information to be gradually reveled to those who were close to him and, to Hermione, this seemed like a perfect time to tell Cho Chang all about it. "So that was the reason Harry had to break up with me. He's bound for life to Tom Riddle." Hermione noticed the extreme distaste that went along with that name -- Tom Riddle.
"He's not that bad," Hermione shrugged. "I suppose they're happy together. After all, binding spells are supposed to tie you to that one person in the universe who is completely complementary to you."
"I know," Cho sighed, leaning back against her pillow. "I really hope that Harry finds happiness. After all, I just want what's best for him . . ."
"Have you ever read the story 'The Lady and the Tiger?'" Hermione asked suddenly. Cho shook her head no. "Well, it's about this semi-barbaric princess who is having an illicit affair with a courtier."
"Are you calling me semi-barbaric?" Cho laughed.
"Of course not!" Hermione exclaimed. "Just listen to the rest of the story! Her father finds out and decides to punish to courtier suitably. The courtier is put in this arena with two doors in it. One door leads to a tiger that will eat the courtier whole. The other leads to one of the most beautiful ladies in the land who will marry the courtier instantly. The semi-barbaric princess knows which door hides the lady and which door hides the tiger. The only question is which door will she lead her lover to? Seeing the tiger eat her lover alive would be a horrible fate but watching her lover marry another woman would be worse yet."
"I understand," Cho said, bowing her head slightly. "I want Harry's happiness but in a way . . ."
"You would rather see him miserable than happy in the arms of another," Hermione finished.
"Yeah," Cho said quietly. "I just wish that . . . Well, you know how it goes."
"You wish he could have been bound to you," Hermione said, smiling with understanding.
"I wish he could have been bound to me," Cho repeated, looking dreamily out the window.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ----------------------------------------
"I just don't know how to treat him anymore," Lavender Brown sighed, helplessly. "I mean, he's still Harry Potter and everything but he's just . . . different now."
"Why? Because he's going out with Tom Riddle?" Parvati Patil asked, making a finishing touch on her Divination project.
"He's not just Tom Riddle. He's Lord Voldemort!" Lavender whispered, still afraid to say the name of you-know-who out loud. "How can Harry Potter, the boy who lived, be bound to Lord Voldemort? I just don't know how to treat him . . ."
"It's not his fault," Parvati said, crossing a t and dotting an i. "He didn't have any control over who he was bound to . . . It is strange though. I've been feeling really uncomfortable lately."
"Why? Because Lord Voldemort is roaming the halls of our school?" Lavender sniffed. "I think that would make anyone uncomfortable. One of the most powerful Dark Lords ever is just walking around Hogwarts. I don't know whether to write home about it or not."
"Don't," Parvati said insistently. "Your parents will probably send a letter telling you to come home. I don't want you to leave Hogwarts."
"I don't want to leave," Lavender replied, leaning against the wall. "But I don't want to stay either -- Not with him around."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ----------------------------------------
Severus Snape sat in a corner of the Slytherin Common Room, keeping an eye on all of the students as they conversed or, more or less, eavesdropping. His hooked nose was buried in a book, his eyes darting over the top of the pages from time to time to identify the speaker. Draco Malfoy sat on an overstuffed green couch with that little slut of his, Pansy Parkinson -- His arm casually draped over her shoulders. Blaise Zabini sat on a chair opposite the couch while Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle made themselves content on the floor.
"He seems very stuck of himself, doesn't he," Pansy snapped, automatically receiving a sharp slap from Draco which Snape chose to ignore.
"Don't speak that way about the Dark Lord," Draco exclaimed.
"Why bother?" Pansy asked, rubbing her cheek gingerly. "Everyone knows that your father is going to rise to his place among the Death Eaters, now that he's gone."
Draco blushed brightly. "Don't say things like that out loud, Pansy."
"Who doesn't know about it?" Blaise scoffed. "Everyone heard what Tom said to you in the Great Hall that one day. He called your father a 'despicable traitor.' Those were his exact words." Draco fumed silently at the girl's insolence. "See?" Blaise continued. "Even Tom Riddle knows. So it doesn't really matter if you say it out loud or not."
"Still . . ." Draco hissed. "You'd do well to keep quiet about it. You never know who might be listening in on a private conversation."
Snape quickly turned his eyes back to his book.
"I just thought he'd be more . . . hospitable to the Slytherins," Pansy commented, choosing her words very carefully. "After all, he is Salazar Slytherin's heir, is he not?"
"Yes," Draco said, contemplatively. "He is. But if that Potter has anything to do with it . . . I wouldn't be sure who I could trust." Draco examined all of his friends closely. They flinched under his silver gaze. "Not even the heir of Slytherin."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ----------------------------------------
Lucius Malfoy sat at his desk, jotting out notes -- His quill delicately lacing red ink onto the parchment. Narcissa entered the room and sat down on the ottoman in the corner. A house elf followed in his wake, carrying a large silver tray with tea, sugar, creamer, and some crumpets on it. The house elf made his way over to the desk and placed the tray down in front of Lucius, smiling with satisfaction at his work.
"Thank you dear," Lucius said, smiling at Narcissa and ignoring the house elf completely.
"Your welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Yes actually," Lucius said, blowing slowly on the parchment to insure that all of the ink was dry. He folded the letter and placed it in an envelope, pouring out green sealing wax and pressing his signet ring deeply into the warm liquid -- LM. "Narcissa, have this letter sent out by owl immediately."
"This wouldn't have anything to do with the Death Eaters, would it?" Narcissa asked, coyly.
"I don't see why that's any of your business," Lucius said firmly. "Just send the letter out and then tidy yourself up a little. Your lipstick is running."
Narcissa huffed a little and stomped out the door, the house elf picking up the letter and scrambling after her.
Lucius smiled to himself, thinking about all that the future held in store for him. With Tom Riddle out of the picture, he'd finally have the opportunity to become the Master of the Dark Arts. He'd be the one wielding the power, the one in control. There was nothing he lusted for more than control -- To be able to command his subservients to obey his every will. And soon . . . This would all be his.
Thanks to that lowly little Potter.
