Chapter 7: Unbreakable Promises
This one got away from me.
Thanks for all the reviews. They tickle my muse.
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"Are you sure that is wise?" Snape asked, after having a second to think about it. "Won't the brother tell Albus we were there?" he asked, when the other two adults turned to him. He knew the brothers talked. It had been Aberforth that had thrown him out when he had spied on Albus during the whole Trelawney deal.
"Aberforth hates Albus," Voldemort said, "This I know for a fact," he added, looking at Sirius, who had been in the last Order of the Phoenix.
"It's true," the dogman said with a nod. "I was in the Order during the last war. Aberforth was also, yet all he did was argue with his brother. He won't join this time, too many things had been said last time," he said, looking to Harry as they went to the floo. Tom having dropped the privacy ward.
"Okay then, Hogshead. That's the address then?" Harry asked, taking the floo powder from the shelf of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron. He didn't want another Knockturn Alley incident. Once was enough.
"Yes, and if you don't want to go flying out, then just keep walking. Don't stop your momentum for any reason. Just keep your feet moving," Sirius explained, making walking motions with his fingers.
"Got it," Harry said, making the same motions and squaring his shoulders and going to the fire. He threw in the powder and called out, "Hogshead." He disappeared through the floo, and Sirius hoped he did well.
The other three quickly followed. Hogshead was not somewhere they wanted Harry to be alone for long. Aberforth would keep an eye on him, but it was a dive.
Once they all got through, Sirius went and had a word with Aberforth.
"Can you keep the fact that Harry was here to yourself?" he asked the elderly man.
"My brother won't hear it from anyone here," the barman said, glaring at the only two men at the bar. They nodded in a hurry, and Aberforth turned back to Sirius.
"Good," the dogman said, and went back to his party, and they left for the Shrieking Shack and were all set for Tom to make his unbreakable vow.
"What are the conditions, before we get started?" Voldy asked, not wanting to get into something he couldn't get out of. He wasn't kidding when he said he didn't know his way around the unbreakable vows. Once bonded, they were forever. Even if he did find a way to be immortal, he would be saddled with what they decided tonight.
"You said you were trying to reunite your soul. That will be one of your conditions," Sirius said, counting one finger.
"That is a given," Voldemort said with a nod of his head. "One piece has been destroyed. I have Lucius and Harry to thank for that," he added, nodding to Harry with a slight glare. Not like it was the boy's fault, but he had to get in his kicks somehow.
"I'm not going to apologize for that," the teen said, folding his arms over his chest. "You were trying to kill me at the time," he said, then added, "Well, your shade was."
"I would not ask you to," the Dark Lord said, again nodding his head, this time in acknowledgement. "As you said, you were fighting for your life and the life of another person. I respect that," he said. He was speaking the truth; he did respect that. He respected the boy's mother for doing the same that night, even if it almost finished him off.
"Oh," Harry said, scrunching up his face in confusion. He thought that the man would be mad at him. He was just getting more and more befuddled with this new Voldemort. Couldn't the blasted man make up his mind. Was he a Dark Lord or just a regular man?
"The second condition?" Tom asked, wanting to move on. He was just as confused as the kid.
"You said, you didn't want to hurt me, can we make that another?" Harry asked, wanting that in writing, so to speak. He really had no clue what was going on, but it sounded important. He got the gist that it was something permanent, but not just how important it was.
"Yes," all three men said, shocking Sirius. He was sure the other two would disagree with that condition. "Why are you agreeing?" he asked Tom.
"I feel like I cannot harm him even if I wanted to," the Dark Lord explained with a raising of his shoulders. He looked at Harry with something akin to kindness.
"We think somehow the potions that the boy was being fed, combined with the protection Lily left on him converged into making it so that the Dark Lord now had parental feelings for Potter," Snape explained, waving his hand between the teen and the noseless man.
"So you knew I was being potioned?" Harry said, getting angry. "Will you testify to that fact if I decide to sue?" he asked, not sure if that was what he wanted to do since it would reflect badly on the whole Weasley family.
"I was the one to brew them," the potions master said, his tone still laced with distaste at doing something so menial.
"I should hate you more for that," Harry said, thinking that over. "But I know you were fooled into doing it," he added, thinking of how conned he had been now that the potions were out of his body. "Sirius gave me a ring that detects them now," he said, holding up his hand and showing the silver ring with a black onyx stone.
"Good, never take it off," Voldemort said, looking at Sirius with new eyes. He thought the man foolish for coming to a meeting so willingly and bringing a child with him, but a least he did give the kid something to protect himself with.
"I won't," Harry said, putting his hand down. "So will you testify?" he asked again.
"I will," Severus said, not caring one bit that it might land him in hot water with Albus. He was tired of taking orders from a man who had deceived him so thoroughly.
"Wait, so we know why Voldemort agreed not to hurt Harry, but why did you, Severus?" Sirius asked, not sure why the man who pertained to hating the boy would make such a statement.
"I have made a vow to keep the child alive," Snape said, looking everywhere but at Harry.
"When did you do that?" Harry wanted to know. He remembered something vaguely like that from Dumbledore telling him, but he didn't know the details.
"When I knew your mother was in danger," the man confessed in a vague manner.
"Oh," was all the teen could say to that.
"There are usually three conditions, what will be the third?" Tom asked, getting back to the topic at hand.
"That you won't hurt anyone?" Harry inquired, not really thinking the man would comply. For all he said he felt like he couldn't hurt Harry, he didn't say the same thing about the rest of the world.
He was right.
"No," was the resounding answer. There wasn't a minute ounce of doubt in that tone. There was no way he was going to add that to an unbreakable vow. He would be dead by the end of the week.
"That you won't hurt my friends?" Harry tried. He might not be on the best of terms with them right now, but he didn't want them dead.
"No," was again said. Now that he knew of the potioning, he was going to have to take measures. That might include death, or just plain maiming.
"How about the betterment of the wizarding world?" Sirius tried. That was something he was sure that Voldemort wanted. Even if he did go about it in a bloody fashion.
"According to whom?" Voldemort asked, knowing his ideas were different than Dumbledore's.
"Good point," Black said, thinking that over.
"I can say that I will try to better it according to my point of view," Riddle said, knowing that he would do that anyway. Though his view was to raze the whole wizarding world and start over.
"Can we talk about that for a minute?" Harry said, grabbing Sirius and dragging him to the side. "That might work," he said to his godfather.
"Why do you say that? He might feel that killing off the entire government and starting over for the betterment is good," Sirius said, though sometimes he felt that way too. He was unknowingly voicing the other man's thoughts.
"Because he will be getting his soul back," Harry said, like that made a difference. He thought that it might make the man saner. More rational.
"Harry, Grindlewald had a soul," Sirius pointed out. He knew that a soul didn't make a damn bit of difference in one's morals. "Your Hitler had a complete soul. It doesn't change them one bit." He hoped that got through to the teen.
"Oh," Harry said, thinking about the carnage those two did in history. "How about we change the wording a bit. Like work for the betterment with minimal death and injury, and only if it is necessary," he tried, thinking that was the best compromise they were going to get.
"That might work," Sirius said, thinking over the words. With that they turned back to find the other two men shamelessly listening in on their conversation. They really shouldn't have been surprised. These two men were not what one would call light wizards.
"That will work fine," Tom said, getting ready to give his vow. "Severus, be our bonder," he requested.
With all the conditions agreed upon the vow didn't take long and soon they all went their separate ways. Sirius and Harry back to Grimmuald Place. Severus back to Hogwarts. Tom back to Malfoy Manor. Each person went to bed feeling like they had accomplished something that night.
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Harry woke up the next morning feeling well rested. He wondered if the meeting he had had the night before was just a dream. How could Voldemort feel like he was a parent to Harry? That didn't make sense, even with magic. There was only so much magic can do, right?
He'd talk it over with Sirius. This was going to be the last day they were alone during the day. The Weasleys were coming to stay with them. They had asked why the Burrow couldn't be put under the Fidelius and were told that it was too well known. That was complete bullshit, but they just nodded and let it go.
Both of them accepted that this was just Albus's way of putting spies in the house, but they were going to one-up him. The top three floors were for family only. The bottom two would be for the Order. The basement was off limits to everyone, bar Sirius. Not even Harry could go down there. This way they could spend all the time they wanted together and there was nothing anyone could do or say about it.
Sirius made sure to inform the old man that he wasn't going to be supporting the Order or the Weasleys. Just because he was playing host, did not mean he was going to be dipping into his vast fortune to feed and clothe the people who would be sheltering in his house. If they wanted to eat, they had to put up to the fund. He knew the Weasleys were poor, so he said, he would help with feeding the Order, but they had to contribute as well. There should be a fee for meals, or they could bloody well eat before meetings.
Remus was semi persona non grata at the moment. While Sirius still considered him a friend, he had not been around much and when he was, he was spouting Dumbledore propaganda. They didn't know if the werewolf was just brainwashed, or potioned. So, they were keeping him at arm's length. He would be welcomed into the house but not the top floors.
Molly wasn't going to be happy with the house elf Dobby. Dobby had made it very clear that he was in charge of all of the meals. Especially Harry's. He declared this when he found out that his master had been potioned. He said that he was going to save him, and that no one would get anything passed him. He would be commandeering the kitchen and anyone who tried to take them over would be in for a shock. Literally.
Sirius made sure to move anything of value to the library, which was located on the third floor. He knew Mundungus Fletcher was a thief and he wanted to make sure the man's sticky fingers didn't take anything. He didn't care if he took the silverware, if the goblins caught him with them, that was his own fault.
Harry let his thoughts go and went down the stairs to find his godfather. "Good morning, Sirius," he said when he found him in the kitchen eating one of Dobby's breakfasts.
"Morning, Harry," his godfather said, chewing on a piece of bacon.
"Was last night a dream?" he asked, taking a seat on the bench opposite his godfather.
"Nope, we did meet Voldy last night and he gave an unbreakable vow," the man said, still munching on his breakfast.
"You know, Tom never did tell you what he wanted from the house last night," Harry said, serving himself up some pancakes. He poured a generous amount of syrup on them.
"He wrote a letter this morning," Sirius said, pointing to the missive on the table. "Snape will be here later to collect it," he added, shaking his body in a shudder. "I'll be glad to be rid of it," he said, not wanting it in his house.
"They do sound vile," Harry agreed, cutting a bite out and eating it.
"They are the worst evil," the dogman agreed, putting his fork down, being done with his meal. He took up his coffee cup and sipped. "Never mess with your soul," he said, again giving a full body shudder.
"Don't worry about that," Harry said, with a shudder of his own. "When will Snape be here?" he asked, eating his pancakes. He was still unsure what to think about that man. Last night he was almost kind. Not really, but he wasn't his usual dour self.
"Some time around nine," was the answer, while Sirius looked at the clock which said it was near that time.
"Oh, wow, I must have been tired," Harry said, never sleeping this late.
"It was a long night," his godfather said, giving him a grin. "I'm going to go get dressed. If the greasy git shows up, just give him some coffee and have him wait," he said, getting up from the table and leaving the room.
"Okay," Harry said, eating more of the delicious pancakes. He served up some bacon as well and munched on it too.
Sharply at nine, Snape stepped through the floo. He was dressed as usual, with his many buttoned robes. He looked normal now, not as placid as he had last night.
"Professor," Potter said, waving to the bench opposite him. "Coffee?" he asked, gesturing to the pot.
"Please," the man said, taking the indicated seat and accepting the cup. He took his coffee black and unsweetened.
"Sirius will be back in a minute. I wanted to ask you why you made those potions? Were they for the headmaster or the Weasleys?" Harry asked, that had been bugging him all morning.
"The headmaster," was the succinct answer.
"Why though? I don't understand," the teen pleaded, wanting answers that no one seemed to want to give him.
"Because he wants to be in control," Sirius said when he stepped into the room. "It really has nothing to do with you in particular. At least I don't think so. You just happen to be the Boy-Who-Lived. And one of prophecy," he said, sitting next to his godson. He thought that it was the headmaster, but until Snape just confirmed it, he had no proof.
"Can we arrest him?" Harry asked, despondent. He knew the answer to that. The man was too powerful to just have him arrested.
"You know the answer to that," Sirius said, hugging the teen to him in a one-armed hug.
"So, we just let him get away with this?" the teen said, getting angry now. "How the hell is that fair?" he demanded.
"Might I suggest we work with a mutual acquaintance," Snape said, not daring say the man's name aloud. "One that is just as, if not more, powerful," he added with a lifting of an eyebrow.
"Won't he be busy doing other things?" Sirius asked, reminding him of the conversation they had the night before.
"If we get the item that he needs, he will conclude his business this evening. Which reminds me, there is a note here for Potter," Snape said, taking out a piece of parchment and handing it over.
Harry took it and read: Potter, when you feel the pull, push. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked, throwing the note on the table, where Sirius snatched it up.
His godfather read the note and scrunched his brow in confusion for a moment then he started cussing up a storm. "When is he doing the spell?" he asked Snape.
"Around midnight," the man answered, that being the prime time for such a spell.
"I'll have him ready," Black said, getting up from the table and leaving the room to who knows where.
"Somebody, tell me what's going on," Harry said, getting up to follow his godfather. Snape followed him. They were making their way down the hall and following the ruckus that Sirius was making.
"I have to get the necklace," Sirius said from the study down the hall. He was looking through the curio cabinet, throwing items around as he searched. It was full of cursed objects. He brought out the necklace and handed it to Snape. "Here, and good riddance to it," he said, only for Kreacher to show up and try to snatch it out of Snape's hand.
"Master Regulus's necklace," the elf wailed, failing to get the piece of jewelry.
"We are going to destroy it," Sirius snapped at the elf. They still didn't get along, no matter that Harry tried to make them.
"Truly?" Kreacher asked, stopping his wailing. His eyes cleared up and he straightened up to his full height for the first time in years. "You would fulfill Kreacher's last order from Master Regulus?" Hope was clear in that tone.
"Tell me of this last order," Sirius demanded, sitting on a chair, like he knew he wasn't going to like the story.
"Kreacher cannot. Kreacher was ordered not to tell any of the Black family," the elf said with a shake of his large head.
"Tell me," Snape said, not having an ounce of Black blood in his family tree, well he hoped not. If he did, it was very distant.
So Kreacher told the potions master of the dark tale of Regulus's last day of life. He told of the years of trying to destroy the necklace and his falling into despair because he could not fulfil the last wish of his beloved master.
Sirius and Harry listened with wet eyes. Harry because of Kreacher's plight, Sirius because of his brother's.
"Kreacher, tonight this necklace will be just that, a necklace," Snape said, holding up the jewelry. "I cannot give it back to you. It is a treasure of Hogwarts, and it must be returned to its rightful place. However, I promise it will no longer be tainted," he said, his hand to heart.
"Thank you, Potion Master Snape," the creature said, and popped away.
"Maybe someone could tell me what that note means now," Harry said after the silence stretched for a few minutes.
"It means that there is a horcrux in your scar," Sirius said with a sigh. "I wager that Dumbledore knows about it, hence the potioning. Not that I condone it, but that was probably the reason. He wanted to control you in case you got possessed, or at least that would be his excuse," he stated.
"If he knew, then why didn't he try to get it out?" Harry asked, not please that it was there.
"Dumbledore thinks he has the knowledge of all magic. He is mistaken. He is very knowledgeable, but not all-knowing," Severus said, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"I wish there was a way to take him down," Harry lamented once again.
"Again, I say talk to our mutual acquaintance," Snape suggested, getting up and pacing.
"I will," Harry said, thinking that perhaps writing to the man would be beneficial.
"We will," Sirius stressed, thinking along the same lines. He wasn't going to let Harry do this alone. They would take on all comers together. And if Voldy didn't like it, too bad for him.