I Am Dansmesyeux Riddle

Part Two

TWENTY-TWO: The Man in the Photos

Response To Reviews:

Starrylibra: I happen to like Phil Collins and other music that has nothing to do with hating/killing people, romance, or stuff like that, thank you very much.

Sue Falkenkralle: I'm actually aware that I can be positively cruel but to Dan so far I've been nothing but "nice". sticks out tongue But I suppose I can attempt to be a bit kinder.  

Marauder1perongs: Wow, you're in a good mood, huh? I hope your parents aren't the cause.

Disclaimer: I do not own the song "Perfect" by simple Plan.

Previous Chapter: Just as Dan went to walk toward his father he tripped over his brand new green robes and fell backwards, knocking into a ten foot statue of Salazar Slytherin. The statue fell to the ground, shattering upon impact. If the Death Eaters' eyes weren't on him before then they definitely were now…  

Dan looked at the ground in shame and slowly got to his feet. Unfortunately the first step Dan took made him slip on a piece of the broken statue, forcing him to fall flat on his face. The Death Eaters' laughter rang through the hall. As he attempted to get up again he hung his head in shame and turned away from the crowd.

Before Dan could do anything else embarrassing one of the Death Eaters grabbed him roughly by his right arm from behind, and then he led him out of the hall. Dan stopped struggling when he realized that the Death Eater was Barty Crouch, Jr. Silently he allowed himself to be dragged up to his room. Barty muttered a spell and the door shot open. Once they were inside he sighed and turned to Dan.

"You OK, kid?" Barty asked Dan.

Miserably Dan sat down on his bed and stared at the floor as if too ashamed to look up. Barty ran a hand through his messy straw ed hair and handed Dan his cane. "You dropped this."

"Thanks," said Dan with no sincerity in his voice. He took the cane from Barty and tossed it under his four-poster bed ungracefully.

Barty watched the scene before him. He observed the Riddle heir as he slipped off his robes (he was wearing muggle clothes underneath) and tossed his shoes onto the floor. Without a word Dan crawled under the covers of his bed and hid his head in his pillows.

"Dan, stop being a baby and come out from under there," Barty said, yanking part of the covers off of Dan.

"Go away so I can die," muttered Dan darkly. He was forced to look at Barty when the Death Eater uncovered him.

"It's not that bad," stated Barty. "So you messed up…again…and the Death Eaters think-no wait-know you are a total screw up. I'm not helping, huh?" Dan sniffed and shook his head. "Well, what can I say? I think I've already told you that I too had to grow up with a father who disliked everything about me. I'm not sure I can do anything else, kid. The rest is up to you."

"I know…but I'm not sure my dad even-even likes me…I mean look at me!" Dan said angrily. Barty glanced over Dan's muggle clothes and his now messed up hair. He couldn't help but smile at the teen.

"You sound just like me when I was your age." Barty picked up Dan's guitar and place his hands where they needed to be. "Have you been practicing?"

Dan nodded. "I still can't do it right. Can you teach me an easier song?"

"When I bought this guitar for you, you told me that you wanted to learn how to play," Barty brought up. "I'm not going to teach you an easy way out, Dan. I'm going to show you how to play every song, hard and easy."

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Dan. "Can you play a song for me? I promise it will be highly educational."

"Sure it'll be," said Barty sarcastically as he sat down on next to Dan. "But I don't see why not. I'm in a musical mood." The Death Eater began to play a soft melody that soon became loud and he sang, not perfectly but better than average:

"Nothing's gonna change the things that you said
Nothing's gonna make this right again
Please don't turn your back
I can't believe it's hard
Just to talk to you
But you don't understand

'Cuz we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I'm sorry
I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late and
We can't go back
I'm sorry
I can't be perfect…"

Barty handed Dan his guitar and stood up. "I have to get back to the party before Lucius tries to accuse me of treason."

"Why would he do that?" asked Dan.

"Because Malfoy will do anything to prove that he is your father's number one servant," answered Barty. "I'll see you later, kid." He went to leave but stopped in the doorway.

"Hey, kid," he said as he turned back around. "I'm sorry if I wasn't much help."

"Don't worry about it, sir," Dan said. "I'll be fine."

"I know you will be." Barty walked toward the door. "You're a smart lad." With that said he left.

Two hours later Dan's bedroom door opened again. It was Voldemort. His father, Dan could tell, wasn't in a good mood and obviously he hadn't found Dan's clumsiness amusing. The Dark Lord sighed and massaged his temples before attempting to talk to his son who was sitting in his bed.

"Dan, is there a reason that you are the way you are?"

Dan lowered his gaze and mumbled. "I don't know, sir."

"Tell me, my son, what do I have to do to make you see that you have to start acting like your title suggests? You are the Dark lord's son and should act as such," Voldemort said. When he saw that Dan wasn't looking at him he snapped, "Look up when you're spoken to!" Dan immediately turned his eyes upon his father.

"Son…do you want me to resort to physical means?" asked Voldemort. Dan gulped and shook his head "no". "What of curses then? I know half of the Death Eaters hex their children for the simplest reasons." A mental image of Draco quickly came to Dan's mind but he shook the thought away. "Dan, why do you think that I've never hurt you?"

"Cause you love me?" guessed Dan, smiling innocently up at Voldemort.

Voldemort shuddered and looked about before replying, "If you ever say that around the Death Eaters I will have to hex you, understood?" There was a small trace of humor in his voice.

Dan nodded, smiling.

"Good. You also understand that if you ever allow yourself to be humiliated like that again there will be consequences?"

"Yes, sir," Dan responded. Then the Dark Lord said the very thing that Dan never wanted to hear from anyone.

"Why don't you try to be a bit more like the young Malfoy?" Voldemort left after the suggestion and Dan's mouth dropped open in surprise and misery.

Why on earth would Dan want to be more like Draco? Draco was a stuck up, spoiled brat that always did as he was told, not too different from a puppy. Nevertheless Dan was best friends with him…so there had to be a few things about Draco that Dan liked. His evil grin, his ideas for pranks, and all of the adventures that they had together over the years were just a few that stood out in Dan's mind.

Suddenly enraged Dan seized the nearest object and whipped it across the room. The object shattered upon impact with the wall and fell upon the floor. With a groan of frustration Dan buried his head in his pillows and stayed in that position even when someone walked into the room.

"Hey, kid."

Dan recognized the kind voice of his favorite Death Eater, Barty, and he decided to uncover his head. He smiled at Barty Crouch whom returned the favor.

"You OK?" Barty asked him. Dan nodded. "I heard your father came in here and I thought you might want to talk to someone. Am I right?"

"Always," Dan replied. He was beginning to allow himself to be cheered up,

"That's my boy," Barty said. As he sat down next to Dan he clapped the teen on his back. They sat in silence until Barty decided to talk. "Dan, I remember many years ago when your father was out on a very important mission and I was stuck lookin' after you. Let me tell you. You. Were. A. Pain. In. The. Buttocks. But then again I was one of the only Death Eaters who was willing to look after you." Barty laughed heartily at the memory and smiled at no one in particular.

"We had a lot of fun back then…Before Voldemort decided that all children age ten and above were to start training for their future roles as Death Eaters…" Barty's brow furrowed and a painful expression passed over his face. "Times sure are different for us all now. Back then we me and the other Death Eaters used to laugh and just hang out but now-."

He stopped and continued. "-we always need to be serious and on the watch for Albus Dumbledore and his interfering Order of the Phoenix. The kids, like you, Dan, are being trained to do Dark Magic that you shouldn't have even heard of. I know this life is different from the outside world but you have to realize that your father cares for you, as do I. It's not that he wants you to change, it's more of that he wants the Death Eaters to think that you will be able to handle his role if anything were to happen to him."

"But I'm only fourteen!" defended Dan. "I couldn't possibly take over if anything happened to my dad!"

"And I know that," Barty said. "Believe me kid. I know what pressure can do to you. That's why I'm always here when you need to talk."

"I appreciate that," Dan said. "I really do…but my father isn't the only thing that's been bothering me lately…"

Barty's face showed deep concern and he asked, "What's on your mind, kid?"

Dan sighed and ran a hand though his hair. The desperation in his voice was hard to miss. "I wanna be exactly like my dad wants! I wanna know who my mum is and why Father never talks about her! I wanna know why Draco gets to go to Hogwarts while I can barley leave the castle!" A tear fell from Dan's eye and he allowed himself to be pulled into a tight embrace by Barty. Fifteen minutes passed before Barty finnaly let Dan go.

The Death Eater pulled something out of his pocket and opened it up. It was a small leather picture book. Dan wiped his eyes underneath his glasses and glanced down at a photo that the book was open to.

A pale man, dressed in all black was staring up at Dan. He looked at the ground and then up again, as if he were unsure if he should be glancing anywhere but the floor. The man's eyes were mysteriously cold yet they showed understanding at the same time.

"This man can answer so many of your questions, Dan. He can tell you about you're mother and even a few things about your father, but the key is not to let anyone know who you are once outside of this castle," Barty whispered to the Riddle heir. Dan's eyes widened in understanding as Barty handed him the photo book. "I know you'll d what you see fit, kid. Make your father and me proud."

Barty turned and left, leaving Dan to his thoughts. It didn't take long for Dan to reach his decision. He was going to run away.

A/N: I'm sorry for any mistakes in spelling and/or grammar. I'm not in the mood to care. Don't worry people. I know exactly where I want this story to go (not really).

Moony