Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, not even a little bit.
Here is the new chapter guys. I hope everyone enjoys it. This chapter is slightly different then what I promised at the end of last chapter. Sorry to those who hoped to see Voldemort's reaction in this time around. That will definitly come up soon. You guys do get to see Draco's reaction to Harry as well as Dumbledore's reaction to the news that his tool is missing. Also Harry does some soul searching in this chapter.
A quick note to all readers, as of right now this fic will NOT be slash. I don't mind slash, I think that if it is done right that it can be very good but I don't write it well and don't want to butcher it by trying.
THANKS to everyone who has reviewed so far. At the end of this chapter I will address some of the reader feeback that I have gotten so far.
Okay on to the fiction.
Harry awoke the next morning and stretched. He looked around the elaborate bedroom and for a second forgot where he was. The previous night's events quickly returned and he leaned back on the pillows to contemplate the changes that his life had taken.
It was almost like everything was happening in a dream, and any minute he would be woken up by the screaming of his aunt. This wasn't a dream though; he had found out that he had been used for over fifteen years. As much as he wanted the truth to be different it still stood there and glared at him. There was no escaping it and there was no going back to the oblivious life he had led before.
In truth he was nervous about the turn his life was taking. Dumbledore had killed his mother, ruined his family, and used him like a pawn. He hated Dumbledore for what he had done and he fully intended on making the man pay. Despite his hatred of the man he technically didn't hate the people he had known either. Hermione and Ginny, Fred and George, they were still his friends. As for Ron, well he had started changing. He had become jealous of the attention that Harry always received and during the tri-wizard tournament he had snapped.
He had confronted Harry in front of everyone, calling him a glory hound and an attention seeker. The situation with Hermione and Victor Krum hadn't helped matters at all and the fiery redhead had withdrawn from the golden trio. The final straw that had ended their friendship had been when Harry had returned from fighting Voldemort in the graveyard at the end of third year.
Ron had agreed with Minister Fudge when the minister declared that Harry was lying. He supported the idea that he thought Harry was just trying to get more attention then he already had. The accusations had hurt Harry deeply and he had returned to the Dursleys at the beginning of the summer in an emotionally distraught mood.
When the new term had begun at the end of the summer Harry and Ron had made a point to avoid each other. Even Hermione's attempts to act as a peacemaker couldn't help them end their feud. It didn't help that Harry was constantly being haunted by visions sent to him by Voldemort.
Then at the end of the year Sirius had died leaving Harry without the only person he felt he could talk to. Remus was, in a way family, but he never saw the man enough to form a deeper bond then what they had formed when Remus was professor. To top the year off Dumbledore had informed him that he was the subject of some stupid prophecy. He had then proceeded to send Harry back to the Dursleys so he could gain the protection of his family.
Harry remembered the shock he had experienced when he got back to Surrey only to find that his relatives, the only protection he supposedly had against Voldemort, had decided to leave Britian for the summer. They had paid off the utilities and left Harry a meager amount of money to feed himself with.
The arrival of his mother's owl had been upsetting to say the least. He had no idea how to comprehend what he had just found out. Then out of nowhere Severus had showed up and offered him a lifeline. He would have been a fool not to accept the man's help. If you were drowning and someone threw you a lifeline you grabbed it and held on
Now Harry was faced with the question of whether or not he had made the right choice by grabbing that lifeline. He was lying here in an elegant bed, in the middle of Malfoy Manor. He had pretty much told his father and Lucius that he would be willing to serve the Dark Lord if that was what it took to overthrow Albus Dumbledore. There was no doubt in his mind that nothing short of an army would be able to get Dumbledore removed from power. The death, yes death, of Albus Dumbledore would definitely through the wizarding world into chaos.
The man was the headmaster of Hogwarts, he was a decorated military leader and genius. That man had been decorated with rewards more times then Harry could count. Without his leadership there would be little resistance to Voldemort's rise to power. Did he really want to be the cause of that?
He could see the headlines now. "Boy Who Lived, Overthrows Albus Dumbledore!" The one thing wrong with that quote was that by the time Dumbledore has been overthrown Harry Potter would already be dead. Like he should have been for fifteen years. Hermione and Ginny would mourn as would Remus. Remus would mourn for a slightly different reason though. He would mourn because his last link to his past would be gone. Ron would probably feel a little remorse but would most likely gloat because he could finally live without Harry overshadowing him.
The question in Harry's mind was did Albus Dumbledore betray him deeply enough over the last fifteen years to warrant, in Harry's mind, the betrayal of his friends and all the people who depended on him? Did a baby that died peacefully in his sleep fifteen years ago, but whose name lived on in fame, deserve the rest that should have always been his? Did he, the boy who came to be known as Harry Potter want to slip out from under the weight that his namesake bore and start a life in which he wasn't famous?
The answer to all three questions was yes. For fifteen years he had staggered under the name of Potter. If he had never been a Potter then he would have had a father, and most likely a mother for most of that time. His parents weren't likely to have been attacked by Voldemort like the Potters had. He wouldn't have been abused and forced to live in a closest for ten years of his life. He wouldn't have had to deal with the fame of his namesake. He would have been Malachi Alexander Snape.
Dumbledore would die, not by the hands of Harry Potter, but by the hands of Malachi Snape. The boy that Harry Potter should have been. Harry Potter would die so the wizarding public could mourn his passing. Then he would be free to pursue his new agenda of bringing down Albus Dumbledore, with the help of his newly acquired family.
The idea of having to ally himself with Voldemort upset him quite a bit. He didn't really agree with a lot of the man's policies. He didn't want to kill innocent wizards such as Hermione. He didn't want to see her lying dead at his feet. He didn't know if he would be able to adjust if asked to torture and kill, except in the case of Dumbedore. That man would scream and beg for mercy before Harry finally killed him. It seemed only fitting that this be the case. As for his friends, well he would have to think of a way to protect them; perhaps he could even turn them to his side.
Those were problems for another day. He would cross those bridges and make those choices when he was forced to. For now though he would enjoy the fact that fortune was smiling at him for a change. He would enjoy the Malfoys hospitality and the joy that welled up in him every time he thought about the fact that he now had a family. Speaking of Malfoy hospitality he would have to compliment whoever had designed the room he was currently residing in.
The room was decorated in varying shades of cream and burgundy. The dark colored cloth was offset with beautiful dark wood for the bed, desk, and armoire. Strange, somehow he had always imagined that the Malfoys lived in a house decorated in every shade of green and silver imaginable. To see dark red, not Gryffindor red of course, and cream was a comfort.
There was a large bay window on the far wall and someone had opened the heavy curtains so early morning sunlight streamed in. Harry noticed that whoever had opened the curtains had also taken the time to lie out towels and a comfortable bathrobe for his use.
Knowing that he would have to meet with his father and the Malfoys at some point in the day Harry stood and collected the bath items. He then made his way over to the bathroom that was connected to his room. The bathroom impressed him almost as much as the room. It was decorated in shades varying shades of dark stone and tile. The large bath was sunken into the floor with steps that led into it. A collection of bath oils and soaps stood ready for use on the counter.
With a content smile Harry selected a fragrance he liked and knelt beside the tub. He turned the knobs to a warm but not hot setting and added the oil he had selected. Immediately the tub began to fill and he walked down the steps into the warm water. The water relaxed his sore muscles and he allowed himself to enjoy the calming feeling.
After a few minutes of relaxation he decided to wash his hair and finish up the bath. Once he was done he stepped out and the tub immediately began to empty. As he was stepping out he wrapped the towel around his waist and sat down in front of the mirror. He contemplated his changing reflection and found himself agreeing with Lucius. His eyes definitely were his best figure. He still looked annoyingly like James Potter and he imagined that there would be some difficult process to undergo before he was finally free of the man's image.
After drying off Harry wrapped the robe around him and made his way back into his room. He saw his trunk at the foot of his bed and knelt down before it. He expected to find his clothes but all that remained in the trunk where his personal belongings. Thinking that one of the house elves had placed his things in the armoire he walked over and opened the elegant wood doors.
Instead of his clothing he found a wide selection of casual and dress robes, as well as a selection of well made pants and shirts. He selected a set of dark green robes that matched his eyes and laid all the clothing he would need out on the bed. When he was dressed he pulled his still damp hair back into a loose ponytail with a piece of ribbon.
As he was finishing up he heard the sound of light knocking and immediately made his way to the doors. He opened them to find Lucius waiting patiently.
"Aw good, I see the clothing I had sent up fits well. That outfit suits you Malachi; it brings out your eyes." Harry nodded politely in thanks as the elder wizard continued. "Your father is downstairs at breakfast. Will you join us?" Harry considered his response before speaking.
"What about your wife and Draco? How will they take my sudden appearance at breakfast? In case you haven't noticed your son and I don't get along that well." A slight grimace passed over Lucius' face at the mention of their rivalry.
"That was not the way things were supposed to turn out I can promise you. Severus and I had hoped that you would grow up being the best of friends. Unfortunately fate is a cruel mistress. If you would like I will inform Draco privately." He paused and then smirked slightly. "As for Narcissa, she will be delighted to have her godson back so she can pamper you. She spoils Draco and I have a feeling you will be no different."
"Thank you Lucius. I would appreciate it if you explained the situation to Draco." The elder wizard nodded.
"Of course." He snapped his fingers and Kala appeared. She bowed deeply before Lucius.
"What can I do for you your lordship?"
"Kala, summon Draco to my study immediately. I will be waiting for him." Kala bowed.
"As you wish your lordship." The little elf disappeared with a pop and Lucius motioned for Harry to follow him. The boy followed the elder wizard toward his office. They walked in silence until Lucius spoke up.
"I hope you have found everything to your liking so far." Harry nodded.
"My rooms are wonderful and I appreciate you allowing me to stay." He paused for a second before speaking again. "May I ask you a few questions sir?"
"Of course, I will answer what I can but we in the Malfoy line do not know everything, despite our attempts to appear as if we do." Harry understood and spoke.
"How do you think Voldemort will take the fact that I am who I am? And second has something been done to mask my disappearance?"
"I honestly cannot answer your first question. The Dark Lord could be delighted, or he could decide to kill both of you immediately. As for the second question, Yes. I sent out a specially trained team of Death Eaters shortly after I met with you and your father. Their mission was to destroy the Dursley's home. I ordered the group leader to place replicas of your possessions in the room you used and he made it appear as if there was a struggle. I modified his memory of the incident when he returned to the manor so he knows nothing more then the rest of his team. Since your relatives had not set foot in their home for over three months the wards that were anchored to their presence were non-existent and the men had no trouble." Harry understood what Lucius was telling him. The men returned believed that you were simply out of town and I have agreed to go before Voldemort and explain my actions."
"So when Dumbledore investigates the Dark Mark over the home it will appear as if there was a struggle and I was taken as a prisoner. He will also be able to tell that the wards protecting me had not been in place for several months. As for my abductors, they know nothing more then the fact that they destroyed my safe home. That seems like it will serve us well." Lucius smirked as the pair stopped before his office and he opened the door to allow the younger wizard to enter. He waved his hand and a small panel of the wall opened up.
"Wait in there. You can come out when I tell you to do so." Harry nodded and pulled the door shut behind him as he entered the room. The room was small but it was furnished with a couple comfortable chairs and Harry quickly sat down to wait.
A couple minutes later he heard the door to Lucius' study open and Draco's voice addressing his father.
"You sent for me sir?" He could hear Lucius sigh and Draco taking a seat across from his father's desk.
"Draco I have something to tell you and the news is upsetting to say the least. Last night Severus arrived at the manor. He was not alone. You see last night he received a letter informing him that his son, whom he thought to be dead, was not actually dead." Lucius paused to, at least in Harry's assumption; see how his son was taking the news. After a second he seemed satisfied and continued. "It appears that Dumbledore killed your aunt Ana and hid your cousin Malachi away. He wanted to use the boy as a pawn against our Lord."
At Lucius' words Harry felt his hands ball into fists and his anger at Dumbledore rose in his chest. He still couldn't believe how a man so seemingly pure could have done what he had done. He had been no more then a chess piece that could be moved and manipulated until it was time for the pawn to be sacrificed for the greater good. He refocused on the conversation taking place in the room outside. Lucius was no longer speaking and he could hear Draco's voice.
"So what you are telling me is that my cousin is still alive? That is wonderful news father. Severus must be overjoyed. May I ask how Dumbledore was hiding him?" Lucius sighed.
"That is the difficult part Draco. I think it would be best if the young man informed you himself." Harry gritted his teeth as sudden nervousness gripped him. He would have to face Draco immediately. He had to force himself to stand and walk to the door of the room. As his hand touched the metal catch he stopped and took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth, either Draco would accept him or they would continue being enemies. With a new surge of confidence he tripped the latch and stepped out.
Draco had been expecting anyone but Harry Potter to step out of the listening station of his father's office. Now however he was faced with the student who had become his mortal enemy at Hogwarts. The calm look he had sported before the revelation quickly turned to a mix of shocked disbelief and anger.
"YOU?!" WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOME?" He turned toward his father. "Is this some kind of joke?" He asked his father in a slightly calmer voice? After all, Malfoys kept their tempers to themselves as much as possible and there was no way he was going to scream at this father. Lucius sighed as he looked between Harry and Draco.
"I can guarantee that this is not a joke Draco. Do you think I would tolerate his presence if it were?" Harry felt himself stiffen slightly at the elder man's words. He knew that he was talking about him before the truth had been revealed but the words still stung. "Son, this is a matter of importance. Harry, no Malachi, is part of OUR family and as such I will respect him as he deserves to be respected. YOU Draco, should know better then to question me over a matter of such importance. I would not be standing here telling you this if I did not have several measures of proof to support my claim."
Draco stood shock still as his father angrily reprimanded him. His head was spinning as he the exact implications of having Harry Potter as part of his family meant. He realized immediately that the boy should have been in his year at Hogwarts and that the boy was a pure-blooded wizard of a house that held a great deal of power in wizarding society. The Snape house was one of the eldest and richest houses in the country and he knew that Severus had, before the death of his wife, been a powerful member of Voldemort's circle. He turned to Harry and inspected the young wizard.
"So it seems you are part of the family now. This may come as a shock but I will respect you. I have grown up respecting family and pureblood society and since you are now part of it I have no other choice. However, I do not trust you and you will have to work to gain anything more then the respect that is due to a pureblood wizard." Before Harry or his father could speak Draco turned, and with a swish of his robes was out the door. Harry and Lucius shared a look and the elder wizard spoke.
"That went better then I expected. It will take him time to adjust. He is used to being an elite among purebloods. Your presence presents him with an equal in both status and intelligence. You have seen the other Slytherins in his year. Crabbe and Goyle are nothing more than thugs, Parkinson is an idiot, and the others aren't much better." Lucius paused for a second before continuing. "As much as I hated to admit it I always saw Harry Potter as a clever, quick witted boy. I never understood why the hat wasted him by placing him in Gryffindor rather then Slytherin." Harry smirked and spoke.
"That was my doing actually. The hat said I would be great if I was in Slytherin but I talked it into putting me in Gryffindor instead." Lucius chuckled, a true sign of a Slytherin, only a true Slytherin could have talked the hat out of its decision." Harry watched as Lucius stood and moved toward the door of his study.
"Your father is waiting for us at breakfast. We shouldn't keep him waiting."
At Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore had already been awake for several hours. He was trying to decide how to handle the situation that had presented itself in the early morning hours. He had been awakened from a sound sleep to the furious clang of alarm wards. At first he thought that Hogwarts was under attack but he had quickly realized that the alarms were of a much more serious nature.
He had gone to his office and conjured a scrying mirror. The mirror showed him a sight he had never hoped to see. There before his eyes was the site of Number Four Privet Drive partially engulfed in flames with Voldemort's Dark Mark shining brightly in the sky. There was no doubt in the man's mind that the Aurors at the ministry had already been dispatched to the site and he would have to get there immediately.
He had quickly dressed and practically run to the one spot in Hogwarts where it was possible to apparate from. He as headmaster was one of only a few to know of its existence. When he arrived at the scene he immediately was approached by the head Auror of the team. He noticed that the blaze had been put out and that a small team was going over the rubble while another team was questioning the neighbors.
"Headmaster Dumbledore" the man said respectably. "We arrived immediately upon receiving confirmation that the dark mark had been conjured. The best we can figure out is that a group of Death eaters arrived and attacked the house. I'm still waiting for reports as to whether or not anyone died in the blaze." At that point one of the inspectors walked up to the pair and handed his commander a report. The man read through it and looked back to Dumbledore.
"It would appear that no one was inside at the time sir. It appears that the blaze was started at the back of the house and we believe from footprints in the backyard that whoever arrived entered and exited the house from the back. I am told that most of Mister Potter's room is still intact and with the use of magic you could probably see the room at little risk to yourself. My men also indicate that there appeared to be signs of a struggle. There was broken glassware and the banister of the stairwell was shattered. Other signs included picture frames that were knocked from the wall and overturned chairs in the kitchen." Dumbledore listened to the report in silence. When the man finished he spoke quietly.
"Has anyone studied the wards on the house to see what happened to them?" The man was confused.
"Wards sir? There are NO wards on the house." Dumbledore stared at the man in disbelief.
"There ARE wards young man. I placed them personally. The wards were personally tailored to the inhabitants of this house. They are Mister Potter's relatives and their presence should have kept the wards intact." To prove his point he cast a spell toward the house. Much to his surprise and horror nothing reacted. There were no wards present. In bewilderment he turned to the man. "Do you have witness reports yet? I want to know how this happened. And I want to see Mister Potter's room"
"Of course Sir. I get you the reports and tell the crew that you will be coming up." With that the man turned and went over to the team that was talking to a small crowd of witnesses." Dumbledore followed close behind him and found the commander speaking to a young woman who appeared to be the head of the reports division. She approached with a scroll of paper in her hands.
"Headmaster Dumbledore sir." She intoned quietly. "I have the witness reports. I'm afraid they won't be a lot of help. The attack took place in the middle of the night and most of these people didn't wake up till after the blaze had already been set." Dumbledore rubbed his eyes wearily and nodded as he took the scroll from the woman.
"Thank you very much." He began scanning the testimony with weary eyes. When he was finished he was no closer to finding out what happened then he had been before he had read them. Slowly he approached the group of individuals. He cleared his throat and the group turned to look at him.
"I thank you all for your patience. I would like to ask you some questions about what happened before this terrible tragedy. What can anyone tell me about the Dursleys?" An elderly woman was the first to speak up.
"My name is Dana Adams. I am the Dursleys neighbor." Dumbledore smiled at her and indicated she was to continue. "I think I speak for the whole block when I say that while this is a tragedy we are glad that this happened. The Dursleys have been terrible neighbors. They are rude, uncaring individuals. They acted as if they were the most superior family on the block and they treated their nephew like dirt. That boy was the sweetest young man you could ever meet and they endlessly forced him to do choirs and anything else that they didn't want to do." She paused and looked at the group for support. Every one of them nodded in agreement and she continued. "When we found out they were leaving for the summer we were overjoyed." Here Dumbledore interrupted them.
"Excuse me did you say they left for the summer?"
"Why yes, I did. They left over three months ago for the United States. Apparently a relative of Vernon's has some real estate over there that he was letting Vernon use for the summer. They asked me to keep an eye on their nephew when he returned home. They said they didn't want the boy burning down the house or doing anything freakish while they were away. In truth I was surprised they didn't simply lock the boy out."
Dumbledore didn't really hear anything after 'they left over three months ago for the United States.' They had never even been here since Harry had returned home. That explained the lack of wards and how Harry had so easily been swept away by death eaters. He managed to look back at the woman as she finished and smiled at her.
"Thank you very much for your time Miss Adams. You have been a huge help." He pointed towards on the ministry officials. "Go talk to that young woman over there and she will dismiss you and your neighbors." The woman nodded and walked over to the group. The woman led them away from the house in order to place memory modification charms on them.
When they were gone Dumbledore made his way back to the remains of the house. The head of the inspection team met him on his way.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, I am Richard Michaels, ministry inspections. My superior told me that you wanted to inspect Mister Potter's room. Go over to my assistant Shaerry and she will cast the spells that will protect you when you go inside." Dumbledore nodded and walked over to the young woman.
She cast the spells and Dumbledore floated into the house. He knew that the upper structure of the house was weak so everyone was using levitation spells to inspect what was left. He finally reached Harry's room and stared at what he saw. There was smoke and water damage but the room had been insulated from a large part of the fire.
He could see a firebolt broomstick, now ruined, leaning in one corner and a Quidditch poster that was blackened with soot on the wall. There were spell books, parchment, and quills littered across the floor. A ruined and twisted birdcage was lying on its side near the door. The bed clothes were a mass on the floor and several glass pieces that had obviously been broken before the fire littered the floor. The door hung off its hinges as if it had been blasted loose and the curtain rod that hung above the window had been pulled down.
Having seen enough Dumbledore left the ruined house. The whole time he was cursing himself for not noticing that the wards protecting his prize had not been in place. Harry was vital for defeating Voldemort. He had not gone to all that trouble fifteen years ago to simply have his prize fighter disappear on the eve of the big match. He was going to find Harry Potter and end this damned war if it was the last thing he did.
He also cursed the Dursleys endlessly. It was their careless disregard for their charge that had caused this disaster. He vowed to find them and make them pay for causing him more work. The thought of killing them even crossed his mind. It wouldn't be the first time he had done something like this. In a war everyone had to play their role to guarantee success. The Dursleys had failed miserably in the simple task of guarding a fifteen, no sixteen year old boy. He would take great pleasure in venting his frustration over the situation on the hapless muggles.
Normally he wouldn't have a problem with muggles. This time however they were endangering sixteen years of work and organized planning. Harry could be anywhere right now. He could even be dead. Dumbledore supposed he should feel a little remorse for the boy. He had just lost Sirius Black, the man had been a role model to young Harry and Harry had been devastated by the lose. On top of that Ron Weasley had been no help. The falling out between the two friends had not gone unnoticed by the headmaster of Hogwarts. Not when he had worked so hard to put the boy in the position he had been in.
It had been Dumbledore who had asked the Weasleys to keep an eye out for poor little Harry Potter and he had hoped that their youngest son would be a life long friend. That plan had quickly gone up in smoke because poor little Ron couldn't stand to be in the shadow of greatness.
With an aggravated sigh Dumbledore approached the commander of the Auror squad and informed the man that he would be able to be reached at Hogwarts if anything else came up. Then he had returned to Hogwarts to await the backlash that Harry's disappearance would surely send through the wizarding world.
Reader reviews:
Nuavarion: Thanks for pointing out grammatical errors. I will go through all the chapters and try to fix some of those was soon as I have time. In regards to the things that are implied but not spoken of, those items will come into play when Voldemort is introduced. Most of them have to do with secrets from the time when Severus was still loyal.
Unknown reviewer: Sorry about the perspective switch. I try to write in third person but I have another fic I'm writing that is in first person. I'll edit the chapters as soon as I get a chance.
rozi126: I hope you enjoyed the bit with Draco. Things will get better between Hary and Draco I promise. This story will not be slash.
Princess-Fictoria: Great review thanks for your time. I hope I addressed some of your concerns in this chapter. I am writing this fic from the perspective that anyone will seek revenge if they believe the betrayal runs deep enough. Harry has suffered from the consequences of Dumbledore's actions all of his life. He lost two sets of parents because of the man's actions and he has been used like a tool since he was a year old. He has just found out the truth, he is confused, hurt and desperate for some comfort. I used the line "when you are drowning and someone throws you a lifeline you grab it and hold on for dear life." This is what has happened to Harry/Malachi. He has been given a chance to make sense of the change in his life and he is seeing that through. There will be clashes over ideology, and there are still questions in his mind but the most prominent thing for him to address is his burning need for revenge. This chapter is only the beginning of the soul searching that Malachi will go through. I hope you continue to read and give good reviews.
palanmenel and Anna Taure: You guys will get to see Voldies reaction in the next chapter most likely. I make no promises though.
Fanfiction critic anonymous: I currently don't have any pairing ideas for Malachi. If I do pair him with somebody it won't be slash. I hope you enjoyed this new chapter, review again and let me know what you thought.
To everyone else thanks for your reviews and I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.