Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter. All the characters and story lines belong to their creators and I am just stumbling along as a humble fanfiction writer trying to fill the shoes of great writers.
Notes: Sorry for the long time between updates. Classes have been busy and I've been waiting for a very special occasion to put up a new chapter. What is this special occasion you ask? Well Ifinally have over 100 people who have added me to their author alert lists. Yes 101 people are actively interested in reading the next chapter of a current story. Thanks to everyone who thinks I'm that good of a writer.
Reviews: There have been a lot of questions and reviews. Those questions will be addressed at the end of the chapter. I try to answer all the questions I recieve so if I miss one by chance just post it in another review. Remember I love reviews and want tons and tons of them.
Okay on with the story.
After leaving the dining room Lucius quickly made his way through the manor toward his rooms. Once there he immediately raised his wand and a hidden panel in the wall opened. He entered and took his death eater robes from where they hung within. The idea to have all the death eaters wear identical black cloaks and stark white masks had been Severus' idea. Voldemort had immediately followed through with the suggestion. They had all agreed that the bright white of the masks would be far more terrifying in the dead of night and the tactic had worked.
Thinking back on the days when he and Severus had been their lord's right and left hands brought back bittersweet memories for Lucius. He remembered how they and their wives had led the forces of Lord Voldemort to one victory after another. Severus and Anastasia had been an amazing team when it came to drawing up battle plans and Dumbledore's forces included no one anywhere near comparable in the strategy department.
With a sigh Lucius pulled the heavy looking robe over his clothing and inspected himself in the mirror. The robe had been charmed to be feather light and loose so movement was easy. It had also been charmed to make the wearer look 20-30 pounds heavier than hey actually were. That idea had been another of Severus' brilliant ideas. It was much easier to hide if the authorities were looking for men whom they thought weighed considerably more than they actually did.
Next he placed the mask over his face. He mentally reached out to touch the wards that flowed around his home and those wards immediately embraced his mind. He told them what he wished to do and immediately apparated from the house.
He appeared in the safe room of the riddle manor. The room had been charmed to allow the members of the Dark Lord's elite to apparate and dissipate from his residence without fear of the manor wards. He immediately made his way toward the dark lord's throne room and was surprised when the doors immediately opened when he entered the corridor. He could see Voldemort sitting on his throne at the end of the long hall and the man seemed to be awaiting him. The dark lord had changed since his rebirth after the tri-wizard tournament. With Severus' help he had regained his youthful appearance but power radiated from him like a sun and he could intimidate even the most hardened death eater with a simple glare.
Not wishing to anger his Lord Lucius quickened his pace and entered Voldemort's throne room. Immediately upon entering he fell to his knees as a sign of respect. He felt his lord probing his mind and finally heard the words he had been waiting for.
"Speak Lucius." Lucius immediately stood and walked the rest of the distance between himself and the dark lord's throne. When he got close enough he knelt and kissed the hem of Voldemort's outer robe.
"My lord." He waited half a heartbeat before continuing. "As you know there was a raid on the Dursley's residence in Surrey last night." Voldemort nodded.
"Why now and not before Lucius? If we could have attacked Potter before this why haven't we and if we took the boy why hasn't he been presented to me?" Lucius swallowed and Voldemort knew that something was seriously wrong. Lucius never hesitated to give him information and when he did he had either messed something up or something was extremely wrong.
"Lucius?" Voldemort's voice held an edge that clearly threatened Lucius with bodily harm if he didn't talk immediately. Lucius knew the clues he was being given and immediately started speaking.
"Last night marked fifteen years since Ana and Malachi were killed." Lucius knew that he now had the dark lord's undivided attention and he continued. "Last night Severus received a letter. It had been written fifteen years ago before Ana was killed and she had arranged for it to be delivered when Malachi turned sixteen. The letter was held in stasis and would only be sent if both Malachi and Severus were alive when Malachi turned sixteen. She believed that Dumbledore would try to use them against you since Severus was working as our spy at Hogwarts. She didn't know if anything would come of it but she set aside letters and official documents that would be sent to her son and husband on her son's birthday." He paused to gauge the dark lord's reaction.
"You are telling me that Malachi is still alive?"
"Yes my lord."
"Do we know where he is?"
"Yes my lord."
"Explain." Lucius swallowed again and plunged back into his tale where he had left off.
"As I said Ana arranged for documents to be sent to both Severus and her son, they received those documents last night. She sent Malachi his birth certificate and Severus their marriage certificate. The packets she sent each of them were also charmed with powerful anti-memory altering charms. They would reveal any memories blocked by mind altering spells."
"And that is how we know where Malachi is?"
"Yes."
"What exactly do we know?" Lucius spoke without hesitation. He knew that dragging out the truth would only make it harder to say.
"That Harry James Potter, son of Lily Potter died three days after his birth. Severus was acting as the assistant to the nurse at Hogwarts when Lily gave birth and he was present when James informed Dumbledore of Harry's death. Dumbledore knew about the prophecy surrounding the Potters' infant and took measures to guarantee that the truth didn't get out. He attacked Severus' home and killed Ana. He then took Severus and Malachi back to Hogwarts where he forced Severus to watch as he changed Malachi's physical appearance to match that of the Potter's three day old infant. The memories of Lily and James were also altered and they believed that Harry had never died. As for Severus, Dumbledore altered his memories of the events and Severus has been serving as Dumbledor's spy within our ranks."
Voldemort's youthful brown eyes had turned a fiery red color that only arose when he was truly enraged.
"You are telling me that for fifteen years my greatest rival has in truth been Severus' son and that one of my most trusted advisors has been betraying me?"
"Yes my lord."
"Does Potter know the truth?"
"Yes. Severus sought him out last night to find out if what he remembered was the truth."
"You said there were letters? I want to see them now!" Lucius immediately reached into his cloak and pulled out a small packet of papers.
"This includes the letters that Malachi and Severus were sent. It also includes Malachi's birth certificate." The dark lord took the papers and read through each one in silence. At long last he handed them back to Lucius. When he finally spoke his voice was strained.
"How have Mister Potter and Severus taken the news and what have you done about it so far?"
"Not well my lord. Severus did not sleep last night. The return of his true memories is haunting him because he could nothing to protect his wife and son. He fully expects that you will kill him for betraying you and he willingly submits himself to you for punishment. I questioned him under veritaserum early this morning to find out what he kept secret and what he told Dumbledore."
"Did he tell him about…" Lucius instantly knew what the dark lord was referring to and spoke before Voldemort could continue.
"No, in truth he actually told Dumbledore very little. Despite feeling betrayed by you because of his false memories he still maintained an incredible degree of loyalty to our side. He made it appear to Dumbledore that he was only a minor member of the inner circle who only knew bits and pieces of information."
"What did he give the man?"
"He gave him information on a few of our divisions and a lot of information about troop movements during the latter half of the war. As far as I gathered he didn't give out alot personal or inner circle information. Most likely because that information would have been protected in his mind." Voldemort nodded.
"How did we miss this Lucius?"
"Severus withdrew so much after Ana died. It was almost impossible to read his emotions most of the time. I'm not making excuses my lord. I am merely stating the truth."
"How has mister Potter taken the news?"
"The boy's reaction has been far harder to gauge. He feels betrayed and he is angry. He has clearly expressed that he now feels like nothing more than a convenient tool and he clearly does not know who he can honestly trust. He is questioning every experience of his early life and he wonders just how much influence Dumbledore had in influencing his decisions. He also seems to genuinely want to destroy Dumbledore's reputation and seek revenge. He has vague memories of his mother that were awakened when he received his mother's letter and the truth that Dumbledore killed her in cold blood has led him to the decision to seek revenge against the man." Lucius paused to consider his master's reaction. Voldemort was clearly waiting for him to continue so he obliged.
"The boy wants revenge my lord. He has been clearly abused by the muggles who were supposed to care for him. He is rail thin had no idea that he was even a wizard until his eleventh birthday. Since that time he has been forced to live in the public eye and Dumbledore has perfectly controlled every element of his experience in the wizarding world. However I am not sure where Harry falls on the political spectrum. He might seek revenge against Dumbledore but I do not know if he is ready to adopt our policies, or if he is even willing to try and adopt them." Voldemort nodded.
"I want to know where his loyalties truly lie Lucius. I also want to have both he and Severus appear before me. Severus first, arrange an appearance for tomorrow evening. I want a complete update on the situation when you report with Severus. Leave me now. I have many things to consider." Lucius leaned down and kissed the hem of his master's robe once again.
"As you wish my lord. I will bring Severus before you tomorrow evening."
"Dismissed." Lucius stood and quickly made his way to the apparition point. He was relieved that the meeting had gone so well but he was not so confidant about the meeting the next evening. His master had many things to consider as to how this delicate situation would be handled and Lucius had no doubt that the road ahead of him would be rough.
Remus was pacing back and forth through the living room of number 12 Grimmauld Place for a while now and he showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. He had been pacing since he had awoken early in the morning, walked downstairs and found the daily prophet with a picture of Harry Potter and the headline "Boy Who Lived Attacked and Presumed Captured or Dead!". Remus remembered the panic that had gripped his chest as the picture on the cover of the Prophet showed pictures first of Harry then of the Dark Mark that had hung over #4 Privet Drive.
He had failed to protect him. He had failed to protect the last cub in his pack. He had failed Harry, and Sirius, and worst of all he had failed James. He had failed to protect the son of one of the only people who had ever considered him human. At some point after discovering the paper Remus had fallen to the floor and had begun crying harshly. He had failed to protect Harry. There were so many things he could have done to protect the boy but he had failed miserably and would never forgive himself.
He should have never listened to Albus when Albus had told him that Harry would be safer at Privet Drive with his blood relatives. Those relatives had hated Lily when she had been alive and there was no doubt in Remus' mind that they had abused Harry as well. The boy had always been far too thin when he returned from holidays and there had always been a hint of sadness and quiet despair in the young man's eyes when he had talked about having to return to the Dursleys each summer.
It suddenly had hit him that he had been referring to Harry in third person. As if the young man was already dead. The realization had made him cry harder and he stayed there on the floor of the foyer until Molly Weasley had come down to make breakfast.
He hadn't heard her quiet approach but he had suddenly felt a gentle hand on his shoulder as someone had removed the paper from his suddenly limp hands. He waited as she read the headline and than he had heard her strangled scream as she had fallen down beside him and wrapped her arms around him. Her anguished cries had shocked Remus from his numb state of mind and he remembered crying anew as he clung to Molly.
It wasn't long before their cries had awoken the rest of the house and they had soon found themselves being led into the living room by Arthur and Moody. As they entered the room Remus had vaguely noticed that Ginny and Hermione were huddled together on a sofa while the twins sat silently on the floor. Ron had been sitting alone in a chair across the room from his friends and family with an odd look on his face. Ron had been so distant since the end of the Triwizard Tournament. He never spoke of Harry and his family had started to worry. They had hoped that the spat between their son and Harry would eventually dissolve but the months of summer holiday had only seemed to increase Ron's separation.
Remus had had more important things to worry about than the state of the youngest Weasley son. He had to find out what had happened and he knew that the best way to do that was to contact Dumbledore. He was not going to let the man go without some answers this time. It was crystal clear to Remus that Harry had never been safe with his muggle relatives and if Albus had purposely made Harry stay with the Dursleys so they could abuse him and hand him over to death eaters than Albus was going to pay.
Remus held quite a bit of sway within the werewolf community of Britain. He was a well educated wizard and his role in the order of the phoenix made him a valuable diplomat between the two groups. If Remus found out that Albus had known about the Dursley's abuse of Harry but chosen to do nothing then Remus would use his support in the werewolf community to see that they supported Voldemort. It wouldn't be something he would do needlessly but if he found out that Albus had intentionally harmed his cub than the elderly wizard would pay dearly for his transgressions.
Once Remus had calmed down enough to think straight he had immediately tried to contact Dumbledore by floo. His call had gone unanswered and Remus had been trying to contact him for several hours now. If Albus did not show up soon he was going to go to Hogwarts and personally demand answers from the elder wizard. He did not like being left in the dark when it came to a member of his pack.
Suddenly the fire in the hearth flared to life and Albus Dumbledore stepped into the room. Almost instantly the elder wizard found himself slammed against a wall with an angry werewolf looming over him.
"What the hell happened Albus? You promised me that Harry would be safe with his muggle relatives. I wanted to keep him safe but you promised me that he would be okay. I promised Sirius and James that I would look after Harry and when he needed me most I wasn't there to protect him. Tell me what is going on, I want to know everything. Please tell me what happened." As he had continued to speak his voice, which had been filled with rage at the beginning, had slowly become lower and lower until his last words were little more than a whisper and so choked with emotion that he could barely get them past the lump that had formed in his throat.
When he had first saw Dumbledore the wolf had taken him over because he felt concern for a cub of his pack and love of the pack was instinct. As he had continued to speak the man in him had returned to the service and all his worry and frustration took over.
He could tell that all eyes were upon him and he knew that Dumbledore was starring at him in what appeared to be sympathy but contained a hint of something darker.
"Contain yourself Remus. This is no time to allow the wolf to take over. Harry is missing and I understand that you are upset but this is no time to let rational thinking abandon us." There was a cold edge to Albus' voice that left Remus taken aback and anger welled in his chest as the older wizard spoke.
"How can you be so calm about his Albus? Harry is missing. He was taken by death eaters from a location that was supposed to be safe. I want to know how it happened and you are going to tell me the truth." Remus' voice left no room for complaint and Dumbledore nodded.
"I'll tell you what I know Remus and I promise you that what I know isn't enough to settle your fears. I can't bring Harry back just by explaining the situation to you so I suggest you remain calm and think things through before you slam me into a wall before I can even speak." Remus hung his head and nodded.
"I'm sorry Albus, I'm just so worried about Harry. I want him to be okay but every minute he stays in Voldemort's clutches the worse his chances of survival become." Albus nodded.
"I understand Remus now come over and sit down so we can speak together." Remus nodded and turned to follow the headmaster towards the kitchen where he would hear a story that was by no means true although he had no idea at the time that Albus was lying to him.
That's the chapter for now guys. I hope everyone enjoyed it. I promise I will get back to Harry and Severus next chapter but I needed to get some Voldemort and Remus in there. I hope I got their personalities right. Let me know what you think in your reviews.
Speaking of reviews, let's get to the questions that previous readers have submitted.
Blubb-blubb: Thanks for the great review. You bring up a lot of interesting points. The only person who knew that Harry wasn't a Potter was Dumbledore. He told no one not even Madam Pomfrey. I am working from the assumption that if the spells were cast by a high enough wizard that they would be masked as part of Harry's magical signature and a lot of the appearance change was done by potion which wouldn't show up on a mediwizard scan. Harry's friends didn't necessarily abandon him or spy on him. Ron left him as a friend because he couldn't stand not being the center of attention and I just don't like Ron. You are right, Molly would never accept destroying a family to fulfill political ends nor would Arthur for that matter.
I haven't decided who will be joining Harry on Voldemort's side yet or even what politics of the Dark Harry will be willing to accept. I'm writing this story from scratch as I go because my old storyline was far too simplified and unrealistic. I hope I'm doing a decent job about making it realistic. Thanks for the review and feel free to give a signed review next time. I won't bite I promise.
NettieT: I'm glad that you like my story. I think the combo of dark Harry/Snape father makes for a great story. I like the idea of Harry/Ginny and maybe making Hermione dark. I'm not sure yet but i will keep you posted as chapters progress. Review again, I love feedback.
Alyanna: You are right, Voldemort won't kill Harry, I wouldn't have a story if he did. Thanks for the review.
Lucy-Fair: I haven't really considered the prophecy much as I have wrote this story but I guess it does fit pretty well. It was purely accidental. As for the pact of non-agression, that is only established until the person is able to decide for or against serving the dark lord. In the beginning Severus chose to serve but when he turned to Dumbledore he turned his back on the pact and can be harmed. When Harry refused to join Voldemort when they first met in "Sorceror's Stone" the pact was broken for Harry because he willingly chose to fight against Voldemort. He was no longer an infant who had no will of his own You should always fear scorned women, we are hellcats when we are mad. : )
Destined Enchantress: I'm glad you liked it so far. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter.
Princess-Fictoria: Once again another amazing review. You are right, dark does not always mean evil and I'm not sure where Harry will draw the line between dark and evil yet. I am also not sure how Voldemort will decide to change his political stance. There are some twists that remain to be revealed but I'm not going to give those up yet. Most likely in the next chapter. I hoped you liked my characterization of Remus. He is willing to protect his cub at any costs and when he finds out what Dumbledore has done things could get ugly. As for Ginny and the twins, I like the idea of them going dark. I have preliminary plans for Ginny's change of spirit.Hermione is different though, it depends on how much I want Voldemort's policies to change. You always present such good theory about wizarding world politics and the reasons for the light v. dark wars. I have a lot to consider with each new review I get from you. Please keep them coming and I'll try to incorporate what works for the story as best I can.
Anarual: I know that Harry/Ginny isn't original and your suggestion about an arranged marriage has merit. It is something I hadn't thought about before. I'll keep it in mind. I appreciate the review and hope you keep reading.
Aagwyn: Believe it or not the idea of Harry with multiple wives or concubines had crossed my mind. I like the way you think and I hope you keep up the reviews.
Lady LeStrangeL Sorry to keep you waiting. As you can seeI have no intention of dropping this story. I hate to see pieces go unfinished so I try to make a conscious effort to finish everything. I hope you liked Lucius' meeting with Voldemort. More from our favorite DL will follow in the next chapters.
bandqsecurtiyaw: I'm glad you loveit. : )
power214063: I can't just MAKE Hermione go dark. She has to want to because of what happened to Harry/Malachi. I'll write what feels right when I get there. Thanks for your review and I hope you keep reading.
To everyone else: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and encouraged me to continue. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint anyone and you all keep reading and reviewing.