Chapter 26: One Last Meeting
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Tom was unsure what to do with all the ledgers. On one hand, he could use them as blackmail to get Fudge to do what he wanted. It would be so simple to do. The man was a complete pansy. He would do anything to remain in office. Even make a deal with the devil. However, controlling someone that submissive was tedious. If not nerve-wracking. They required so much attention.
On the other hand, he could go in front of the Wizengamot and tell them about the bribes. However, most of them were mentioned in the ledgers. He would have to unmask them as well. Which he also had no problem doing. Though, it would make it just that much harder to get to the top with half the government gone. There would be a rushed election to replace those that were arrested. He might not have enough people to help him get what he needed.
Then again, He could go straight to the papers and have them print the story. Corruption in the Government. Everyone knew about it. Talked about it. But no one ever had the proof. Well, here he had it in spades, and he could give it to them. Then as the person who uncovered it, it would give him the upper hand in his new political career. There would still be a rush, but he would be seen as the good guy and have the press behind him. And you always want them on your side.
He would need that.
Crabbe would be here any moment. He would send him to find that Skeeter woman. She would take any story and make it sensational. He knew her secret from Harry, so if needs must, he could blackmail her into writing it how he wanted it done. Still, he was sure her twist on things was good enough. She had a remarkable way of making even the most boring thing sound like the most exciting.
He would have to have words with her on keeping Harry's name out of the paper though. It wasn't right the way she slandered the boy. Maybe he'd talk to her about that first and then see how things go from there. He might have to pick a different reporter. He would not let the papers get away with slandering Harry anymore. He had the money and the pull to keep that from happening.
Crabbe came in right about then. He moved quickly to the front of the room, seeing that his master was frowning. "My lord," he intoned with a bow.
"Crabbe, go and find me that Skeeter woman, and tell her to meet me at the Leaky Caldron this evening around eight. Let her know that I have the story of the century for her. Tell her my name is Lord Marvolo Slytherin," Tom ordered, looking up from the book he had been staring at. He looked like he was reading, but he had only been thinking. He was going to let the woman think he was the up-and-coming lord that was going to run for office. It would be one hell of a scoop.
"Right away, my lord," the portly man said, turning and leaving quickly. He was just glad it was an easy task. Skeeter was in her office around this time of the morning. It was right after the paper came out, and she liked to be where the owls could find her. He only knew this because they had an insider on the paper. That man liked to bitch about the woman.
"Narcissa!" Tom called out, hoping the woman wasn't too far away. He'd have to call Topsy if she was. He heard the foot fall of someone walking quickly towards him and figured it was Narcissa.
"My lord," the woman said a bit out of breath. She had been sitting in the sunroom. She like to stay there during the morning hours.
"Floo Severus and have him attend me," the Dark Lord ordered, not caring that he was demanding her time for nothing. She didn't do anything all day anyway. Now that she was poor, she did even less. "Did you try St. Mungo's as a place to volunteer?" he asked as an aside.
"No, my lord. I will look into it," she said with a sniff. She was still upset that she and her son had to put in community service hours just to get money from family. Sirius assured her though that he was dead serious. Draco needed to get his in before school started if he wanted his books. She had enough to cover them this year, but if her stubborn boy didn't pull his weight, they wouldn't have enough next year.
Tom watched her as she hurried out of the room. "Topsy," he called out with a snapping of his fingers. The elf appeared. "Tea for two, please," he commanded the elf, who grinned and nodded. He was polite to the elves, because unlike Narcissa, they worked all day.
He thumbed through the book for a few minutes waiting for Snape to appear. He really wanted to know what happened with Dumbledore last night. He had gotten the report that Black had changed the wards and that Dumbledore was persona no grata in Grimmuald Place. Now he wanted to know the rest of what Snape had tried to tell him yesterday.
Severus came into the room and bowed to him. Tom nodded to the place where they usually took tea. The tea service was already set there. Both made their way to their normal seats and got comfortable. The two men doctored their tea and sipped for a few minutes.
"Tell me of your interaction with Albus yesterday," Tom said after a few moments silence.
"As I said, I was coming back from Diagon Alley when he accosted me. He was ranting about how Harry Potter was out of control and needed to be reined in. I tried to reason with him and let him know that the boy was in good hands with Black and that he was safe within the wards of Grimmuald Place. He then started spouting off on how the prophecy was gone and that you had stolen it and now knew that Harry was the only one that could kill you," Snape said, then stopped to take a drink.
"I do wonder how he got that from the wording of the prophecy. It is so open to interpretation," Tom said, thinking of what he had heard and how he thought it had already played out.
"I am unsure, my lord," Severus said, then he continued. "He asked if I had heard from you, even though he knew my mark was gone. I told him that I had not, but that I heard rumor that Azkaban was to be raided, but only by the Death Eaters. He took that as a sign that you had returned. It was then that we were interrupted, and he fled," he finished. He picked up one of the flaky pastries and took a bite. It was delicious.
"Who interrupted you?" Riddle asked, sipping his tea.
"It was one of the Aurors that is still around Hogwarts. They are still investigating the potions incident," Snape explained. "Now that Potter's potioning has come to light, it is become rather more in depth." He was worried they were going to question him again. This time he'd have to tell them the truth that he was the one to brew the ones in the Potter boy. He would get off with a warning since it was under orders of his boss. But he still didn't want it known that he had been demeaned into brewing such paltry potions.
"Do you feel that he is mentally unstable?" Tom asked, wondering if Albus had lost the plot. He was used to a man who was five steps ahead of everyone. This one was not acting rationally. "What I mean is, was he acting irrational?"
"I do believe so," Snape agreed, thinking back to how the headmaster was rambling in an uncontrolled way. "The way he was acting yesterday made me believe that only those most loyal to him will listen to him. The rest will see that he is not acting within reason." Then again, Albus was a Gryffindor and he never truly acted within reason. His plans were always long and convoluted. He looked to his lord and realized that so were Tom's when his soul had been split.
"How did he react to the news that Azkaban would be raided?" Tom asked, thinking on how to plan around the meddling old man.
"He was elated," Severus said, putting his cup on the table. "He said he had to get the Order together to stop it, if only to expose the fact that you had returned."
"I will not be there," the Dark Lord said with a chuckle. He would be at the ministry sowing chaos. Or at least that was the tentative plan. He needed to get with Black and Harry. Maybe Bones and Moody. He could call a session, have them all meet at the Shrieking Shack since they didn't trust him enough to let him in on the new secret. He didn't blame them. He was still a Dark Lord. "I need you to take a letter to Black," he said, getting up and going to the desk to write a quick note.
"Of course, my lord," Snape said, wondering if his time as an errand boy would ever end. Probably not for a long time. He was the only go-between of Riddle and Black, while Black was the go-between of Riddle and Bones. It was kind of a chaotic way of doing things, but it seemed to work for them.
Tom jotted down what he wanted, which was to meet at the Shack in two hours' time, and to bring Harry. He had not seen the boy in days. He wrote what he wanted to speak about, and that he had the amulet for Bones. He noted that someone should stay with Granger, if only to keep her from following. When he was done, he gave it to Snape.
"I will go right now," Snape said, getting up and leaving the room. He was ready to leave the company of Tom anyway. While the man treated him okay, having to be submissive all the time was exasperating. He flooed to Grimmuald Place, after bidding Narcissa a good day. She was looking less frazzled, and more and more pensive by the day. He was glad that she wasn't going to be put on the streets, but she didn't seem to look at it that way.
Sirius Black didn't like that Snape had freedom to come and go from his place, but it was the lesser of two evils. He wasn't ready to have Tom in his house. Right now, they were all sitting at the kitchen table. It was him, Harry, Remus, and Hermione.
Harry was finishing off his homework, and Hermione was reading about house elves. Sirius was going over his household budget and Remus was eating a small snack of cheese and crackers. Tonks was at work and Moody was off doing whatever it was paranoid retired Aurors did.
"Black, a word," Snape said, going through the room without stopping.
Sirius just sighed and put down the quill. He followed the other man out to the hall. Snape handed him the letter. He read it and then nodded. He returned to the kitchen and said, "Harry, Remus, we are going out in a few hours." Then he returned to his sums. He hated math.
"Okay," Harry said, not looking up from his homework. He was working on potions, and he wanted to get it right. He was almost done and only need an hour or so and he'd be finished.
"Oh?" Remus said with a questioning note, then took the note from Severus and read it. He handed it back when he was done and went back to eating his crackers.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked, she was deep into her book, so it was in an absentminded way.
"Out," was all Sirius said, still struggling to making his figures add up correctly.
"Oh, okay," she said, as she tried to understand how the bond worked. Winky was doing better and was able to move around the room now. Her stuff had never been more organized. Her clothes were cleaner than even her mum could make them, and they all fit better too. Winky was doing what she did best and making sure that her mistress was happy.
Snape just lurked in the background for a moment and then he went to the floo. It didn't look like Black was going to pass the word, so he flooed to the ministry. He went to Bones' office and when he was bid to enter, he just handed her the note.
She took it, read it, nodded, and handed it back.
He took it back and left. He dropped by Tonks' desk and said that perhaps she could knock off early that day for a spot of babysitting. She understood and thought it was a grand idea. With all his messages delivered, he went back to Hogwarts.
While he was on his way to the castle he was accosted again by the headmaster. Did the man just hang out in the bushes just waiting for him to wander by?
"Severus, my boy, did you just come from a Death Eater meeting?" Albus asked, looking at the man with a great deal of concern.
"Albus, I have told you that there are no Death Eater meetings," Snape said, showing his bare arm once again. "I was in Diagon Alley pricing some ingredients," he added, making up a reason he had no purchases.
"Now, now, my dear boy, there is no reason to lie to me. I understand why you need to keep it a secret from the public, but you can tell me what is going on," Dumbledore said, patting Snape on the back in a commiserative way. "Now tell me more of the raid of Azkaban," he ordered, taking the potions master by the arm, and leading him to the trees lining the side of the road.
"There is nothing for me to tell. I am not invited to join it. I only heard about it in passing. I can tell you it is in six days, and it will be led by Greyback," Snape said, yanking his arm from the old man's grip.
"That is all you can tell me?" Albus asked, hoping for more to go on.
"That is all I know," Snape said, going back to the road. He started walking to the castle, considering the conversation over. He had enough of the old man for the day.
"If you hear any more, do please call Fawkes and he can bring me a message," Albus said, turning and disappearing in the trees.
"I wonder why we never thought to call the bird before?" Snape said to no one. He continued making his way to the school. He was done with people for the day.
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Harry, Sirius, Remus, Alastor, and Amelia were all waiting in the Shrieking Shack for Tom to show. They were all sitting on the reinforced couch. Well, Alastor was sitting on a conjured chair. He, like Tom, didn't think the couch would hold. Amelia was pacing. She didn't like meeting like this, but the man said he had the amulet and she needed that.
Tom came in and they all looked up.
"Tom," Harry said, his being the only face that was happy to see the man.
"Harry," Tom said with a fond smile. "How are you? I've not seen you in a few days," he added, ruffling the boy's hair. He was happy to see the teen was smiling and not mopey, which meant that everything was going well in Grimmuald Place.
"It's been going great," Harry said, looking fondly at Sirius. "Sirius is a good guy," he added, making sure that Tom knew who was responsible for his good mood. "He's taking good care of me and Hermione."
"That's great to hear," Tom said, looking at the man they were talking about. "Bones," he said, turning his attention to the woman. "Here is your amulet," he said, handing her the necklace with the amulet hanging from it. It was a large round coin like object that had writing all over it. It was in a language that no one knew.
"Thank you, Riddle," she said formally. "I will be able to keep the dementors off those on our side with this," she added, turning the object over in her hand and then tucking it in her pocket. She was going to examine it closer when she had a moment to herself. She knew how to use it, but she would like to see if there were other uses.
"I wanted to meet to let you know that I will not be at the raid. I will be at the ministry that day. I don't want to be associated with the raid in anyway. And I thought that Black and Harry should accompany me as well," he added, looking at the two in question.
"Why?" Black asked, affronted that he was being asked to stay out of the fight.
"We are going to try to take over the ministry one day. We can't have our hands dirtied by association," Tom explained slowly.
"Oh," the dogman said, pouting because that made sense.
"I will not be left out of the fight," Remus said, looking at everyone with amber eyes. "Greyback is mine," he added with a growl.
"You are more than welcome to him, wolf," Tom said, wondering what happened to the wishy-washy man he had in the cell a few days ago. He was happy to see that Harry was correct in his letters about the man connecting with his wolf side, but it was different to see it.
"I, for one, will be glad to see the end of that monster," Amelia said, looking for all the world as if she hadn't. "Officially, I cannot condone the killing of Greyback, but I know we can't really hold him either. I will look the other way if you happen to slip," she said, looking at Remus knowingly.
"I understand," the werewolf said, knowing that Greyback would be the only murder he would be given free reign with. If he killed anyone else during the raid, he would see the inside of a cell. If he were lucky.
"Don't worry, laddie," Alastor said, speaking for the first time, "just bow out when you are done with the beast, and I'll make sure that you are not accused of anything," he stated, knowing that there were too many laws on the books against werewolves. However, one werewolf killing another was still legal.
"I'll do that," Remus said, knowing it was the best option.
"I also wanted to let you know that Albus knows about the raid. You will have to plan that he will be there," Tom said, looking to Moody and Bones.
"We will take that into consideration," Amelia said, wondering if that was going to work in their favor or not.
"Albus will bring those loyal to him," Alastor said, thinking on who that might be.
"We will have to plan around noncombatants being there," Bones said, not liking that one bit.
"If we plan it right, we might be done before they show," Remus said, thinking on how to get it all done before Albus was seen riding in with his cavalry. He didn't want that old man to take the glory. "Since I will bow out early, I can hold off Albus," he added, thinking of ways to do that.
"That might work," Amelia said, looking at the werewolf to see if he could do so. "Come by my office later and we'll talk about it," she said, thinking of ways the man could help.
"Well, if we are done," Tom said, looking at everyone to see if they had anything to add. "I have an appointment to get to. Just so you are forewarned, I will be speaking to Skeeter," he said, dropping that bombshell. It was a bit of a lie, his appointment wasn't for hours yet, but they didn't need to know that. He wanted to get some things done in Diagon Alley before he met with the bug.
"Why that hag?" Sirius asked, not liking that woman one bit.
"I have leverage over her," Tom explained, giving Harry a quick wink.
Harry just smiled a secretive smile. Sirius looked at him but noted who was in the room with them and left it alone for now.
"What will you be telling Skeeter?" Amelia wanted to know.
"About some bribing ledgers I have in my possession," Tom said, grinning like a fool.
"Oh," Bones said, thinking that was a smart move on the man's part. She had no idea how he got those ledgers, but if he could discredit a few people, more power to him.
"Anyway, I must run. Don't want to keep the lady waiting," Tom said, ruffling Harry's hair again, then turning on the spot and disapparating.
"Well, isn't he just a bundle of joy," Alastor said, giving Harry a queer look.
"His main thought is to make Harry safe and happy," Sirius said, putting his arm over his godson's shoulders.
"As long as he isn't going around killing people," Harry said, moving towards the door. "Hogshead?" he asked, donning the cap he wore just to get there.
"For you and me, yeah. Everyone else can apparate," Sirius said, walking with the teen since his arm was still on the boy's shoulder.
"See you at home, Remus," Harry said as they left the Shack.
"So, he really does all this just for Harry?" Bones said, looking to the ex-Auror for his analysis.
"Seems that way," Moody said, having observed the man while he was there. He still didn't trust Tom Riddle, but the whole time he had been in the Shack his attention had been focused on Harry Potter.
"That's something at least," Bones said, looking to Remus. "Just keep your cool during the raid. Focus on Greyback then back out. Then it will be your job to hold off Albus, just don't engage with him," she stated, making sure the man understood. "Moody and I will be there. We'll make sure that you aren't blamed for anything you didn't do. If you step out of line though…" she left it hanging.
"I am well aware," the werewolf said. He then turned and apparated away.
"Until the raid," Moody said, moving to go home his own way.
"Until then," Amelia said, then she disapparated.
Then the Shrieking Shack stood empty.