Chapter 4 "Tell me about Harry Potter"
The gift of immortality breeds patience. Voldemort fed upon the anxiety of this time. He delighted in news of suspected attacks in which he played no part. The "Daily Prophet" was filled with news about people sighting him in random places all over the world. The Loyalist supports working for him at the Daily Prophet made sure the wizarding world got their daily dose of fear.
"Severus? Did you see here, that I caused a flood in Bangkok and a race riot in South Africa?"
Lord Voldemort said to Snape who sat at a desk across the room.
The days of Lord Voldemort moving from one Loyalist's household to the next while he recovered his strength were over. Voldemort had regained enough supporters to be sure that a headquarters would be kept protected and secret. With his counsel selected and his supporters in place he could now turn his attention to the Ministry of Magic and Harry Potter. Yet, for all the history between Harry Potter and himself, Lord Voldemort had displayed remarkable patience regarding the boy. Not since the first days after he returned to his human form had Lord Voldemort directly tried to attack the boy.
"No, I didn't. Good work my Lord." Snape answered.
"It was nothing, really." Voldemort said.
Lord Voldemort, during his time away from the eyes for his supporters, had been spent regaining his appearance. Before his existence had been splintered by Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort and his boyhood self, Tom Riddle, had been vain and quite handsome. He had a commanding and at the same time charming way. He gathered images of himself and used charms to create his youthful face. For the most part he had been successful, except I two areas. His eyes still carried a snake-like appearance and his face still looked a great deal like his muggle father's. Because he used his father's bone to regain his human form, he could not rid himself of these features.
Though Voldemort was being sighted around the world, the loyalist headquarters were in downtown London. It seemed that no one thought to look for him in the block directly next door to the Ministry. The offices to Muggles looked like an Abstract Art Gallery with outrageously expensive painting in the window. For over four months not a single Muggle has even touched the handle on the front door.
The Ministry concentrated their searches on more remote areas and they were easily lead off course by bogus reports in the "Daily Prophet".
"Tell me about Harry Potter." Lord Voldemort said
"My Lord?" Snape replied
"For almost six years you had contact with him daily. I want to know everything about him. I understand that Harry had access to my childhood through the use of Dumbledore's pensive. I think I should have a similar education." Voldemort said as he crossed the room toward Snape.
"I no longer have a pensive. It was destroyed during the raid on Hogwarts." Snape replied slightly nervously as Voldemort draw closer.
"Then I suppose, we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way and you tell me. You were a professor after all. How difficult it must have been for you all those years in Hogwarts working under people you detest. I think you must have suffered for than anyone during the years of my absence." Voldemort said, as he looked Snape directly in the eyes.
"I was difficult but I was always certain who I served and at times…….." Snape said with pause, "well I did have Harry Potter at my mercy. And I did make him pay for his crimes against you whenever I could."
"I understand. Now tell me about Harry Potter. I need to know how to crush him. He soon will be of age and no longer protected by the charms when he is with his Aunt. I must be able to predict his every thought. No, move he makes will be a surprise to me. I must know with certainty were he will go after his birthday. Whom will he seek out? What will he do? Make no mistake Harry Potter must be crushed and it must be done publicly, so that there will remain no doubt of his weakness and my superiority." Voldemort said as he leaned close to Serverus.
Serverus got up from he chair quickly and went to the window overlooking the Ministry.
Voldemort continued, "You are my guide, Serverus Snape"