Embracing His True Self

Chapter 48

"Dumbledore knows, its why he attacked the Longbottoms. It wasn't to lure me out to get me onside, it was a warning, wrapped in his desire to get my back under control." Harry stated as soon as he apparated where he knew the Dark Lord was – his office – his lips twitched when Voldemort almost jerked out of his seat in surprise. Annoyance slamming across his features until what Harry had said sunk in.

"Now why would you believe that?" Voldemort asked speculatively, he knew better than to doubt Harry. He rarely spoke with conviction unless he truly felt it, and as annoying as that was, he was rather proud to have such a powerful and extremely smart wizard standing beside him. Harry did not stand behind him, nor did he bow in deference, and at one point he had wanted it so badly. To see him at his feet, offering his allegiance, but it would be such a waste when he knew the boy had the capacity be so much more.

"We screwed up," Harry said sourly, sitting himself on his usual seat. Voldemort no longer blinked at his causality when it came to being near him. Harry sort of missed that, that and the blatant look of 'superior offence' written across his face.

"Excuse me?" now the superior look was back, along with a heavy dose of offence. He did not screw up, well, that wasn't exactly arcuate, but he didn't like thinking of his shortcomings.

"The article about the Chamber of Secrets, Ginny and I could have been the only ones to describe the statue of Salazar Slytherin. Now we both know that the Weasley's would never emerge from their cocoon of 'Dumbledore's light and sunshine's' to think for themselves. Not to mention it would have taken all of a few minutes for him to get answers from both her and Ron actually. Which means he knows it was me, he lost enough control over his anger to actually strike out at the Longbottom's over it when they presumably didn't play his games and decided he'd do it with or without their help."

Voldemort turned back to his desk and pulled out the prophet's he had been keeping out of sheer delight. It always brightened his mood when he saw the articles about Dumbledore. He shuffled through them until he found what he was looking for. The article about the Chamber of Secrets, the fact Dumbledore had merely sent his 'Pet bird' down after a twelve-year-old child who was facing Slytherin's monster on his own with only one year of magical training.

Upon reading the article with a critical eye, he realized that Harry was indeed correct. Some information while it could have been him, there was too much about certain information to have come from anyone other than Harry himself. "How did you come about this realization?" he asked suspiciously, not at Harry, but he heavily suspected something had happened to make him realize they had indeed screwed up.

"It wasn't me," Harry said, a scowl temporarily appearing on his face, his nose twitching as if something foul had been put under it.

"Then, who?" Voldemort asked calmly, which belayed the sense of growing impending anger.

"Augusta Longbottom," Matriarch of the Longbottom line, and quite a formidable woman he was coming to realise. He sort of understood why everyone was intimidated by her, she was wicked sharp, very astute and didn't appear to take any nonsense. "She knew it was me, that was having the articles written." He added unnecessarily. By Merlin, the smirk on her face…it should not look right on such an older woman. Yet it had, oh he'd seen her smirking behind her cup, she hadn't been as subtle as she thought she had been.

Voldemort pursed his lips, eyes flashing, his mind coming up with various plans on how to deal with this latest threat to them.

"Oh, no, you won't touch her, you're Death Eaters have done enough to the Longbottom family," Harry declared seriously, strongly. If he had to stand in front of her and stop Voldemort himself, he would do it. He couldn't see Neville losing the last of his family, he didn't deserve that, neither did she…not for their own screw up anyway. He could see the scheming look on Voldemort's face, it definitely didn't bode well for Augusta. "She doesn't intended to do anything, and if she wanted to…she could have set up a trap by this or told Neville." Which she most certainly hadn't. Neville probably wouldn't talk to him again when he realized to whom Harry had given his allegiance.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes in displeasure at the fact Harry felt like he could tell him what to do. Oh, he knew the boy all too well, he would go out of his way to prevent him killing her. Harry had never feared him, which was another thing that irked him something rotten. Was perusing this worth risking everything he was building? He knew the answer, no, especially if Harry had read her right, and he was quite good at that…perhaps she wasn't a threat.

"It won't matter after the next few articles come out anyway," Harry pointed out wryly, not that a lot of people would realize it was him per se. Although he definitely had his hand in it at the end of the day. "Quite a few people will realize what's going on, Augusta will be the least of it. That's if Dumbledore hadn't already told the Order about his suspicions."

"That has not happened, Severus would have informed me," Voldemort interjected immediately.

"Yeah, ever thought of maybe…I don't know…calling Severus in?" Harry asked with an expectant look on his face.

"Why would I do that?" Voldemort asked more amused than offended. Leaning back in his chair relaxing himself since he'd learned about the damn Prophet and Longbottom mess.

"Other than the fact Dumbledore will deduce that Severus is actually your spy?" Harry said sardonically, "It's only his belief that I won't join you, which won't last forever, that's probably keeping him safe. Once he realizes the Vow he made Severus swear is useless to him…and that Severus had betrayed him…fuck knows what he'd do. He almost killed the Longbottoms because he was pissed off at me…I'd hate to see how he'd be if someone he gave a 'second chance' to even if he doesn't really trust him completely…but it would probably be extremely vengeful and bloody." Although to be frank, Dumbledore probably had trusted Severus fully, especially with him firmly planted on the light side.

"Severus can look after himself," Voldemort drawled, immensely amused by the concern Harry was showing for his spy and Potions Master. He knew better than most just what the wizard was capable of, he had seen him in action, taught him everything he knew then some. He was even better than Bellatrix when it came to duelling something the witch found extremely vexing.

Then again she found a lot of things entirely too vexing including the boy sitting opposite him. He had the full admiration of the three Lestranges and he didn't seem to care. He suspected it was more out of a desire to get back at Bellatrix for her actions towards Neville – whether he consciously realized this or not – at the end of the day.

He was extremely loyal to those he gave his trust and devotion to, and quite frankly…Voldemort didn't think he had done such a thing until his freedom had been granted to him. When he had given Harry a side from which he could choose or the choice to stay out of it. Fortunately for him, Harry was as dark as they came in nature, he was a dark wizard.

That loyalty was to him, and he revelled in that fact. Even if he had to share it with the likes of Neville Longbottom, the near squib boy, that he was. Or even Black and Lupin, thank Merlin he didn't still care for the damn Weasley's or Harry would have caused him an aneurism.

"Against the whole order?" Harry asked, "I have no doubt he's good…but is he that good?"

Voldemort tipped his head to the side, silently acknowledging Harry's point.

"Having a spy is good and all, but no good to you dead," Harry shrugged as if the thought of Severus' death didn't bother him. Which of course, both Voldemort and Harry were aware that it would most definitely bother him. Sitting up straighter, "Where have the meetings been held?"

"Dumbledore alternates between his office and the Burrow," Voldemort stated eyeing Harry speculatively. Wondering what the teen was up to now, when he got that look on his face it was obvious he was scheming.

"Well, there was a Slytherin Headmaster…a Black right?" Harry said pensively.

"Indeed," Voldemort drawled still not seeing it, "His name was Phineas Nigellus Black." He pointed out as always a host of information.

"Portraits aren't spelled to remain loyal to its current Headmaster…are they?" Harry mused thoughtfully, mind whirling away on how to get Severus out of there but give Voldemort the spy he clearly wants.

"Spells do not work on paintings, but they do work around them," Voldemort informed him smugly.

"Well Phineas has bound to have a portrait in the Black townhouse, he has one at Hogwarts…not only would he be able to spy on the Order meetings…he'd be able to tell you everything that goes on within Hogwarts at any given time." Harry pointed out, green eyes gleaming with vicious victory.

Voldemort's mouth opened very temporarily, before he closed it with a snap. Why was it with this boy he could feel so utterly stupid despite the fact he had a very high IQ? It was contemptuous really, and also made him incredibly grateful he had that wonderful outside the box thinking boy within his grasp. Thank Merlin he had his own moment of epiphany in ordering his House-elves to get the boy from his relatives home.

"Do you have access to Grimmauld Place? Didn't Black sell it?" Voldemort enquired deceptively mild, as if he wasn't impressed with the boys ingenuity. He didn't need to tell the blasted brat, he was sitting there with a smug upturn of his lips that stated he knew fine well he had impressed him.

"Meh, he still has it, doesn't give two hoots about it, would see it burnt to the ground if he could." Harry shrugged his shoulders, "I can ask him if I can get access, and he'll give me it." which Sirius most definitely would, he honestly didn't care about the property. You'd think he had been brought up abused the way he carries on, not the heir of the Black family. Oh, he was being disingenuous he knew, there were other ways to break someone's spirit than physically abusing them. The whole family was insane…the Black's needed new blood otherwise they were doomed.

"Perhaps," Voldemort mused thoughtfully, but there was no guarantee there were any portraits left, surely Dumbledore wouldn't have allowed a family of dark practitioners to remain within hearing distance of the meetings. It was straining credulity that Dumbledore would be so idiotic.

In the end Voldemort expressed his thoughts to Harry.

"True, but getting rid of them seems…kind of sacrilegious," Harry pointed out, "They're more than likely somewhere in the building. We know Dumbledore used silencing spells anyway when conducting the meetings."

"Exactly, so how do you propose this would work?" Voldemort interjected.

"By shrinking the portrait down to a stamp size, and sticking it to the underside of the table in the Headmaster's office…without being seen." Harry replied immediately. "No magic could detect a portrait, it isn't a listening device…not really so nothing would come up. If he had two…we could have inserted one into the Weasley's as well," since Severus was an Order member and had the ability to come and go as he pleased. "Maybe even etch a chameleon rune into it. I'd need to test it to see if it would show up on all the spells Dumbledore uses before meetings."

Voldemort's eyes begun to gleam with wickedness, "Then I suggest you get testing them, I have someone to call." And he couldn't use Harry unfortunately, for he did not bear his mark.

Standing up, he moved out of his office, very easily finding Pettigrew – he could sense all his Death Eaters in his home – and pressing his wand to it. Using his mark to call Severus to him. It would seem that his spy had two last things to do before his duties as a spy were over. He would no doubt be very pleased with the outcome. He didn't remain beside the disgusting rat, he glared pointily at the curious looks he was receiving from his followers. Only when they looked away in deference and embarrassment at being caught did he leave the Grand Hall they were all using as a common room of sorts.

Returning to his office, wondering what he was thinking bringing everyone here. He was going to curse someone sooner or later. He reasoned with himself, at least they couldn't get near his sleeping quarters, those rooms were warded to the nines even against them. He did not trust anyone while he slept, it was when you were most vulnerable after all. Harry's room was also included in the warding's, he didn't trust all his Death Eaters to accept his word and leave him alone.

At this point he wasn't sure whether he was protecting the boy or his Death Eaters!

"You do realize you have rooms of your own?" Voldemort drawled seeing that the boy was still in the . only now he was surrounded by books, with a piece of wood – where he got it Voldemort wasn't entirely sure – wedged between his thighs. Presumably to test his theory on whether the rune would work. Thankfully both of them were very much aware of all the spells Dumbledore went through courtesy of Severus.

"I do?" Harry asked blankly, visibly refraining from rolling his eyes at the wizard's statement. Short of avoiding Voldemort when he was in a really foul mood, Harry could be found here reading everything he could get his hands on. There were always new books to devour, not always new books just out but old, brittle and priceless books that were really artefacts. He refrained from finishing his sarcastic retort though, too busy and eager to find out if his thoughts were correct.

Voldemort sighed heavily, and over dramatically before reclaiming his seat.

While watching the teen at work, he asked, "How did it go with Black and Lupin?" not truly interested in either wizard, but Harry's machinations in having both wizards under his thumb. Black despite the fact he wasn't an Auror was powerful enough to be a problem. So the fact they abandoned the Order…it had saved their lives.

Harry snorted, "They think I'm finally acting my age, being with friends on my birthday," he shook his head in disbelief, it was almost as if they didn't know him at all. Then again they didn't. They only saw what he allowed them to see. Or more like part of his personality, the darker part – one he suspects Remus would understand intimately – he kept hiding from sight. Hell, Sirius probably had it as well, at the end of the day he was a Black and he definitely wasn't all mentally there, enough to live a normal life, but not enough to truly think through the consequences of his actions. He was grateful at least that he wasn't as bad as Bellatrix was. Now she was a whole other level of insanity, even if she was occasionally amusing.

Voldemort had his own look of utter incredulity plastered over his face, "They realize of course, that you only have two friends." Sneering at the word as if he found it repugnant.

"Hey," Harry exclaimed in mock irritation, "Three, thank you very much, I consider Barty a good friend." He didn't even look up as he worked, which was nearly finished, flicking his wand removing the needle like object that had grown from the tip to draw the rune. "There," he sighed in satisfaction, passing over the piece of oak wood, letting Voldemort do the hard work.

Which he did with a frank look of irritation.

Harry observed Voldemort working, the delicate intricate dance of his wand as he murmured spell after spell. His mouth moving but no sound really emerged, non-verbal magic really. Swallowing thickly, glancing immediately at the bookcases, cursing his wandering mind with vehemence. Damn it, why the hell did it have to be him of all people? He'd begun to think there was something seriously wrong with him, he unlike the rest of his peers at Hogwarts had never truly felt anything for anyone. No arousal, no wet dreams, nothing at all. It was almost like he was a late bloomer…either that or he hadn't been interested in them because he didn't find them stimulating…and Voldemort was stimulating…and very, very fucking good looking that it should be illegal.

"Did my parcels come?" Harry asked, desperate to think of anything else except from what he had been just moments prior.

"They did," Voldemort stated unimpressed, he did not like the fact Harry had sent his damn owl to deliver parcels instead of shrinking them down and taking them with him. It was almost as if the teen did it to annoy him, he was very suspicious and only allowed certain owls though the wards. Owls that were someone's familiar is imbued with magic. He had gone from not allowing any to letting only certain someone's.

"Will I be able to get to my bedroom without being accosted by the idiots I used to have to call classmates?" Harry then asked, letting out a breath when Voldemort finally finished the damn procedure in checking the wood to see if the rune was detected. "Is it detected?" it shouldn't be, he'd been the one to create it, it was new therefore it shouldn't be able to be found. At least that was the way he was seeing it.

"You'll be pleased to know that it is imperceptible." Voldemort stated, sitting back in his chair, placing the piece of wood on his desk, his wand returning to its holster. "As for your ex-classmates, yes, you'll probably see them at some point, most of them are around the other side of the manor," as far away from him as possible, he couldn't stand incompetence and self-important hooligans. As of right now, the way they've been raised, that was what they were until they were shown true fear, learned true reference and became the powerful followers that he knew they could be.

Harry let out a breath, grateful for the reprieve, but the time would come. If they didn't already know about him…and learned when they saw him…the looks on their faces were going to be utterly bloody priceless. Considering each year that passed, he noticed the 'Slytherins' sort of masked their looks, became guarded, presumably something to do with learning Occlumency if they could? Or just learning to hide their thoughts and feelings as heirs and would be Lord's. "Do they know?" he queried, not asking further about the parcel – which contained his robes – knowing it would be on his bed most likely.

Voldemort glanced at Harry, arching a brow at the gleam he could see in those eyes. A gleam he was very familiar with, for when he used to get very vindictively mischievous that look too would appear on his face. "Do refrain from causing too much trouble," he told Harry firmly, knowing it wouldn't work. All piled in together, there would be fights, arguments and general unpleasantness behind his back. The last thing he needed was Harry cursing his followers children and causing even further wretchedness. He thrived on it, yes, but not to the extent that Harry would no doubt immerse himself in it.

"I have no idea what you mean," Harry replied.

Voldemort just gave him another incredulous look, the teen didn't even bother with an 'innocent' façade. He just stared blankly at him, his green eyes gleaming in a way that suggested he was contemplating the best way to achieve maximum chaos. "Tomorrow you're be formally introduced to everyone at the party, at least wait until after then," although he knew most people would already know by that point, at least those that didn't already know like his inner circle. He definitely didn't want a fight breaking out during the first celebratory party his side had hosted in decades.

Harry's lips curled, a true look of disgust on his face. He loathed the very thought of it, even though he knew he'd be able to find some amusement while at it. "You have no idea what I've had to endure silently from those…" there wasn't a word to truly describe them, he actually struggled to find a word nasty enough, "Despicable pathetic idiots." He decided upon, wasn't good enough but it would just have to do.

Staring straight at Voldemort, "Don't blame me for what happens next…you can't expect a snake to shed it's skin then wander back into it."

"Very aptly put," Voldemort replied, his own voice serious. It was true, he had unleashed the potential within Harry, given him the means to be who he truly wanted to be – who he was meant to be – and asking him for a moment to endure what he had at Hogwarts – the same way he'd been forced to endure as the perfect golden boy – from the students would indeed be wrong. No, the boy couldn't and wouldn't be able to return back to the boy he'd once pretended to be, he'd had his freedom for far too long.

"I do mean it, if they start anything…I'll finish it," he declared strongly.

Voldemort nodded curtly, giving Harry his permission and understanding to deal with them in any way he saw fit. He'd rather have this smart ruthless boy on his side than a couple of stupid idiotic boys who thought they knew better. Boys who couldn't look past their own noses to see the danger that Harry Potter represented to them all.

A sharp rap at the door stole his attention, "Enter!" he commanded, already sitting straighter, he knew who was there, Severus.

"I suggest if you wish to go ahead with this plan that you get the portrait immediately, lockdown will be happening at midnight." Voldemort demanded of Harry who groaned.

He'd just come away from Sirius and Remus' place, he didn't want to go back and face more questions.

"Yes, Master, right away your Lordship," Harry retorted in a squeaky voice that was very reminiscent of Pettigrew that Severus had to cough and glance away to stop himself laughing. That would only guarantee a curse coming his way and then of course, pain.

Harry just grinned roguishly at him as he vacated the room, he didn't dare glance back at Voldemort no matter how badly he wished to. He was half surprised he didn't get a curse aimed at him though, as he closed the door. Voldemort did not enjoy being mocked, or likened to Dumbledore.

"You called, My Lord?" Severus queried once he had a firm grip of himself.

"Harry has come up with quite an ingenious idea…it would give us the means to spy on the Order without you being at Hogwarts." Voldemort informed his spy, gauging his reaction.

Disbelief, shock, immense surprise, hope, satisfaction, happiness, and elation these were the feelings that immediately stamped all over Severus the moment the Dark Lord spoke. Clearing his throat, "I will be implementing it then?" Severus assumed.

"You will," The Dark Lord informed him, "Harry is going to retrieve Phineas Black's portraits and one will be shrunk down to a postage stamp size. With a chameleon rune, which successfully evades exposure from spells. You must stick it to Dumbledore's desk in his office if you can undetected. Once that is done, you may leave Hogwarts and return here. You will join us in the lockdown."

Severus could have smiled, the thought of finally, finally leaving those insipid children who had no desire to learn the art of Potions Making made his year. He would be able to create and brew to his hearts content without having to toe the line with Dumbledore, spy and teach. It freed up his time considerably, and he so desperately wanted to create again. Harry had revived his desire to do more with potions than just brew ones he knows from heart. No, he wanted to create his own, and this was his opportunity, at least after the lockdown was achieved.

"How long do I have to accomplish the task?" Severus asked, hiding every ounce of his eagerness.

"If you can accomplish it before midnight, then you come here. If you do not, it will be a few days before you can get in contact with anyone." Even him, but he could technically leave if he wished, they were his wards after all, it was only everyone else who couldn't leave.

"That doesn't leave much time to act," Severus frowned, he'd very much rather have it over with as soon as possible. He didn't want to wait until after the lockdown was over, even if it meant seeing more reactions to Dumbledore's emotions during the newspapers revelations. He had grown to dread the papers, and often decided against coming to breakfast, not wishing to appear anything other than a loving grandfatherly wizard if he got upset.

"No, it does not." Voldemort agreed, but if anyone could pull it off it was Severus. He was very crafty just like a certain someone who had just been here. "Harry will be back momentarily, no doubt which gives you a few hours at most." All he was doing was getting the information from Lupin and Black before going to Grimmauld Place and summoning the portrait after all.

"Understood," Severus nodded, his mind working overtime, well, Dumbledore knew he had been called, it should be easy to get into the office. It was placing the damn portrait without anyone realizing something was wrong. Non-verbal levitating charm? "It will be tricky with the portraits watching someone invisible coming in might cause more concern and he might find it…" he didn't wonder why another portrait was going into the old man's office, he put silencing spells around them to stop them hearing when they got down to business. He'd have no reason to add one to his desk, it was truly quite an ingenious plan.

"Use a House-elf to do it, Dobby can get it done?" Harry stated as he came back in, having two large frames levitating behind him. "Silent, invisible, small, can't get better than that," he'd already thought it through, Dobby couldn't go against his wishes, not even when it came to Dumbledore after all.

"Why two?" before realizing and wishing nothing more than to slap his head, "Never mind," he added quickly, of course they'd need one as well to hear the reports.

Harry just smirked at him, as if he knew what the Potions Master was thinking.

"Dobby could get in and out unseen and undetected so why not?" Voldemort agreed with the new slightly altered plan.

"Dobby?" Harry called out as he claimed his seat, the unused frame floating in mid-air, as his wand once again became needle like and pointy, the rune was easier and much quicker to draw this time around.

"Yes Master Harry?" Dobby asked, remaining still at the sight of Voldemort and Snape. He wasn't comfortable around a lot of the people his Master Harry associated with, but Harry was his Master and he was a good one, he knew that, so he would do anything for him. Waiting patiently for his Master to finish what he was doing. Sometimes that happened, he was called when Master Harry was in the middle of his magic and he had to wait.

"In a few minutes I'm going to ask you to take this to Dumbledore's office and stick it underneath his desk." Harry stated firmly, pointing to the large portrait which he shrunk down until it fitted very easily in the palm of his hand. Taking up only a little space as small as it was. "You might as well take Severus with you and help him pack his belongings and bring them here."

Severus didn't refrain from rolling his eyes, although he did glance very briefly at the Dark Lord. Wondering at his reaction to someone taking over and giving orders…even if it was to his own House-elf but it was still regarding one of his Death Eaters. Regarding him. He would have sneered and said something derisive if his mood hadn't been so good. He was finally getting away from Hogwarts and he owed it all to Harry…he was feeling very, very charitable.

Dear Merlin…he owed Harry one.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, and judging by the smirk on Harry's face…he was going to collect.

Damn it. The boy was entirely too sneaky and Slytherin for his own good.

But hell, it felt damn good being able to be on the side he was meant to and keep his vow he'd made in Lily's name. This was all without his influence, Merlin what would he have been like if he had been raised by him like he'd supposed to have? Like Lily had wanted.

Terrifying, he thought, absolutely terrifying he thought with smug satisfaction.

I rather enjoyed writing that chapter! I love this story actually it's my new favourite after Invisible and Willing I think :D so there we go! next ones definitely the party I'm having so much fun I could honestly just keep updating this story! It's in one of those phrases were my muses are strong and loud and it's easy to write I wish all my stories were like that! Lord of Time used to be but that's tapered off because it's in an awkward bit! Anyway there we go! Enjoy Read and Review Please

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