Embracing His True Self

Chapter 110

Harry stumbled out of the Floo network, and moving aside, smiling when Severus removed the multitude of ashes stuck to him. "Thanks," he murmured, still feeling a little dazed. He couldn't believe just how neatly everything had fallen into their laps. Sure, he was always quite happy when things went his way, but this was beyond being quite happy it was amazing such luck surely shouldn't exist.

"Do you require a calming draught?" Severus asked, cupping his chin to see his face more clearly. Frowning a little seeing just how glazed his eyes were, that wasn't normal. Severus ignored the Floo activating beside him, "Have you hit your head?" making sure nothing had happened that he didn't know about.

Harry sniggered, ruefully shaking his head, "Not me, Tom got a dead weight of a head smashing against him though."

"Very funny," Tom declared dryly, carelessly dropping the dead weight now that he didn't need to get it through the Floo Network. Easing the time-turner into the folds of his clothes for safe keeping. It was a testament to how trusted Severus was, and that he knew the sort of relationship Harry and Severus had that there wasn't even a twinge of jealousy or anger over the light touch especially to Harry's face.

"I'd ask how it's going but the wireless has been…regaling us as it happens," Severus said dryly, pointing towards the radio, "I think every radio in the manor and then some, have been used today." Including trips to the shop to buy multiple ones, well, the House-elves not the actual wizards – too lazy – to retrieve them.

Harry laughed, "You don't know the half of it," shaking his head.

"Know the half of what?" Lucius asked, as he slid into the room, blanching when he noticed the Dark Lord, "My Lords," grateful that he wasn't just a minor follower but an inner circle, that could get away with a little more. "Is that the Vane heir?" surprised to see the girl on the floor.

"You've not been listening to the wireless or reading your missives from the Ministry?" Harry questioned.

"No, and no," Lucius confessed, giving Severus a look that said 'what's been going on? What has he missed?

Severus released Harry's chin, content that he was just fine, just a little highly strung. Then again, weren't they all really? "I would ask if this means Vincent is safe, but unfortunately we've already uncovered the potion Vincent had." And didn't even remember getting, the memory had clearly been removed from him which was why it was vital that he be as far away from Harry as to never pose to be a problem. An unbreakable Vow later, Vincent and his grandmother were in Canada, with Vincent's promise of never returning to Britain. The boy had looked so confused, hurt and scared, it was almost too much to bear, the guilt that he had failed his students and let Dumbledore near them. He should have been more observant.

"Unlike young Crabbe, her mind… I do not mind breaking to pieces to find the truth," Tom replied darkly, gazing at the unconscious witch – who was likely grateful to be unconscious – with malice.

"Is it safe to do so?" Lucius asked, cautioning any hasty actions at the moment.

"Time-turner, we're basically re-starting our afternoon," Harry confessed, slumping against the seat, yawning tiredly.

"Ah," Severus murmured, now he understood Harry's tiredness and the glazed look on his face, he needed sleep and a lot of it. The Dark Lord might be used to working on less sleep, or at least used to be that way before his 'defeat' so to speak. Plucking his potions pouch out, Severus fingers flicked around until he found the vial he wanted. "Here, drink this, either now or after a rest, it will give you an energy boost." Ensuring it was tightly in Harry's grasp before he left go, he honestly wouldn't be surprised if he fell asleep were he sat within a few moments.

"How long have you came back?" Lucius asked in genuine curiosity.

"About six hours, isn't it? right about now we've just retired to the Minister's office after everyone cleared off having seen Fawkes." Harry rolled his eyes, not sure how many times Tom twisted the turner. "Everyone is stupid, they knew Fawkes used to be Dumbledore's whose reputation has never recovered from all the revelations…but the second he appeared? They were all convinced that he's the second coming of Merlin!" his tone slurring a little in tiredness that was weighing him down.

Severus' lips twitched into an amused smirk, "Somehow I am not surprised, that they believe that our Lord is the perfect candidate."

"Only Merlin has ever been sworn in and approved by a phoenix." Lucius interjected smugly. "And he was one of the best wizardkind had ever seen." And the laws he enacted were never repelled, everyone respected Merlin too much, even if he was a Slytherin but the majority of the magical world had already forgotten that titbit of information.

"Phoenixes are supposed to be light creatures, is this a myth that has been perpetrated in wizardkind, and simply untrue? Or just a belief that's been generated over time with Dumbledore at the helm?" Harry asked, tiredness seeping into his voice.

"It has to be something perpetrated by wizardkind," Lucius stated, "For Merlin was most assuredly, grey, at least his core was documented to be as such. He was young when he created that spell, in time he may have gone dark, the spells he created could showcase as such."

"Somewhere, somehow, people have come to believe Phoenixes are light, and for that we can only be grateful, I assume?" Severus glanced briefly at Harry and the Dark Lord.

"Indeed," Tom agreed fully, smugness exuding from every pore.

His attention snapped back to the girl, Vane, and was quick to pull out his wand and had her flipping through the air and smacking into her back. The shock of it waking her and causing her to scream, which did not disturb Harry since the Dark Lord was quick to put a spell around him to prevent him from being woken up.

Severus stood in front of Harry, shielding him bodily from the girl. He had been listening to the radio, and he knew exactly what she'd tried to do. They'd presumably – and hopefully – found the last of Dumbledore's patsies. Which is exactly what they were at the end of the day. People Dumbledore had manipulated into doing his dirty work.

"What…what…what…who are you?" she choked out, scrambling back, fear holding her mobile after she'd scrambled back a bit. The realisation she wasn't alone left her so very afraid of her life.

"Come now," Tom said, wand held lazily in his grip, somehow more intimidating than when he looked like a snake. "You know who I am." Chuckling evilly at his own joke, he knew Harry would have found it hilarious.

The timbre in his voice had both Lucius and Severus tensing up, it was an instinctive reaction to the voice. They knew torture would follow; it had been a long time since they'd seen that gleam in the Dark Lord's eyes. Gratitude suffused them that they were not going to be the one to experience it.

"My Lord? If I may make a suggestion?" Severus asked, inclining his head in the deepest of respect. "While the Cruciatus curse would break her, perhaps doing a combination of the spell and Legilmens? In layers, that way you'll get all the information you need and not just glimpses that are scrambled due to the insanity that will consume her."

Vane whimpered, the smell of pee wafting up from the hapless girl. Wretched thing, another one of Dumbledore's victims, and they hoped it was the last. It wasn't just the light side or neutral for that matter – like the Vane's – but they'd just had to send away one of their own to Canada of all places just so he survived. The moment she cast the killing curse; she'd sealed her own fate. Whether it was ultimately Dumbledore being the cause…Tom was not going to let a threat live.

Luckily the Dark Lord wasn't too far gone, and was actually listening to Severus' suggestion despite being furious. If not for Proudfoot, Harry could have died. He may not have reacted in time to deflect it or get them down to the floor. Which was a bit of a life, he did have the sense to let the spell hit Proudfoot instead of ducking down. He was not going to let it possibly hit either of them, he'd rather the Auror die thank you very much.

Like hell would he do anything that might have had either of them brushed with the killing curse.

"Layer it?" Voldemort said thoughtfully, "On and off?"

"Less of the Cruciatus curse, more Legillimency," Severus nodded curtly. "Given how young she is, she won't have much of barriers." Especially considering she was not the heir, only a young sibling that likely has been overlooked. There was little doubt she'd been desperate to be noticed, to be needed, and it had spelled her downfall. Meeting with Dumbledore on her own, no, no, she couldn't be blamed. It wasn't fair putting that on the shoulders of a child, you should be able to trust your headmaster. Failing that, they'd been taken advantage of and there was no going back for most of them.

Vane whimpered, fear stealing her very breath from her lungs, as she glanced around, as if hoping an escape would appear out of nowhere. Trembling as she glanced between them all, not sure why she was here or what she'd done. The last thing she remembered was doing her job as an intern at the Ministry. Her family connections had paved the way for her to gain that internship with hopes of bigger and better roles in future.

A shudder wracked Severus' frame just imagining what the future would have looked like if Harry had not played his part so convincingly. That potion would have been given to him, and he would have been naught but a puppet for the magical world's use. Become the boy Severus had thought he was.

"Crucio!" the spell landed with lethal swiftness, from one breath to the next.

Neither Severus or Lucius so much as flinched, but there was a wary look in Lucius' gaze. The knowledge that his son could be in her place…but so very grateful it wasn't the case. He had taught his son well enough than to ever be alone with Albus Dumbledore. Not that he'd realized the extent to which Dumbledore would go.

They tiredly wondered when the consequences would stop.

Wondered when they could truly put the rest of the earth over Dumbledore once and for all.

Vane was sobbing by the minute mark as Voldemort released the spell, "Professor Snape, please, help," she sobbed, hand out, pleading with him to help her, just to help her. "Please," a broken sob tearing out of her throat.

Severus felt a surge of guilt storm through him, he pursed his lips and remained impassive. Only those who knew him could see that the girls' words had indeed gotten to him. He was a teacher, even if he was retired now, it had been his duty to take care of the students under his watch, all not just the Slytherins. He would have protected them all, none more than Harry, naturally, but the Vow ensured that.

"Legilimens!" and with that the most powerful master of Legillimency and Occlumency smashed into the girl's mind, attempting to break through the hold Dumbledore had on her. Say what he liked, Dumbledore had been very powerful, which meant it wasn't as easy as Voldemort wished. It wasn't as easy as Jorkin's – whom he had been able to break in a few minutes in his weakened state – but Vane was done more meticulously.

Lucius gripped Severus' shoulder in an attempt to comfort the clearly a little torn wizard. "I do believe Harry is cold." Lucius muttered out the corner of his mouth, his tone barely above a whisper. Having no desire to disrupt the Dark Lord's work and risk his ire.

Lucius successfully distracted Severus, who summoned a blanket and set it over Harry. Lucius while wishing to distract him, had been telling the truth, Harry was a little bit cold, shivering a little. Once Severus had him wrapped carefully, he flicked his wand and fire shot out of it and into the grate. Soon the room would be warm it never did take too long. Giving a nod, of satisfaction, by the time he returned to the task at hand, the Cruciatus Curse had been cast twice and now the Dark Lord was onto the next part.

She was no longer looking to her professor for aid, no longer expected help of any kind.

"I want my mum," the girl sobbed, "Please, just let me go, I won't say anything, I swear, I want my mum…"

Once the Dark Lord was in her mind, she curled up in a ball, and started to scream and scratch at her scalp. Shaking her head, as the memory of what she'd done hours earlier began to filter through the spells Dumbledore had on her. Horrified and so very scared she was losing it, she sobbed brokenly on the tiled floor of Slytherin Manor wanting her mother.

"Cruc-" before the Dark Lord could finish the spell he paused.

"Tom," Harry said, his tone sleepy but firm. "You can do this without breaking her, or are you telling me that Dumbledore's better than you even dead?" taunting him because he knew that would get to him fastest. Rolling his eyes when Severus moved to obscure Vane's sight of him.

Lucius held his breath, as he watched eyes sliding from side to side as he waited.

The Dark Lord gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes displeasure rolling off him, Harry didn't need the bond to know how his bonded felt right now. "Do not push me," he warned his partner, he was just as tired as Harry, and when he was tired, he was even more likely to be impulsive and rash. He knew he shouldn't speak to Harry that way, or undermine him just like Harry himself, should know not to do it to him. Using Dumbledore especially. Of all the people, it had to be him…then again, Harry had always been able to bring out the worst in him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…I want my mummy, please," snot and tears ran down the usually well put together young witches face. shuddering and shaking, moaning in fear, "I…want my mummy." She'd cast the killing curse…she'd hit Harry Potter…there was no life for her anymore. Even she knew that much. She was also smart enough to know that they were unlikely to offer her aid if they were here. She was so tired, drained, cold and so very afraid.

"Tom…we can't let him continue winning," Harry said softly, but made no other effort to help Vane. "Each death we have to assign, he wins a little more." Vincent was gone, whisked away around the other side of the world, for surely, they could do the same for Vane? "Vows override every single compulsion." Giving him a pointed look, the very thing Tom had reminded him of when it came to Vincent.

"She tried to kill you," Voldemort gritted out, he was fiercely protective of Harry and did not want to see anyone get away with anything remotely like this. It would set the wrong idea, and that he did not wish to happen.

"No, she didn't, not really," Harry said, giving him a commiserating smile, tired but saddened, "This is all Dumbledore…Gellert has already died because of it…I'm hoping together we can save at least another of this generation."

Vane just lay there curled up, shuddering and shaking, not really taking anything in. Even if she could, it would be like trying to listen from another end of a tunnel. She felt hazy, lost, but the feelings she felt were still there, buzzing under his skin. Eyes vacantly staring across at the flicking flames in the fire. Perhaps she deserved this…she'd tried to kill Harry. She didn't even know why…she'd fancied him once upon a time, childishly considered a love potion (unaware that she'd actually one it). That childish crush had disappeared over time, especially when Harry left Hogwarts and she found other…pursuits.

"You might be willing to risk it, but I am not." Voldemort informed his partner seriously. "By the time I am finished with her…and removing the compulsions, it would be a mercy." Using the truth to get his own way. It's not like she was all the parents had, there were other children.

Harry conceded the point with a tilt of his head, it was true he supposed, didn't mean he had to like it. A waste of potential, and honestly? Hearing her begging for her parents as he roused from his sleep…wasn't exactly helping matters. She'd done nothing wrong, she didn't deserve this, but Dumbledore had forced their hands. "Fine but Ginny and Dean survive, and you make sure Dean actually doesn't receive too harsh a penalty, he's just being followed around by his dick."

Lucius choked, not sure whether to be aghast or horrified at the vulgar manner Harry was speaking in. Such language, he would have severely punished Draco if he uttered such unrefined words in company.

"Unacceptable," Voldemort shot down that idea immediately.

"Just think, suffering Azkaban for years, then coming out, it's likely she'd try to start something but everyone will know how better of they are under the new regime." Harry said, approaching Voldemort, a rather vindictive smirk on his face. "I want to watch her flounder; I want her stuck there knowing that the future she imagined was never going to happen. Plus, if something happens to both of them even the magical public aren't that stupid." Silently wondering if he was giving them too much credit. His face close enough to Tom's to feel his breath ghosting against his own.

Voldemort arched a brow, sensing through the bond it wasn't entirely an enticement to draw him in. Which by he way was wonderfully done, but Harry knew him all too well so it wasn't a surprise. No, surprisingly Harry actually wanted this more himself, than luring him in. He briefly wondered if Harry realized how much that desire was bleeding over. Also briefly wondered what the girl had done to gain Harry's ire. It wasn't easy to do, and once earned…really earned, it was very difficult to get off his shit list.

"Very well, but I make no promises regarding the boy," Voldemort declared.

Harry's smile turn smirk was blinding, pecking him on the lips, he said sweetly, "Thank you," as if he were an innocent angel completely contradictory to the words coming out of their mouths.

Voldemort made a harrumph sound but made no further sound.

Vane whimpered, staring up at them as if correctly deducing that her life expectancy was over.

Harry turned his attention to the girl, crouching down, ignoring how tense everyone got. Harry really shouldn't be that close to the enemy, the were unpredictable and he could still get hurt even if she didn't have a wand. "None of this is your fault." He promptly told her, a sympathetic hardness to his voice. "You didn't want to kill me, but you've been compelled to, by Dumbledore. There's nothing we can do to help you anymore. Just know, you are the last one that will die due to Dumbledore's actions."

"No, no, no, no," Vane cried out, grasping blindly for Harry, grasping weakly a hold of his cloak. "Please, please, please I'll do anything, I'll do anything." so those memories were real? Not some sort of induced nightmare?

"Just know I'll take you back home to your parents," Harry promised, recalling that was what Diggory wanted from him that time. Then again, he was an only child, his parents were inconsolable. Still, it was probably something everyone wanted…a familiarity in death. Standing up, forcing the weakened grip the girl had of his robes gone, turning to face him, "Make her last minutes on earth as peaceful as you can." He asked of Tom – well aware he could terrify the just as much as he could induce a sense of peace – sighing softly, tiredness creeping into him.

"Lucius, gather a few…others and hunt down Ginny Weasley and Dean Thomas," Voldemort demanded, "I want them found alive, there is already an arrest warrant out for them at this time."

Lucius inclined his head, "It will be done," and he was rather delighted to do so. He loathed the Weasley family, although a lot less these days. The ones left had manners, and quite frankly, he'd never be brave enough to say anything about the Weasley's now. Since he would also be insulting the house of Dolohov, and that he'd never do.

Only an idiot would antagonise a Dolohov. Everyone underestimated him until they didn't.

In fact, he was a bit like Harry that way.

"You need to rest some more," Severus told Harry.

"I know, I'm not used to losing sleep anymore," Harry said ruefully, smirking a little, "Even at that, we've been up for well, now nearly twenty-four hours." The time-turner had been in the Minister of Magic's office. It had in fact, been ordered by the previous minister. Brought up from the bowls of the Ministry, and Tom naturally drawn to shiny objects took it. Normally everything was cleared out before the new occupant took the spot, and cleaned too but it hadn't been. Tom – after taking the time-turner – had been guided into a temporary office with a million apologies offered. Upside, the room they had been put in offered them the ultimate privacy. Well, if you didn't include everyone coming in at really, really inconvenient times.

"Get some rest, you came back six hours…at least try and get a few hours before you have to return to the Ministry I presume?" Severus asked glancing at the Dark Lord, who nodded, but otherwise paid no attention to them. Vane had stopped crying, she was lax, a smile on her face and a glazed look on her eyes. Severus' gaze snapped up to the Dark Lord, surprised, he shouldn't be, but he was. The Dark Lord was keeping his word, he was giving Vane peace in her last moments on this earth.

Severus glanced at Harry a little pensively, wondering if Harry was teaching the Dark Lord empathy or if he was gaining it through the bond. Harry while angry at the world, he hadn't actually taken it out on anyone except those who rightfully deserve it or those he didn't know and hadn't seen a day in his life. Hiving him a nudge, encouraging him to go to his rooms and really sleep.

Harry didn't need additional coaxing; he was no good to anyone exhausted.

When Harry woke, he realized he'd been asleep for three whole hours. He immediately lurched up. Shoved the covers aside and scrambled out of the room closing the door behind him. Peering down the banister, he followed the bond he had with Tom, able now to focus on the bond and move, not be stuck like he was the first time he happened to use the bond for guidance – purely accidental – glad for that.

The whole world could have ended in three hours.

Opening the door to the office, where he found that Tom wasn't on his own, which was no surprise. "What's been happening?" he asked as he padded in, his shoes still upstairs in his bedroom. He'd forgotten them entirely in his haste to get downstairs. "And how many energy boosting potions have you drank?" he could feel it through the bond, he was like a live wire just ready to spark.

"I may have had five cups of coffee with a measure of it inside," Voldemort calmly stated, but he was twitching a little, as if unable or unwilling to stay entirely still.

Harry barely refrained from snorting, shaking his head ruefully, but narrowing in on how…speculative everyone was. "Okay, what's really been happening?" he asked, even Severus seemed a little…well, shaken might be the right word or just worried maybe? He wasn't an expert – yet – at reading Severus not completely especially seeing as he hadn't seen this sort of emotion on him. There was a reason for that, Severus didn't wear his heart on his sleeve.

"Vane…knew a surprising amount of detail, she was quite skilful at keeping quiet, I believe she did it unconsciously," Voldemort said, with a certain amount of admiration that had Harry straightening up. It was not jealously thrumming through him, it most definitely wasn't he told himself, as he narrowed his gaze.

"What did she know?" he asked, taking a seat, groaning happily at the platter of sandwiches that Tom offered him. Just then realizing just how hungry he was and biting into the delicious roast beef sandwich with all the trimmings.

"That there may have been a second prophecy," Voldemort declared, and Harry froze, dread filling him, not another fucking prophecy.

Putting his food down, a bad taste now lingering in his mouth, "Alright, hit me with it, what does the damn thing say?"

"It's not known," Voldemort sighed, "We will have to live with it, what we do know was that Dumbledore was terrified of it coming to pass. It's why he was taking all the precautions he could."

Harry arched a brow, "And she just happened to learn this information, did she?" doubtful.

"Dumbledore liked to talk to his pet bird," Voldemort said wryly, "She just happened to listen at the right moment."

"What was he terrified of coming to pass?" Harry asked perplexed.

"This," Dolohov suggested, leaning back, smugly.

"He's right, this is Dumbledore's worst nightmare." Rabastan spoke, pointing out the obvious. "I'm still not sure why Dumbledore cared about the Mudb…Muggle-born students so much or making the world more user friendly for them." a sneer on his face, it was enough to cut glass. He acknowledged that they weren't as Muggle as he believed them, but that didn't change how much the world had adapted for them. Not anymore.

They were reclaiming their world for themselves.

"You're still curious about it," Harry said, eyeing Voldemort curiously, whatever was in it, couldn't be more difficult than the one they'd already defied by ignoring it.

"A little," Voldemort confessed, brushing it off, knowing it was highly unlikely they'd ever hear it. They'd already claimed the ones registered by the Ministry. Which only happens if the seers were registered with the Ministry, allowing them to record and backup all the prophecies and visions they have.

Most seers had stopped registering, and thus they'd never had visions of anything appearing.

Prophecies though? Dime a dozen, plenty of them all lined up in pretty rows and rarely ever came to pass.

After all, Prophecies have a tendency to be self-fulfilling.

"Well, you do know who the most likely culprit will have been for that prophecy right?" Harry slyly suggested, "And while they might not consciously remember their predictions…it's still stored in their memory banks." Tapping at his head to indicate the brain. He wouldn't even need to kill her.

"If it was her, the prophecy would have been in that room," Voldemort shook his head. "There was no indication of a second one for us."

"Depends where it was spoken about, the prophecy I heard wasn't there either," Harry said speculatively, "About Sirius and Pettigrew, and how Pettigrew would 'set out to revive his Master' and I think I'd remember seeing it. The wards at Hogwarts maybe stop it registering?" the wards were old and ancient.

"It's true, there are wards up that not even the headmasters can alter or destroy." Lucius said, he knew most about Hogwarts, it's charter and the rules he was on the board after all. "It was a school founded for the protection of wizards and witches; from all threats you could possibly conceive. What most people often forget is that Rowena Ravenclaw was clairvoyant herself. It's not known to what capacity, unfortunately information isn't easily come by about the founders as we'd like. Not information we know for a fact is the truth." Elaborating on what he meant.

"Were they found?" Harry asked, not needing to elaborate further for Tom to understand.

"Of course," he said, slightly offended, as if their people wouldn't be able to find two children, well, teenagers who had overall pathetic testing results and were still at Hogwarts. They hadn't even made much an effort to hide where they were broadcasting from never mind their voices. It clearly hadn't been a well thought out attempt at all.

However, they did make the most fascinating of patsies. Mostly because most of it was the truth. It's not something he saw coming. One facet of the war that they weren't deceiving anyone on.

"And Vane?" Harry asked curiously.

"She will be returned to her parents once time reinserts itself." Voldemort answered, "The gifts the Vane family have are rather fascinating, even if they haven't been observed in the family for five generations." Not as fascinating as the Metamorphamagus abilities, naturally. Families normally boasted about their family gifts/magicks, but not the Vane family and probably a lot more.

"Thinking of turning one dark?" Harry teased, naturally talking about one of Vane's brothers or sisters, but he doubted they'd go for it, the family was too neutral.

"Unlikely," Voldemort shook his head. "Eat your food, any relative of that family would be a risk, it would only take the wrong person to mention something and it would unravel. There is nothing more…dangerous or righteous person than one on a bid for revenge." He had learned that the hard way, and Harry didn't even care about his own parents but had played the part nonetheless.

Harry made a sound of agreement as he dug in, not quite so bothered about a prophecy as he had been earlier. He could recall being told about the other prophecy, the one they knew. He'd been really worried, neither can live while the other survives? It didn't sound good and he'd genuinely worried he'd be killed after all the progress they'd made. He was never afraid of dying, not really, but he was allowed to be worried.

"How long do you reckon she'll get?" Harry asked, leaning into Tom.

"Fifteen years, at least," Tom revealed, "She incited violence, rage, murder and near enough a rebellion. The Wizengamot will not look kindly upon it given all the deaths that have happened over the last half century." It didn't matter that basically nearly 80% of the wizengamot was now his. Another 10% knew but were neutral, the light fraction was basically non-existent now.

"We'll be on the radio in ten minutes and with it the process begins," Harry said grinning widely, not finding it odd or weird that he was currently here but also at the Ministry. This wasn't his first rodeo with a Time-turner. So, he was easily able to just go with the flow.

"…Ladies and Gentlemen, observe, the first of my commands as Minister Riddle, please, feel free to practice your religion," pausing dramatically because as Harry often said, he was a dramatic shit. "Paganism is now our religion and it's once again permitted to be practiced freely!" his voice raising to match his vehemence.

"We're observing the burning of the legislations that passed over fifty years ago being burnt to ash! As Minister Riddle removes the edicts that other Ministers have enforced to our detriment!" came through the radio as the presenter revealed what was going on that they couldn't see. "This is amazing! To freely be able to practice and give thanks to Hecate once more!"

After all, Hecate was the source of their powers it is believed.

"It's nearly over," Harry sighed softly, "It only took sixteen years, but I'm almost free." Stuck at the Dursley's hadn't been true freedom. When Tom took him, it hadn't been freedom. It had been a gilded cage. Then he was set free from that, but still had to be ever so cautious. Soon, he'd be able to walk about with his head held high without a chance of Dumbledore's people jumping out to get him.

"Yes, it is," Voldemort replied, placing a kiss on Harry's head, despite his followers being here. They'd need to decide whether to perform a search on the property looking for Vane – he knew exactly where the potion was – or destroy the property. Considering that's probably where all the photos and where the girl lived…he wanted to take pity on them and use that only as a last resort. So, hopefully they'd let the Aurors in.

A/n – soooo will Ginny and Dean meet an unfortunate accident of Tom's creation? Or will Tom allow Harry this one thing and allow Ginny to get out and then deal with her once Harry has had whatever he wanted out of it? And no, there's not going to be a big howdo about a potential prophecy, it's too late in the game for that, just an added bit of subtle information on why Dumbledore had gone to such lengths, why he'd created the potion and why he'd had many in place to make sure it came to pass if he died before it was seen through 😉 and I felt so incredibly guilty about Vane…it's a first…either I'm going soft or it was just her words that weakened me LOL R&R please! I think now I can say there's maybe three/four chapters left? two as they explore and I think the last two will be of the future :)