Our boy who lived was sitting in the common room with a smile on his face. Dawn was turning and twisting before him in the air, chasing a little piece of Berty Botts Beans like a cat would chase a red dot. She caught it with a twist downwards and Harry smiled wide, praising her, before levitating a new piece of bean and the chase began a new. Near him sat Katie and Angelina, talking quietly between each other and watching the aerial acrobatics of the Black bird. It was a few days since the start of the term and right now he would have Defence. Since the school was still figuring out who should take up that position, he got free time on his hands. His homework was all done so he enjoyed his time with his little friend while the room was nicely empty.
The boy was just about to hoist up the third piece of the bean when the mirror that was stuffed into the pocket of his robes was starting to vibrate. Scrambling Harry dug through his pocket and finally pulled out the object.
"Yes?" He spoke to the surface and was rewarded with the face of his godfather who was grinning at him from the surface.
"Hey there Prongslet how are you?" The enthusiastic voice of the Lord of Black was emanating from the mirror, like Harry would stand right next to him. Leaning back with a smile, Harry tilted the mirror a little down.
"I'm good. I'm at the Gryffindor common room right now, how about you?"
Sirius seemed to tilt the mirror showing that he was sitting in his office. "Paperwork for me." The older man made it sound like it was absolute torture. "We have invested overseas you remember?"
Harry nodded, reminded that Sirius had told something like that. About a potion workshop in the US.
"Yeah, the American ministry is kicking a fuss at the moment. Something about the taxes for investment and a lot more. Remus and I are on it for three days now and I am quite tempted to test one of the Unforgivable right now."
Both Katie and Angelina stopped talking staring at the mirror in horror. Harry cleared his throat. "Sirius, I'm not alone in the room."
On the surface, Sirius blinked then called out loudly. "Sorry! Only a joke of course. Black humour and all." And the last words were said with a grin again, while Harry sighed.
"The Black jokes don't get better when you use them every day you know?" The boy reached out as Dawn landed on his chest, peering into the mirror.
Sirius smile broadened a little. "Hey, there fluffy ball. I hope you are annoying my godson there quite a bit, don't you?" Then he laughed.
The phoenix chirped in answer and Harry groaned. "Yeah, haha, let's all laugh about dear old Harry. This little princess today again woke up at five in the morning and deemed that time right for me to wake up as well."
Sirius smirked at him. "Is that so? Just like the last few days?"
Harry nodded, rubbing Dawns neck while she thrilled happily. "Yeah, she started jumping all over me and when I tried turning around she started pulling on my nose with her beak. Don't you, you little rascal?" He got a happy and somewhat mischievous chirp as an answer.
Sirius again laughed, shaking his head. "I feel with you. Melia always has to get out early and Cissy doesn't let me go back to sleep after she left either. So I feel with you Prongslet."
Harry stilled a little. Should he? well screw it, Sirius was always rather open. He stood up and walked a little bit away from Katie and Angelina. "Madam Bones spends quite a lot of time at Grimmauld Place right?"
Sirius nodded, suddenly a lot more serious. "Yeah, she spends most of her nights here or I am at her place. Well during the term at least. During the holiday, she has Susan there and I am with you."
Harry flinched a little. "Sorry." His godfather put his life on hold for him he wasn't sure how to feel about that.
At that Sirius just laughed waving it off. "Oh, Harry. You are not a bother. You are never" His eyes went piercing and he sat up straighter. "NEVER a bother to me. Don't worry about it. Melia and I are adults we can spend two weeks without sleeping in the same bed. It was actually quite nice sleeping in and all you know?" He winked at Harry.
The boy nodded slowly. "As long as it is okay. I don't have a problem when I'm home to be alone for some time you know? She puts up quite a lot with you you know that right?"
Sirius nodded while his face turned softer, a little whistful. "Yeah I know but I love spending time with my favourite godson."
Now Harry snorted. "I'm your only godson."
The smirk on Sirius's face turned into a grin and he winked again. "Maybe you are only the only one you know of."
Shaking his head, Harry smiled. "Yeah, sure."
Sirius smiled back and he nodded. "You know I would never do that to you."
Swallowing the lump in his throat the boy nodded. "I know Padfoot."
They both smiled at each other when a new voice called out. "Harry!" Turning to the portrait hole, the boy saw his best friend hastening towards him. Her bushy hair looked wild like she had been running and she was slightly panting. Hermione was many things. She was magically powerful, a good friend and probably the smartest witch Harry had ever met or probably will ever meet but one thing she was totally not, was being very sporty. Harry looked down at the mirror.
"Sirius I got-"
CRASH. "SIRIUS ORION BLACK!" Narcissa's voice echoed out of the mirror. The image moved hectically and for a moment Harry caught a glimpse of the corridor in Grimmauld Place and what looked like a furious Narcissa before it was taken over by the stairs and Sirius's face.
"Huh, Cissy found my surprise and she didn't like it. Oh, she is maaaad." The mad cackling that the Lord of Black let out was cut short when he had to dig to the side, evading a yellow curse flung at his head.
Harry chuckled shaking his head. "What did you do Padfoot?"
The man turned on the mirror. "Nothing, I just- Oh hey there Cissy. Looking good you- No I- Hold on I can Au, stop hexing me." It was almost impossible to see what was going on until Sirius turned the mirror again. "Got to go Prongslet I AU stop it I try to say bye to my godson."
What every Narcissa was doing to him, seemed to stop but also looked like Sirius only had a few seconds. Harry smiled.
"Do go and make up with Narcissa." Then he called louder. "Hi, Narcissa."
The mirror was ripped from Sirius grasp apparently as said blond woman appeared in the mirror, only with green slime dripping from her forehead.
"Good Morning Harry. I hope you have a lovely day. Now, say goodbye to your godfather he is about to be brutally murdered." The anger in her voice was holding back barely.
Knowing full well that the tall woman was not to be trifled with when angry, Harry called out. "Bye Padfoot and good luck."
His words had barely left his lips as the mirror fogged over and then showed his own face.
"What did you godfather do this time?" Hermione asked as she stepped a little closer. Dawn took that to leap from Harry's hands and land on her shoulder digging herself into Hermione's bushy hair. Hermione let out a very un-Hermione like giggle and tried pulling the black-feathered phoenix from her hair.
"I'm not sure but it looked like he dumped a bucket of Shimmy-Slime on her." His fingers were trying to prey Dawn out for Hermione's hair, but the phoenix wouldn't let go. Finally, both of them gave up trying to get Dawn out of her nest against her will and settled down on one of the couches.
"You would think he learned by now that he won't get away with it. I mean who else would be pranking her? Professor Lupin or Kreacher?" Hermione mused and Harry snorted. Like Kreacher would ever do something like that but he nodded.
"Yeah, you are probably right, but I think Sirius doesn't care about that. He knows full well that Narcissa knows he was it, but I think that is the point. Showing that he is still young and not only the Lord of House Black. You know he loathes that he does that. But I also think rebelling is just his nature and for the last decade or so he couldn't."
Hermione frowned, nodding slowly. "Maybe you are right. He doesn't seem like a...well he isn't the most serious man."
Harry couldn't keep it to himself. "I have you know that he is in fact, Sirius." Only getting a swat on his shoulder.
"Prat." Hermione's word made Harry laugh loudly, coaxing Dawn from her makeshift nest and fluttering into his lap, rolling on her back and presenting her tummy in the most undignified and "Scratch me" pose she knew. Harry sighed in good nature and started getting to work. Crockshanks took that moment to jump on Hermione's lap and got in a similar pose, his tail swiping a little. Together, the two friends just sat there for a while, scratching their pets, even though Harry was careful not to even think the word pet, as he knew a sharp beak could be his reward for doing so.
"You wanted something?" He asked while his fingers rubbed the purring Dawn. Hermione looked at him and for a moment you could see that her mind needed a moment to catch up.
"Huh? Oh Yeah." Suddenly she got really excited. "I figured the egg out! Well more my parents did by accident but anyways.
While his eyebrow raised to his hairs, Harry titled his head to the side. "Your parents? They figured out the magical puzzle we couldn't figure out the past three days?"
Hermione nodded with a grin. "Yes because it isn't a magical puzzle after all. I wrote to my partners, thanks for letting me borrow Hedwig all the time by the way."
Harry shrugged it off. "No need. With the mirrors, I barely write and Hedwig got a bit grumpy for not having anything to do. At all, you are doing me a favour."
Hermione smiled. "Glad I could help. Anyways, I wrote to my parents and told them about the puzzle amongst other things, since it is so vexing. And my mom wrote back and asked if I meant like the Orphic Egg."
Harry frowned. "The what?"
Smiling Hermione stopped stroking Crookshanks, something the big cat was not very happy with and pulled a thick book from her book bag.
"Had to dig really hard in the library for this one. Isn't often used in Hogwarts really." She showed him the title.
"Greek Mythology by Fritz Graf. Never heard of the man." Harry said, picking up the book.
Hermione smirked suddenly really smug. "I guess you wouldn't. I found it in the muggle section. Anyways, in it I found the Orphic Egg, which is often depicted liiiiiike this." She thumbed through the book and finally found the section she was searching for, handing it to Harry.
On the page, there was a lot of text about an egg from Greek Mythology that was the beginning of everything. This egg, so the Greeks or at least some of them during a certain time, believed to be the first thing in creation and from it, a god came forth. That might have been Phanes or in other a different one from Pan to Zeug. This Protogod would then create all the other gods. This was all nice and all but what really interested Harry was that there was a picture next to the text showing a golden egg and wound about it was a silver snake.
The boy looked over to his friend. "Could it be this easy?"
Hermione shrugged. "You should try."
Harry nodded and handed Dawn over to Hermione. Quickly he pulled out his wand and the egg and started transfigurating one of the pillows into a silver snake. Without him doing anything, the snake started moving, swirling around the golden object in quick twists and settling into the groves that were all over the surface. With a click, the head settled on top and the snake opened its mouth. Harry and Hermione watched with interest as small pebbles floated out of the mouth hovering in front of the snakes head and stopped moving.
"Huh." Was all Harry got out. This was it? Harry stared at the pebbles unmoving form, wondering. What was this supposed to mean? He was looking at it with more concentration when Hermione scared the living crap out of him by squealing loudly.
"It's the Engonasin formation!" Her fingers trailed along invisible lines between the pebbles and now the boy could see it too.
"yeah, you are right. But what does this mean?" That he had no idea but Hermione was already brushing through the pages of the book again.
"The Engonasin formation is an astrological formation sitting between the Draco and vulpa and Lyra. It has influence over transfiguration and certain rituals are being held under its shine. But more importantly, I once wrote an essay about those for extra points for Professor Sinestra and while I did so I came across the fact that while Wizards and Witches use the name Engonasin for it, the muggles have a different name for it. It is-"
She slapped the book in front of him on the table, a side open. On it was a picture of a tall muscled man, holding a club over his head. He wore something that looked like a lions pelt and was wrestling a multiheaded snake-like creature. Written on the page was:
"Herakles." Spoke Harry softly. Like most people, he had, of course, heard of Hercules, the mythological son of the ancient greek thunder god. Harry didn't know much of the story, only scraps from his time in elementary when they had glanced over it but his eyes still widened comically.
"You don't think I have to fight a Hydra do you?" The boy asked his best friend who looked back at him with wide eyes too. Hermione tilted her head too, thinking for a moment.
"I don't think so. I am pretty sure Hydra is a muggle creation and there is nothing of that sort. But I will make sure to look it up." She had already pulled out a sheet of parchment and started scribbling away.
"this is much better, I think. This clue is actually very helpful. " She mused while nibbling her bottom lip. Harry frowned.
"How is that helpful?"
Hermione didn't look up from her parchment while pulling the book closer looking back and forth making notes. "Because it gives a game plan. I think you are supposed to take the role of Herakles. When he was denied serving King Eurystheus, Hera, the wife of Zeus, who was mad because her husband had fathered Herakles with a mortal woman and hated Herakles for that reason, punished him with madness. In his mad rage, the 'hero' slew his own children and sometimes the story says also his wife."
Harry stared at her in absolute horror. "I am supposed to kill children?" Only to get rapped over the head by a swatting hand.
"Let me finish. Also, this is still a school tournament, I don't think Professor McGonagall would allow that. When he came to his senses, Herakles saw what he did, he went to the oracle of Delphie in a search for redemption. She told him to serve Eurystheus and finish the task he would be given. He did and those are the famous twelve labours of Herakles. Those are what I think you are supposed to do. Maybe some, maybe all. But if we look into the mythos I'm sure we will find answers to what you are supposed to do."
The boy got a thoughtful expression, nodding slowly. "Sounds logical."
The bushy-haired girl nodded tilting the book to the side.
"Let's get right to it. First Herakles fought the Nemian Lion..."
Sirius straightened the collar of his robes. Tilting a little to the side he looked at his reflection in the mirror. His long dark green robes sat smartly around his frame. Yes he had always turned his nose on pureblood customs during his youth but damn, he did look good in those fancy robes, he had to say. With a smirk, he waved his wand and his hair bound itself in a ponytail. Leaning closer, he looked a little closer. There was no denying it anymore On his temples, some of his dark black hair had strands of silver in it. That was it he was getting old. Brushing his fingers over the lighter strands, Sirius sighed a little bit. He did look old too. He was quite certain he wouldn't look that old if it wasn't for Azkaban and Harry. The former was still haunting him, to the point that he was actually talking to Andy about it. He would trust her with his life, so he could trust her with his fears too. Still, he woke up every other night, clawing at his bedsheets, screaming. Having Amelia there most of the nights helped. The first few nights they slept in the same bed had been rough on her but by now she was used to his night terrors and didn`t seem to mind helping him through those hours when fear and depression had him in its claws and tears streamed down his face. Always the same dream. James and Lily, deeming him a failure, saying he had left their son behind in his selfish way. Every time he tried to plea with them but they would not listen and then Harry pulled away from him, impossible to reach. The only difference to the dreams he had in that hell hole of a prison that Harry wasn't a toddler in his dreams anymore.
Oh Harry, Sirius was sure that quite a few of his grey hairs Prongslet could claim. He had him worried so much. The tournament, his attempt, You-know-who and more. That boy got in more trouble in one year than the marauders had managed in their entire Hogwarts career. He was a magnet for all things that would probably make a good adventure book but was the pure horror as his guardian.
And still, Sirius wouldn't have it any other way. While yes Harry made his life quite stressful, none of it was his godson's fault and he brought so much joy into it in return. Sirius got so smiling only by thinking about that mop of black hair and grey eyes peeking out under those thin-rimmed round glasses.
A knock made him turn. In the door, Remus stood with a parchment in his hand. Sirius took in his friend. Having a full-time job did wonder to the man. Gone were the second-hand suits, his figure had filled out, he even had gotten somewhat of a belly. His cheeks weren't pale and had a tint of red on them. He looked healthier than he had looked like when he was fifteen.
A slight smile was on the werewolves face as he took in his last old friend. Sirius had changed in the last few months. Sure he was still a pranking goof that loved to smile and laugh but he had become Lord Black. Not just in the name but he filled out that role so well. He wore the title like he was born to do it, something that was somewhat true. Remus had noticed that Sirius had full embraced his political training and showed more than a little bit of talent for it. Sure he would moan and grumble whenever he was told he had to this Gala and that Meet and Greet but really when Remus accompanied him, he saw his old friend get right in there, charm, flirt, intimidate and deceive everyone around him like it was an art and he was the artist. The black-haired man had a feeling which old widow had to be flattered and what Lord needed to be provoked to get to the result he wanted to. And with Sirius, there was always only one result that Counted. Keeping Harry safe.
Remus stepped into the room, walking over while Sirius turned back to the mirror. "Hey, Mooney."
Reaching his friend the werewolf looked him in the eyes through the mirror. "Hey, Pads. Getting ready to go out?"
The black-haired man nodded, running his hand through his hair. "Yeah, dinner with Jasmin, Cissy arranged that."
Remus raised an eyebrow. "Zabini? Does Amelia know about this?"
Sirius smirked. "Yeah. She said it is fine."
Remus looked at Padfoot unimpressed, crossing his arms. The black-haired man turned, looked at his friend with a careful smile.
"What?" He asked.
Remus stepped closer. "Amelia is okay with you going out with Jasmin Zabini, who...has a very clear reputation. I wonder why I don't believe that."
Sirius clutched his chest. "Oh Mooney, you wound me. Like I would ever lie to you." The smirk on his face got brighter. "Of course she is okay with it. And she might have given me quite a good incentive to behave. You don't want to know what she threatened me with if she caught even a whiff of her perfume on me." Then his face turned serious. "No for real, Jasmin, even if she didn't know, helped us out big time with Skeeter and I am to repay the favour. Amelia knows she has nothing to worry about. My days of chasing skirt are over. Look at this." He turned his head, pointing at the grey hair.
The werewolf snorted. "Grey hair. So what, I found some in my hair years ago."
Sirius grinned, throwing his arms in the air. "Yeah, but you were always an old man at heart. Now the package fits the content. I for one am a young energetic man with good looks and-"
"Grey hair and quite a few wrinkles around the eyes. Face it Pads, you are getting old."
"I prefer distinguished." Lord Black proclaimed proudly.
Shaking his head, Remus handed him the parchment. "Yeah yeah, Mr Destinguished, these papers need your seal on them."
Sirius pressed his ring onto the parchment and pushed a tiny amount of magic into it, branding his seal onto the document, before handing it back. "What is it about?" He then asked.
Remus sighed, shaking his head. "Sometimes you should really read those things before sealing it. You could have sold me everything, made you my slave or whatever."
Just shrugging his shoulders, Sirius turned back to the mirror, fixing a strand of his hair. "I trust you." was all he said. That was what it was like with him. He trusted Remus so blindly that it didn't even occur to him that his best friend would have anything but his best interest in mind, a sentiment that warmed Remus heart to the core. After all that happened, after Remus had lost all trust in him, thought him a traitor, thought him to be a Death Eater, Sirius just got back to his feet, brushed off the dust and returned to what had been before without any second thought. Remus was to this day taken aback by this level of trust, which he never witnessed coming towards him by anybody else.
"So, what was it about?" Pulling his friend out of his thoughts, Sirius turned again and gestured towards the door. Lupin nodded and they moved out.
"Oh, just a business thing proposal for a new type of racing broom by Lightning Handle. They ask for 10.000 galleons investment. They say it would outperform the Firebolt by a fair bit and is at least quicker by 20 miles per hour."
Lord Black hummed in agreement. 10.000 was quite a sum but on the other hand, he was rich, he could afford it. "I'm fine with that. Anything else?"
Remus nodded, smirking. "We will get the first of the line."
That, in turn, made Sirius grin. "Well, Prongslet will be glad to hear that. I think I have to lock away his broom in the summer if I ever want him to do something else. I am pretty sure he spends more time on that thing than on his feet over the winter break."
An agreeing nod accompanied the answer of his best friend. "I would agree. Just like James. Remember that one time he tried eating and sleeping on his broom?"
Laughing the black-haired man nodded. "Yeah, that was hilarious when he drifted off and fell into the Black Lake."
Remus shoved his friend in good nature. "You were pushing him you prat." And with that Remus raised his wand and shot a stinging hex at him.
"Ow, what was that for?"
"For calling me an old man at heart."
Quickly multiple stinging hexes shot between the two of them before Sirius raised his hands in surrender. Sure he was a good dueler but Remus had always been the DADA guy in their little group.
"I surrender to your ancient wisdom." He said and ducked a new stinging hex coming his way.
A stretched out tongue later they reached the floo-room. Stopping in the door, Lord Black turned to his friend.
"Well, I have to go now."
Nudging his friend, Remus shook his head. "Only you can make dining with a beautiful woman sound like a chore."
Shrugging and holding open the door, Sirius spoke his mind. "You can gladly take my place. I would rather spend the evening with Melia or talking to Prongslet by the mirror."
Pushing his friend through the door towards the floo, Remus shook his head. "I would think Madam Zabini is more interested in Lord Black than some former Hogwarts Professor."
That got a smirk out of said Lord. "You will never know, maybe she would like you."
Remus stopped pushing and sighed, shaking his head again. "I highly doubt it. And I don't really fit her bill. I'm not rich. Also it would be a bad idea."
That made Sirius groaned, waving his arms around like a child that was throwing a temper tantrum. "Oh come on Mooney, you can't spend the rest of your life alone, just because of your furry little problem."
Now Remus frowned, crossing his arms. "As far as I know it is still my life, so I can't decide myself. Also, we have been over this Sirius. Many times."
To that, his friend could only nod. "Yeah, and you are making a fuss about something that isn't that big of a deal. Live your life! Go out there!"
Remus shook his head, turning away. "Get going Pads, you don't want Madam Zabini to wait for you."
"Fine but just...Think about it."
"I will." Remus said like he said every time they had this conversation. What Sirius just wouldn't understand was that Remus did think about it. Quite a lot in fact. It wasn't like he didn't want someone there for him. It wasn't like he hadn't looked at a someone and liked what he had seen. So he thought about the pros and cons so often. But he always came to the same result. It was too dangerous. One slip up and he would never be able to forgive himself.
Still, the thought lingered with him, long after the green fire in the hearth had died down and his friend was out there dining with the black widow.
A book flew across a room. An ancient book. A priceless book. With a loud smack, it hit the wall and made a second loud smacking sound when it came down on the floor. Not that the man who had thrown the book was in any way concerned with the value or age fo the book. The big python-like snake that was in the same room raised its head and started hissing.
Shacking his own head, the bald man walked over, brushing over the snakes head. "The book was useless. No hidden secret knowledge no nothing. With it being so tightly under lockdown you would think Merlin had hidden some powerful spells in it. But no just a story of his life, may he be damned."
Walking back to the throne he had sat on, Lord Voldemort sat down again, flicking his wand and a strong fire burst up in the hearth. With a please hiss Nagini moved closer, warming herself by the flames.
The Dark Lord laid his chin on a propped up fist and started thinking. He wanted to get to the Grave of Merlin, but the Tome of Merlin had no lead on that. So he had to find it in a different way. The question was just how to find it.
He needed a plan. That was, in fact, a lesson every Slytherin learned early in their time at Hogwarts. Always have a plan. And you could do everything as long as you could deal with the consequences. Later most Slytherins learned that a really good plan had other deal with the consequences. In Voldemorts case later had been the first week of his first year. But then again, he wasn't a normal Slytherin.
Tilting his head to the side, the Dark Lord brooded on. The location of Merlins Tomb was a very well guarded secret. Only a handful of people knew the place and it was under Fidelius and who the secret keeper was, was also a secret. Not even the Minister knew who that was. Only the Unspeakable knew that part and getting it out of one of them would be difficult. Unless...
"Alecto!" The Dark Lord called out and it took only a few seconds until the woman hurried through the door. She shuffled over to him quickly, kneeling down in front of him. Without being asked, she raised her right arm presenting it to him. Alecto had been used as a communication device for weeks now by the dark lord and the flesh around her Dark Mark was angry red and swollen. Not that Voldemort cared as he pressed the tip of his wand into the eye of the skull.
Hissing out in pain, Alecto bit her tongue, cursing herself and her brother for going out in search of the dark lord and cursing herself leaving the window of this room open weeks ago overnight. The Dark Lord had been displeased since his beloved snake, the only living being he seemed to care about was cold and she had ended on Mark-duty, as she and her comrades called it.
After he had used her mark, the Dark Lord waved Alecto off and returned to thinking. Since he had the time, he was thinking about his operation. His plan still was to use the Potter brat to perform his ritual of power and become unstoppable. Not even Dumbledore would be able to hold a candle to him once that was done. But to get to the boy, hidden away behind Hogwarts walls or the Black family house would need more resources than he had at the moment. Both places were warded to the brim and while he was the greatest wizard that ever lived, he wasn't all that sure he could storm either of those places. Yet. Greyback was out at the moment, negotiating with the packs while he had sent Bella to Germany. He wanted her to find the remains of the Grindelwald army. He would also have to leave the country himself to get to Transilvania. Emperor Vlad the First wouldn't help him if he sends some minion. The vampire was arrogant. But most of all he needed to get to that tomb!
After about half an hour there was a knock on the door. Entering quickly was a hooded figure that fell on his knee removing the hood as soon as he was inside. Blond long hair fell down on Lucius Malfoys shoulders as he bowed his head.
"You called for me my lord?" He asked in a careful voice.
Voldemort eyed the man for a time, tilting his head to the side. "Report what your son has to say, Lucius."
Licking over his lips, the head of hose Malfoy raised his head, nodding. "My Son has sent me a letter this morning. Potter is back at Hogwarts, that is for sure. But security has been strengthened as we thought. McGonagall runs a tighter ship than Dumbledore. Worse our second source inside the castle is missing."
Raising his head, the Dark Lord looked surprised. "Severus?"
The blond man nodded. "Yes. He has vanished from the castle and none of my sources could find him. Rumours say he has resigned and left to the continent, but that is only heard and say. I know for a fact that he isn't in the DMLE's hands, at least the minister doesn't know about it."
"See that he is found."
"Yes, my Lord." Another bow.
Lord Voldemort brushed his long thin finger over his upper lip in thought. He then picked up his wand, ignoring the way Malfoy stiffened and wordlessly summoned a strange brass orb that he threw over at the patriarch f the Malfoy house.
"Here. Send this to your son. He will walk along the wardline of Hogwarts with it and mark on a map every place where it stops glowing."
Lucius turned the orb, looking at it. "What is this, my lord?"
Voldemorts magic flared up. "Don't ask questions, do as you are told, servant!"
Quickly the tall blond mand was cowering before him again. "Yes, my lord!"
Leaning back, the bald man folded his hands. "I have a mission for you too, Lucius."
The blond man bowed lower. "I live to serve you, my Lord."
Ignoring the pageantry, Voldemort rose to his feet walking to the window. His hands folded behind his back and he stared out into the night. "I want you to get Augustus Rookwood from Azkaban prison. If you can get Dolohov out again, do so too, but Augustus is key."
Lucius stared at the back of his master, shivering slightly. "B-but my lord, my influence with the ministry isn't as strong as it used to be. I am not sure I can convince Fudge to let him go or-"
The Dark Lord snapped around and trained his wand at Lucius, making him shiver and shake in fear in an instant. "You will break him out then, Lucius. I don't care how you do it, I gave you a command, you will do as you are ordered. If you can't follow your orders, I have no use for you whimpering fool and Nagini has been hungry for a while."
Shooting the big dark snake a glance, Lucius pressed his forehead against the floorboard. "NO, No, my Lord I will do as you command, I-"
"Crucio!" Thrashing, Lucius Malfoy screamed agonising howls for a few seconds before the Dark Lord lifted his wand.
"Go. And don't come back without my loyal follower."
Thanking him for his mercy, Lucius scrambled back towards the door, bowing on the way. With a slight smirk, Voldemort returned to his throne, stroking Naginin over her head.
Everything was going as planned.
Ohhh it is so fun writing Voldemort. You can be evil and a dick and torture Lucius so much I somehow even feel bad for him. He not only gets the short end of the stick all the time, but it is also the poo covered one. But smacking him around is something that just writes itself and it is something I love. Maybe he will even get a story arc, we will see.
Now, Voldemort is after Merlin's grave. Why and so on will be pretty end game but we come now slowly into the phase of the story where we start working for the endgame too. After almost half a million words but still ;P.
Now at the moment, Harry is in a really strong position, with Sirius having Fudge under control as well as the Gamot, so I I am working on strengthening Voldi. He is the big bad so he needs to have his things. I like the idea of different factions joining in these fights, so we will see recruitment quite a bit I think. We will see.
Now, the idea with Herakles. That is actually my own idea. I thought long and hard what I could do for the second task since starring at a lake is suuuuuuuuper boring and I am not so big on underwater stuff. This was a sudden idea and I like it, giving it a certain flair. I think about an arena that is built like a colosseum and so on. At the moment I think about which of the labours I want to take. Maybe all, or they get to pick or something. I don't know we will see.
Sirius and Remus had too little alone time in this story so here is some of their friendship. I love filling my story with sometimes just random scenes that are only there for worldbuilding, but then again that is probably the reason my story is quite long already and nowhere near the finish line.
Still in search for good storys about a powerful Harry. Recommendations keep them coming just no slash, please.
Next up: Classes...I guess, not sure.