Disclaimer: Nothing in the Harry Potter universe is mine. Everything belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. I only want to play in her playground a little bit.

AN: Oh wow, thanks for all of the lovely reviews, they keep me motivated to write the next chapters. Many thanks to everyone who favoured and followed.

This chapter is now beta'ed by the wonderful a-bit-of-madness, many thanks and hugs for her.

This chapter, and the next, is dedicated to ulktante. She, and her brilliant story "Benefits of old laws", is the reason how one of the subplots proceeds (with her permission, naturally) and her Lord Slytherin is a major inspiration for my own. The details will be in the next chapter.

Have fun reading.

On with the story.

Chapter 7: An interesting morning

Draco read the letter from Potter again and again, fury building inside him, making it impossible to sit still.

This was unacceptable! He seethed, pacing his room.

How dare Potter unload this shit on him and bind him not to speak about it! How dare he take the easy way out! Where was that damned Gryffindor bravery?

... expect… he should have been in Slytherin, a voice in his head whispered. Which was not the point right now.

And Dumbledore? Why hadn't he found a way to remove the Horcrux from his Golden Boy? Why should Potter deal with this alone? After everything he already had been through.

Were all the adults in Potter's life blind, or were they simply incompetent?

Why had nobody seen what went on with Potter? In the last year everyone who had really looked at him could have realised not everything was alright… Merlin, to have that inside him and a tight mind connection to an insane Dark Lord, no wonder he had anger-management problems…

But reaching the conclusion his death was the only solution?

How dare he just give up like that! Where was his irritating as hell stubbornness?

To resign himself to what he believed was his fate so simply… Draco kicked a side table in rage… he was not allowed to give up! He had the obligation to fight! He was Harry bloody Potter! The boy who never gave up! The boy who was annoying, irritating and insufferable as hell!

…

Why hadn't he asked for help?

At this point Draco paused in his pacing, a realization dawning on him… he had to stop thinking of Potter as the perfect brave lion. Potter was an abused child. Even if he did hide the signs very well, the mindset was still there, if you only looked hard enough.

If Potter had been in Slytherin the abuse would have been discovered, of this Draco was sure. Behaviour that hadn't rung any alarms in Gryffindor, would have aroused suspicion in Slytherin. As far as Draco knew, in all his adventures at Hogwarts, Potter never had asked for help from an adult. He had always thought of Potter as arrogant and insolent because of it, but did this desperate need for independence not look more like a pronounced lack of trust in adults?

And the Gryffindor bravery and courage? Based on everything he knew now, Draco had the impression that Potter tried to prove his worth by saving whoever he could, disregarding his own life. Apparently, his thrice-damned muggle family had drilled the worthlessness of his own life into him.

Draco could not comprehend how Potter could act without even one ounce of self-preservation.

Which led back to the problem at hand - Potter had decided to not depend on anyone and end his own damn life!

Idiotic, foolish, imbecilic, self-sacrificing, stupid Gryffindor!

Merlin, he wanted to scream.

So he did… loudly… thanking Salazar his rooms had silencing charms, and continuing in his furious pacing.

He could understand that Potter didn't want to be a chess piece anymore, that he didn't want to live his life locked up- but he couldn't even be sure that that would happen!

Perhaps the Dark Lord, now that he was hopefully sane (Draco really needed to find out if this was the case), as the creator of the Horcrux knew another way to remove it. Or maybe now, with two healthy minds at each end of the connection, it would not bother Potter that much anymore.

Who knew what a sane Dark Lord would do!?

But, no, Potter decided not to do the sensible thing.

No! He decided to be a self-sacrificing little twit!

Draco was shaking with unadulterated fury. How dare he!

There had to be another solution. Draco refused to believe Potter's death was the only After everything he had already done (Merlin, he had healed the mind, soul and magic of the most powerful Dark Lord), Potter thought he needed to die?

It was insufferable!

He needed Potter. How would he survive the monotony and stupidity of the general Hogwarts population without Potter as a distraction?

He was tired of the burdens? Then let someone help, share them!

It seemed Potter could not see it anymore, but there were more than enough people willing to help him and catch him when he fell. He might not have a family related by blood, but he had created his own regardless, even Draco could see that.

Still enraged, Draco left his room and made his way to the manor library. He needed to research. The Malfoy library was old and extensive, he needed to read everything he could find about Horcruxes, soul magic and accidental connections and bonds. Potter may have gathered crucial information in the Dark Lord's head and the Black library, but neither he nor the Dark Lord had access to Malfoy library. There were dark and old books there you could not find anywhere else.

And he needed to read about oath and truth parchment. He would find a way around the oath- he needed to tell someone, preferably his parents or Severus, what was going on. He couldn't do much on his own - he couldn't even tell someone to apparate with him to Potter's home, the oath prevented it.

He would not allow Potter to die! Potter gave him all this information and Draco would use it as he damn well saw fit, even against Potter's wishes if needed.

His rage was still boiling inside him as he made his way through the dark and silent corridors of the Manor in the middle of the night, careful not to wake his parents so he wouldn't be in the uncomfortable situation of having to explain himself.

The urge to scream had not diminished. A priceless old vase standing in the corridor shattered as he walked by. It was almost satisfying… almost.

He was too infuriated to be calmed by destroying only one small vase, though. A grim smile settled on his features as another priceless knickknack was destroyed. It was better than nothing. Since he could not shriek, everything would shatter instead. He left behind a path of destruction as he walked through the Manor.

Tom Marvolo Riddle could not remember the last time he slept this well. Now, he was sitting with a huge cup of black coffee in front of the open window in his bedroom, Potter's letter in hand. He had carefully read it a few times now and he had marvelled about his own stupidity at sixteen.

He also had checked the connection with his two remaining Horcruxes, which were still strong, and had briefly considered peeking into Potter's mind. The boy had some Occlumency shields, which he could easily dismantle, but it was not worth the hassle. Potter had done him a favour and considering everything the boy knew, he decided to do nothing to aggravate him further at this point.

Another point he was thinking about was what he should call himself. He definitely would not use Lord Voldemort any longer, a hilarious anagram made up by a sixteen-year-old going insane. But neither was he Tom Riddle any longer… he could go with his middle name: Marvolo…

he liked the sound of it…

yes…

Marvolo it was.

Perhaps he should look up if he could take the Slytherin family name. He was entitled to take the Gaunt name, but he shuddered when he thought about the appearance and behaviour of the last member of the family he had met. His Uncle Morfin had not been a prime example of the wizarding species. No, he really did not want to be directly associated with the name Gaunt.

Marvolo sighed, he could not wait to talk with Severus and Lucius. He really hoped Severus could find a way to cure the last remains of his foolishness, if he looked entirely human again he could perhaps pose as his own son.

He had already used the morning to write down his observations of the resurrection ritual and the repercussions.

And he had to assess Severus loyalty, he had been crazy far too long. Who would follow such a madman, even if you are bound to him?

Severus was too proficient in Occlumency, he could lie to him, and he was a true Slytherin. Marvolo remembered how agitated Severus had been when he told him about his plan to go after the Potters. He knew Severus had been friends with Lily Potter once. Had he lost his loyalty there and then?

Was there a way he could accomplish his goals without another outright war? Potter had been right, they had already lost too many wizard and witches. If he could take on the mantle of Lord Slytherin, he would have significant political influence and a seat in the Wizengamot. But for this, he needed to integrate himself with the law-abiding population, and best without being thrown into Azkaban for the things he did while he was insane.

He had to investigate the connection between and Potter further as well. Had the use of Potter's blood in the resurrection ritual had any influence on their connection based on the Horcrux? He definitely could not feel Nagini's emotions without dipping into her mind, like he could Potter's if he was not occlumencing.

He scanned the letter again. He had a lot to discuss with Severus and Lucius.

Harry awoke well rested, to the sun shining into his room. It promised to be a hot day in July, but the breeze coming through the open window was still fresh enough. Stretching and yawning he grabbed his glasses and slid off the bed. After a nice breakfast with water and pumpkin pie (thank Merlin for preservation spells) courtesy of Mrs Weasley, a very human problem announced itself in ferocity, which he had suppressed until now with practiced ease. Harry looked at the bucket Uncle Vernon had left with disdain. But as he had no other choice… then a wicked grin spread on his face… and moments later the bucket was carefully emptied through the bars of his window onto his Aunts prized rosebushes, they would be growing nicely. He had heard once that waste made excellent fertiliser. He could practically hear the outraged screams of his aunt.

Harry chuckled and looked over the stacks of letters on his desk. Deciding on which he wanted to send next, he bundled them together, gently stroking Hedwig, who was still sleeping on her perch.

"Hey girl. Up for the next trip?"

Hedwig blinked at him and hooted.

"I hope you caught some nice fat mice last night before you returned. I am not sure if you liked what I could give you." Hedwig hooted again, hopped onto his shoulder and started to ruffle his hair. Harry let her and changed her water meanwhile.

When Hedwig seemed satisfied with his hairstyle, she presented him her leg. Harry carefully tied the bundle of letters to her leg.

"I know, it's a bit heavy, but they all go to the same destination. Have a safe trip!"

Hedwig nipped his finger fondly as he carried her to the window. Harry settled on the windowsill to watch her fly away. Had Snape checked on Voldemort? He did not dare to open his side of the connection, he was sure that Voldemort would not be happy if he found that Harry was planning to destroy one of his last remaining Horcruxes. And Dumbledore, would he leave him alone, at least a while longer? And Malfoy? Harry snickered, he would have loved to see Malfoy's reaction to his letter.

Tomorrow…

At exactly seven o'clock Severus stepped out of the fireplace at Malfoy Manor, where Lucius already awaited him, looking slightly nervous. A sentiment Severus could agree with.

They did not speak as they walked side by side through the manor. Both men steeled themselves as they approach their Lord's office and knocked. After a short "Enter," they stepped into the room and bowed deeply.

"Come sit with me. We have a lot to discuss and complicated matters are best talked about while comfortable." The amused voice of the Dark Lord startled them.

After yesterday's events, they had expected a different man than the one who had called himself Lord Voldemort for the last year, he had been calmer and more in control of himself, but as they took their seats on the settee, they realized how different his demeanour really was.

He had shown a small smile when they entered, his red eyes fixed them with an intense, but not malicious, gaze. He looked relaxed, sitting there in the armchair, drinking a cup of tea, or was it coffee? All in all, he looked and behaved surprisingly… human, even if his features were not entirely so.

"Severus, there are two concerns I want to talk with you about. First, I want you to find a way to give me back my complete human looks. Having the main part of my soul back already helped, but you certainly noticed that not everything changed. I am not sure if this is because there are still two Horcruxes left or if Pettigrew butchered the resurrection potion. I set up a potion lab down in the cellar for you to use. You will hopefully find everything you need there, if not, send a house-elf to bring you whatever you require. I already provided blood and skin samples, and the leftovers of the resurrection potion, the potion formula, a description of the ritual used and a transcript of procedure from my point of view. Thank Merlin, Pettigrew had enough brains to store some samples." The Dark Lord addressed Severus, who nodded.

His mind already focusing on the task, browsing through possible potions that dealt with the healing of disfigurement.

"The other concern we have to address is your loyalty."

Severus' head snapped up, his face a carefully blank mask. "My loyalty, my Lord? I am and have always been your ever-loyal servant."

The Dark Lord only looked at him.

"I am well aware, Severus, that I lost your loyalty fifteen years ago when I attacked the Potters. Or, more precisely, when I attacked and killed Lily Potter née Evans."

Severus opened his mouth to protest, but a gesture from the Dark Lord stopped him.

"I do not hold it against you. I was a madman at the time, so afraid of death that my conduct was erratic and unnecessarily violent. To believe in an incomplete prophecy and act on it without further investigations was incredibly foolish and I paid the price. Having my mind and soul back for the first time since I was a teenager, has let me see things in a slightly different way. I always disregarded the power feelings like friendship and love could have. It was this contempt that led to my fall at the hands of a toddler and his mother." The Dark Lord took a sip from his cup and sighed.

"But even in my insane state, I at least tried to uphold my promise to you, Severus. I asked Lily Potter to stand aside three times. I understand now that most mothers would do everything to protect their children, but at that time I found it incredibly foolish of her to throw away her life for the little brat. But because I gave her the chance to live, her willing sacrifice created the magic that protected Harry Potter from my killing curse. An ancient, powerful magic in the form of a long-lasting counter-charm."

Severus briefly closed his eyes. His Lord had tried to honour his plead for mercy for Lily and only because of this, her son was still alive. Of course, Lily would have never stepped aside and let her son die.

"But what I do not know, is to what extent I have lost your loyalty, Severus."

Severus opened his eyes again and with a brief internal struggle, looked his Lord in the eyes and lowered his Occlumency shields, showing him how Dumbledore had pressured him into an oath to protect Lily's son, using his grief against him. How he tried to fight the regulations against specific potions, labelled dark. His disgust with the ban of Dark Magic. Everything.

Marvolo was surprised by Severus' offer to assess his mind, but he immediately took advantage of the invitation. He tried to dive into Severus' mind as carefully as possible, but as powerful as he was in Legilimency, he never was gentle. He first examined the memories Severus showed him from every angle, establishing that they were not tampered with, then he delved deeper, pressing against the unintentional shields Severus' subconscious mind brought up and passing through them.

He looked through Severus' memories, starting with Lily Potter. He examined Severus' childhood, his friendship with Lily and his Hogwarts school years. Every embarrassing detail was inspected. His happy memories with Lily, the glaring contrast to his dark home life, the bullying at the hands of Potter and his friends, his growing interest and proficiency in the Dark Arts. The devastation after his fallout with Lily.

He saw his deep satisfaction as he took the Dark Mark, his growing dissatisfaction over time with the dark side's goals and their means of accomplishing them, and his despair when he realized he had bound himself to an insane megalomaniac.

His utter terror the night he learned his only childhood friend was the target of said madman. The all-consuming pain when he found her body.

Marvolo saw the moment Dumbledore had guilt pressured the grieving man into the oath to protect the boy.

Severus' teaching years till the Potter boy started Hogwarts flew by. He watched as the Potions Master was forced to protect the boy. He carefully studied the interactions between Severus and Potter. All these memories were overshadowed by hate because the boy looked and behaved so much like his father, and pain when he caught a glimpse of these green eyes, so much like his mother.

He saw Severus' growing annoyance and resentment towards Dumbledore and the light side, and his reluctance to follow the orders given by the old man.

He saw himself raging like a madman, unhinged and volatile after the resurrection. He felt Severus' hopelessness for the dark side.

Severus' whole life, his ambitions and hopes were spread out before him.

Severus Snape wanted to preserve traditions and he did not want to repress the so-called Dark Arts. He was a Dark Wizard himself, so he understood the danger coming from them. They were alluring and you could easily lose yourself to them. But you could not ban Dark Magic, it would mean that a third of the wizarding population needed to deny their innate magic and therefore their own nature. The Darkest Arts should be monitored, yes, everybody who learned them should be aware of what they are doing, but not banned. Severus Snape hoped that the wizarding world could change, but both of his masters had crushed this hope so far.

Marvolo carefully surfaced from deep within the Potions Master's mind.

Severus knew it was a huge risk to lower his shields and allow the Dark Lord unrestricted access to his mind, but the man's demeanour yesterday and today promised a change and a chance for the dark side.

Having the Dark Lord delving into his mind was as unpleasant as he had expected it. He was forced to relive his best and worst memories. The feelings connected to those memories left him raw, but it had to be done. If he wanted to take part in this new dark side, his Lord needed to be certain of his loyalty.

He sighed in relief when the intense presence of the Dark Lord's mind left his own, leaving him with a pounding headache and a struggle to keep his feelings under control. He vaguely noticed Lucius calling for a house-elf to bring a headache reliever and a calming draught.

After Severus downed the potions, not without sniffing carefully, and was in control if himself again, both men shifted their attention back to the dark wizard.

"Thank you, Severus. The trust you showed today will not be abused and even if I had lost your loyalty, the dark side did not. Rest assured that I don't plan to endanger your oath. An oath to protect the boy who is my Horcrux and to whom we owe a huge favour, I certainly can work with that."

Lucius went stiff at his side hearing about the oath and looked shocked at him, but Severus nodded and felt relief calming him further.

"Now that this is out of the way, we have a few more issues we must address. It is certain that I will not continue like before. A war is not the way to accomplish our goals, violence can only bring us so far and would only lead to the loss of precious wizarding blood. Instead we must fight mainly on the political stage, at least openly. For this, I need a legal way to integrate myself with the law-abiding population, preferably without being thrown into Azkaban. Lucius, that will be your part. Look through all cases where someone came back from the dead, I cannot be the first case. Perhaps there is something we could use to declare me innocent because of insanity. Another possibility would be for me to play my own son. Either way, I want to know what requirements there are for taking up the mantle of Lord Slytherin. The title would give us significant political and social influence, not to speak of the seat in the Wizengamot."

Lucius nodded. "I will begin immediately. Now that the Ministry is openly declaring your resurrection we should act as fast as possible. May I seek help from one of the others in the inner circle?"

"Certainly. I will call Thaddaeus. If I remember correctly he is proficient in the judicial area."

Lucius presented his left arm upon the Dark Lords gesture. A short and surprisingly gentle call through the Dark Mark and moments later, they heard a knock on the door. Thaddaeus Nott entered with the permission of the Dark Lord, and only a small break in his step hinted his surprise as he noticed the new looks of his Lord. He bowed deeply, his already mostly grey hair falling into his eyes.

"My Lord."

"Please sit, Thaddaeus. Lucius, Severus, please inform him of what has transpired so far." The Dark Lord gestured to an empty armchair beside the settee Severus and Lucius were sitting.

While Thaddaeus was updated by Lucius, leaving some details out like the Horcruxes, Severus observed his Lord. He looked exhausted, and no wonder, the process of having his soul merge back together and the adaption to the new amount of magic he should be able to wield now must be draining.

Discreetly, Severus slid a Pepper-up potion to his Lord, who acknowledged and thanked him with a slight tilt of his head.

Once Thaddaeus was up to date, the Dark Lord took hold of the conversation again.

"As you can see, we have a lot to do and as fast as possible. First and foremost, find a way for me to be a law-abiding citizen again and the requirements for taking the Slytherin Lordship. Potter pointed out another interesting issue. I am not up to date with Muggle science, so please find someone to research the following terms: DNA, gene pools, gene mutation and mendelian rules in the context of inbreeding."

None of the men had heard of these terms so far and looked utterly confused.

"If I may ask, why my Lord?" Severus enquired.

"Potter hinted it could have something to do with the growing birth of Squibs and magically weak children in pure-blood families."

"I will put one of the younger ones to the task. Perhaps the oldest son of the Parkinson family?" Lucius suggested.

"Payton? Yes, contact him later. I want the detail of this meeting and everything connected to Potter's letter remain between us, though." All three men nodded in agreement. "Good. Now, Thaddaeus, you can go and start with your task."

Thaddaeus nodded again and left the study.

"Lucius, Severus, we have to talk about Potter. As he is one of my remaining Horcruxes, he must be protected. Leaving him alone is not an option anymore. After everything I learned from you today, Severus, I don't trust Dumbledore not to use him against me, even against Potter's will. He hinted that he would disappear - I don't think Dumbledore would allow the boy to do that - but he doesn't elaborate. Severus, what did he write to you on this matter?"

Severus removed the letter sent to him from his pocket and began to read.

"He does not say anything of disappearing in my letter, but he acknowledged that he would approve some goals of the dark side and that dark does not equal evil." Severus consented to the Dark Lord's assessment of the Headmaster.

Scanning some parts of the letter again, Severus decided to take a calculated risk. "But the boy hinted that he would try to destroy the Horcrux inside him. He explained that he is not a complete Horcrux, like Nagini, due to the missed performance of the needed ritual. He called it a parasitic fragment, and it seems he will try to get rid of it. He did not elaborate how or why, but if I must guess, he wants to be free of everything that could be used to have some power over him." If Severus read the situation correctly, his Lord was sincere in trying to protect the boy, therefore enabling Severus to uphold his oath.

At this point Severus agreed with the Dark Lord that Dumbledore was the greater threat. If Potter was not going willingly along with whatever plan the Headmaster had, he was sure that Dumbledore had no qualms killing the boy for 'the greater good'. Severus had the growing suspicion that Dumbledore knew what Potter was and keeping the Horcrux would put him under the protection of the most powerful wizard in Britain.

"Potter didn't mention this in the letter he wrote to me," the Dark Lord mused. "But he wrote that his plans wouldn't allow him to see the aftermath of all he had done and that this would be the last time I heard from him. We can't actually do something at the moment, though, Potter is too well protected at his summer residence. Severus, if Potter already sent a letter to Dumbledore, he will surely call for you. If you can find out what Potter wrote to Dumbledore and what the Headmaster intends to do, we can decide how to proceed. If he could simply destroy the soul-piece, I am sure Potter would have already done it and his actions so far lead me to believe he wishes to give it back to me. As the connection between his soul and my Horcrux is too tight, I can't think of a way how he could accomplish this. But if he found a way, the boy did me a favour regardless and therefore he will be under my protection, even without being a Horcrux."

Severus was relieved. The oath would be fulfilled, the boy protected, and he could stay at the side he belonged to.

"And I fully intend to ignore the prophecy. I have to find a way to learn the full content. Even if it is, perhaps, not a true prophecy, Dumbledore seems to believe in it and act on it. Therefore, it would be easier to anticipate Dumbledore's plans if I knew it in its entire content. The copy in the Hall of Prophecies was destroyed. Severus, do you think Dumbledore shared the prophecy with Potter?" The Dark Lord mused.

Severus paused. Should he take another risk? So far everything had played out better than he had dared to hope. Taking a deep breath, he addressed his Lord.

"My Lord, Potter informed me of the whole content of the prophecy in his letter. He called it a self-fulfilling prophecy and said that he already fulfilled it as a toddler." Then he read this part of the letter out, while observing the reaction of the Dark Lord. He looked calm, surprisingly, relieved and a little confused.

"Interesting and odd. It seems, Potter is right. If I hadn't went after him, I would never have marked him as my equal and opened the way for the prophecy to take hold. And he already vanquished me, nothing is hinting that he has to do it again. Can we even be sure that it is about me as a Dark Lord?"

The red-eyed man stayed silent for a few moments.

"What confuses me the most is this part: and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…. What exactly does it mean? That only Potter can kill me and the other way around? How ridiculous. Yes, the container of a Horcrux is extremely hard to destroy by any other hand than the original owner of the soul, the destruction level of fiendfyre or basilisk venom is needed, but is it the same with a human Horcrux? I am not sure. Would this mean Potter and I are immortal or at least not destroyable? Also, living and surviving are two different things. I was merely surviving while I was a bodiless spirit and perhaps, even in the nearly soulless state after the resurrection. What defines living? what defines surviving? This prophecy contains too many possibilities and oddities to interpret it."

The Dark Lord was deeply lost in thought again.

"The best course is to ignore it for the moment. Perhaps I'll have the chance to discuss it with Potter himself at some point. I think that is all for the moment. Please notify the others, that Death Eater - and we really need another name, it sounds ridiculous - activities are on break for the moment. How we proceed from here is dependent on what law can be found to be used."

He dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Lucius and Severus bowed and left the study.

In the hallway both men looked at each other, determination settled in their faces. They agreed to do everything in their power to not let this chance for the dark side go to waste. Too much depended on it.

Severus called a house-elf to show him to the potions lab the Dark Lord had set up for him in the basement. It was a well illuminated room. Severus was not sure what it had been used for before. Perhaps a storage room?

Now a huge granite work table dominated the room. Three of the four walls were hidden behind shelves upon shelves of potion ingredients in glass and crystal, jars and vials. He spotted even some really rare and expensive ingredients. A ventilation charm system had been installed to remove harmful fumes out of the only window. Cauldrons in different sizes and from all different materials were standing in a row against one wall and on the working table every instrument made from every possible material a Potion Master could think about were laid out.

The information he needed concerning the ritual and potion used for the resurrection and the samples were on the table. After the first quick overview of the formula, Severus was already excited. The ritual itself was actually quite simple, but the preparations of the ritual and the potion were extensive. The potion itself was complicated and intriguing. How Pettigrew, who was a mediocre brewer, could have successfully made this potion, Severus did not know.

He picked up one of the samples from the potion. It was from an early stage in the brewing process. Pulling out the stopper he poured it into a simple iron cauldron. While he read over the potion formula, the brewing process and the description of the procedure from his Lord, his mind already analysed the potion by consistence, smell and colour.

This was why he had become a Potion Master. This was a thrilling, complicated puzzle, wanting to be solved. For the next hours, Severus Snape immersed himself in the subtle art of potions making.

Meanwhile Hedwig reached a peculiar looking building. It was several stories high, with four or five chimneys and so many extra rooms added to the original building, that only magic was able to keep it together.

Flying through the open window into a warm, friendly, welcoming, but empty kitchen, Hedwig landed on the long table and ruffled her feathers shortly. With her beak she tugged at the ribbon binding the package of letters to her foot and undid it. She left the letters on the table and departed through the window again, heading back to her wizard.

AN: Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.

Many thanks again to a-bit-of-madness for helping to improve my grammar and spelling.

First published: 27th of August 2018

Last edited: 18th of November 2018