I had been watching this world for a while, even checking out it's history after discovering my family was alive here (to give myself a greater understanding of their culture). So I learned about how most families were polyamorous. While there was a clear hierarchy in the family, it seemed to work for them. With low divorce rates, usually only happening if there was a form of abuse. If clans were involved, the abuser was often executed.
The terms "Husband" and "Wife" were unisex. With the "Husband" being the head of household, regardless of gender. While the "Wife" was the more submissive partner, but still in charge of organizing the consorts and children. Male Wifes, like my dad in this universe, were actually pretty common.
Consorts were refered to, by Breton children, as "Vitricus"... in formal situations, at least. They were often called either 'Vit' or 'Vitty' as a term of endearment. While the word may be Latin, for 'stepfather', in this universe it was a unisex term. As Consorts could be either gender... there was also no legal limit on Consorts but most people only had poly groups of 3.
I was thinking of that so hard because, as I was sleeping, my "Vitty" had come into the room... Severus Slytherin nee Snape (as people don't change their names when they marry here) was sitting on a chair... looking worse for ware.
"It wasn't your fault." Mom told him, neither noticing I had woken up. I quickly closed my eyes, as she continued. "We have told him repeatedly not to play in your lab. It's not your fault Sirius taught him how to pick locks. You did nothing wrong, it's that mutt I plan to have words with."
I suddenly heard a new voice walk in. "The healers explained the extent of the brain damage. Whatever that magical surge was, it didn't do him as much injury as we feared. If anything, from their scans, it actually improved his cognitive abilities. Lots more connections and synapses firing... they did warn this may cause a bit of a personality change..."
I heard Snape sigh...
"It's not your fault, Sev." The new voice assured, "You reacted as quickly as you could, when those wards went off."
"Yes Potter," I nearly gasped hearing Snape say that. He was talking to my dad. Thankfully I managed to stay still, keeping my breathing shallow as to not have them discover I was awake. All three of my parents where in the room! "Lily was just explaining that to me."
My dad sighed, "Then why don't you sound convinced."
"Because it's not a very convincing arguement." informed Snape.
The man was clearly very upset... I might not have gotten along with my Snape, but towards the end if his life... I had gained a deep respect for him. Then I met ones, in the multiverse, that were even more noble. Though they could all be vicious with their snark. I didn't want this man to feel the weight of his child's loss. Not when I could fill that hole.
"Vitty?" I found myself saying. All eyes fell on me. Snape came over and sat on my hospital bed, taking my bandaged hand for himself. "Don't you know, Mummy's always right?" I informed, seriously.
Snape gave a soft smile, as if hearing me speak so flippantly, set aside many of his fears.
Dad laughed, "Looks like his memory is at least intact."
Mom took a swipe at the man's own bottom, getting a yelp from dad. Yeah, medieval world. Gender norms might not be a thing but the head of the family would still discipline their spouses here... thankfully that didn't legally go passed anything worse then spankings.
"Honestly James," Mom sounded exasperated. "Don't joke about such things." she scolded.
"Just trying to lighten the mood!" Dad defended, rubbing his rear. Mom must have put some magic into that smack.
I was blushing that Mom would actually discipline my father in front of me... different world, I reminded myself. I would have to try my best to get over my cultural hangups. Knowing the differences, and living through them, were two different things.
###
It was another week before I left the hospital, and I got to say, just laying on that uncomfortable bed, getting woken up every hour in order to be force fed potions and have my bandages changed... and ointment smeared all over my naked body... it was so worth it. For every day, my parents sat by my side, reading me stories or talking amongst themselves.
Most days, one of my other relatives would pop in... though I still hadn't seen Uncle Voldemort... Until today.
"Harold!" Lord Voldemort smiled at me, the second I entered the compound. As if he was waiting for me to come to him.
I tried not to frown up at him. There were only a handful of universes, where Tom wasn't an irredeemable bastard. Intellectually, I knew this was one of them... I had seem how Tom acted around the Slytherin Clan... in particular, the children... he was a very kind, even loving, man... probably because he hadn't ripped his soul apart to reach his immortality... but in some ways... what he did was worse.
"Hello Tom." I blurted out... I had grown to used to mocking his snake face with his real name. I hadn't even thought to call him his chosen.
My parents stiffened, before looking at each other accusingly.
Tom had a serious frown on his face, before sighing as my parents tried to assure him they never let slip his name.
"Is fine." Lord Voldemort sighed. "He's the heir of a Main House. It's his birthright to know my name... though I would have prefered it if he didn't know until he was mature enough to handle the responsibility."
He suddenly reached down, and I couldn't help but flinch. He immediately stopped, and I realised he was only attempting to pick me up. Presumably so he could carry me, as he often did for the other me.
Everyone looked puzzled by my reaction. Lord Voldemort, the boogie man of my childhood... of so many lifetimes. Looked so bloody concerned by my open reaction to him.
He knelt down on the ground, even leaned down so that he could be on eye level with me... so I could see his glowing red eyes on his scaly albino face.
"Harry..." He tried, clearly attempting to puzzle why I was scared of him, "You're not in any trouble. Least not from me. I imagine your mother will be having words with you, once you get back to your house... but not me... I'm the fun Uncle, remember?"
I gulped down my fear, feeling it more deeply due to the young body, but I was still a Gryffindor, by Merlin. "You're a demon..." I got out.
Voldemort frown, then sighed, "I imagine you heard the nurses talking. Our family gets it's share of gossips, due to the mistakes of my youth."
"My Lord-" Snape started to apologize.
"Is fine Sev," Voldemort insisted. "Children are always apprehensive when they learn what I am... especially when that knowledge comes from outside the clan instead of mmyself." Before looking back at me, "Normally we wait until your old enough to start learning how to channel magic, before sharing clan secrets... though I suppose there is no shielding you from local gossips." He sighed, yet again... looking genuinely hurt. Before picking me up as he stood. Ignoring how stiff I went. "Let's take a walk." He suggested, though I was relieved to see my family was following him.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle," Voldemort informed. "I doubt you heard my full name from those chatty nurses. Our clan has worked hard to make sure no one outside the main house remembers my name. For you see, knowing a demons true name gives you power over them. That duty is left to the Main House, to make sure I never step too far from what is morally acceptable. I made sure of that when the clan was founded."
I blinked, a little puzzled he would willingly share such a weakness with anyone.
Voldemort explained, "I'm not human anymore, and haven't been for a long time. I sometimes have trouble thinking like a mortal. So it's the Main House's job to keep me grounded. One day, that responsibility will fall to you."
"When I was a boy," Voldemort got to explaining his tragic backstory, as you do. "I had an unhealthy obsession with death. I'm ashamed to say I fancied myself a Necromancer. The very thought of dying terrified me. I don't know if you can understand this, but I lost both my parents. My mother, to child birth, and my father, to bandits... it started as me just wanting to talk to them... but when I finally managed to animate their bodies, they were little more then mindless beast.
"I understand, now, that those were just bodies, and I should have been looking to summon their souls... but it can be quite traumatizing to a 8 year old, to have your parents' lifeless corpses try to kill you... to watch as the town guard struck them down... I saw those beast, and assume that is what death was... and vowed to do everything in my power not to step past that threshold.
"I continued my studies into Necromancy. Going so far as to join... a less then... well, I suppose there is no easy way to say this. But I joined a Necromancers' Cult. They were researching how to turn themselves into Liches. Well I was studying how to go beyond even that... through my studies, I created a ritual. One which allowed me to step beyond my body, and live as a being of pure Chakra... my goal was to end suffering for all, to put an end to the cycle of death... but that wasn't what the other Necromancers wanted.
"They used my research to ascend into, what we now call, demons... and from there... they tried to destroy the world. They did not want to stop the cycle of death. Rather they wanted to rule over a world of corpses... I fought to stop them, with the help of other brave warriors I trusted with my ritual. Even gathered an army of humans to help. Together we sealed the 9 Tailed Beast away... this was over 30 thousand years ago.
"Since then, the other demons, like myself, have been living in peace with the Bretons... I have seen much in my life: The Disappearance of Vivec, The Oblivion Crisis, the rise of the Dragon Born... The discovery of the lands beyond our seas... the Frost Demon Wars that followed. I have seen so much... but nothing hurts as much as the thousands I've lost... I never understood, in my youth, just what immortality would fully entail... when the rest of the world is mortal.
"The other demons stole my knowledge of the ritual, to create more of us. At the time, it was believed we couldn't risk the wrong person ascending again... and it was too cruel a task to decide, for ourselves, who could and couldn't live forever... we may be demons, but we aren't monsters. So, since the world wasn't ready for my knowledge, it was hidden away, even from us. The very knowledge of where we hid it, was also hidden.
"Since then, the other demons have spawned entire races of Yokai. They now live quiet, peaceful, lives. Within their own layer of Oblivion. Which they call 'Demon World'... not very original, if you ask me.
"However, I, like a few other demons, decided to stay here... looking after my mortal descendants. Well most bloodline traits are a result of simple evolution. You lot are descendants of my many human lovers. Back when I entertained such notions... a little over a thousand years ago, I helped one of my descendants, a wet behind the ears boy named 'Merlin', track down all his kin... he, and the four Founders, gathered together the Village of Hogsmeade. During a time where similar clans were joining forces, by means of a military alliance. Mostly to protect each other from bandits and wild monsters.
"It interested me, that my descendants would want to form a proper clan. And decided to make my presence known. That wasn't particularly hard, as the individual families already knew me. I tended to pop in from time to time, on all of them. I found them gathering in the same place, to be a much easier way to protect them. Though it had the unforeseen side effect of getting to know them all... on a more personal level...
"Staying with mortals has affected me, more then I would like to admit. Watching you all die, knowing I could have stopped it if things had been different... that's why I didn't visit you, while you were in the hospital. I have... seen far too many people I love move on from this life... It's unbearable when it happens to a child... I've spent your entire stay in the hospital, weeping in my chambers, as I was forced to face how close I came to losing you... and the inevitability that I would lose you..."
I was very quiet during all this...that last bit making me feel something unexpected for a Voldemort... sympathy.
"Why don't you just return to the demons?" I asked, "Wouldn't that be easier on you then watching us all die?"
My parents stiffened at the thought.
"Because I love you," Voldemort smiled. "My life is brighter for having known each of you. Though it may hurt when I lose you. I grieve, I mourn, and I do my best to keep moving forward. Though I keep all of you in my heart, death is a natural part of life, but even that isn't permanent.
"Reincarnation is a thing, though it tends to stay within the same species. Which, technically, each clan counts as it's own sub species. I have actually been reunited with a few of my old friends, from time to time. Though I am sure to awaken their memories, when they are old enough... for entirely selfish reasons, but I'm sure to get their consent before trying... not everyone wants to remember their past life... and it doesn't happen near as often as you think."
###
That night I learned my mom was serious about the switching... though I was somewhat relieved it was only to be three cuts... That relief was short lived, when I had to take off my medieval underpants, and the short robe Snape had dressed me in that morning.
It was so embarrassing to stand there, naked, as mom pulled me over her lap. She started with a "Warm Up Spanking". Landing stinging slaps to my small bottom, with her hand.
Tears unwillingly dripped down my face, as I screamed bloody murder. My body was so small, and unimaginably fragile, that a mere spanking hurt more then anything I had ever endured... it didn't help this was a medieval world, and children were punished far more harshly here.
I imagine this would help prepare me, for when I had to go to the Vernon Dimension.
I cried, and kicked my legs, but mom refused to stop until I lost the will to even do that... then, she hugged me. She rubbed circles on my naked back. Whispering hushes and soothing words. Once I got my crying under control... she sent me outside... I didn't even remember I was in nothing but my Birthday suit, until Some girls giggled at me.
I recognized them as Pansy and Daphne. Two Slytherin girls, from my first life.
I quickly covered myself, but unfortunately all I had available was my hands... which only lasted me as long as it took to get to the switch bush.
The girls laughed harder, as I broke off a long branch, before running back inside the house.
From there, mom held my hands over my head, with one arm, and gave me my "punishment for playing in Vit's lab, and scaring the entire clan to death"... I was half tempted to tell them it had been another Harry that did that, but managed to accept my switching with as much dignity as I was allowed...
Though... most of that was lost from the first strike, across my bare backside. My screams were definitely heard by the girls, still outside.
Afterwards... I got more hugs, and kisses, and a lay down on the Couch. I was able to lay my head in dad's lap, as he ran his fingers down my hair... while Snape applied a cold ointment to my bum.
The next thing I knew, dad was waking me up. Telling me it's dinner time. I was a little shocked to see I was already dressed... and my bum didn't hurt anymore, so that must have been a potion paste Snape applied.
Dad picked me up, and brought me to eat with the rest of my immediate family. I got to eat a delicious dinner, made by the House Elves, and had an extra helping of pudding at dessert.
Life was good.