Disclaimer: I do not own HP.
Reaching Through Time
Chapter 31: The Return
Harry and Draco seemed to have become fast friends in their shared love of quidditch. They were still absorbed in each other even as the four of them, Tom, Harry, Lucius, and Draco, left the VIP box.
"Harry…" Tom was smiling fondly as Harry babbled about the various plays that had occurred during the match. "I've got one more surprise for you." He glanced at Lucius and then at Draco. He wanted to have a few more words with them before they all separated. "Would you like to join us for a little while?"
"Just for a few minutes I think." Lucius nodded quickly in agreement which left Draco trying desperately to control just how happy he was.
"Ugh...what are you doing here ferret?"
Harry knew that voice. It was the voice of the boy that he had bumped into earlier. Not his most graceful moment.
"Ronald, manners!" A tall man with hair just as red as all the others in his group hastily interrupted the boy. The taller man, whom Tom assumed was the boy's father, had grabbed the boy by the shoulders to keep him from stepping forward to continue his insults.
"Ah. Arthur." Lucius had placed his hand on his own son's shoulder to keep him grounded. "I see you brought your children. I do wonder what you had to do to afford such exclusive seats. Especially for so many of your...children." Lucius looked over each child slowly.
Anyone from Slytherin would have instantly recognized the animosity between the two older men, even if they were speaking civilly. Tom had the added benefit of having grown up in the Malfoy home so he could see and hear just how repulsed Lucius was of the red haired man.
"To answer your question, Weasley, the minister invited my father and I to attend. Otherwise we would have had our usual private box." Draco sneered deeply at the teen that was only barely taller than him.
So that was what was going on. These were the Weasleys. The Malfoys and the Weasleys had been in a blood feud for more than 300 years. Tom and Harry had been lucky to have attended Hogwarts while no Weasleys had been present.
Tom's lips pursed as he looked over all the redheads. The only two that weren't glaring back were the twins; they were just grinning and whispering to each other. Something told Tom that they were either planning to do something against them, or that they honestly did not care about the blood feud.
"Excuse me sirs."
The tension that had descended on the group broke when a young woman in an official looking uniform approached them.
"I'm looking for Thomas Peverell to take him to the private meeting with-"
"That would be me." Tom was quick to interrupt the woman. This part of the package he had paid for was supposed to be a surprise for Harry. "Lord Malfoy and his son will be joining us." Thankfully he hadn't had to specify how many people he would be bringing along for this part of the evening.
Draco sent one last sneer at the youngest of the male redheads before they were led away.
The woman snapped her mouth shut, smiled, and nodded. "Of course. If you would follow me." She bowed slightly before turning to head towards a door to the back of the VIP box; one that no one else seemed to be using.
"Tom? What's going on?" Harry frowned deeply as Tom steered him towards the door with a small secretive smile. Harry huffed in annoyance, but he ended up going along with whatever was going on; after all Tom would never plan anything that would put him in actual danger.
"Draco and I will not be able to stay long. We have a dinner party to attend to tonight." Lucius gave Tom a pointed look.
Recalling what they had discussed during the game, Tom's only response was to nod. He had already realized that the older Malfoy wanted them to be as far from the stadium, and most likely the camping grounds, as possible. Something was going on and with how frequently Lucius was reminding Tom of his plans, he knew that the elder Malfoy was making sure he had an alibi and that everyone knew of it.
Harry continued asking questions about what was going on, which Tom ignored for the most part. Now and then he would grin or wink at Harry, but nothing else.
"Consider this a late birthday gift." Tom cooed when their escort finally stopped outside a strongly warded door. She knocked on the door three times and Tom felt as the wards were lowered and they could suddenly hear laughter and noise coming from the other side of the door.
They were escorted into the after party of the match. Both teams were in attendance and, even though they had lost, even the Bulgarian team seemed to be in high spirits.
"Tom! You- This-" Harry stuttered in shock before breaking out into a huge grin. "This is awesome!"
Without even thinking about it, Harry grabbed Draco's hand along with Tom's and dragged them into the party. Draco was a bit more willing and eager to follow while Tom just put up with the childish glee with a fond smile.
Autographs were quickly collected and Harry was constantly smiling over the fact that he was meeting the quidditch players. He even got to talk to Krum for a few minutes when the Bulgarian seeker found out that Harry usually played seeker during friendly matches.
Harry was careful not to reveal anything of his past that would contradict the story they and goblins had come up with, but that didn't mean he couldn't talk about different racing brooms, dangerous flying maneuvers, or quidditch history.
Tom hung back to let Harry really enjoy his time with the quidditch players. It was nice to see his Harry smiling so brightly and being so animated. Even though Harry had been hiding it really well, Tom knew the last couple months had been hard on him. The younger teen missed his family terribly and sometimes Tom got the feeling that the knowledge that their family was dead hadn't really sunk in fully.
"I would like to extend an invitation to the Malfoy manor before the start of the school term."
While Tom had been watching Harry, Lucius had sidled up next to him. "When?"
"Tomorrow for lunch?" Lucius was smiling ever so slightly as he watched his son speaking with the Bulgarian captain. "I would invite you to breakfast, but with how late I am expecting the dinner party to go, breakfast will probably be late in the morning."
As much as Tom wanted to accept, he couldn't. "Unfortunately Harry and I have an appointment we have to go to. We are not sure how long it will take, but perhaps we will be able to make it to dinner? If that is acceptable?"
Lucius nodded in understanding. "Of course. If things do not go as planned please send a message along."
After about twenty minutes of enjoying the party, Lucius had to pull Draco away so they could head home. "Be safe on your way home." Lucius mumbled to Tom before he and his son left.
At one point during the party, Tom was approached by a man that was introduced as the Minister of Magic. Apparently Tom's association with Lucius Malfoy had gotten Minister Fudge's attention and the older man had made it a point of meeting Tom.
It took all of a minute for Tom to ascertain that Fudge was useless. The man was full of himself after years of being catered to and his voice had a grating quality that had Tom mentally wincing.
"If you would excuse me, Minister." Tom bowed slightly to the man before quickly excusing himself to collect Harry. They'd been at the party an additional hour since the Malfoy's had left and he was starting to feel twitchy.
"Tom! Viktor says I can write to him." Harry told his boyfriend excitedly when he felt Tom's hand on his shoulder. "He says next summer we could visit and he could give me quidditch tips."
"Wouldn't that be fun." Tom turned his gaze to the Bulgarian, eyeing him critically. The man was watching Harry with a small smile that had Tom's jealousy rearing up. Harry seemed to be too excited to notice the attention. "We should be going Harry. It's getting late and we wouldn't want to inconvenience the goblins with our portkey."
Harry sighed dramatically, but nodded all the same. "It was nice meeting you Viktor!"
"You as vell 'arry."
Tom and Harry were out of the stadium and heading towards the closest assigned portkey spot after that. Harry was still excitedly telling Tom all about the various quidditch players and what he had learned from them in the short amount of time they'd been there. He was so focused on telling Tom everything, that Harry at first didn't notice the building magic in the air.
It wasn't until he stumbled and his head started to feel fuzzy that he realized that something was interfering with his dampener charm.
"T-Tom." Harry grabbed onto Tom's arm to keep from falling over when the magic that had been building suddenly slammed down on the area around them.
The magic in the air was murky and disgusting. It felt a lot like Dumbledore's magic, and yet there was something twisted about it that made it feel stale.
"We n-need to go." Harry whispered. Even though the magic was stale, it still felt so strongly of Dumbledore that Harry was almost sure the old man would show up any moment.
With a nod Tom grabbed the portkey from around his neck and tapped it three times while whispering the code word, but nothing happened. Tom cursed and scooped Harry up when the younger teen stumbled again.
There were wards blocking the use of portkeys and apparition.
At first Tom was going to go the campsite, but what originally sounded like a party had turned into screams of terror coming from that direction. Instead Tom turned on his heel and charged in the opposite direction. He wouldn't go back the stadium, that would probably become the next target, instead Tom hurried away from everything.
Harry was whimpering in his arms and his arms were clinging desperately around Tom's neck. This was too similar to the last attack and it had Tom on edge. He was constantly looking around him for any sign of movement.
Thankfully they weren't attacked, but both of the teens could hear people in the forest around them trying to get away as well.
Finally, finally they were past whatever wards had been dropped into place and as fast as he could, Tom used the portkey to get them out of there not trusting himself to apparate the two of them safely.
The twisting, spinning, and squeezing sensation of the portkey along with the sudden departure had Tom stumbling and falling to his knees when the portkey finally spat them back out.
"Ah. Did you two have a good-" The goblin that had been speaking stopped at the sight of a sobbing Harry and a dishevelled Tom.
"There was an attack." Tom's voice was cold and his eyes hard as he stared past the goblin. "Is Gothrack still here?"
"Of course sir." The goblin inclined his head and motioned for Tom to follow after him.
"Talk to me Harry." Tom whispered as he carefully got up off of his knees to follow after the goblin. "It's alright now. We're safe. Talk to me."
"It was his magic! It was everywhere!" Harry gasped in a breath between sobs. "But it felt stale and old, almost like it was sick, but it was definitely his!"
"He's a coward and an old fool." Tom was only barely paying attention to the goblin and to where they were going. Harry was still shaking in his arms and Tom had to calm him down before Harry could fall into a panic attack. "We'll make sure he can never hurt us again. We'll get allies and power. When the time comes we'll strike him down and he'll never hurt us again."
Slowly Harry started to calm down the longer Tom whispered assurances to him. By the time they made it to Gothrack's office, which Tom was sure they had passed twice while he'd been trying to calm Harry down, Harry was sound asleep in Tom's arms.
"Lord Peverell. I was not expecting you." Gothrack was sitting behind his desk reading through reports and writing notes for himself. "Nian reports that you said there was an attack?"
Tom entered the office and took a seat at the couch so that he wouldn't have to adjust his hold on Harry.
"There was. We were just leaving the stadium to head home when Harry felt Dumbledore's magic surrounding the area. They were anti portkey and apparition wards." Tom explained quickly. "We heard screams coming from the direction of the campsite and we went the other way."
"Dumbledore's magic?"
"Yes. Harry said it was Dumbledore's."
Gothrack made a noise in the back of his throat as his quill scratched swiftly across the parchment he was writing on. A moment later the parchment folded itself up into an origami bird and then flew off.
"We had several goblin representatives there observing bets. They will be instructed to take samples of all magical residue." With that said, the goblin account manager folded his hands on top of his desk.
Tom felt his shoulders relax some. "I know you said before that there would be so much ambient magic at the world cup that the tracer on Harry wouldn't work correctly...but is there a chance-"
"If Dumbledore had been able to work through the wards around the World Cup, we have little doubt he would have been on Harry the moment he left London." Gothrack smiled in what Tom could assume to be a comforting manner, but it just showed off the goblins very sharp teeth. "Speaking of the tracking charm, the potions master has confirmed that the potion will be done on schedule."
More of the stress that Tom had been burdened with lifted and he let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you Gothrack."
"Take a moment to center yourself Lord Peverell and then it is best if you and Harry return to your flat." Gothrack himself was wanting to finish up his paperwork for the night so he could return to his own home.
Sensing that perhaps the goblin was only sticking around because he was waiting on them, Tom only took a minute or two before standing up.
"May your gold always grow." Tom bowed as best he could to Gothrack.
"And may your enemies fall before you."
Despite his position at Hogwarts, when the goblins had first approached Severus to hire him on for contract work now and then, Severus had been quick to accept. It was well known that the goblins paid well, even for their contract work, and goblins very rarely ever hired outside of their own nation.
So for the last 14 years Severus had been taking various jobs from the goblins. He'd earned quite a large sum of gold from his work. Most of the time he was just asked to make obscure potions that required someone of his background and knowledge to make, or was asked to make any potions that could only be made, legally, by licensed potions masters.
On rare occasions he was even paid to go to strange and remote areas of the world to collect potion ingredients that the goblins could not obtain themselves.
It was good work that satisfied a part of Severus that being a professor at Hogwarts never could.
When he had been contacted at the beginning of summer by the goblins he hadn't been surprised. His interest was piqued when he was told what it was he needed to do.
Tracking potions weren't exactly tricky to make, but they varied in type and could easily be adjusted and altered to suit the creators needs. The tricky part was creating an antidote that would not harm the patient.
Normally the goblins would send Severus their instructions along with the contract and he would be able to brew in peace in his own lab. This time though had been different. This time he had been asked to brew at the lab inside the bank. He had also been asked to sign quite a few forms that would ensure the privacy and protection of the client.
He'd only been in the goblin's lab once before, during his interview process, so he was practically salivating at the thought that he would get to work in the lab. The goblins always had the top of the line equipment and the best ingredients.
Severus never asked questions, outside of those that were necessary such as the health, height, weight, and blood type of the patient, but even he had to admit that the goblins were being a bit more paranoid than normal about this particular client. Other than the absolute necessary information, and the blood sample, they hadn't revealed a single thing to the potions master.
The blood sample he had been given had been astounding. Just the tiny sample was so full of magic that it took Severus some time to sort through what was the natural magic connected to the blood and what had been placed there by outside means.
As much as he hated to admit it, it had taken him much longer than he had first predicted to finally isolate what had been used in the tracking potion.
And then it had taken him almost a month to create and brew the necessary potion. He'd ruined the first blood sample that he had been given, the first antidote had had a slight imbalance of powdered acromantula legs and mistletoe berry juice, but he'd figured it out in the end.
Now the brewing was done and he would be meeting the young man the potion was for.
Apparently the patient had been hesitant about him being there, but since this was Severus' potion he had to be there to be able to counteract any possible problems that might arise from the potion. Just in case.
The goblins had understood and had explained the situation to the patient, but the patient had been so paranoid that the goblins had insisted that Severus sign yet another magical oath that he would not reveal who his patient was and would only contact the patient if either through Gringotts or if he himself was given permission from the patient.
Severus was starting to wonder if perhaps he was working with some member of nobility or the gentry. If that was the case though why had they gone through Gringotts? Usually any Lord or higher would privately higher their own healers or potion makers.
It really wasn't his business though. So, with an impatient glare at the magically created clock that was hanging in the air against the wall near him, Severus waited.
At exactly 9am, the time of the appointment with his patient, the door to the private exam room opened.
The goblin that had been working with Severus, Gothrack if the potions master remembered correctly, led two teenagers into the room. One was obvious of age, tall, extremely handsome, with well groomed wavy dark hair and blue eyes while the other looked to be maybe 13 with messy dark brown hair and brilliant emerald green eyes behind stylish glasses.
Those eyes! Severus would be able to recognize those anywhere! "Harry Potter!" His words came out in a scathing hiss and he felt both relief for the boy being alive and disgust that he was looking at James Potter's spawn.
Almost instantly the boy that he had been staring at shrank in on himself and his shoulders hunched up and forward.
"I would appreciate it if you did not use that tone of voice." The other teenager, the one to enter before Potter, said. His jaw was clenched and his eyes had narrowed drastically. He had placed a comforting hand on Potter's shoulder and the smaller teen seemed to melt into the touch.
Severus sneered, but he kept quiet. There was something about the older teen, something...familiar...that the potions master couldn't quite put his finger on.
There were so many things that Severus found himself wanting to say. For years he had thought he had failed in his oath to keep Potter safe, and yet here he was safe, healthy, and whole. He couldn't exactly blame the boy though could he? According to Dumbledore the boy hadn't even known his own importance; just that he had been spoiled and loved by his relatives.
Instead Severus kept his mouth shut and handed over the potion to the goblin in charge of this procedure when asked. He didn't need to speak so he elected to just stay silent.
"If you would drink this Heir Potter." Gothrack instructed as he handed the potion over to the younger teen.
With a deep breath, Harry lifted the glass vial to his lips. He'd taken enough potions in his life to know that this one was going to taste disgusting based on the smell it was giving off. So he closed his eyes and forced himself to knock the potion back fast, trying hard to get as much potion down his throat without it touching his tongue.
Harry made a face of disgust before handing the vial back to Gothrack. He shivered and twitched as he felt the slimy potion going down his throat. After a few minutes of waiting, Harry started giving off a slight glow. Nothing else happened for several minutes until the glowing suddenly ended with a soft crackling sound.
Gothrack lifted a hand and began mumbling a spell in gobbledegook. When nothing happened after a few minutes of that he simply nodded in relief.
"The tracking spell is gone. You should be safe to move about the country as you please." Gothrack brushed his hands together a few times. "If you want, you could leave the country. We could provide you with the same services that we have provided the others."
"No. You know I can't leave." Harry said slowly. He eyed the potion master for a moment, but he knew the spells and oath that the man had taken would keep him from saying anything to anyone. "I have to go to Hogwarts. I can't just leave the Castle in his hands."
Harry, Tom, and Remus had had a long discussion about what needed to be done. Harry knew that he couldn't just leave the castle again. He was the Heir of Hogwarts and he had a responsibility to the castle. He felt he had to protect the castle just as the castle felt the need to protect him.
"Understandable, Heir Potter." Gothrack nodded his head before motioning for them to follow him out of the room. "Thank you for your assistance in this matter, Potion Master Snape. Your payment will be transferred to your account.
Seeing Potter leaving the room snapped Snape out of his silent glaring. "Potter-"
"Gothrack, would you be so kind as to go over the final details of our new home with Harry?" Tom didn't have to wait long before the goblin simply nodded and escorted Harry out of the room.
Tom let out a small sigh before turning his red rimmed eyes to Severus. "Anything you have to say to Harry, you will say to me first." He hissed out angrily. "I will not allow you to hurt Harry, even if the only weapon you use is words."
"What I have to say is private." Severus sneered at the younger teen. "I will not reveal secrets to someone that has no pertinence to the situation."
Tom blinked in surprise and his eyes widened ever so slightly. "No...pertinence?" He repeated the words slowly. "I have no 'pertinence'?"
"You are just a boy that thinks he is more important than he really is." Severus snapped, what little patience he had wearing thin. "You do not understand what is going on and because of that you are getting in the way."
Tom's eyes had remained blue for the most part, but at that moment they were blood red as he snarled at Severus. "Is that so?" He asked coldly before slowly stepping towards Severus. "I'm getting in the way?" He hissed softly at Severus. "Trusssst me when I say, I understand exactly what's going on."
When they had first entered the room, Tom had felt something strange coming from Severus' left arm. There was magic there that felt familiar and yet corrupted at the same time. Tom would have sworn it felt like his own magic, but that was impossible. It had to be impossible.
Like the snake that he was, Tom's arm snapped forward and grabbed hold of Severus' arm. Before the older man could pull away, Tom had literally ripped the sleeve of his robe off of his arm.
There, standing out against the man's pale arm, was a dark smudge that looked very much like an old tattoo of some sort.
Tom had been right. The magic that was coming from the mark did feel like his own, but now that he was close enough he was able to tell that the magical signature was artificial. Fake. The magic had been created to mimic his magic so that if anyone were to examine the mark, they would think Tom had put it there.
"Disgusting." Tom sneered at the mark. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that mark was. He'd read the reports from the goblins and had interrogated Remus for all information he had on the fake Voldemort. This mark was the imposters mark.
The room they were in had been charmed to prevent the use of magic requiring a wand. Severus was crippled in the room, but Tom wasn't. No, he had trained for years to hone his wandless magic.
He figured that since the magic in the mark had been created to match his own, it wouldn't be difficult for him to sink into the mark and change it.
And sure enough Tom's theory was right. His magic was able to overpower the fake signature and claim the mark as his own.
"You know," Tom cooed almost sweetly as he changed the mark utterly and completely, ignoring the man as he hissed in pain and tried to twist free of Tom's hold. Tom snickered softly as his magic worked at breaking the connection that had been there and replacing it with one to him. "when I first created the Knights of Walpurgis, I had been thinking about giving something to my followers. Something that I could use to call my followers to me."
Severus whimpered and he felt his legs give out when suddenly his mark was burning on his arm. He sank to the ground, biting his tongue to keep from making any more sounds. The pain wasn't nearly as bad as the cruciatus, but it still burned.
He couldn't stop wondering who this boy was and how it was that he so easily was able to control such dark magic that covered and controlled the dark mark on his arm.
"I was thinking perhaps a trinket, something that could be easily hidden. But this? This is ridiculous...How can anyone protect their allegiance to me when they are branded in such a way?" Tom ranted as he finished with the magic of the mark and instead focused on the mark's appearance. He liked the snake motif, but the skull was disgusting and morbid.
"Unless you haven't already figured it out," Tom said once he was done changing the mark. He let go of the man's arm to let it limply fall to the ground. "I am your true Master. The one you follow was created in my likeness by my enemy. I do not know your reasons for following such an abomination, but I will not let such a valuable resource escape my grasp."
Tom rubbed his hands together as if to clean them off. "Voldemort," his lip curled and he spat out the name as if it were something foul tasting, "is nothing but a fraud. A golem meant to create fear and chaos. Because of that golem, people have turned to the light side for protection and safety. Pitiful."
Which meant they had gone to Dumbledore. The man had a plethora of followers and minions now that obeyed him. They had no idea that Dumbledore was the real danger.
"W-what are you talking about?" Severus whispered in confusion and pain.
With a sigh, Tom regally knelt down in front of the older man that was still on his knees holding his arm. Tom took the arm and lightly traced the mark there. The mark had been changed to two snakes coiled around each other in an intricate celtic knot surrounding and entwining around the sowilo rune.
"What are you, a Hufflepuff? Voldemort, the man you pledged your loyalty to?" Tom waited until the potions master nodded. "He's not real. He was created by Dumbledore, who is really a power hungry bastard that is determined to make my life a living hell." At least that's what it felt like to Tom. "Dumbledore created the fake Voldemort in my image, using my name, and even found a way to mimic my magical signature."
How he had done that, Tom would need to figure out. The last thing he wanted was to be sent to Azkaban for things he most definitely did not do.
"Even though you went to a fraud, a fake, and pledged yourself to it, magic still took your oath seriously. As such, I am now your master and your loyalty belongs to me." Tom tapped at the mark on Severus' arm.
Severus felt like his head was reeling. He had trusted Dumbledore and yet here was some teenager telling him that Dumbledore was pretty much the reason for everything bad that had been happening.
"Anything you have to say to Harry, you will say to me."
He was nodding to the teen even before Severus realized he was doing so. "If what you say is true," his voice broke and Severus had to take a moment to center himself. "Then the things I have to tell Potter don't even matter anymore."
The only important thing that Severus was going to tell Potter was that he needed to get to the headmaster. He had wanted to tell Potter that he was in danger. If this older teen was right…then there was nothing that Severus had to say that would be of any use to the young teen.
"Good." Tom once more brushed his hands off. He glanced at his pocket watch and huffed softly. "I do have some time, so you will tell me about yourself and anything that may be of importance. Quickly."
As ordered, Severus found himself speaking quickly about himself and about his life. He tried to fight it, but the magic of the mark forced him to speak. The mark had never been that strong before, even when it had first been placed on him. In the past it had only ever caused him pain when he was summoned and would lead him to Voldemort. Now though...now the magic was just too powerful for Severus to disobey.
Now it was like a true mark of loyalty; one that Lords would give their most trusted followers in the old days. Severus would never be able to lie to the boy who claimed to be his true master.
"A professor at Hogwarts…" Tom murmured once Severus fell silent. "Good. Your position there will be useful in protecting Harry. He will, no doubt, be sorted into Slytherin which will make you his temporary guardian as his head of house during the school year. You will not allow Dumbledore to be anywhere near Harry alone. In fact, you will make sure that Harry is never alone while attending school."
The last thing any of them needed was for Harry to be in anymore danger than he already was.
"You know the students within your house. Choose those that you believe are the most trustworthy and make it known that they are to stay close to Harry."
It was an order that Severus knew he would not be able to ignore. The mark on his arm tingled and the magic laced in his skin would compel Severus to fulfill any order given to him by this teenager.
"If you need to contact me, send a letter through Gringotts to 'Thomas Peverell'. I'm sure you are familiar with how the mark works if I need to contact you."
Severus simply nodded and bit back a whimper. He remembered very well how his mark would burn whenever Voldemort summoned him.
"Very good. I want you to make a list of every one of my imposters followers, both imprisoned and free, and send it to me. I also want you to mark who you believe are the most trustworthy and who are the ones that would be willing to meet with me." Tom checked his watch again and sighed softly. "I want that list by tomorrow morning. As well as a list of any students that you feel would do as asked and protect Harry."
"What if Potter is not sorted into Slytherin, my Lord?" Severus almost bit his tongue as he mumbled that last part. "He is a Potter and Potters have only ever been in Gryffindor."
Tom let out a loud laugh that surprised the still kneeling man. "You'll find Harry to be full of surprises, Severussss." He smirked down at the man and the way Severus flinched when he hissed his name. "I am not a cruel master Severus. Do as I ask and you will never have to fear me."
And with that said, Tom left the examination room to rejoin Harry and Gothrack in the goblin's office.
The house in Hogsmeade was beautiful. On the outside it looked like a typical cottage that fit into the Hogsmeade aesthetic, but on the inside the building had been enchanted to look like a smaller version of the Malfoy Manor. Instead of over several dozen rooms, spanning two wings, it had a half dozen rooms for Harry, Tom, and anyone else they wanted to invite to stay with them.
The house included a library that had several powerful extension charms built in so that they could store as many books as they desired. It also had a spell that the goblins had included, free of charge, that would allow people to summon books by using keywords and phrases.
Instead of two large dining halls and several smaller ones that could be found in the Malfoy manor, there was just one large dining hall and one small one. Tom also chose to not include a ballroom. Instead there was one large sitting room that could easily fit twenty people.
There were two studies, a kitchen, and even an indoor pool. In the backyard, which was also enchanted with an undetectable enlargement spell, there was a greenhouse for various plants that Tom would use for his potion making.
"Thank you for all your work on our home." Tom said to the goblins that were showing he and Harry around. "This far outshines my expectations."
Goblins did not preen or even show reaction to praise, but Tom could detect at least a small smile from Gothrack.
"Goblins do nothing halfway." One of the goblin builders commented as he kept his own grin behind a well placed sneer.
"Of course." Tom merely nodded and agreed.
After dealing with Snape and the potion for Harry, Tom and Harry had been taken directly to their newly finished home in Hogsmeade. It really was a lovely home and Tom knew he would at least be comfortable there while Harry returned to school.
Tom wouldn't be alone in the large home thanks to Harry's begging. As they had gotten to know the man, Tom and Harry had found out that Remus actually didn't have a permanent residence. That led to Harry begging Tom to let the werewolf stay with them in their Hogsmeade house.
Harry's arguments weren't just emotional, he had also pointed out that it would be ridiculous to have a house with so many empty rooms. It would also be easier for Tom to go through with his plans if Remus was always nearby. Tom could also see the benefit of having the werewolf close as the man would be able to help protect Harry better if he was living in the same general area.
Which had Tom changing the building plans a little to include a large and heavily warded basement that could be enchanted to look and feel like a forest. Once a month Lupin would go down into the basement and would be able to keep his wolf satisfied with a night of running around in the safety of a secured basement.
The werewolf would be joining them on the following day.
"Here are your things Harry," Tom reached into his pocket to pull out the shrunken trunks that held all of Harry's belongings. "Go choose a room for yourself. Remember that we have dinner plans with the Malfoy's."
With Harry gone to take care of his belongings, Tom was able to focus completely on the goblins and their explanation of how the wards worked.
As the head of the household, Tom would have primary control of the wards. Harry would be given secondary control, but he wouldn't be able to drop or change the wards as extensively as Tom would be able to. Remus would be keyed into the wards, since he would be living there, but he would not have the ability to do anything to them.
The house also had an altered version of the fidelius on it. People could technically see the house, as its absence would be noticed by the magical community, but they would forget its location even while looking at it and would not be able to talk about the house. In essence they would just feel like the house was not worth their notice.
Tom had decided that Gothrack would be the secret keeper seeing as how no one would ever suspect a goblin as being such. It seemed that by putting his trust in the goblin, Tom had been elevated a bit in the eyes of the goblins. Since making his decision, the goblins had shown just a little more respect to the young Lord.
For Tom it just didn't make sense not to choose a goblin over another wizard. Who would ever be able to get information out of a race of beings that prided itself on discretion, secrecy, and war?
The house also came with two house elves; one for himself and one for Harry. The one for Harry would also follow Remus' orders seeing as how Harry wouldn't be around most of the year.
"Ginger." Tom called out and almost instantly a young looking house elf with perky ears and bright brown eyes popped up in front of Tom in a curtsy. "Take my belongings and start unpacking them in my room."
Since he was the master of the household he would of course get the master bedroom.
"Of course, my Lord." The small house elf nodded and took the shrunken trunks from Tom before popping away.
"The wardstone is this way, Lord Peverell." Gothrack motioned for Tom to follow after him. They were already finished with the fidelius charm and now that Tom had been given all the information needed for accessing the wards, it was time for him to actually bind the wardstone to his magic.
Having grown up in the Malfoy Manor and knowing that he would one day be a Lord, Tom had been taught everything he needed to know about wards and wardstones. When they arrived at the hidden and protected wardstone, which had been hidden under the staircase behind a portrait of a glimmering lake with the northern lights flashing across a night sky, it was easy work for Tom to bind the stone.
"Congratulations, Lord Peverell." Gothrack bowed ever so slightly. "The manor is yours fully and completely."
"You have my thanks Gothrack."
The goblin smiled in his sneering, toothy way. With the handover complete he and the other goblins excused themselves to return to Gringotts.
Tom was left alone to figure out for himself what to do next before the dinner meeting with the Malfoy's.
Harry was practically bouncing next to Tom as they side along apparated to the edge of the Malfoy property.
Without the blood adoption running through their veins, Tom wasn't sure if the wards would let them through straight to the manor. So Tom had chosen to just play it safe and apparate to the edge where guests usually arrived.
It felt like it had been years since the two teens had returned to the Malfoy Manor even though it had only been a half year for the two; since they had gone back for the winter holidays. Still, gazing upon the magnificent old manor with its white walls, marble pillars, and sprawling grounds had both Tom and Harry feeling like they were, finally, returning home.
"You said Lord Malfoy knows who we are, right?" Harry whispered as he and Tom started the long trek to the front door of the manor.
For what felt like the hundredth time, Tom nodded. "Yes. He figured things out during the World Cup. If he doesn't know the truth, he at least suspects it." But Tom was fairly certain that the Malfoy Lord knew just who they were.
It wasn't like Tom had been completely subtle.
Harry continued to ask random questions, ones that Tom couldn't answer, but that didn't seem to bother Harry. Tom was sure Harry was mostly rambling because he was nervous as well as excited.
They didn't even have to knock once they were at the door. The double doors that acted as the main entrance of Malfoy Manor were opened just as they reached them. Standing just beyond the doors were Lucius, Draco, and a woman that Tom could only assume was Lady Malfoy.
"Welcome to our home." The woman curtsied gracefully as Tom and Harry stepped inside. "I am Lady Narcissa Malfoy."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Malfoy." Tom lightly grasped the hand that the woman was offering to him and skimmed his lips against her knuckles before letting go. Harry did the same, but added a large warm smile.
The corner of Narcissa's lips twitched as she kept herself from smiling any wider than the small polite smile she was already giving the two teens.
"Dinner should be ready in about an hour. Our son Draco has offered to give young Harry a tour if you would like." Lucius even as Draco started nodding enthusiastically.
Both Harry and Tom had to keep from grinning. Even though the two of them had spent more time at the Malfoy Manor in Scotland, they knew this one well enough. Still, Harry nodded and followed after Draco who was doing his best to walk with a calm gate.
"Narcissa, if you would go and check on the dinner preparations?"
The order was subtle, but the elegant woman that was standing besides Lucius nodded and gave Tom one last curtsey before she turned and left for the kitchens.
"So...father was right." Lucius' shoulders, which had been tense in the presence of his wife and son, relaxed once he was alone with Tom. "He was so sure you would return one day...uncle."
"Well then," Tom smirked a bit and his blue eyes glimmered in the candle light. "It seems you have figured everything out."
Lucius nodded and gestured almost imperceptibly for Tom to follow him. "Father always spoke fondly of his two adopted brothers, he even had a portrait done of the two of you although he could only have the basic enchantments placed upon it." He led the younger man through the manor towards one of the back rooms of the first floor that was reserved for just family. "Your eyes are different from your portrait, but he suspected they might be."
Inside of the room was a large portrait that held only two people; Tom and Harry. The two in the painting could move and showed just a hint of the personalities of the real people, but without Tom and Harry present at the time of the actual enchanting the portrait couldn't talk or interact with anyone.
Harry was smiling joyously, something he almost always did when he was home, while Tom himself was staring stoically forward only to smile fondly whenever he glanced down at Harry.
"Abraxas did a fine job." Tom whispered a little horsley. This was how Abraxas had remembered them; full of life, powerful, and always together.
"He died when I was young, but not before he told me everything he could about the two of you." Lucius spoke softly. "Father had a portrait made and kept it updated until his death...if you want to speak with him."
"Perhaps later." Tom whispered. "Harry will want to see him." As much as Tom had tried to keep himself separated emotionally from everyone growing up, he had grown fond of Abraxas. His heart squeezed at the thought of being alive with his adopted brother and he knew it was even harder for Harry.
"Your arm." Tom's steely blue eyes turned sharply to Lucius and he held out his hand expectantly. "I can feel the corrupted magic on your arm. If your father were alive he would have skinned your hide for submitting yourself to a maniac!"
Lucius sucked in a breath of surprise and for a moment he grabbed his arm where the hidden mark was. "H-how-"
"I may not have been the one to put that mark on your arm," Tom hissed as he grabbed hold of the appendage, "but it was made with magic meant to mimic my own. I can feel it as strongly as I can feel my own magic."
With a little more finesse and gentleness then how he had taken care of the mark on Snape's arm, Tom rolled up Lucius' sleeve and proceeded to change the mark and the magic there to suit his own purposes.
Lucius hissed in pain, but he didn't fall to his knees.
After a few minutes of work, Tom released Lucius' arm. "There. I can't remove it, but I was able to alter it. Whatever spells that were used in combination to the loyalty oaths have made it permanent."
The mark was significantly smaller compared to what it had been. Tom had continued with the celtic snake motif, but instead of the sowilo rune he had replaced the skull with the Malfoy crest. That way, if anyone were to see it, Lucius could claim that it was just a sign of his loyalty to his lineage.
"You're right about my father. When his portrait found out about what I had done, he gave me a rather viscius tongue lashing."
Tom snickered softly and nodded, his eyes glazing over slightly in fondness and nostalgia. "He was rather good at lectures even when we were young."
The two were quiet for a moment, Tom just taking a moment to watch the painted version of Harry grin and wave, before he spoke. "Why did you side with Voldemort then? I'm sure your father would have told you he was a fake."
"He did." Lucius didn't even look remotely remorseful. "But at the time someone needed to keep an eye on the fake. I didn't know who to trust, but in my naive youth I thought that perhaps...perhaps the fake really was you, but being controlled." He winced a little and sighed. "My father's journals detailed some of what happened to the mediwizard at Hogwarts while you were students and I thought…"
"You thought the same thing had happened to me." It was a logical thought, one that Tom was sure Dumbledore would have done if he hadn't vanished with Harry into the future.
Lucius nodded slightly. "When it became obvious that the fake really was fake...I was too deep to escape." He rubbed at his arm for a moment. "So I tried to get as close as I could, influence what I could, save who I could." There was pride there in Lucius' voice and his back straightened just a bit.
"There is...there is something you need to see."
Tom's head snapped around and his eyes narrowed at the nervousness that suddenly filled Lucius' voice. "See what?"
Lucius cleared his throat and reached over to press a few a sequence of small runes that had been carved into the very edge of the portrait's frame. There was a soft click and the portrait swung open silently.
"When the fake Voldemort was given the prophecy and became obsessed with the Chosen child, I knew something had to be done." Lucius said, not quite answering Tom. He stepped into the hidden passageway behind the portrait and pulled his wand from the cane to create a lumos to guide them through the dark passageway.
"There wasn't much I could do, not until the fake decided which child to go after seeing as there were two that were born within the parameters of the prophecy." The man's words were mechanical and precise as he spoke. "When the news came of the fake's decision...I was too late to save Lily and James...physically at least."
Tom and Lucius came to the end of the hallway. Tom prided himself on being able to keep his emotions in check and hidden physically, but for once in his life his mouth dropped and he was at a loss for words.
"They're not ghosts, not exactly, but I was able to save their spirits."
In the center of the room was a large bed. Laying in the center of the bed were two shimmery silver forms.
"Their souls are tied to a pair of crystals. I originally tried to place their souls into golems, but they've been too weak to latch on properly. Perhaps in another few years I'll be able to try again."
Slowly, one of the shimmering forms sat up. The woman had long curly hair that moved around as if being pushed by a gentle breeze. Even though her entire body was silver, Tom just knew her eyes were supposed to be a bright emerald green. The shape, size, and just the sheer expression from those eyes screamed 'Harry' to him.
Tom knew he was looking at the spiritual form of Lily Potter and her husband James Potter.
The woman smiled tiredly and waved for a moment before laying back down to go back to sleep. "They've been sleeping for the most part these last 13 years, but I have been able to get at least part of the story of that night from them." Pain and hesitation filled Lucius' voice and he motioned for Tom to follow him back out of the hidden room.
"Do I even have to guess who killed them?" His words came out as a growl. From what research he had done and from the things he had learned from Grindelwald, golems could be programmed to be able to cast certain spells, but anything of great power just couldn't be done. Supposedly the Potter's had been killed by the killing curse, but a golem would definitely not have the power to cast that sort of spell.
"I would hazard a guess that you already know." Lucius arched a brow at Tom as if challenging him.
"Dumbledore."
Tom had to stop for a moment as he slammed his fist into the stone wall of the passageway. His emotions were all over the place and even his carefully maintained occlumency shields were having problems keeping his rage from leaking out.
"According to Lily and James, Dumbledore was visiting for dinner when the fake Voldemort showed up. Dumbledore pretended at first to fight the golem, but then a strange spell was cast that made the air shimmer. James is sure it was mirage spell meant to confuse anyone using a Location Memory spell.
"Once the spell was in place, Dumbledore turned on Lily and James. From what we can tell...he did cast the killing curse, but something went wrong." Lucius was frowning as he relayed the story. "Neither Lily nor James can remember, but from the residue I was able to find on the edge of the property there was an ancient protective magic there that partially shielded them. I think the shield was actually protecting Harry, but because they were so close to him it at least shielded their spirits long enough for me to arrive and anchor them in crystals."
"Ancient protective magic?" Tom frowned deeply at Lucius.
"Yes. I couldn't trace it or even determine who had cast it, but I arrived in time to at least identify it before it vanished."
Lucius sighed softly and ran a hand through his long bangs. "Dumbledore was gone by the time I arrived, and the golem had been destroyed. Harry was alive, but he had been injured and, from what I can tell, some other magic had been done to him."
"What kind of magic?" Tom demanded coldly, his eyes boring into Lucius as he fought the urge to use legilimency on the man.
A shiver went down Lucius' spine. He could see why Dumbledore had chosen Tom's image to create the golem; the teenager had such striking power that just a look could intimidate someone with even the strongest willpower.
"I'm not sure. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say some sort of bonding magic. It didn't feel like a spell, just...just pure magic." Lucius spoke quickly, fearing that perhaps the golem had been created a little too closely to Tom's likeness and that perhaps the teen enjoyed throwing around the Cruciatus curse just as much as the fake Voldemort.
"The boy's godfather showed up soon after that so I was unable to get a closer look. After that, Potter just vanished. Dumbledore claims he placed the boy with his relatives, but as far as I knew James didn't have any other relative."
It was Tom's turn to fill Lucius in. They were back in the room with the portrait when Tom started telling Lucius about Harry's life with his muggle relatives. Since the man already knew about the time travelling, thanks to his father Abraxas, Tom didn't have to censor anything. Apparently Lucius already knew quite a bit about Tom and Harry so there wasn't much for Tom to add other than the few strange things about Harry's magic and their bond.
"What do you have planned now?" Lucius asked once Tom was done answering the majority of his questions.
"Harry wishes to return to Hogwarts. With him being the Heir of Hogwarts, he feels drawn to the castle. He feels responsible for the castle and I agree with him." Tom crossed one leg over the other in the chair he was seated in. "I do not want to leave the castle in Dumbledore's hands."
"Understandable, but do you think it's wise for Harry to return as himself?" Lucius was frowning from where he was standing near an old desk to one side of the room. "I have many contacts in the ministry. It would not be difficult to work with the goblins to create a false identity."
"No." Tom sighed tiredly and shook his head at Lucius' offer. "Harry has already made his decision. He received the attendance letter under his birth name and he will return to the castle as Harry Potter."
Tom had fought long and hard with Harry about it, but the younger teen was not budging. They were both sick and tired of running, hiding, and playing Dumbledore's games. Harry didn't want to hide any longer.
"You're family. I will do everything I can to help you. Both of you."
Even if Lucius wasn't bound to him because of the loyalty oath, Tom knew instinctively that he could trust Lucius.
"Alright. Tomorrow I want you to floo to our new manor in Hogsmeade. We will discuss the situation at length and work on our current strategy to include any and all information both you and Severus have for me."
For a moment Lucius didn't know what to say. "Severus? Severus Snape?"
A slow wicked smile spread across Tom's lips as he nodded. "Oh yes. I've already adjusted the mark on him and given him his first orders." His smirk turned into a frown. "We don't have much time before Harry is to go to Hogwarts."
The danger that they both felt was left unsaid. The longer they could keep Harry away from Dumbledore and any possible threats, the better.
"So how am I going to present myself today?"
It'd been a few days since the dinner at the Malfoy's and in that time their small group had met several times to figure out what exactly they were going to do. The biggest hurdle was how Harry was going to show up at Hogwarts to get sorted.
Tom had point blank refused to let Harry ride the train, not that Harry actually wanted to. The only person on the train that he would know, at all, was Draco and they wanted to keep that friendship secret until after Harry was sorted.
So even though it was September 1st, they had at least 7 hours to kill before Harry had to be at the castle.
Severus was already at the castle since he had last minute professor duties to take care of, but Lucius and Remus were both at the new Peverell manor in Hogsmeade with Harry and Tom.
"I'm not sure." Remus was chewing on his lip slightly and rubbing his chin. "Transfer students aren't really a thing at Hogwarts...what would normally happen?"
Everyone looked to Lucius, who was on the Board of Governors and knew more about the procedures regarding Hogwarts.
Lucius sighed and shook his head slightly. "Normally the transfer student would be escorted to Hogwarts from the train station by one of the professors. Then the student would join the first years waiting to be sorted into their house."
"Should I be at the train station then?" Harry wondered with a slight tilt of his head. "Do the professors even know I'm coming? I mean I got the letter, sent back my acceptance, but no one ever showed up."
It amazed everyone. It was possible that Dumbledore had tried to find Harry to personally speak with him regarding his transfer, but with the protections from the goblins it had been impossible for anyone to find Harry. The goblins had told them that no one had even tried to inquire about Harry's location with them.
For a man that was obsessed with control, Dumbledore sure had taken a back seat this summer in finding Harry.
"It is possible they thought your acceptance was some sort of prank." Lucius drawled slowly. "Ever since your 'defeat' of the Dark Lord, there have been many copycats and false reports of you showing up around Britain." He shrugged slightly. "I'm sure there have been several people claiming to be you while trying to get into Hogwarts."
Harry wrinkled his nose and made a rather disgusted face. "What do you mean copycats though? Why would people claim to be me?"
"The 'Harry Potter' franchise is very lucrative." Lucius spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Not to mention your inheritance is not exactly small."
Remus was nodding along with Lucius, until his eyes lit up in realization. "They don't know!" He exclaimed in astonishment. At Tom's glare, the werewolf quickly explained. "There are many childrens books written about 'Harry Potter's Adventures', not to mention all the product endorsements over the years."
"But I've been missing." Harry pointed out with a huff.
"Not according to public record." Lucius felt like hitting himself for not realizing the two teens had no idea about what had been going on in the years since Harry's disappearance. "For the past several years Dumbledore has claimed you were away for private training and education."
It didn't need to be said, but it was obvious to everyone that Dumbledore had been the one to agree to the endorsements and the 'Harry Potter' franchise.
"I...I never really thought about why there were books about Harry…" Remus whispered. "I knew he was missing, everyone in the Order knew, but it's like-"
"You were probably under a compulsion of some sort to not think about it." Tom's magic was riled up and he felt like breaking things. He kept his composure though and made himself look calm at least.
Harry knew otherwise, and he quickly took Tom's hand to give it a squeeze to comfort him.
"We still don't know how I'm going to introduce myself." Harry quickly said to change the subject. "I mean, I could just march into the Great Hall and yell that I'm Harry Potter." He smirked goofily and his messy black hair shifted to get into his eyes.
"As interesting as that would be to watch," Lucius was doing his best not to snicker "I do have an alternative idea."
Lucius quickly detailed his plan, which Tom agreed to after a long discussion. Harry still wanted to make a grand entrance, but his idea was shot down again.
And so, almost 7 hours later, Harry found himself being escorted to the large double doors of the castle by Lucius.
The carriages had already come and gone, and once he and Lucius were standing outside of the Great Hall, Harry could hear a older female voice calling names. He could hear the hat yelling out the houses between each name.
"Are you ready, Mr. Potter?" Lucius smirked down at Harry, who just smiled right back at him.
"Yes sir, Mr. Malfoy."
They waited until they could hear Dumbledore making his customary speech before Harry asked the castle to throw the doors open.
The Hall was silent as Lucius and Harry strode into the Great Hall together.
"Ah. Lord Malfoy, what brings you to us this fine evening?" Dumbledore was still standing at his podium and there was obvious surprise in his eyes.
"Headmaster." Lucius tilted his head slightly in greeting and he escorted Harry to the front of the hall just in front of the staff table. He waited a moment as if waiting for something before sighing softly. "It would seem there was an error in your attendance list." He motioned for Harry to step forward. "You have a new transfer student. He sent his acceptance reply, but no one arrived to escort him to the castle."
"A transfer student?" Dumbledore frowned deeply as he eyed the boy standing next to Lucius.
It was possible that Dumbledore really had no idea that Harry had received his invitation to Hogwarts. The Castle was sentient after all and it was possible the Castle had sent the letter to Harry without updating the list of students.
Harry would have to check with the Castle later to find out. The shock and surprise on Dumbledore's face was just too genuine.
"Yes. This young man was very concerned when he no one arrived to speak with him about transferring to Hogwarts this summer, so he sent correspondence to the Board." Lucius placed his hand on Harry's shoulder to make sure the younger boy didn't try to be dramatic. "When no professor arrived to escort him, he sent a message to me and, well, here we are."
"How kind of you Lord Malfoy." Dumbledore smiled warmly at Harry. "Well then, shall we know the name of our new student so that we can properly sort him into his house?"
"Of course." A slow cat like grin stretched across Lucius' lips. "Allow me to introduce you to Harry Potter."
A pin could have dropped and been heard in the silence that descended upon the Great Hall. And then all pandemonium broke loose as students jumped up and started talking and yelling loudly. Several staff members had turned to Dumbledore, demanding an explanation.
All the while, Dumbledore stood there looking dumbfounded while Harry just smiled pleasantly. Their eyes met for just a moment, and Harry could feel the old man trying to push into his mind.
Harry felt the magic of the Castle wrapping around him like a blanket and it pushed Dumbledore out of his mind. He hadn't even needed to rely on the occlumency shields that Sir Leighleas had taught him how to make. Dumbledore was no match for Hogwarts.
Special thanks to: Louise To
A/N: Welp. Just 1 chapter to go. I think. I might end up with 2 more chapters depending on how chapter 32 goes.
Remember I do have a tumblr: ethrildragon