Chapter 4
The Skeleton in the library
After the dark lord removed the anti-apparition wards on the prison, he side-along apparated Harry and himself to, what Harry could best describe as, a dark throne room that was lit by green fire torches. The room was large, easily fitting a large group of people (say the inner circle and the outer circle lieutenants), and round in shape with a silver and green version of Dumbledore's throne like chair at the very front of the room facing the door.
Harry was impressed with the room but was wondering where the rest of the Azkaban Death Eaters were. Sensing the boy's curiosity, Voldemort explained, "Only I have the right to apparate anywhere in my home, Harry. There is an apparition point, where my low-profile followers can arrive. My followers that are more notable, like yourself, reside here. I will give you the tour of my home later, for now it is time to summon your fellow Death Eaters. Your arm, Harry."
Harry gave his master the arm with his dark mark tattoo. Harry gritted his teeth in pain as the dark lord placed the tip of his wand onto Harries tattoo, summoning the rest of the inner circle. After that was done Voldemort went to his throne and gestured for Harry to stand to his left.
Harry took his place and waited, but not for long, as soon as the doors opened allowing in the inner circle members of the Death Eaters entered and arranged themselves in a circle facing their master. Harry noticed that the hooded figure next to him seemed to be tightening his grip on a very distinct snake headed cane.
Harry smiled under his hood, it seemed Lucius wasn't happy at being replaced by a boy who was once an enemy. It tickled Harry's evil little funny bone that a wizard like Malfoy was threatened by his son's former rival.
"I'm glad to see that once more we are all whole," said the Dark Lord, voice filling the room, "with two notable changes. To those that were not chosen to accompany me to Azkaban might have noticed that we not only have a new member, but we are also missing one as well.
"As you all know, I have little tolerance for failure, and even less for repeated failure. So, it was during my final visit to Azkaban, I ended Rudolphus's ability to fail me." Said Voldemort, glaring at the room, making sure everyone knew what awaited them should they do the same as the dead Lestrange.
There were nods and sounds of agreement, everyone knew that Rudolphus was an idiot, no one more than his own wife, Bellatrix. The mad witch, directly to Voldemort's right, was grateful to her master for disposing of that moron, who she was unwillingly bound to by marital contract that her foolish father had made with the former Patriarch of the Lestrange family, both ignorant of the disappointment he was. But she was curious as to the identity of the hooded figure that was in Lucius' spot at the dark lords left.
"You might have also noticed that we have a new member, who I have given Lucius' seat at my side, seeing as this particular individual has thwarted Lucius, not once, but TWICE!" Lucius winced at the bite and displeasure in his master's voice, "But despite his former transgressions towards me and our cause, he has finally seen that we are the salvation for the wizarding world.
You all have heard of him and seen him, but not many of you have personally met him like I have. May I formally introduce our newest member, Lord Harrison James Potter-Black." Harry pulled his hood down, held his head high, and flashed a cocky and psychotic smile. There were murmurs in the circle, many of curiosity. What was the dark lord thinking? Allowing this boy who has been a thorn in his side for so long and just because the boy becomes unhinged, he welcomes him to their cause?
While the others were skeptical, Bellatrix was wondering if this had anything to do with the bone bag in the west library. Ever since that mad "man" showed up, he had been filling the dark lord's head with nonsense, well mostly nonsense. Even she had to admit that this doctor had made many improvements to side.
"I expect you all to treat our new member with respect." Voldemort intoned, leaving the usual 'or else' unsaid. "With that, I will end this emergency meeting and we will meet as usual here tomorrow morning and again with the outer circle this Friday. Bellatrix, Harry stay, we have matters to discuss." Ordered Voldemort.
Bellatrix and Harry stayed where they were as the rest of the inner circle filed out. Once the door closed Voldemort continued, "Bellatrix, I am making you Harry's handler. He may be in the inner circle, but he still needs to be trained in the finer points of our ways."
"As you wish my lord, it will be my honor." said Bellatrix with a small bow to her master. Voldemort nodded and dismissed her. She gave one more bow and left through the entry doors.
When she was gone, Voldemort tuned to Harry. "Bellatrix will not be your only teacher. I plan on teaching you many of my secrets. I have always known you have greatness in you, Harry, not many can deify my will so many times and live to tell about it, or so freely join my cause after doing so, as you have." said Voldemort as he rose from his throne and headed for the door, motioning for Harry to follow him.
Harry followed his master as he went through the doors and into the hallway. "Before I give you the full tour Harry, I think it would be best if I introduce you to our new in home physician. I have heard from the trial that your muggle jailers kept you weak and abused you. We take care of our own Harry and thanks to our other newest addition, we can be even more efficient."
This peaked Harry's curiosity. "So, I'm not the only person to join you recently, my lord?" Harry asked as they reached another set of doors with snake like door handles.
Voldemort nodded as he opened the doors to a large library, "No, shortly after your incarceration, which was two months ago, I was approached here at Riddle Manor by a mysterious being. This being was able to walk through my wards like they weren't even there, I would have destroyed him on the spot, if he had not offered me his services."
"Services my lord?" asked Harry as they continued through the enormous library, towards a flickering light in the very back.
Voldemort nodded "Yes, in return for allowing him to join our cause and keep his identity a secret from my other followers except my most trusted followers, such as Bellatrix, her sister, after the next meeting I will tell Lucius (if he doesn't do something else idiotic), and now you, he will supply me with weapons, disposable soldiers, and his insightful council. In fact, it's thanks to this being that I decided to allow you to live and join our ranks."
This answered many of Harries many questions, but there was one question that Harry had to ask. "You keep referring to this guy as a being, my lord, what do you mean by that?" Voldemort chuckled at that, but before he could answer there was a scream of pain and a psychotic cackle coming from behind the last row of book shelves.
They walked past the book shelves and Harry was met with a bizarre sight. There in a make shift lab that belonged in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, complete with buzzing electrodes large tubes with green liquid, beakers, test tubes, and other glass containers with different colored liquids, some of the containers had white steam coming off them, and finely miscellaneous torture machines, one of these being a rack being used on a beaten and bloody wizard with some sort of head gear wired to a machine being operated by a man in a high collared black overcoat and black top hat.
"That last voltage didn't seem to produce the effect I had hoped for, Lawrence," said the man to the tortured wizard, "so why don't I just double the voltage. No, wait! Triple the voltage!" The man pulled a lever and then turned a dial, a little too roughly, causing the dial to break off. The man then looked at the dial "Oops," and then to the machine that began to smoke and spark, "Uh-oh."
With those last words the machine exploded, blasting the man away from the machine. To Harry's surprise, as the man fell, his head popped off its body and into Voldemort's waiting hands. To Harry's surprise the head was no more than a human skull with sharp and pointed teeth with elongated canines to make vicious looking fangs with a cracked green colored monocle stuck into the skulls eye socket, and then its other eye socket came alight with a swirling orb of multicolored energy and started to laugh like a maniac. "EHHEHEHEH! That was fantastic! I only wish I had done that on purpose!" it cackled with an American accent.
The head seemed to take notice that he was in the dark lord's hands. "Ah, my lord, I didn't know you'd be dropping by. Did the jail break go well?" Voldemort simply turned the head to look at Harry, "Ah! This must be the young master Potter-Black!" he said with surprised glee. "So nice to meet you, but could you wait one second, please? Hey! Brainless!"
The skull's body slowly arose, smoking from the small explosion, as if in a daze. The body went to clutch its head in pain, but when it clutched nothing, it seemed to panic. "I'm over here you idiot!" The body turned towards the voice, got up, quickly ran over to its head, retrieved it from the Dark Lord, and twisted it back on with an audible snap.
"Ah, much better." Said the skeleton then picked up his top hat, dusted it off, and then gave a dramatic bow "Allow me to properly introduce myself young master, my name is Doctor Xavier Yorks Zevil, and I am the dark lord's secret adviser."
Harry took this chance to get a good look at this doctor. He wore black robe-like suit with a high, almost dracula-esque, collar with red and purple trim and wide sleeves, a matching top hat, a bright green waist coat with gold buttons, black pants that were tucked into missed matched boots, one red one purple, with pointed steel caps, black gloves with steel claws on the finger tips, a red and purple cravat, and a red and purple under shirt with flared sleeves. Harry had seen many things since he had entered into the wizarding world, but a man with a removable skeletal head was a new one.
"Doctor, I brought Harry here so we can start the treatments we discussed." Said Voldemort as the doctor straightened up and placed his top hat back on.
"Of course, my lord, follow me young master." The doctor gestured Harry to follow him towards one of his work tables. On the table was a thick stone rectangular tablet with four sunken in bowls at the corners with a larger bowl in the very middle that was covered in runes. Six circler clear stones, with a different rune on each stone, surrounded the larger bowl.
"First we'll start with making you your Death Eater wand," said Dr. Zevil before he raised his hand, "and I don't want to hear about how you already have a wand! It's smart to have two wands, especially with the work we do.
"This little marvel of yester year is called the Plastae Virgam Caldariam," Dr. Zevil informed as he gestured to the stone object, "or the wand makers caldron, it's what the ancient wand makers of that time used to make proper wands instead of the premade trash they make now a days." Realizing he may have put his foot in his mouth, Dr. Zevil backpedaled, "Present company's wands being the exception, of course. Mr. Ollivander does do exceptional work, especially your wands, but there is truly no substitution for what we are going to do for you young master." Said the mad skeletal scientist.
"Interesting, how it works doctor?" said Harry as he took a closer look at the tablet.
Harry got the sense that Dr. Zevil was smiling at him. "It's quite simple, young master. All that is required is a potion, which I have already premade for you, except for one ingredient I need to add to the potion that is unique to you."
"Wha-AH!" Harry yelled in pain as the mad scientist stabbed him in the shoulder with a syringe.
"Oh, stop your belly aching, my boy! I'm just taking a small sample for the potion and your other treatments." Said Dr. Zevil as he pulled the plunger of his rather large syringe, now full of Harry's blood. "There we go, that wasn't so bad was it?" The doctor snapped his fingers and a large circular flask with clear syrupy liquid inside it floated out of a drawer and zoomed into the doctor's outstretched hand. Dr. Zevil pulled the cork from the bottle with his teeth, spit it out, and poured the liquid into the four corner bowels until the bottle was empty and threw the bottle carelessly behind him, causing it to smash on contact.
"Now we add the blood." The doctor placed a single drop into each bowl. He placed the syringe down and he waved his hands over the bowls and whispered a long string of Latin causing the liquids to change color. The doctor stopped his chanting and looked at the liquids.
The liquid in the top right corner had turned a bright glowing white, the top left was the darkest black Harry had ever seen, the bottom right was an ethereal silver and gold swirling together, and the bottom left was a swirling dark grey and acid green.
"Hmmm, interesting." The doctor took off his hat, reached inside, and pulled out a black cane with a ruby sphere as big as a fist. Returning his hat back onto his head, he flicked his cane twice with his middle finger, causing it to shrink and become a wand.
Dr. Zevil pointed his wand at the tablet and said "Manufesto." causing the liquids to transform into different items. The white liquid turned into a pure white branch with an apple blossom that seemed to be made of gold, while the black liquid turned into a pitch black and evil looking root, the silver and gold liquid tuned into a small bottle of clear liquid and a lock of silver hair, while the grey and green liquid turned into a large fang and a white bone that seemed to have small wisps of black smoke coming off it.
The doctor let out a low chortle as he looked at the conjured items. "Oh hohohooo, Young master! Your wand is going to be very powerful."
Harry was confused and kind of creeped out at how giddy the walking skeleton was acting. "What do you mean?" asked Harry.
The doctor pointed at the branch and root. "These are your wand woods. Back in the old days wands were made with two types of wood. It would give the wands of that era certain special abilities that would help determine what wizards and witches would specialize in," the doctor seemed to get an annoyed air about him as his 'eye' turned into a fireball of red energy, "but then France rebelled, and everything went to hell!
"I mean all that stupid French tart (and she was a tart trust me) said was for them to eat cake and apparently that was the okay to rebel, kill all the aristocrats, and make everyone else miserable! I mean really-" Zevil raged before Voldemort stopped him.
"Dr. Zevil," interrupted Voldemort, rubbing his closed eyes in annoyance. This wasn't the first time the doctor went off topic, nor was it the first time he ranted about the French revolution. The man really needed to let it go.
The Doctor snapped out of his rant and continued "Sorry about that, now, where was I?" he asked sheepishly, his eye turning back into a multicolored pinprick of light, before he snapped his fingers "Oh yes! Now as I was saying, the device chooses wand woods and cores to suite the wizards or witches' destiny. Which brings me to your wand, young master.
"Your wand woods actually come from the same tree. This is not that rare of an occurrence, but what is a rarity is the tree your wood is from. Tell me young master, have you ever heard of Yggdrasil?" Voldemort stiffened at the name. It wasn't possible, that was just a myth, wasn't it?
Harry thought about it "I'm not sure, I think my divination professor may have mentioned it."
"I bet she did, the psycho psychic," Harry couldn't help but give a chuckle at the doctors description of Trelawney, "Yggdrasil, or the world tree as it's more commonly known, is an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology, in connection to which the nine worlds exist. There are many legends of the world tree, but the Norse are the closest ones to the truth.
"In our world, Yggdrasil is a tree whose branches have cosmic power," Dr. Zevil explained, "it was said, if wielded in the right hands, or brewed in a particularly tasty potion, one could use the power of the gods. Now each section of the tree's branches, there are at least nine known, have a different cosmic quality to them. Now the top branches have a light magical quality that can almost be described as almost holy, while its roots have a hellish dark quality to them.
"Having a wand made from these woods is almost unheard of, there were only two I can think of who possessed one such wand, the great Morgan le Fay," Dr. Zevil's eye turned violet at the name of the famous, "and that old bastard Merlin." He spat the name with nothing but hate as his right eye turned back to the red fireball.
This intrigued Harry a little, but before he could inquire about it, the doctor's face returned to...'well,' Harry thought, 'I suppose I could say normal, but I feel like I wouldn't be using the word properly.'
"Nasty subjects aside, there is an overall theme with your wand young master, not only does your wand woods promote balance, but the materials that make up your wand's core as well. The all healing power of the phoenix tears," he pointed to the small bottle of clear liquid, "balances out the all too deadly basilisk venom," pointing at the fang next, "while the purity of the unicorn hair," the lock of silver hair, "equals the corrupted and dark bone of a Dementor." Finally pointing at the smoking bone.
"Don't you see young master?" Dr. Zevil asked with wicked glee, "Your wand has power and dominion of life and death!" He suddenly broke out into a fit of insane laughter, "Like I said before young master you are going to be very powerful. The death, destruction, and chaos you will cause in the name of the Death Eaters and our lord will be magnificent!" said Dr. Zevil with dark excitement.
Harry liked the sound of his new wand and the power he would soon have. He couldn't wait to use it! Voldemort was just as thrilled, with someone who could call up that kind of power like Harry by his side, Dumbledore didn't stand a chance.
"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Harry, mad power hunger and glee in his eyes and voice "Lets hurry up and make my new wand!"
Dr. Zevil smiled (or at least it felt like he was) "Don't be so hasty young master. There's a method to my madness...most days any way." said Dr. Zevil as he taped his wand on the stones around the large bowl, that Harry now noticed were glowing, in a seemingly random order and said "Manufesto" again, causing two small ingots to appear inside the large bowl, one a bright silver the other a dark black.
"Ah, now we come to the characteristics of your wand. The silver ingot is called quick silver, light as a feather, which means your wands movements should be quicker in a fight. The black one is aptly named ebony, stronger than diamond, this means your wand will be unbreakable, quite handy."
Dr. Zevil then began to wave his hands over the larger bowl and spoke another string of Latin, causing the ingots to melt and turn into molten metal. Still muttering in the dead language, Dr. Zevil dropped each of the items in the other bowls into the larger one, seeming to melt like wax once it hit the fiery liquid. The molten metal turned into a swirling torrent of gold, grey, black, and white. The mad doctor's muttering grew louder as he picked up the syringe with Harries blood and added one last drop, causing the potion to turn gold and start glowing.
Dr. Zevil stopped as he quickly pulled out two sets of sunglasses and gave them to Harry and Voldemort as the glow intensified into a bright light. "Put these on if don't want to go blind!" said Dr. Zevil as he twisted his head to face behind him. They quickly did as he said, and as they did a bright blinding flash shot out.
When the light faded, Harry and Voldemort removed their glasses while Dr. Zevil twisted his head back and looked at the bowl. Sitting on top of the bowl was a twelve inch, sleek looking wand. The wand was black in color, with white markings all around and along it that looked like lightning arching all around it.
Dr. Zevil pointed his wand at the newly created wand, a red glow coming off the tip of the mad doctor's wand. After a few seconds the red glow turned green, causing the doctor to smile and turn his wand back into a cane. "It's a-ok! I dare say it's perfect! All it needs is its one true master to use it." said Dr. Zevil as he gestured for Harry to take the wand.
Harry wasted no time and picked up his new wand. Instantly, Harry felt a rush of power fill him as his fingers wrapped around his new wand. Unbeknownst to the young wizard a dark and powerful aura surrounds him. The dark lord and mad doctor share a look and smile malevolently, things were about to get very interesting around here.
When the aura dispersed, Dr. Zevil pulled out a gold pocket watch "Holy hellfire! Is that the time? My lord, don't you think it best that the young master gets some sleep? After all, he has a lot to do tomorrow." said Dr. Zevil as he snapped his fingers, causing the wand makers caldron to vanish.
"You bring an excellent point doctor." Said Voldemort, before turning to his former foe. "Come Harry, it is time we both retire for the evening and leave the doctor to his experiments. Good night doctor." He then turned and stated for the exit.
"Yes, my lord, good night doctor and thanks for the new wand." said Harry as he followed after his master.
The mad doctor waved good bye and called after Harry, "My pleasure young master! Don't be a stranger, drop by any time!" As Voldemort and Harry left the library, Dr. Zevil looked at the syringe in his hand, "After all, you are most definitely destined for greater things my young master."
Dr. Zevil turned to a black coffin that was resting in a corner. "What that greatness is, well, let's just keep that as my little secret." said the mad doctor opening the coffins lid and began to laugh like the maniac he was as he walked in.
As the dark lord was giving Harry a quick tour on the way to his new quarters, Harry was marveling at his new wand. He could still feel the sheer power he felt when he first picked it up. It made him feel strong, like he could do anything with it, and he did indeed intend to use it to its full dark potential.
"And this is your room Harry." said Voldemort as he stopped in front of a simple looking black door with a silver handle.
Harry turned to the door and opened it. The room was more like a suite then a simple bedroom, complete with a small parlor with two black leather wingback chairs in front of a large fireplace, a large bathroom with a claw foot bath and shower, and the actual bed room had a large four poster bed. The whole room was done in silver and black, with a touch of green here and there, very Slytherin.
"This is my room?" said Harry in disbelief and a touch of happiness as he looked at Voldemort.
Voldemort smiled at the happy look on Harry's face. He knew about how Harry's life had played out, unloved, unwanted, forced to live life like some caged monster, looked on with scorn and hatred by all around him, and having no friends. True, he was one of a pair that caused Harry to live like that, but that was beside the point (It was mostly Dumbledore's fault anyway. Really, who in their right minds putts a magical child in that bigoted house hold?).
"I take it the room is to your liking?" Harry just nodded dumbly at his master, causing the dark lord to chuckle, "Good. We take care of our own here, Harry. We might be conniving, vicious, blood thirsty, heartless, and sadistic murderers, but that doesn't mean we can't be a team. True, our managing tactics are severe, but I feel we should reward those who do well and remove or punish those that hinder us."
"If this is the reward for joining up, I can't wait to see what I'll get when I become employ of the month." Harry said with a grin on his face as he took a seat in one of his arm chairs.
"You can ask the current occupant of that title tomorrow." Voldemort said with a chuckle, "You will be starting your lessons with Bellatrix, and I warn you Harry, she doesn't stand on my right for nothing, she will be quit the task master." He said as he turned to leave, "I'll have a house elf wake you for breakfast. Good night Harry."
As soon as Voldemort left a wave of exhaustion overtook Harry. It had been quit the night and he was tired, so he heaved himself out of the chair straight to his new bedroom. Not even bothering to take off his cloths, he collapsed onto the bed, taking a moment to marvel at fantastic it was, got under the covers, and was out before he hit the pillow.
AN: This was always my favorite part to write, and not just because I show up. The story that inspired this one, called dark effects, had a similar artifact to the Plastae Virgam Caldariam and I loved it! So, when I wrote this story, I was defiantly going to include it. Well that's all for now, so till next time, I bid you adieu!