Title: Angelus Fortuna
Author: Crimson Rosary
Summary: After watching the near-death experience of his godfather, Harry finally decides that Dumbledore doesn't really have the power he claims to have. In order to protect himself, his family and his friends, Harry chooses to side with Voldemort. But what does the Dark Lord have to say to that?
Pairing: LVHP
Rating: M
Author's Note: This is my first ever LVHP story! Please don't hate! Enjoy! If you don't like Male x Male, please press the back button or the red box on the corner. Manipulative!Dumbledore, Ron/Hermione/Ginny/Certain Weasley Bashing! Alive!Sirius, Good!Voldemort, Characters will be a bit OOC.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.
'Thoughts'
{Parseltongue}
[Telepathy]
Chapter 5
~ Confessions ~
"What is our next move?" Voldemort asked.
"Let's see. Dumbledore lost his power over me. He lost the twenty-six seats in Wizengamot. He lost the funds to support his Order. I think voting on issues brought up in the Wizengamot should be our next step." Harry thought over. The next couple of articles should be dealt with slowly and carefully. Who knew what Dumbledore had up his sleeves.
"My Lord," interrupted Lucius, "There is a Ministry party in two days actually. It would work in our advantage to have Harry first introduced there."
"Explain." Voldemort had steepled his fingers underneath his chin.
"Well, we will have Harry make his first entrance since the article, and allow for others to see how it has affected him. To know that he has attained seven titles and riches beyond anyone's wildest dreams will be anyone's weakness. There, he will be able to see who's who and meet many people who can be persuaded to join our side. Of course, Dumbledore will be there as he is Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump and Headmaster of Hogwarts, but I have no doubt in my mind that many will not favor him in their midst. Especially since the Ministry party will be full of purebloods who abide by the pureblood traditions and customs."
"Excellent." Voldemort said.
"Will you go with me, Tom?" Harry asked.
"Me? And why's that?"
"It would be easier to talk to someone I know. I don't really fancy parties." admitted Harry.
{I doubt that'ssss the only reason, young hatchling.} Voldemort and Harry turned their heads when Nagini slithered into the room.
{It is.} Harry insisted.
{I'm sssmelling more than jussst reluctance.} Nagini laughed. Harry looked wide-eyed at the long snake – surprised that the hissing laughter sounded a low toned balloon deflating at rapid intervals.
Lucius was silent, unable to understand the Parseltongue conversation. "My Lord?" he asked.
"Yes Lucius?"
"Fenrir has begun the transferring of werewolves into Merlin's Castle."
"Good, good. Tell him to report back to Harry and I when he is done. Tell him to write down anything that they might need. Nothing is too little or too much for my old friend."
"Yes, My Lord." Lucius swept out of the room, closing the door behind him.
"Aw, look at that. You aren't such a big bad Dark Lord after all." Harry gushed.
"Now now, Harry." Tom got up from his seat and walked around the boy, before caressing his cheek. "One would think you didn't like the Dark Lord image I've presented to the world."
"I preferred your younger look. You know, when you were around seventeen?" Harry smiled.
"You have seen how I've looked as a student?" Tom narrowed his eyes in suspicion, no longer in a playful mood.
Harry straightened up noting the change in the dark wizard. "Of course, Dumbledore practically had me heading towards the Chamber of Secrets in order to save Ginny." Harry shuddered. "I should have let your diary kill her then, so I don't have to deal with her now. But at least now, the Weasley family owes me a life debt." He grinned evilly.
"My diary?" Tom hissed.
"Well, yes. Don't – don't punish him." Harry said,
"What I do to my followers is none of your concern!" Tom snarled. Lucius had given up his diary just to harm a stupid girl?
"Give me a second." Harry said. "Dobby?"
The house elf appeared at his call. "What can Dobby be doing for Master Harry Potter?"
With a fond smile, Harry bent down to his eye level. "Could you retrieve the small black diary that Dumbledore's hidden in his office? Don't let anyone see you, not even the portraits. Tell Fawkes I said hi, by the way. I am trusting you with this job Dobby. Once you've retrieved it, bring it back to me, okay?"
"Yes Harry Potter, sir! Dobby be doing that now!" The house elf disappeared with a small pop.
"How did you destroy my diary?" Tom asked, his anger slowly dying down.
"With the Basilisk of course. Well, I used the Basilisk's fang; the venom destroyed your diary when I stabbed it through. All the ink poured out and your seventeen-year-old self sort of combusted before Ginny came back to consciousness." explained Harry. "Sorry about that. What is so important about your diary?"
Tom pinched the bridge of his nose before sitting down. "It's a Horcrux, Harry."
"A Horcrux?"
"When I was younger, I was intrigued with the idea of immortality – stretching my life force beyond what is the average life span of a mere wizard. And so, with each death I took, I created a Horcrux and had it integrated into objects."
"I didn't ask for how you did it. I asked you what a Horcrux was." Harry frowned.
Tom narrowed his eyes in frustration. "I'm leading up to it." He sighed. "A Horcrux is a powerful object where I have hidden a piece of my soul in in order to achieve immortality."
Dobby popped back in with the diary and handed it over to Harry before popping back out.
Taking a look at the diary, Harry rubbed his thumb over the gapping hole in the middle.
"Is that why Voldemort means flight of death? Are you," Harry paused. "Are you … scared of dying?" Harry whispered.
Tom was silent. He was thinking over Harry's question. Was he afraid of dying? Was Tom Marvolo Riddle afraid to die?
Tom shook his head. 'No. I am not afraid of death.' But a smaller part of him was – was afraid of dying with no accomplishment to have him stand out. He did not want to die a normal and wretched death after the childhood he had lived through. He was stronger than that. He pushed himself to learn more in order to show the Wizarding World what he could do, but before he could even do so, that blasted Dumbledore had taken down Grindelwald. And after that had happened, no one bothered to listen to his voice, his opinion, and his thoughts. Not until Abraxas Malfoy came up to him and told him many pureblooded wizards felt the same way as he.
"I suppose I am afraid of dying." Tom murmured, leaning back against his chair.
The room was silent after his confession.
…..
Harry sat there, unable to process Tom's answer. He didn't even know how he should feel after that revelation. Harry couldn't even speak – he didn't know what to say. He put the diary onto the desk and folded his hands before a determined look entered his eyes.
The Gryffindor got up from his seat and kneeled besides Tom's chair. He took Tom's hand and held it in his.
"I don't need your pity." Tom whispered.
"It's not pity." Harry said softly.
Tom opened his eyes and looked into bright green emerald ones. He took note that there was no pity, no amusement nor mockery of his admission. He slowly bent down and watched as Harry's eyes slowly flickered close. They were barely an inch apart when there was a knock at the door.
Tom exhaled slowly, watching Harry's eyes flutter open. They maintained the close distance, just staring at each other's eyes before another knock at the door sounded.
"I – I should –" Harry whispered, as he scrambled for words, all the while staring at Tom's eyes. He slowly got up off the floor, but did not let go of Tom's hand. Giving Tom a small smile and his hand a comforting squeeze, Harry returned to his seat and watched as Tom returned to his previous state.
"Come in."
…...
The next few minutes flew by with Harry lost in his thoughts. He could barely follow the conversation between Tom and his Death Eater. Something about the Ministry and Saint Mungo's, but that was all Harry caught. The Gryffindor was more focused on the brief moment between him and Tom.
'What was that?' Harry asked himself. 'I was about to kiss Tom, to kiss the Dark Lord! What was I thinking?!' He looked at Tom from the corner of his eye before pinning his eyes onto his hands on his lap.
'Merlin, am I falling for Tom? But… but he has a snake face!' Harry sputtered in his thoughts. 'No, if it was just his looks I was falling for, I wouldn't have almost kissed him!' Harry shook his head.
"Is there something wrong, Harry?" asked Tom, interrupting his follower's report. He noticed a slight change in the Gryffindor when Harry wasn't paying attention. Then Tom saw Harry looking at him from the corner of his eyes, before his eyes flickered to his lap and then the eventually shaking of his head.
"T-There's nothing wrong." squeaked Harry.
Furrowing his hairless eyebrows, Tom turned back to his Death Eater and told him to continue.
After the Death Eater was dismissed, Tom turned to Harry. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, Tom." answered Harry.
"Why were you distracted during the report?" Tom asked.
"I had other things in my mind."
"Such as?"
"Have you ever thought of a more… human like appearance?"
"It was not my intention to look like a snake. It is Peter's fault for this mishap. Of course, he was punished for it." Tom smiled wickedly as he recalled that event.
"He's still here then?" Harry asked.
"Yes."
"I want him."
"I'm sorry?"
"I'm going to kill him for sending my godfather to Azkaban for twelve long years." Harry smiled.
"My, my. What anger." Tom smirked. "Very well, you can have him soon."
…..
"What are you going to do now that Dumbledore probably knows you have Horcruxes?"
"I'll be retrieving them of course. I tried retrieving the Slytherin locket, but a note was inside the fraud, but I know who R.A.B. is. Regulus Arcturus Black. One of my youngest Death Eaters, including Severus. Now, I do not know where the damned locket has gone."
"You could ask his house elf."
"And you know?"
"Well, yes. But, I'm not sure if he'll come when he's called. He's quite… particular when it comes to serving his masters." Harry said.
"Do it."
"Kreacher."
The house elf appeared with a loud crack, tennis ball eyes widening even further when he saw the Dark Lord besides Harry. He disappeared once more but reappeared when Harry called for him.
"Calm down Kreacher. Tom isn't evil." Harry reasoned, watching the house elf shudder violently.
"That aside –" Tom drawled, "Do you know where Regulus hid my Slytherin Locket?"
The house elf's eyes went impossibly wider in fright, as if he had been caught doing something wrong.
"You're not in trouble, Kreacher. I just want to know where Regulus hid the locket." Harry tried to soothe the shaking house elf.
"Young Master Regulus be telling Kreacher to destroy the locket Kreacher not be following Master Regulus's orders! Bad Kreacher! Kreacher be bad house elf!" The old house elf started to hit himself, while sobbing loudly.
"Kreacher! KREACHER!" Harry shouted over his wailing. "Bring the locket to me and I'll destroy it for you." Tom made a sound of disbelief before Harry shot him a glare to shut up. "Trust me, Kreacher. I am the new Lord Black. Don't you want to fulfill Regulus's last wish?" He hated to manipulate the house elf like this, but the whole situation smelled a little too fishy for the Dark Lord's supportive follower to suddenly die and vanish without a trace.
The house elf sniffled before looking at Harry. Deeming the wizard to be truthful, Kreacher disappeared before reappearing with the locket in hand. Voldemort's eyes gleamed brightly with glee, while Harry's dulled.
"That's the locket Kreacher. Thank you. I'll be destroying it. You will have fulfilled Regulus's last wish." He extended a hand out to the locket, eyes losing focus as his hand drew closer and closer to the dark item. The whispers coming from the Slytherin Locket pulled at his magic – told him to come closer and closer.
Kreacher handed the locket over before disappearing. Locket clasped in his hand, Harry looked at it with fascination. It was as if a part of him had been returned.
"…arry. Harry!"
Harry shook his head before handing the locket back to Tom. "I'm sorry… it's just…"
Tom looked at the Gryffindor. He had noticed Harry's eyes glazing over as his hand drew closer to the locket. But there was no way, was there? But it would explain how the boy felt pain whenever he was angry… and it would explain so many more things whenever Tom was able to look through Harry's eyes.
"I have to ask you something, Harry. And be truthful when answering it, okay?"
Harry nodded his head.
"Do you ever feel whenever you're around me?"
"In first year, my scar would hurt whenever I was in Professor Quirrell's class. Second year I met you, but I also talked to your younger self through your little black notebook. Third year I haven't gotten close to you. Fourth year you know what happened. And last year, I saw Sirius being held hostage in the deeper parts of the Ministry of Magic."
"Ah yes… that vision that I sent to you."
"I also felt pain whenever you were angry, elated whenever your plan went your way or something good happened."
"Pain whenever I am unpleased with my Death Eaters? Do you ever see anything?"
Harry stiffened before eyeing Tom warily. "If I say I do?"
"Come now Harry. You aren't in trouble. I won't do anything to you."
"I… see bits and pieces of what you do. Sometimes when I sleep, other times when I'm awake. I feel your anger, your emotions should anything happen to please or anything else. I see snippets of your meetings as well you know."
Tom waited for him to piece the information together.
"I'm… I'm one of your Horcruxes, aren't I?" Harry whispered.
"It is highly likely." began Tom. "It was not intended of course. But I believe you've become a Horcrux that night when the Killing Curse was reflected back to me. My soul must have split apart at the last second and attached itself to you, the only living entity in the room."
"Is that why I was so drawn to your locket? Is that why I'm able to speak Parseltongue?"
Tom nodded. "It's possible."
"Is that why I… also feel attraction towards you?" Harry whispered.
"That is different." Tom abruptly answered. For some reason, he didn't want to believe that what Harry could feel for him was only due to the fact that he was one of his own Horcruxes. "You do not like me just because a part of me is in you. I can assure you of that."
"But you just told me a Horcrux is an object. I'm a person!"
"Though that is the definition of what a Horcrux is, I can assure you, whatever you feel, is not my soul's doing."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because I feel the same way. You cannot say I am feeling attracted to my own soul, Harry." Tom whispered.
There was a slight silence at the admission, but it made Harry feel warmth flooding through his system. Tom felt the same way he did? His face flushed.
"I… did not mean to say that suddenly." Tom admitted.
"I'm… glad you did though." Harry blushed.
The next silence was nice and comforting as the two wizards enclosed the confession within them.
"So… how are you going to retrieve the Horcruxes?" Harry asked.
"I've made a total of six, seven counting you. Once I retrieved them, I will reabsorb them. It should change my appearance. We should start with the Gaunt ring. I have no doubt Dumbledore will go for it first." Tom said.
With a nod, Harry joined in Tom's planning for the retrieving of his Horcruxes.
…
It was the next morning when two owls had come during breakfast to drop off a letter each to Harry. They both bumped into each other as if fighting to be the first to deliver their packages. They landed onto the table in front of Harry and stuck out their legs, waiting for the wizard to untie the letters. The young wizard did so after Voldemort had cast several spells to check to make sure there weren't any jinxes, hexes, curses or port keys linked to it.
Harry turned the first letter in his hands and saw the word Prongs Jr. written on it; the other letter, he recognized, was written with Hermione's handwriting. Sucking on his teeth in agitation, Harry reluctantly took the letter out of the envelope and began to read.
Dear Harry,
You must believe that I had nothing to do with your stolen wealth. I know that whatever I'm writing might be taken as something an excuse, but please trust in me. The wealth that's been listed as stolen, from me, was given to me by Headmaster Dumbledore. You know that I come from a muggle family, born to muggle parents. I am unable to pay for Hogwarts tuition and so after a few months into the first term of the first year, Headmaster Dumbledore had asked for me to meet with him in his office. He had told me that, due to my intellectual academic achievement in every class, I had been awarded several scholarships to help pay for the tuition. My own school supplies, school uniform and school tuition had been reimbursed after that year and the following four years had been paid off due to these scholarships that I've been rewarded. I had believed every word that Headmaster Dumbledore had told me. You were always right; not all those with authority are correct or are good. I should've asked him about how and where and when I've even been offered, sponsored or even had my name given up for chances to claim a scholarship. But I never did. I hadn't needed to because Dumbledore was always the righteous leader that the Wizarding World followed.
Harry, I know what I'm saying might be full of hogwash, but you know me. You were my first friend. I am not trying to guilt you into sustaining your trust in me and I am not trying to make you feel as if it would be your fault should I end up in Azkaban from stealing from one of the Wizarding World's most prestigious and affluent Lords. All I am saying is that you have to know I had nothing to do with what is reported in your Gringotts statement. You may not trust me after all that I've written – and during fourth year, my loyalty to you as my first friend had wavered between Ron and yourself, but I would never ever steal from you. I, Hermione Jean Granger, swear by my magic and my life that I had never stolen from Harry James Potter. So I say, so mote it be. And if my vow does not appease you in writing, I have no trouble proclaiming the vow once more when we meet face to face. All I ask for you is a moment of your time so you can hear me out.
Please believe me Harry, you're my first friend.
From,
Hermione Jean Granger
Harry frowned at the brunette's letter. He looked to Tom and Lucius before spreading her written letter out in front of them.
"Is this vow acceptable?"
"What do you mean?" Tom asked, before the two of them perused it.
"Is the vow legal – even when it's written?"
"Yes, it is legal if a person's full name is written out properly. The vow has to be done in the same way." Tom nodded his head.
"She even said she would repeat the vow in front of you," said Lucius in a thoughtful tone.
"Have her repeat the vow." Tom said, returning the letter to Harry. He nodded and refolded the parchment paper and placed it back into the envelope. The Gryffindor then moved onto Sirius's letter.
Prongslet,
I am absolutely furious with Dumbledore right now! FURIOUS! As you can tell, my handwriting isn't as neat as it's supposed to be. Why I ought to –
Hello Harry, Sirius went off to the other side of his room and started to blow things up, so I decided to take over to write this letter.
Harry smiled at the switch in writing, noticing that Remus's handwriting was more cursive and much more neater than his godfather's.
I had to keep him from blasting Dumbledore. Did you know? He was so calm at the revelation of it all. I couldn't believe my eyes. I saw the burning fury in his thought – but I was waiting for the explosion. Don't tell him I said that.
I followed Sirius to his room, and this was the first thing he did. He wanted to throw Dumbledore and the Order out, but as you have become the Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, the power falls directly to your hands. Mind you, I believe it's because Sirius is afraid of Molly's loud voice, her overbearing lectures and his mother's awakening from her portrait that he refuses to release his fury.
Harry! Prongslet! I've read all that Remus has written! When you've read this letter, immediately force Dumbledore and the Order out. Once that's done, the wards themselves will be renewed, as you are the new Lord Black. It will amplify the wards' powers over the Black's Ancestral Home in London and even if Dumbledore is the secret keeper, the change in Lord will negate the Fidelius Charm and he will forget all about the location. They all will.
Now, repeat the following words: I, Harry James Potter, Lord Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, hereby remove everyone from the Ancestral House of Black except for [and insert the following names here; the full name if you will]. This will remove the knowledge gained by everyone in the building regarding our family's secrets (if any were found or noticed) and the location of the home.
Note that the Fidelius Charm will be removed from Dumbledore, but it will still be intact. You will become the new secret keeper instead, so worry not that he will come back again in search of us.
I'll be seeing you soon Harry. Write back. Oh – and Remus says he'll see you later as well.
Love,
Padfoot and Moony
Harry set the letter down and repeated Sirius's written words. "I, Harry James Potter, Lord Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, hereby remove everyone from the Ancestral House of Black except for Sirius Orion Black, Remus John Lupin and Hermione Jean Granger."
The wizard felt his magic vibrate beneath his skin before it settled. He finished the rest of his breakfast with a broad grin on his face – unbeknownst to him that Lucius and Tom were also smirking at his forceful removal of unwanted guests.
…..
The Weasley family and the Order of the Phoenix were all gathered around the dining room being served breakfast. It was Sirius whom had felt it first – the magic of the Lord of the House of Black blanketing him in a warmth so thick that it was both calming and reassuring.
Then, he burst out laughing when the Weasley family and the Order froze and was quickly whisked out of the building – the sound of the front door closing loudly behind them. Hermione jumped when everyone besides her and Sirius and Remus had immediately disappeared from the dining table. Sirius and Remus looked at each other and continued laughing before finishing up their meal, acting as if the guests in the Black Ancestral Home being removed were a daily reoccurrence.
It was about an hour later that they polished off their plates and washed the dishes. Sirius and Remus headed back to their rooms to compose another letter to their dearly beloved godson. Hermione, on the other hand, went up to her room with a small smile, happy that Harry hadn't had any bad feelings towards her. But she would stay by the window of her bedroom, awaiting Harry's letter.
…..
A/N: Woot! And done! BAM! I hope you enjoyed it (: Slow updates since I'm trying to update each story once a month. Please bear with me! R&R
