Previous Chapter:
"Why were you so set on killing my godfather before?"
Bellatrix turned to Harry when the boy spoke as soon as the torrent of memories ended and they were back into reality. "I used to blame him, Potty." Her head was tilted backwards slightly leaning to her left. "I blame him for Reggy's death."
"You blame my godfather? For his own younger brother's death?" Harry scoffed. "What the hell!"
Loud guffaws filled the small chamber and Harry backed away slightly from her. "Funny little Potty. At times of war, even families must be killed if they're on different side. Besides, how do you know, who to trust?" She calmed into titters and Harry slightly panicked when she drew closer to him, when Bellatrix hooked her arm around his, it was pure oddness and Harry really have no other choice but to follow her footsteps. At least it was the way out.
Warnings:
Oocness, mentions of rape, Slash, FemSlash, major character death (maybe), Light!Bashing (slight), Godmother!Bellatrix. Powerful!Harry.
DH and HBP spoiler alerts.
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, it belongs to the amazing author J.K. Rowling and I thank her for allowing us to write fanfictions of her original work as long as it is solely for fun and we are not making any profits on it.
Commentary:
Tom Riddle is handsome I know, but Voldemort is hot.
Ramblings:
Okay, I am sorry for being inactive but hey I was busy and I lost my muse for a while. Okay, for the better part of the year. Some asked me the plot holes on how Sirius is in the Veil but Harry didn't know about the prophecy. Well, I actually it was on purpose…I made a little change, during their fourth year and it will be explained as the story goes on. If there are any other plot holes, do notify me. Some are on purpose but some might not and I did not notice. Thank you for being such an attentive reader.
Pairings:
Voldemort/Harry, ?/Harry, Fred/Blaise, George/Draco, Ron/Theodore, Luna/Pansy, Cedric/Rabastan, Hermione/Rabastan
(only non-canon are listed)
Word Count:
3'027 words
Harry was chopping of the onions without any help from the house-elves because apparently when Voldemort said he had to earn his own living, he meant living alone. Still, at least by cooking his own food, he was assured that there would be no poisons. He stirred the porridge in the pot and started to fry the chopped onions in a skillet. As a finishing touch, he squeezed fresh orange into a bowl.
He banished away the fire with a flick of his wrist and fill a bowl with the porridge, the fried chopped onion was sprinkled all over the top, added with a few rosemary leaves to give a spice. The freshly squeezed orange was poured into a tall glass, all was neatly arranged a top of a conjured small round table. "Dobby, Kreacher. Join me for dinner, will ya?" He grinned, conjuring another two chairs around the small table. "Dobby? Kreacher?" He began inspecting the other side of the kitchen only to see Kreacher bandaging Dobby's bleeding head. "W-what happened here?" The surrounding area was a mess.
"Master Potter." Kreacher greeted with a nod, half of his concentration taken away with the task of bandaging the other house-elf's head. "The other house-elves attacked him because of his absurdity with the clothes and talking about freedom, saying that he was a disgrace to them and would die soon. They took the liberty of sending it sooner."
"Harry Potter sir." Dobby croaked. "Dobby is unable to join to dinner but Dobby feels honoured."
Harry knelt beside the two of them. "It is okay, Dobby. There's always next time. Take a rest, you're not bound to anyone so take time to heal." He looked towards Kreacher. "I trust you to take a good care of him. You understand me, Kreacher?" It was worded sternly because he knows how stubborn this one house-elf could be.
The addressed house-elf nodded and finished wrapping the bandage. "Kreacher bes be putting Dobby in bed now." It was a request for dismissal and Harry gave it with a final nod before the house-elves disapparated to a place where Harry hopes there would be no disturbance.
"Looks like I'll be having dinner alone." He sighed to himself and pulled himself up from the floor only to crash back down on his bum when he accidentally bumped into someone else. "Oomph!" His eyes were on the floor, noticing the end of a black-coloured robes and following it up to meet the face with the wearer. Oh, great. A Hogwart's student, Slytherin of course. Sarcasm not intended...perhaps partially.
"Potter?" The boy frowned. "What are you doing on the floor?"
Was he serious? "Oh, nothing. It's just very cosy down here, why don't you come sit next to me?" Harry answered sarcastically
"Oh, I thought you fell." The boy ignored the sarcasm and talked normally.
"You think?" He pushed himself off from the floor and quirked an eyebrow.
The boy's cheek flushed. "Sorry, daydreaming." He excused his dumb question. "Why are you here though?"
A shrug. "I'm having dinner. Want to join me, Nott? It's kind of lonely to be eating alone."
Theodore gave a smile that Harry was not expecting, he was expecting a refusal and a scowl actually but instead he got an agreement, he was not complaining. "Sure, Potter. Would be the first time I'll be eating with someone, not at Hogwarts."
Harry tilted his head in confusion, but with another shrug he took another bowl and a tall glass, preparing the same dinner for this...unexpected companion. "Take a seat." Harry placed the tray on the table. "Would you like something fancier, perhaps?" He asked when Theodore made no show of joining him on the table. "You could always ask Voldemort's-" Cue flinch, Harry did not expect that from the son of a Death Eater. "House elves to get you something."
"That's not it." The Slytherin shook his head, referring to Harry saying him being a bigot. "I'm just surprised the house-elves made...this-" He walked towards the small round table and slowly taking a seat on the opposite of the Gryffindor
Harry interrupted mid-sentence. "Porridge."
"Porridge." Theo frowned with slight shook of his head. "They usually stick to fancy food worldwide." He dipped his spoon into the porridge and inspected it with curiosity. "What are these? Are they any good?"
Avada green eyes shone in excitement. "Of course they are! I made them myself. The main ingredient is rice and water, not hard to cook actually." He wanted to say more but it would not do to overwhelm the poor Slytherin who had never tasted the wonder of this simple, satisfying dish.
With a doubting look thrown over the Golden Boy, Theodore tasted a spoonful. "It's...okay." He took another bite. "I mean, the flavour of it is...simple." Another long pause. "I like it." He continued swallowing spoonful after spoonful.
"Glad you like it."
They spent their dinner in silence, the only sound heard was the soft clicking sound of when the spoon clashed gently against the bottom of the bowl as they ate. As soon as both of their bowls emptied Harry gave a secretive glance towards Theodore, signalling the universal sign of silence and magically let bowls fly towards the sink, the tap opened itself and as soon as the water hit the bowls, the sponge began scrubbing and soap spilling bit of its contents to help in the cleaning. Theodore's expression was surprisingly schooled well to not drop his jaws but the surprise was certainly clear.
"Your reaction is better than Ron's." Harry laughed a little.
Theodore scoffed. "You can't compare a Gryffindor with a Slytherin." But then he looked directly towards Harry, the haughty momentary expression gone replaced by a mild curiosity twinkle in his eyes. "How'd he reacts?"
"Ron? Well, he was surprised." Harry answered, thinking on how to describe Ron's funny expression to Theodore.
The Nott heir rolled his eyes. "Duh!"
The chosen one blinked, his mouth dropped slightly. "Did you just say 'duh!'?" His question only got him a raising eyebrow from Theo. "But that is so…–"
"So muggle?" Theodore cut off Harry's next word.
Harry nodded silently.
The Slytherin merely gave a hint of smirk…or was it a smile and finished his drink before standing up and brought the empty glass towards the sink, surprising Harry again by washing it himself.
He had always thought that Pureblood Slytherins were all stuck up brats, bigoted idiots and die-hard fanatic of the Dark. He cannot exactly imagine Draco Malfoy washing a single plate or glass in his life. Well, it is not like he had interacted with the other Slytherin students much and the only one he had ever the pleasure of even knowing was Malfoy and his goons. Come to think of it, Theodore Nott is relatively nameless, perhaps he would not have even known the boy's name if they were not year mates.
Well, 'don't judge a book by its cover' people say and quotes are usually words of wisdom quoted by the lessons of life. Harry snorted to himself wondering when in the hell did he become a philosopher and proceeded to "I'll be taking leave now. Goodnight Nott.", bringing his full glass orange juice with him. "Thanks for accompanying me." He left the kitchen with a polite nod towards Nott, the door closing shut after he walked out without another look towards his temporary companion.
When Harry reached his room in the servant quarters, him being the only human residing there, he felt kind off lonely for some reason. He sighed and laid down on the bed, thinking about his new life here and how bleak it will be but Nott's presence was somehow comforting. He might be a Slytherin but at least there's someone who was close to his age at this place. Being surrounded by adult people will be, well, boring.
Harry closed his eyes and slowly fell into Morpheus's embrace.
The next morning, Harry was woken up with a rush of adrenaline because apparently, Bellatrix Lestrange had deemed it fun to waltz into his room and yelling "Morning, Potty!" In a made up sing-song voice. Not just that, the crazy woman had even casted the first year floating charm on him, jolting his bleary mind awake from the shock and the adrenaline that came along with it as she suddenly cancels the spell out when he was thrashing around so high above the ground.
"Aaaaaah!" Harry's eyes widened as he felt himself dropping, following the laws of gravity without the magic. Closing his eyes and waiting for impact he was caught in the arms of a strong man. Opening his eyes, he noticed that the loose screw woman had brought two bodyguards, or cronies with her.
"Aww, little Harry is cozying up with Basti already. He'll fit right in to the family." Bellatrix cooed for a while before cackling.
Basti? Harry gave the man an incredulous look at nickname which the man just sighs and shook his head as carefully places Harry down. "Rabastan Lestrange, younger brother of the crazy bitch's husband." He motioned towards the other male in the room, taller than the both of them, "Rodolphus Lestrange."
Harry blinked, well this kind of situation should be expected sooner or later and he had kind of guessed that it was inevitable with Bellatrix suddenly being so endearing to him. Which is creepier than the crazy I-want-to-kill-Harry-Potter-and-make-My-Lord-proud kind of attitude that he had expected.
'Anyways, isn't this fun?' Harry thought to himself, sarcastically. "What do you want?" Because there must be a certain reason as to WHY the freaking Lestrange Trio came down to his humble room and woke him up from sleep with the most unceremonious of ways. Now, if it were only Bellatrix he would understand, she is after all, demented.
"My Lord has ordered for your presence at this very moment, Potter." Rabastan explained the reason they had trespassed into his private quarters. "We are to escort you there. Come, we are in haste."
Harry makes faces at that. "I doubt he would appreciate a bad breath, let me wash my teeth first." He sighed and went to the bathroom connected to his room before the others could say anything about it. He went through his morning ablutions quickly, his mind was blank, not knowing what to think. He did not exactly expect a normal, comfortable life here as the Dark Lord's house elf-like servant. Though to be summoned so quickly, he was not handing in any information about the Phoenix. He is in Neutral side of the war now. He just wants his little baby to be safe.
"We need to go now, Potter." Rabastan said and Harry nodded, walking towards Bellatrix who was standing in front of the two brothers.
"Don't be scared, little sweet child." Bellatrix cooed, brushing her fingers over Harry's face from the cheek to jaw. "Mommy trusts the Dark Lord."
Harry mentally snickered at that. What in the bloody hell is this woman trying to reassure him with words like that, Bellatrix having the slightest objections or distrust to Voldemort would be the surprising thing. His verbal response though, was a wise one. "O….kay." He obviously sounded like he was picturing the woman crazy, which she was. Somehow this felt really surreal, how is he not panicking with their presence in a private quarter, with him standing there alone, almost defenseless. Like a kitten against full grown tigers.
Bellatrix took up Harry's arm, hooking hers around his and with her demented grin, she took the first step to take the Boy-Who-Lived to see the Dark Lord. Harry found it hard to keep up with her steps, maybe because instead of walking like a normal person, she was actually prancing around. Despite the dark and gloomy hall way they were passing through, mind you that they are still in the servant quarters, which was down underground and no one bothered to cast the charm to make pseudo sunlight shine in from the few small slits of windows. Perhaps there has been once but not longer.
He wondered what Voldemort could have wanted from him, it has not even been a week. Heck, it has only been a mere two days and he was already summoned by the Dark Lord. He was quite firm on his stance, at least he thinks so, the other day when he first appeared in front of the Dark Lord. He was feeling more curious than scared which was curious even to himself but he decided not to dwell on it much. Perhaps because the Dark Lord had guaranteed his safety, and Voldemort has never ever lied to him like the Order has.
He knew he was there when he felt the heavy ward surrounding a door that seemed no different from the other door, in that part of the house wing, in that particular floor. 'Appearance really is not everything; it is what is inside, it really fits in well here.' Harry mused to himself, watching as Bellatrix cleared her throat and knocked on the door before shouting. "We brought you Harry Potter, My Lord." She announced through the door.
"Let Potter in, you three are dismissed." Voldemort spoke, his voice bellowing through the door. Power and command dripped in his voice, showing he was the one with authority.
"But My Lord," Bellatrix opened her mouth to protest.
"Potter only, Bella." Repeated Voldemort, his tone no different from before.
Bellatrix shivered, it may sound no different to others but to her it sounded cold. When the Dark Lord uses her nickname, it was a warning. "Yes, My Lord." Bellatrix and the two Lestrange brothers took a step back from the door. "Go on in, Potty." Bellatrix said with a smile that was meant to be reassuring.
It creeped Harry out to see her smiling but he can see the beauty that was behind the demented mask. Harry, of course, did not bother to knock. Twisting the knob, he walked in with the pride of a Gryffindor. It was not the throne room certainly, or a meeting hall, or any grand place that might be in this manor, it was a private office room. It was a small, humble space, though with the books from floor to ceiling on each wall exempting the door and the ones littered around the floor in neat but scattered arrangement might make the room look more cramped that it originally was. It was an odd picture. Voldemort sitting behind a desk, papers strewn all over.
Voldemort was not alone in the room though. There was another male in the room, Harry knew him. Being in the same school as the other boy for five years long yet they have never spoken to each other, the boy is of course, a Slytherin. "Come closer, Harry." The Dark Lord drawled with a hiss.
The boy stared at Harry with the stoic expression that the Slytherin's are known to wear everywhere they went. They both stood in front of the Dark Lord's work desk. Harry wondered why he was summoned and why was the Slytherin standing next to him. "Do you know each other?" The Dark Lord asked, his voice emitting raw power and Harry who was being more sensitive to magic almost quivered at the wave of pleasure hitting him.
"Yes, My Lord." The brown haired boy answered while looking as submissive as he can in front of the man he knew hold much stronger power. "Although we have never spoken to each other as we have no reason to."
Harry nodded to the other boy's word, it was the truth. He sees no fit to say any more as there was no need to explain further other than what the boy had spoken. He wondered for a second, if he should keep his gaze down like the other but decided against it, he was a neutral party and there was no reason for him to show his submissiveness.
"You are to watch over him, if he tries to do anything suspicious you are to take immediate action by stunning him then report to me as soon as possible." Voldemort drawled almost casually as he looked at the brown-haired boy. Then he turned to look at Harry Potter. "You have no say in this."
Harry blinked. He did not think he did but hearing Voldemort saying that himself to him was funny. Why? Maybe Bellatrix's madness is contagious. Yeah, that's the only explanation he can come with. He was even rambling to himself in his head. Oh, Merlin. "Alright."
"You two are dismissed." Voldemort returned his attention to the scroll in front of him, with a quill back in his hand and a parchment that had his elegant cursive writing on it. Harry wondered what was Voldemort writing down on that piece of parchment. Whatever it is, it must be interesting.
They left the room and Harry looked at the Slytherin boy. "Well, um, good morning Nott?" He said, forming it like a question as he was unsure what to say.
Theodore rolled his eyes. "Ever so elegant, Potter."
Harry scowled. "You try coming up with something to say in my place in this situation."
The boy was silent for a while. "Fair enough." He nodded, accepting defeat. "So, what were you doing Potter?"
"First off, why don't we start calling each other by first names?" Harry suggested.
"And why would you want that?"
Harry shrugged, starting to walk back towards his quarters with Theodore following beside him. "Since, we're going to spend most of our time together and I think you're the only one who is not an adult here. Calling me Potter all the time sounds so formal." Harry stopped suddenly and turned towards the Slytherin. "So, what I'm suggesting is…" He held out a hand. "Friends?"
Theodore stared at the hand in front of him, alternating between the hand and Harry's eyes, looking for any sort of play in this. "Alright, Harry." He said after some time, grasping the hand and put on a somewhat firm smile. "We can try."
Harry grinned. "Hope we get along, Theodore."
"Just Theo is fine." He wanted to cringe at his at being called Theodore. It was just to weird. Well befriending the Boy-Who-Lived was also weird but who is he to question the Three Fates at work?
Hello...? Sorry I disappeared...but I am back? Maybe. I got tired of role playing all the time so I am back to writing again and well I will be finishing my first semester of college in another week. Hopefully I will be writing more instead of just playing games ^-^'' I do think I will be writing more though.