I had to write a speech for Voldemort. It was so hard! 0-0 Thanks to those who follows/reviews this story and add it to your favorites! Thanks to your review lilly-flower15 I decided to write this chapter and post it more quickly for you. But school... was my priority ;)

"speaking"

*parseltongue*


Revised on 11/11/2019


Chapter 5: Meet the Lady

Unplottable location (Riddle's manor, Little Hangleton), 1996

Finally, the door opened letting the inner-circle and their heirs meet the son of the Dark Lord and his followers. They had many questions for the group, of course, they would ask them only if their Lord permitted it. How were they? Will they join the Dark Lord? Who were they?

Thomas led the way; his followers were doing alright – exactly as they had rehearsed. Very good. He watched critically his father's death eater, they weren't that professional. Did they see emotions on his followers? No. His father's however... He glanced at the man, it was as Evans said, his father lost all his looks, a shame.

Hopefully, he won't look like him when he'll be older. He was going to break the silence, greeting his father but someone else broke it. Nobody was supposed to interrupt him, how dare they, things weren't going to stay pretty.

"Potter!"

Of course, Snape couldn't shut up! Harry groaned, the poor boy was already stressed, but no, Snape had to talk. And hey, wasn't the man to be in the order and wasn't he supposed to protect him? No! Of course not! He already got his godfather killed.

If he only that man had helped! If only he had done something! But no, the overgrown bat was useless when you needed him. Ignoring his inner turmoil, Harry kept a cool gaze. He didn't even move, didn't acknowledge Snape, and didn't answer.

He was a little worried when Voldemort took his wand – and every death eaters also had theirs, pointing at poor Harry - the crucio starting on his lips. But a cold voice interrupted.

"Enough."

Thomas spoke, his eyes were colder than the arctic, his voiced froze everyone. Voldemort looked pissed and was going to start hissing, but Harry's lover interrupted again.

"What is this supposed to mean, father?"

"It iss I, that sshould assk thiss quesstion, sson."

*Masster doess it mean that the green-eyed boy getss the firssst placsse?*

What the hell was the snake hissing about? And, did Harry really want to know?

"Has any one of my followers stepped out of their formation? Did they speak before me, their leader? No, they did not." Ranted Thomas. "Surely, you must have seen that no one of my followers attacked or menaced you and yours. But, what will you do to apologize to me? After all, you tried to attack my followers, mine. They are mine, and I take care of what is mine." Thomas cocked his head, judging them all beneath him and his. "I shall take this as an insult toward myself - as a leader, as a guest, and as your son."

Harry's heartbeat sped up. Thomas protected him against his father. And what a speech! Go Thomas!

"- I ssee. I apologizse sson. I will punissh this fool after."

Wow. Old Voldy saying sorry! Mark the day. Thought Harry, his stress level, now; lowered.

Lucian who had been bored, now, had to keep himself from laughing, the way his 'uncle' spoke was supposed to be terrifying - that's what he heard from Draco. Evans didn't tell them anything which was normal. But really, who would have thought that the dark lord had a lisp problem? The same problem that had baby Evans.

He glanced at Trixy, their eyes met they both held a mischievous look, she also glanced at Rosier and at Dolohov. Oh, they all were thinking the same thing. He felt someone pinching his hips on his right side.

Woah, Evans knew exactly what he was thinking about. Thought the blond.

He was brave enough to pinch him in a room full of death eater or a fool, or ingenious as he had perfectly hidden his arm behind Thomas.

"- I will of course be compensated later, right, father?"

Ooh. He was going fully out! Harry was sure that Voldemort let his son speak freely because it was their first meeting since he was a kid. Or Voldy, actually, had a heart and his son held a special place in a compartment hidden somewhere behind closed barrier, and locks, lots of locks.

If it was the second Voldy was going to hate Harry. Wait, didn't he already hate him? Ah. He was in deep shit. No need to be polite then. If he was going to die, he will go with a bang.

"- Of courssse sson."

And Lucian laughed.

That idiot! Couldn't he keep it in himself. Harry tried to keep his blush down. Deep breath. Deep breath. It wasn't functioning. And of course, Trixy started to giggle, ah, her insane giggles always made him remember the Black's insanity. Rosier chortled behind him.

Dolohov thankfully didn't laugh, the man was decent, but his eyes were full of mirth. Even Thomas was smirking. Harry really wanted to pout, but he had to keep his face straight, or as straight as he can, he was meeting his father-in-law, for Merlin's sake.

"Sson."

"Sorry father. Let me present you my friends, as I already know everyone from your inner-circle and their children too."

"Do you?", silkily asked Lucius.

"Why, but of course, uncle Lucius." Thomas knew exactly that Lucius was asking the how in his question, too bad, the dark-haired boy didn't have time for him.

"And, how did you obtain thiss information?", asked his father - the poor man must be worried but was trying to mask it, exactly what a good lord should do.

Saying a mental sorry to his Darling who disliked attention, he answered.

"Evans informed me of course."

The death eaters and the dark lord looked for the said person but didn't find him. Thinking he was hiding somewhere in the manor the Dark Lord asked his snake if she felt another presence in the room.

Only Snape paled, familiar with the name, he quickly understood who the dark lord's son was speaking about.

"It's impossible."

The death eaters who were watching the room carefully with their eyes turned them on Snape; the Dark Lord raised a non-existent eyebrow, asking Snape to continue.

But they were interrupted again by Thomas.

"Ah, father, let me introduce you to my most faithful followers, as they would like to rekindle with their families."

All the attention went back on Thomas.

"This is Dolohov Vladimir, the oldest member, you must have remembered him, right? Let me refresh the mind of your inner-circle. He was an unmarked follower but a supporter of your cause."

Voldemort narrowed his eyes as his son said the word 'yours'. Did it mean that his son became a muggle lover? He did choose Potter, maybe he chose the old coot.

"This is Rosier Dmitri."

Rosier dared to give a small wave and Harry had to keep a smirk out his face.

"This is Lestrange Dolphinia, but you ought to call her Trixy."

Trixy wanted to finish the presentation quickly so that she could finally hug her parents and her uncle, Azkaban had changed their looks or was it their age?

"This is Bonnefoi Lucian, cousin's of the Malfoy."

Lucian did the peace sign and winked at his cousin Draco, was he pulling a Sirius? Yes, he was.

"And finally, this is Black Evans." Thomas presented Harry. "Well, I shall tell you about their usefulness, when we will be alone."

Harry murmured silently, "You forgot yourself my Prince."

"How foolish of me. Thank you, Evans. I'm Thomas Riddle son of the Dark Lord Voldemort."

The death eater already knew of their Lord's past.

"Well, I think that all the family should meet each other."

"You are of course right son. But I think that before pleasantries, we should finish the main meeting."

Finally, he stopped with the hissing! Thomas nodded at his father, he was right they had their own priorities.

"Elf!"

A house-elf didn't appear, but a ebony table was conjured with chairs for each of them, the table was decorated with some elegant candles. Voldemort sat at the head of the table, his death eaters were on his left and his son and his own followers were on the right side. Sadly, his son was sitting beside the Potter boy. Nagini was near her master, who had conjured a rug with a warming spell on it, she was pleased.

"My friends, we are here to fight against the same enemy. The Light is going to fail, and they'll be engulfed in the dark, we shall conquer and win this war. My son has already started working to insure our side." He paused a few seconds. "While we were fighting in Great Britain, he was recruiting and has expanded our cause to Russia and its smaller neighboring countries. The old coot is thinking that I only choose Britain as my territory, his old mind could not have anticipated my son's step to take the world."

He let the information sink in his follower's little brain.

"Yess, you heard me, the world, for the last decade my son established his own connection around the world, from Russia to France, to America. I will now let my son Thomas speak about his group's exploit. If you have any questions, my son will be pleased to answer them. And by extension, I'm sure his followers will also be able to answer some questions of their own."

The last sentence was said with an obvious glance toward Harry. And some death eaters didn't even bother to mask their calculated expression off their faces.


Lyra's orphanage, Surrey, 1985

The orphanage was different from what his aunt and uncle said. It wasn't the one his relatives always speak about – its entrance looked like it was maintained, his friends were wearing good clothes, and they seemed so happy.

It was a bit strange, there was something in this orphanage, the moment he entered the gates, he was enveloped in a protective bubble. He felt safe which was strange. He was musing about this when she approached them.

A beautiful and elegant Lady, there was no other word to call her, she wasn't a miss or ma'am, she was a Lady with a capital L. She was tall, her posture was elegant with an air of importance without arrogance, she wasn't trying to be a lady like his aunt Petunia, she was a natural Lady.

Her heart-shaped face held the same cold blue eyes of Thomas, but contrary to her son her eyes managed to stay warm and gentle. Her lashes were colored in a silvery blonde hue, the same color as her long hair which were braided with a small indigo ribbon.

She was dressed in an elegant indigo dress decorated in light sky blue. She was wearing no makeup, but a fine set of jewellery adorned her neck and her ears.

The elegant Lady was Thomas's mother, Trixy's aunty, but also Lucian's aunty and Rosier's godmother. After he shyly introduced himself, she had a weird look in her eyes - they suddenly became full of grief and sadness, but with a touch of resignation - after she blinked her eyes became as they were before with only a touch of acceptance.

She had given Evans a hug and told him he was always welcome here. The kind Lady kissed both of his red cheeks and shared a look full of understanding at Thomas as he held a look of jealousy in his eyes.

Evans was worried that his friend was jealous of him, but when he tried to apologize, the blue-eyed boy glanced weirdly at Evans, before saying that it was okay, and one day he would just have to give back the kisses to the older boy. The green-eyed boy was confused but decided to agree, after all Thomas was one of his first friend!

Trixy caught his arm, and they both played around with Lucian, Rosier and Thomas. The kind Lady came back with a trail full of hot cocoa and some delicious pastries.

He spent a good day, and the storm didn't even come, even if it snowed! But it was time to go back to the Dursley. Evans promised to come back and saluted them. Thomas wanted to accompany the younger boy, and Evans decided to accept – he would be able to spend more time with his friend.

Waving his hand at his other friend and the Lady he joyfully yelled:

"-Bye everyone! Goodbye, Lady Lyra!"


- To be continued