A/N: So here it is! My next chapter, and it's even longer than before :3 My hand hurts, though XD

This Chapter is dedicated to Fae0306 for wanting an update so much ^^

Thank you lala (can I call you that? xD) for a fast and nice edit. ^^

Enjoy!

Chapter 4- The Feelings Unnamed

A sea of kneeling black figures filled the throne room. There was only silence. They were waiting for him to start the meeting, yet he hadn't given any sign of that. It was a test to see who were those that would defy his presence and who were those that would remain loyal and trustful of their Lord's judgment. Red eyes swept over the bowed heads.

Another ten minutes passed and no one let on of their displeasure.

'Good.' Voldemort thought. 'Only the most loyal will last. Soon, though, we will need a new wave of recruits.' The impression that newly enlisted Death Eaters had part in the meetings was far from the truth. Only those who proved their worth and loyalty had the honor of being in the Dark Lord's presence. The hierarchy of the Death Eaters was very strict. Above the recruits was the "Lower Circle," then the "Outer" and the "Inner Circle." But that wasn't the end of it. There were also Voldemort's Ravens: a group unknown to everyone except him and its members. They were the three individuals that he could trust without a doubt and who were powerful enough to stop anything from rising up in the other circles. They were also the only three who were aware of a handful of the Dark Lord's plans: for instance the fact that Harry Potter was being held upstairs in the same building that they were in currently.

Voldemort thought back to their last encounter. He had been entirely ready for Harry's outburst, and he could only hope that those memories had planted a seed of doubt in the boy's soul. He needed his trust. With time, he could be able to teach him magic- the powerful kind. And maybe in the future, a future without Dumbledore and his Order, they'd become equals. Partners even.

The Dark Lord's mind returned to the present and he checked the time. 'Fifteen minuets... I suppose I'll relieve them now.'

"You may rise." Immediately every black robed figure stood up. The one neatest the throne on which Voldemort was seated came closer and bowed once more before speaking.

"My Lord, Dumbledore has been acting very differently nowadays." Here Severus paused.

"And what, pray tell, might be the reason for this?"

Snape looked a bit unsure for a second, but recovered shortly. "It has come to my attention that he is an owner of a demon."

Voldemort arched what would be an eyebrow. "A demon, you say..." He waited for more details.

"Yes. Unfortunately from what I was able to gather, it's a high ranking demon. I don't know it's name yet. I am working on it, My Lord." Riddle waved his hand, dismissing Severus without a sparing glance while commenting: "make sure you know the details by the end of the week. Bella, your report?"

The black haired witch grinned, showing her true delight at being called by her one master. She inched a few steps closer, daring to stop just before Voldemort. "My Lord, it was just as you expected. The Dementors were not hard to convince when we offered them more souls. They are ready for you orders now."

"Very good, Bella." Voldemort smirked a bit when he saw the witch acting like a puppy under its master's direct attention. Her happiness was short-lived, however as he continued. "What about the Giants?" Red eyes hardened upon registering her uneasiness.

"The Giants... They said, well, that they won't..." Bellatrix hung her head in shame as she trailed off to nearly a whisper. "Dumbledore's doggies got to them first, and I was, um, unable to convince them to come with us instead. I-"

She had barely started her next sentence when a quiet curse was whispered in an eerie voice. "Crucio." The insane witch fell to the floor, writhing in pain. She started to scream thirty seconds into it. 'New record.' Voldemort thought lazily to himself before lifting the curse after two more minutes. Bella was shaking at his feet, but she still managed to roll onto all fours and kiss the hem of his robes.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry... My Lord, it won't...won't happen again..."

"Take her away."

Severus came forward and grabbed a hold of Bellatrix, dragging her out of the room. The rest of the Death Eaters were suddenly startled when a large form came slithering between them, headed straight towards the Dark Lord's throne.

"You ssssstill won't let me eat her, massssster?" The snake wound herself partially around his shoulders and flicked her tongue, tasting his cheek.

"Ssssshe isss ssstill usssseful, Nagini. You'll jusssst have to wait." Voldemort then turned his attention back to the Death Eaters around him. "Lucius, Fenrir, any good news?"

"Yes, My Lord!" The blonde exclaimed as they both stepped forward. Though not as close as Bellatrix had earlier. Fenrir then began where Malfoy had left off, saying: "after a lot of persuasion we managed to convince the Veelas and the wild Werewolves to join our cause. The latter have already become part of my back." The two accomplices glanced at each other.

"That's right. And we had arrived just in time to approach the Veelas. Upon our return we passed some members of the Order." Here Malfoy smirked proudly. "Let's just say their families will miss them."

"You interrogated them before you had your fun?" Red eyes pierced through both of the men standing before him.

"Yes, My Lord."

"They had not actual information, though."

"And they were quite weak. It was almost as if the Headmaster had wanted to get rid of them." Fenrir nodded along with the other man and added: "yes, they would have been ripped apart by both the Veelas and the Werewolves had they reached their destinations."

"I see."The Dark Lord had a thoughtful expression on his face and halted any of this further questions. 'So, it seems Dumbledore has begun seeking help from creatures . Interesting, I wonder what the current excuse of a Minister of Magic would have to say on such a thing.' Voldemort grinned slightly, thinking of another plot.

"And what about our last adventurer?" The red-eyed man petted Nagini as she glared at the Death Eaters. They thought that they would mean more to her master, but they were a mere toy to him. Carrow hurriedly made his way towards Voldemort. There was a sweat breaking out on his forehead already. "Well, what have the Vampires said?"

The man dropped to his knees with a pleading expression in his eyes. When he opened his mouth, a whispered "they won't..." was all that came out.

"Care to repeat that, Carrow?" Voldemort stood up from his throne with Nagini bobbing back and forth excitedly.

"They-they said that they won't...won't join us, My Lord. They refused your gifts. They said that they have no intentions of joining a side so openly." By this time the wizard was shaking. "It seems, that Dumbledore... convinced a few of them to work for him..."

The windows around Voldemort broke. Black tendrils of the Dark Lord's magic filled the room, making it even darker. He could smell the fear in the air, but the majority of it was coming from the terror of the man in front of him. It made him sick... "Nagini, your meal isss waiting..."

It was the day after Severus' meeting with the Dark Lord. Dumbledore sighed at the angry witch before him. "Minevra, it is not necessary to scream your lungs out at me. I can hear you perfectly well."

"Headmaster! When you say that you do not intend to do anything about Harry being the prisoner of You-Know-Who, then how would you have me react!? We need to save him!" Dumbledore looked expectantly as Severus, prompting him to repeat what he had been told to the upset witch.

"I can assure you that the brat has not yet been killed. However, that is all that I know as of now."

"Even if he is not dead, he might be near death! We must do something to get him out of there!" She glared accusingly at both wizards, waiting for them to agree with her and for them to finally make a move. She expected too much of them. "Fine! I will do everything in my own power to help him! But don't think that I will ever aid you in your own matters again, Albus!" With that McGonagall spun and stormed off before either of the two men could get their mouths open to stop her.

Severus raised an eyebrow in the Headmaster's direction. "Don't we need her?"

"Yes... This is just a small set back in my plan. You may leave now, Severus. I am meeting someone soon and I don't want to make him wait."

There was a twitch in the Potion Master's face, but he answered: "as you wish, Headmaster. Albus watched him until he was out of his office before sighing and picking up a lemon drop, which he devoured instantly.

"I swear, these sweets will be the death of me..."

"Do you need anything more, Master Harry?" The little House Elf bowed before him, his ears flopping in a way that made Harry chuckle.

"No thank you, Wippy. The supper was exquisite." He watched as the House Elf's eyes grew as big as saucers and a toothy smile appeared on his face.

"Wippy is very happy that Master Harry likes his meals." With that the creature bowed again and vanished. Harry made his way to the window. It was growing darker outside; the grounds of Malfoy Manor were barely distinguishable. The teen looked back to his room. His past two days had been spent only in there. It wasn't too bad; he had books to read (which Voldemort had provided to hims so he wouldn't grow bored), he had Wippy to talk with at anytime (though he had had little success in having him drop the 'Master' part), and from time to time he was even graced with the Dark Lord's presence. The young wizard was more confused than ever. He was cared for here. He wasn't being tortured, he wasn't chained in some dungeon, or made to act as a House Elf... Somehow it was even more peaceful here than at Hogwarts. Sometimes he even caught himself forgetting about his friends, about the fate of the world, and about his one-way-ticket to the grave named Voldemort.

The man didn't actually seem as insane as he had always been made out to be. It was almost... easy to talk to him. Harry walked to his bed and laid down, his arms spread wide. His eyes traced a familiar patter around the cherubs on the ceiling. Voldemort... He was almost... nice. Sometimes. True, he was cold and impassive, basically impenetrable with his stone façade, but at the same time he made wise comments and helped him when he didn't understand something he had read in a book. He was like a completely silent and watchful guardian.

Yes, Harry knew that he was watched often. He could feel that red stare sending shivers down his spine every now and then. And the worst part was that they weren't unpleasant. They made him want to bask in the Dark Lord's intense gaze. The wizard shook his head; it was better if he didn't continue on that train of thought. He sighed deeply and made his way to the adjoining bathroom, not noticing the white crow with golden eyes on the windowsill as it screeched silently.

A/N Weee! I finished that chapter ^^ I'm proud of myself, and hopefully you are too :D

Next time: Hermione and Ron plot to rescure Harry (easy to guess, huh? xD), Aelfric and Dumbledore meet (!), and a Demon's POV ^^

And ha ! My family was not killed ! Shame on you Voldy !

Voldemort smirks : That was only a distraction you know.

Wait ... what!? From what !?

Voldemort almost happily: You might want to check your notes...

*piercing scream* What have you done with my chapters ! it's ... Harry as your slave I can understand... but Dumbledore dying from lemon drops overdose? hmm maybe that's not such a bad idea actually...

Voldemort gazes blankly: Screw it... I knew we had something in common after all..