The Christmas holidays were a pleasant surprise for Harry who had spent all of his previous years cooking dinner before being allowed a piece of bread and half a glass of milk before being sent to his cupboard. Dinner at Hogwarts was sumptuous, you couldn't say otherwise, and the young boy tasted all these dishes that he had never known except by sight and smell without ever being able to put any in his mouth.
He was very surprised on Christmas morning to find several gifts at the foot of his bed. Several of his housemates or students from other houses he had helped had given him small things, mostly treats or books. Only one present stood out, it contained a large flowing cloak of a silver hue that Harry recognized as an invisibility cloak after placing his hand under it and watching it disappear. A short note accompanied it:
Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well.
The note was unsigned, which seemed odd to Harry. The cloak had obviously belonged to James Potter and would have been very useful to the man the night Voldemort came for them. And why wait until Christmas to give it back? It was rightfully his. Who was cheeky enough to give someone something that already belonged to them as a Christmas gift?
Harry tucked the cloak neatly into the secret compartment of his trunk. He didn't intend to use it right away, he would first look in the library for spells that would allow him to know if any charms had been added to the cloak. He didn't want to be caught off guard if someone had cast a spell that would allow them to follow or see the person using it.
Months passed, Harry staying at the top of his class and spending more and more time chatting with the Defense professor. They had to be discreet, Quirrell indicating that Snape seemed to be getting more and more curious about their association. He informed Harry that the Potions Professor was a Death Eater but that his loyalty had not been secure before the Dark Lord's downfall. Having found a tracking spell on his cloak, Harry asked his professor if he could remove it. The man taught him with great pleasure how to transfer the spell to another object that he could leave in his dormitory, thus facilitating their interviews without worrying the one who had placed the spell. That same evening, Harry had transferred the spell to a pillowcase which he put away in his trunk. He was then able to use his cape as much as he wanted.
A rather friendly relationship developed between the student and his professoe. Harry dropped his mask completely, no longer hiding his sarcasm and wry view of the world. For the first time in his life, he was perfectly natural with an adult. It was really strange, by the way, this familiarity he felt with the professor.
They talked at length about the Dark Lord's original goals and Harry was in complete agreement with many points. Voldemort was adamant that a total separation between wizards and muggles whom he considered dangerous was necessary. Rather than wanting to eradicate Muggleborns, he wanted them taken from their families at the first sign of magic to be raised in wizarding families. He also advocated equality between wizards and magical creatures. This was how he had gained the allegiance of werewolves and vampires who were discriminated against by the Ministry to the point that they had to live in seclusion or in the Muggle world. The Muggle holidays which had gradually replaced the magical holidays greatly weakened the Magic which was no longer maintained by the rituals that fewer and fewer wizards practiced. Voldemort wanted a banishment from Muggle holidays to return to traditional holidays.
All of this greatly pleased Harry who, without hating all muggles, was completely in agreement with all of this. After all, he would never have been left at the Dursleys if it had been put in place. And he knew all too well the risks if Muggles knew about magic. At best, they would like to use wizards to solve all their problems, at worst they would create a new form of racism with all the consequences that come with it.
He wasn't shy about arguing about certain points, including the fate of Muggleborns' parents, whom Voldemort simply proposed to eliminate, or the excessive use of the Unforgivables to gain respect.
It was in May that things changed for the last time. Obviously, Quirrell had decided he could trust the young Ravenclaw and decided to tell him his biggest secret.
Harry had just taken off his robe when his teacher was already casting many spells guaranteeing them perfect privacy.
- Young Harry, we have been discussing and philosophizing about Magic and the magical world for months now. I think it's time to let you in on a secret. I hope this will not change your point of view.
Following these words, the professor slowly removed the huge purple turban that permanently adorned his head. He finally turned slowly and Harry was surprised to see a grotesque face in the back of his head, red eyes fixed on him.
- Harry Potter, said the face in a hissing voice, sssssee that I have become.
- Uh…Lord Voldemort? Behind the head of my Defense professor. I…
Quirrell jumped and Voldemort's eyes widened as the young boy's reaction erupted. A loud, frank laugh came from Harry who had to bend down and hold on to a table with one hand. It took him several minutes before he regained his composure.
- Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean any disrespect. It's just that it's so ironic that you're here while the other lemon addict brags that Hogwarts is totally safe... The only place you don't dare come to, according to him! Oh! In your teeth, old fool!
The two adults weren't sure how to react to this attitude.
- Mr. Potter, it never seemed to me that you had so much antipathy towards the Headmaster during our conversations.
- I recently learned that he was the one who left me with Lily Potter's sister after that famous evening. I already didn't have much respect for him because of his radical stance on the Dark Arts so he completely lost it all. I overheard a conversation between Professor McGonagall and Snape a few days ago, hidden under my cloak. It seems that the old fool is telling anyone who wants to listen that he has followed my development perfectly and that I am treated very well by my uncle and my aunt. It would be thanks to him that I have such good results in class. Damn bastard, he finally muttered.
- Am I to undersssstand that isss not the cassse?
- Nope. I saw Dumbledore for the first time back on the first day of school. As for my "family"... Ah, they love me as much as I love them, which is to say as much as a diarrhea accompanied by a migraine. Or a flea infestation while wearing mittens. Or a particularly intense sunburn while lying on a fakir mat. Or…
- Yes, I think we got the picture, young man. So why does the Headmaster insist that you stay with them?
- No idea. I just can't wait to reach my magical majority so I can finally leave them. And if they have an unfortunate accident soon after... Well...
Voldemort observed this young boy, his so-called sworn enemy, the one who is supposed to defeat him. An idea suddenly came to him.
- Harry, did you tell my sssssservant that you were adopted? Doesss it mean you weren't born at the end of July?
- Nope. Adopted on July 31 but born in June.
- Lily Potter was pregnant, her child was planned for the end of July…
- Oh yes. Henry Potter obviously did not survive, Lily Potter gave birth in mid-July. I don't have any more details, the goblins didn't have any for me.
- Do you know why I tried to kill you?
- Nope and I just hope this is no longer relevant.
- One of my sssssservants told me a prophesssssy that he heard and which ssssspoke of a child born at the end of the sssseventh month who would have the power to defeat me. Two families had corressssponding children, the Potters and the Longbottoms. The two families were hidden away by Dumbledore.
- Ah, I understand. Eliminate the threat before it becomes one. Understandable but, obviously, it was not the good child. On the other hand, I wonder if it has to do with my adoption.
- It is possible. If the Potters have lost their child, they might have chosen to adopt one on the right date to ssstill corressspond to the prophessssy.
- Hmm… Maybe Lily Potter already had a plan to help protect her child and defeat you at the same time. The loss of her child, tragic as it was, should have thwarted her plans and put the Longbottoms in even more danger. The fact that my adopted godmother is Alice Longbottom suggests to me that they were close. Adopting me allowed her to kill two birds with one stone: defeat you and bring her friend to safety. Noble but incredibly stupid. Completely Gryffindor.
- That sssseemss pretty logical to me. Sssstill don't want to tell us who your biological parents are? You told me they didn't ssseem to like Dumbledore, maybe we could contact them ssso they get your cussstody and get you away from your "aunt".
- It's tempting. Even more tempting if it means I can stop playing the slave and put up with my uncle's mood swings. But that would be risky. Dumbledore is obviously unaware that I am not the child of the prophecy and it is in your best interests that he ignores this for the time being. Neville Longbottom is a very bad student, shy and withdrawn. Makes you wonder what he's doing to Gryffindor... As long as he stays that way, he's not a threat. If the old goat thinks that there is a chance that he is the real child destined to defeat you, he might work to change that.
- Well reassoned. Don't you want to meet your real family?
- I've seen my brother, so far, and I'm far from impressed. Totally arrogant and spoiled pureblood. I'm not sure I'll be able to get along with him just yet. And I lived my entire childhood without having parents, I raised myself and have no intention of letting adults I've never met have even an ounce of power over my life. The muggles I live with are easily manipulated for many things, I have a certain independence and I value it. Besides, I don't know at all if the adoption by the Potters is due to an abandonment. And if so, I do not want to meet those who have decided to put me aside.
- It would be sssurprising to see a family of Pureblood abandoning a child if it is not a squib. The children are presssssiouss in the wizarding world.
- Hmm… Despite everything, I prefer to avoid it for the moment. I only met my twin, I don't know his parents at all and I don't want to enter into a relationship with them if they risk being a hindrance more than anything else.
- Reasonable. Please, Mr. Potter, at least tell us who it is.
- We will ressssspect your choissse and we will look for a ssssolusssion for your family that will not arouse Dumbledore's sssussspisssion. I may be cruel but I'm not heartlessss.
Harry frowned and thought. It would be taking a risk to give the name of his parents. On the other hand, he couldn't endure the Dursleys anymore. If they could find a solution to spend the summers without having to put up with them...
- It's the Malfoys. My birth name is Mirus Malfoy, I am the twin brother of Draco Malfoy.
- Ah… Lusssssiussss is one of my mossst faithful sssservants. I knew he had a son but he never told me about twins. It isss strange. I know Narsssssissssa was devasssstated when she was told she couldn't have any more children after Draco. I don't ssssee them abandoning one of their sssons at all.
- Hmm. I maintain that we do not speak to them for the moment. It's all weird and I want to know more before they find out. I love my independence too much to burden myself with a family.
- I'll be honesssst, young Mirusssss, I'm very interesssssted in you.
- It is an honor.
The tone was sincere but Harry's smile was slightly sarcastic.
- You are sssstill young but I ssssee a great potential in you. Would you be interessssted if I offered you to come to my sssside in the coming war?
- This proposal really honors me, plus I'm sure you have cookies on your side. And our discussions with Professor Quirrell have shown me that your plans are right and your methods not as radical as Dumbledore says. But, as I said, I'm a very independent person and I can't see myself becoming a Death Eater. No offense, I'm not one to kneel down and lick anyone's boots.
Quirinus and Harry were surprised to hear Voldemort burst out laughing.
- Oh, young Mirussss, I underssstood that. I am not propossssing you to be one of my ssssservants in the sssame way as my Death Eaters. You are ssspesssial, I feel it. Ssssomething in you tells me that you will be much more ussseful as an ally than as a ssssservant. But you're still young and I'm still too weak. You will need training and I will need a functional body. Quirinussss, inform our young friend of the plan for this year, I'm getting weaker and won't be able to tell everything now.
- Yes Master.
At his words, Voldemort closed his eyes and the professor put his turban back on. He then described Dumbledore's plans: the Philosopher's Stone and its ridiculous protection.
The stone and how to get it were the main topics of their conversations for the next few weeks.
Quirrell had managed to get all the information he needed to retrieve the stone thanks to Harry's help and his friendly dealings with the various teachers. The simplest was Hagrid's challenge. This simpleton lacked ability to keep a secret if you knew how to ask the right questions.
They only missed Snape and Dumbledore's challenge, but Quirrell felt confident and refused the help offered by Harry. This one was responsible for creating a diversion on the day when the theft of the stone was planned from those who approached too close to the third floor.
A week before the end of the course, just after the end of year exams which Harry passed without any problem, Dumbledore and Snape received a summons from the Ministry. Quirrell had originally planned to remove only the old goat from the castle, but the Potions professor had been too suspicious after the Christmas holidays and presented too great a risk. As long as his loyalty was in doubt, all plans would be made far from his scrutiny.
An anonymous letter to the Ministry containing information only known to Voldemort and his Death Eaters raised suspicions about Snape's role during the war against Voldemort. The case was settled fairly quickly, but it took enough time for the Defense professor to recover the stone and replace it with a fake one before returning quietly to his quarters.
Nobody noticed the theft and the year ended peacefully, much to the disappointment of the Headmaster who had hoped that Harry Potter would take an interest in the stone and succeed in passing the tests that led to it. The boy had never even used his invisibility cloak which had been in the dorm since Christmas…
However, the fact that he was first in his class showed that he was relatively powerful and almost all his teachers (yes, without you, Severus) testified that he was a very kind and selfless child, which reassured him. He had worried at the beginning of the year, Harry reminding him too much of another young prodigy. The big difference was that Harry didn't seem to seek relationships with children from influential families at all. Only his independence really bothered the old mage. He had hoped to nurture a positive connection with the child to guide him on the right path. But he had never shown any signs towards him, whether positive or negative, he was purely indifferent to him and he had no valid reason to get closer to him. This should change in the future, Voldemort could return at any time and the prophecy would be fulfilled one way or another.
The return trip seemed too fast for Harry, who was leaving a fantastic place to go to a rat hole with his bastard uncle and his moronic cousin.
He consoled himself by remembering that Voldemort had promised him to find a solution, even if it would be impossible for him before August. Even though he couldn't leave his family this summer or even next summer, he had something he never had before: hope.
Until then, Harry should lay low and put back the mask on the docile and fearful little Harry. He would do his homework the same way he had studied the previous summer. As soon as he passed the barrier separating the wizarding side and the Muggle side of the station, his attitude changed drastically, his shoulders hunched and he put his hands in the pockets of the oversized pants he had put on just before arriving at King's Cross.
He was put to work as soon as he arrived, the garden had become a jungle in his absence and the house was barely cleaned. The summer was going to seem very long to him now that he had tasted another life.
