Chapter 6: Plans

At Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, Severus Snape was teaching his only student. "I'm glad to see being isolated from other students hasn't impaired your potion proficiency, Mr. Malfoy." Snape dryly commented.

"Any news from the Dark Lord, Sir?" Draco Malfoy asked, eager to become a Death Eater.

"Mr. Malfoy, the very reason your Mother pulled you away from Hogwarts was to keep you from becoming a Death Eater and having your Father's end." Snape replied.

"I mean no disrespect to Mother, but she's a fool who doesn't understand Potter must pay for leading Father to death." Draco scoffed.

"Your Father understood the risk when he agreed to become a Death Eater, Mr. Malfoy." Severus Snape explained. "You're better off staying out of the war."

"You just want me to look bad in front of the Dark Lord, Professor." Draco accused. Before Snape had a chance to reply, Professor Lupin appeared. "Excuse me, Professor Snape, but I think it's time for me to teach Draco a Transfiguration class."

"Whatever." Snape simply replied. "I'll be at the lab making a new batch of Wolfsbane Potion."

"You won't leave me with this creature, will you?" Draco desperately pleaded.

Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, Theodore Nott and the Slytherin Quidditch team approached Harry. "You think you're so smart keeping Malfoy from playing, don't you, Potter?"

"Huh?"

"Potter, be warned that I became the new Slytherin Seeker." Nott said.

"Good. Slytherin might have a chance with a Seeker who didn't buy his way into the team." Harry commented. The Slytherins left.

Meanwhile, Lord Voldemort broke into Azkaban. The imprisoned Death Eaters were more than happy that their master finally came to rescue them. "Now that I've got my truly loyal Death Eaters back, it's time to make plans."

Back at Hogwarts, the Slytherin Common Room to be more specific, Theodore Nott was preparing a sleeping potion. "Nott, what do you plan to do with the potion?" Vincent Crabbe asked.

"I'll make Harry Potter sleep during the Gryffindor versus Slytherin game so we might win." Theodore Nott said. "If I'm lucky it'll kill Potter and the Dark Lord will reward us. All I need is a way to make him drink the potion."

"We could put it on some cupcakes and place them where Potter would find and eat them." Gregory Goyle suggested.

"Only an idiot would eat a cupcake found like that!" Nott exclaimed, making Crabbe and Goyle ashamed of themselves. "What we need is a way to make him think they came from someone he trusts."

"We can send them with a note saying they came from that mudblood he loves." Crabbe suggested.

"Great idea, Crabbe." Nott sarcastically commented. "Except that… she's likely to be around him when he gets the cupcakes and warn him she didn't send them!"

"What about using that blood traitor's name?" Goyle asked. "You know, that one he saved from Salazar Slytherin's monster during our second year."

"Bad idea too." Nott replied. "That stupid brother of hers could tell Potter that the letter doesn't have her handwriting."

"Then we could pick some of his fangirls." Crabbe suggested. "There are so many of them."

Meanwhile, Lord Voldemort was giving instructions to his Death Eaters. "Lestranges, you'll sway the giants into helping our cause. The others will help me figure out a way to get into Hogwarts.

Back at Hogwarts, Sirius Black and Harry Potter were called to Dumbledore's office. "Treacle Tarts." The gargoyle door then opened.

"Welcome, my boys." Dumbledore greeted them. "I presume you know why I called the both of you here." Both Sirius and Harry nodded. "Good. I have memories that I believe might help to defeat Voldemort."

Using his pensieve, Dumbledore shown them memories of Morfin Gaunt, Voldemort's maternal Uncle, being questioned for an assault against the muggle that would later be known as Voldemort's father, Tom Riddle Senior and how it eventually led to Morfin being sentenced to three years in Azkaban and his father Marvolo Gaunt having to serve six months for assaulting Ministry personnel. It was also noticed that Tom Senior had no interest in Voldemort's mother. "And, honestly, I can't blame the man for this." Sirius added. "What did he see on her?"

"I'd have to speculate on this regard, Sirius, but my guess is that, without her brother and her father to oppress her, Merope could use some magic to capture heart." Dumbledore said, offering his two knuts.

"Muggle-baiting?" Sirius asked.

"Technically it could be called that, I suppose." Dumbledore said. "I believe a love potion is the most likely way she could have utilized to get Tom to elope with her. Once she became pregnant, however, she must have believed Tom would love her on her own or that he'd wait for their son's birth before leaving her. However, he left her without caring for their child."

Dumbledore then displayed a memory of when he went to the orphanage where Tom Marvolo Riddle grew up to tell him about magic and Hogwarts. "What do you think of this, my boys?" Dumbledore asked.

"I agree with Mrs. Cole." Sirius answered. "Merope was right about wishing her son would inherit his Dad's looks." He then noticed Harry and Dumbledore glaring at him. "What?"

Meanwhile, Theodore Nott's father arrived at Voldemort's lair. "Do you have any good news, Nott?"

"Unfortunately not, my Lord." Nott answered. "Narcissa Malfoy and her son isolated themselves at Black Manor and the boy seems to be receiving private education rather than returning to Hogwarts.

"What!" Voldemort yelled. "But I need access to the Malfoy fortune! Never mind. Potter will likely go there for Christmas. Then we'll get him."

"As you wish, my Lord." Nott said.

"What about Severus?" Voldemort asked.

"He became a private tutor to young Mr. Malfoy, my Lord." Nott explained. "We've been unable to reach him."

"You fool!" Voldemort yelled. "CRUCIO!"

"T-thank you, my Lord."

"Severus must have crucial information and he'll pay for being late." Voldemort then cackled. "Any news from dear Bellatrix? She's a really useful Death Eater."

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