"Talking"
"Parseltongue"
Chapter 10: Turning Ten with Two Steps Forward…
Monday night found one Severus Snape looking through the potions section of the Riddle library. He was trying to find a potion that would give his Master his body back without undue side affects. He was also researching youth potions and immortality potions. He was having absolutely no luck.
Suddenly, Severus let out an exasperated scream, "aargh!" Unfortunately for him his scream alerted two mischievous, young boys that they were not alone in the library. Believing the scream to have come from one of the Elite, Draco and Alex crept over to where they could peer down at the Potions Master from a higher floor.
However, what Alex saw when he looked down, over the edge of the walkway he and Draco were on, was not one of the twenty people he expected to see. Instead he saw the dark greasy hair and tip of a long-hooked nose and very pale skin of a complete stranger. Deciding he didn't like strangers in his library and wanting to know how they got in and who they were, he gracefully leapt from the walkway to the floor below, landing directly behind and effectively startling the stranger.
Severus felt the rush of displaced air and heard the almost silent thump as Alex landed on the thick carpet floor. He turned slowly, expecting to see Damien or one of the other Elite, not an almost 10 year-old boy. Looking down at the boy and fixing him with a piercing glare he was about to demand who the boy was and how he got there, but the boy beat him to it.
"Who are you? How did you get in here?" demanded Alex.
Severus was flabbergasted, not since he was a small child had he been addressed in such a way, nor had his glare been so ineffective. Recovering quickly, "What's it too you? I do not answer to impertinent brats" he sneered.
"You will answer to me as you are in my house." Alex growled and wandlessly cursed Severus with a mild pain curse.
Surprised and taken off guard Severus let out gasp at the initial shock of pain, weak as it was. Suddenly, his brain connected the dots and he went down to his knees. "Please…my Lord," he breathed out, praying for mercy or at least a chance to explain.
This response soothed Alex's anger enough and also piqued his interest so he released the curse, and waited. "I am the Dark Prince Severus Snape, my Lord." Severus's tone had gone from sneering to respectful in the interval of time.
"You are the Dark Prince? And if I don't believe you?" queried Alex with a slight sneer.
"Damien would know me, my Lord. He would be able to vouch for me," answered the kneeling Dark Prince.
"Hmmm…Draco? Go fetch Damien for me would you?" Alex asked quietly as if speaking to himself.
Without a word or sound Draco left to do as Alex had commanded. He did not need to verbally acknowledge Alex's command, he simply had to do it. After dispatching Draco, Alex turned back to Severus. "So, say I believe you, what are you doing here? Where have you been the last few years and why haven't I seen or heard of you before?"
"I am here to research potions on immortality, youth restoration, and restoring of severed souls to new bodies. I have always had the freedom to come and go as I pleased, but the last several years I have stayed away so as not to bring suspicion upon myself. I had been working as a spy for your father as the Potions Professor at Hogwarts before his disappearance. The Old Fool Dumbledore believes me to be his spy and to keep up those appearances I have kept in touch with a only handful of the inner circle and Damien, but have neither left Hogwarts for long periods, nor done much in the way of research these last few years. The only exception being the Wolfsbane which Dumbledore believes will help him gain the allegiance of the werewolves. As of right now I am still claiming the potion to be experimental. My status as a spy and possible traitor is also probably why I was not aware that you had been found. The less I know right now the better. The only thing keeping me out of Azkaban is that the Old Fool believes me loyal to himself."
"So, you are the Dark Prince, you are also a spy playing both sides…don't interrupt me! To be a successful spy you have to playing both sides to some degree. You are also one of the world's best Potions Masters and are currently employed by the Old Fool to teach impressionable young children. Did I miss anything?"
"No, that about sums it up my Lord," agreed a cheerful yet respectful and wary Damien.
Alex turned to face Damien, ignoring Draco, and in a deceptively calm voice addressed the new arrival. "Hello Damien. Is there a reason why you did not see fit to tell me that it was possible for another person to show up in my library without warning? Did it not occur to you that I might curse first and question later?"
Damien paled slightly at the insinuation but managed to reply without stuttering or showing his apprehension. "No my Lord, I did not think. I had not thought that the Prince would show up at the Manor as he has kept his distance ever since your father's disappearance." He would have added a plea for forgiveness, if he had though it would help, but he knew it wouldn't -- the boy was becoming just as unforgiving as his father.
Alex was calmed by the free admission of wrongdoing and by the almost logic behind the thought process. He was also well aware that he was being kept from the Death Eaters to both protect him from their games and to allow him to grow up without their constant fawning and pitiful brown nosing. The Elite, while respectful, especially since he started to exert his authority a little, were secure in their positions and thus did not need to suck up or try to ingratiate themselves into his good graces. Turning back to Severus, Alex announced his verdict. "Since, you are now aware of my existence and since you have decided to use my library and lab you may stay for the night and shall celebrate our," here he motioned to Draco, "birthdays tomorrow. Damien please show him to his room."
As soon as Damien had left with Severus in tow, Draco turned to Alex, "Alex, may I please visit with Severus? He's my godfather and I haven't seen him in ages."
"Of course you may Draco. I am going to be in my room reading should anything of importance come up. I will see you tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Alex. Thank you!" Shouted an excited Draco as he quickly walked after Severus in order to catch up with him.
Damien and Severus walked through the house towards the Dark Lord's Chambers so the Prince could sleep in his own room. They walked along in silence for a while until Severus turned to his friend, "So, you have truly found the heir. I thought he was declared dead."
"Yes, yes we have; and no, he was not dead, just…missing. We did not stop looking; you were not informed because you did not need to know. It was not our wish for the Death Eaters to be involved."
"He is quite powerful."
"Yes, he is. Will you pledge him?"
"Will he ask?"
"No, I don't believe he will."
"Have you pledged allegience?"
"Yes. We all have."
Flashback
It was about a week after Draco had arrived. Damien sent Draco on an errand and led Alex into the ballroom where Death Eater meetings had always taken place. They walked through the ballroom to a door in the back corner, hidden in the shadows. Stepping through the door they came into a small, private audience chamber, richly furnished. This room was where the Elite sat during the DE meetings they did not attend. At the head of the room, on a slightly raised platform stood a throne, Alex had been drawn to it and sat down, looking at Damien expectantly.
Damien had taken a deep breath and then gone down on his knees; crawling to the edge of the dais he picked up the ceremonial knife that had appeared in front of him and slicing his right wrist, he began his pledge of loyalty. "I, Damien Xavier Malfoy, Commander of the Elite to the Dark Lord Voldemort, pledge to faithfully and loyally serve you, Alexander Marvolo Riddle Voldemort, as the son of my Lord and Master deserves. To protect and serve you as I served your father. Obeying no one over you, save the commands of your father, to bear myself as befitting one of my station and to command my men as would serve you best."
By the time he was done, he had lost a fair amount of blood, but he did not look up at Alex, instead he prostrated himself fully, exposing his wrist and neck awaiting his Lord's pleasure. Alex had watched Damien's pledge impassively and understood that this was special and that though he had cut his right wrist, he knew instinctively that Damien served from his father's left. He also knew that this was a voluntary action on Damien's part and that even if Alex denied his pledge of loyalty Damien would survive, but that he would have to replace the leader of the Elite. Such an action would not sit very well with the Elite and he assumed his father wouldn't be very happy either.
Making up his mind and knowing there was no other choice Alex looked at Damien, rose, and speaking formally allowed his magic to form a correctly worded response. "I, Alexander Marvolo Riddle Voldemort, accept you, Damien Xavier Malfoy, Commander of the Elite to Lord Voldemort. Know that should you betray me you will suffer my wrath. Know also that your life now belongs to me and your oath is not retractable. May the powers acknowledge, confirm, and bless this bond should it be given in good faith."
Sitting again, Alex watched as the wound on Damien's wrist healed and was replaced by a small, silver snake tattoo. Not sure what came next, but knowing that his instincts had not been wrong yet, he decided not to forsake their wisdom now and called Damien to come forward. Damien approached on bended knee and after kissing Alex's robes, rose and stood to his left.
Now that Damien had been accepted, the rest of the Elite came forward and pledge their life and loyalty to Alex. The ritual for the rest of the Elite was much less complex and was simply an offer of featly.
End Flashback
"Yes, I will pledge. When would be best?" asked Snape nervously. To pledge at the wrong time could cost him his life or at the very least, the favor of the Heir.
"You will know. More than that? I'm not sure." Damien answered cryptically with a shrug.
Suddenly they were interrupted as a blur came shooting around the corner. The blur launched itself at Severus with a shout, settling into the recognizable form of a ten-year-old Draco "Uncle Sev!"
"Hello, Draco. How are you?" asked Severus as he picked up the small boy.
"This is where I take my leave, my prince, Draco" interrupted Damien.
"Very well, Commander. I will see you later. So, Draco, how have you been? What have you been up to?"
Draco and Severus continued on to Severus's suite where they could talk in privacy. Severus listened absently as Draco rambled on. He needed to figure out the enigma that had presented itself to him in the form of the Dark Heir and current leader of the Dark. His survival might one-day rest in the hands of this boy. Deciding that for now, he would watch and wait he turned his attention back to Draco, hoping that the boy may hold the answers he so desperately sought.