"I know that traditionally, I would have to give you your gift this evening, but seeing as how we're going to the Yule Ball this evening I thought you already might want to have it?" Harry said, shuffling his feet awkwardly.
Marvolo looked at his young lover, who had been restless all day already. Not that 'all day' had been that long, since they'd only gotten up at twelve, and it was two 'o clock right now. He had absolutely loved Harry's expression when coming downstairs and finding the whole dining room decorated with pine and magical ice. Marvolo had even gone so far as to ignore the shitty English weather and had made sure it was snowing heavily in the garden. He would have expanded it so it wasn't only within the wards of his own home, but such a local heavy snowfall would surely be noticed. He would go far to make sure Harry would get a happy Yule celebration, but he wasn't planning on giving away his address to his enemies.
To be honest, while he'd never cared much for Yule, and certainly not for the half-Muggle 'Christmas' it had become, today made him feel... content. He wouldn't go so far as to call it 'happy', but he was certainly pleased. The feeling only increased whenever he saw Harry's joyous smile and eyes.
"Of course love." he answered. "Let me get my gift for you as well."
Harry sat down on the edge of the bed, nervously turning the small parcel over and over in his hands. The moss green paper became even more crumpled, but he didn't really care. The boy licked his lips nervously, wondering what his lover would think of the object. Even though he'd thought it perfect when he'd first laid eyes on it, he was now doubting that. After all, while it was a reminder, it was not exactly of the happiest memory in Marvolo's life. On the other hand, it was a nice symbolism for the purpose he'd bought it for, and also… it was a reminder of when they had first met face to face, if you didn't count the time Harry had still been a baby.
"Please accept my gift." Marvolo softly said, handing Harry a square parcel.
"A book?" Harry asked, after feeling its heavy weight in his hand. A raised eyebrow was his only reply, so he carefully tore the paper. His eyes grew wide, and an excited look appeared on his face. "From Queerditch Marsher to the world?"
"I know the pages of your Quidditch through the Ages are worn and stained from all the times you read it. This is a less popular, but much more professional book. I thought that, should you really want to pursue a career in that blasted dangerous sports, you at least ought to know all about it."
Marvolo had hardly finished his sentence before he found his arms full of Harry, who'd flung himself at the man, hugging him tightly. "Quidditch!" He exclaimed. "Thank you, thank you! I've been searching for another Quidditch book for so long, but Hogwarts library didn't have another one!"
"I'm really glad that you like it." Marvolo smiled, kissing Harry lightly.
"And now yours!" the boy beamed, pressing the small gift in Marvolo's hands.
He undid the wrapping with a flick of his index finger, after which he folded it open. With disbelieving eyes, he looked at the object in his hands, carefully caressing the metal shapes with his fingertips. The blood-red ring in the middle made him draw in his breath shakily. "I thought it was destroyed?"
"Apparently, Flamel didn't quite agree. It was his life's work, and he didn't want to see it destroyed. He changed its properties slightly though, so it doesn't work anymore, but he could not turn it into dust. I thought you might want a reminder."
"I take it Dumbledore chose the rest?" Marvolo asked, following the metal lines with his eyes.
"I don't know. Most likely. I do know that shortly after Flamel's death, Dumbledore found that it hadn't been left to him, but to a friend of the man, who didn't have any use for it and sold it. I don't think he even knew what it was that he'd been given…"
"Fortunate for me." The Dark Lord whispered, his eyes even redder when reflecting the bright stone. "A pity that it can't be used anymore, but then again, I have my Horcruxes now." He gave Harry a knowing look. "And perhaps soon one more?"
The boy smiled. "I know you were thinking of making Nagini a vessel but… you have no idea what effect it could have on her."
"Thank you." Marvolo said, crossing the distance between them and hugging Harry with one arm, his hand closed in a fist around the moderately sized metal triangle. "It's ironic though… Three times immortality in one."
"Well, then you don't only have seven, but also another magical number to finish it with."'
"Have you been studying Arithmacy?" the man asked, amused.
"Nah, Hermione always kept bugging Ron and me about it." Harry laughed. "I was bound to pick up the essentials eventually."
"It's a very useful subject."
"According to you, everything is a useful subject."
"Except for Muggle studies." Marvolo snorted.
"I stand corrected." Harry laughed. "Though actually, I think that that is useful. Especially as we are going to try to mix our worlds. Muggle technology is horribly confusing for most wizards. Speaking of which, how did Lucius fare with his study of the combination of technology and magic? During the lessons with him, I never have time to ask him about it before he goes all drill-sergeant on me"
"He has started to experiment with it, and from what I've heard, was quite successful." the man answered, but his voice had a faraway tone to it, and his fingers were still caressing the gift. Harry had to admit that it wasn't only useful; it was also a real piece of craftsmanship. The metal seamlessly formed the sign of the Hallows, and a thin ring that had been carved out of the philosopher's stone had been inlaid in the metal circle. "It will make a good vessel for my final Horcrux." Marvolo muttered.
The teen hummed and rubbed his face against his lover's robes. "So you've really decided to make it then?"
"I'm going to take the risk, yes. I need to be at my strongest to win against both the Ministry and the Order."
"I still think it's strange that neither of them have openly reacted on you showing that I was at your side."
"I doubt that Fudge has a clue as to what he has to do, and he can't go to Dumbledore with this either. Dumbledore on his side… well, I have no idea what's going on in that man's head. Ronald told me that he didn't even approach Hermione and him afterwards, even though they had expected him to. The silence is getting on my nerves though. Look at what we achieved after coming out in the open. Slughorn is branded, we went to Nurmengard, finally had a meeting with a large group of Muggles, helped Ronald get out of the castle, and those are just a few examples. Who knows what the Order has done in that same time?"
"Doesn't Snape know more about it?"
"Severus hasn't been let into the meetings anymore. Dumbledore knows that he prefers the Dark, and that he swore himself to you instead of to him. He didn't put it like that, of course, but Severus knows it's why he's been denied sitting in at the meetings. I currently can't use him as a spy anymore."
"Where is he now, then?"
"Still at Hogwarts, brewing several potions I asked him to prepare. Wolfsbane mostly, but also polyjuice, pepper-up, several poisons, blood-replenishing and other useful potions."
"When do you think Fudge or Dumbledore will make a move?"
"After the Yule, for sure. Although… there is a high chance that the Minister has been invited at Lucius' as well, so I suppose we will see him this evening. It's ironic… the first time he'll see me is also the last that he'll see me in this form. My appearance is bound to change after making another Horcrux."
"Are you planning on doing it soon then?"
"As I said before, I need to be at the height of my power. Procrastinating is of no use. I'd rather get it over and done with, before they strike and I will have no time for it anymore."
"Merry Christmas"
"Ronniekins!" The Twins shouted, bouncing into his room. Ron groaned and pulled the covers further over his head.
"Lemme sleep." he muttered.
"Noooo, we can't have that!"
"Shop to run!"
"It's Christmas!" an incredulous Ron said.
"That doesn't mean that we can close today." Fred frowned. "There are people who like to do family shopping on Christmas."
"Beats me who, but there are always those few nutters."
"We can celebrate our own Christmas,"
"This evening."
"And grant mum the opportunity to finally fuss over us again."
"So looking forward to that." They finished, their expression one as if they were thinking of the most torturous methods their mother could use.
"What do you mean, mum? I mean… she doesn't know you joined the Dark Lord, but… you disappeared at the same day as Harry did, didn't you? They suspect, at least. Especially because a lot of stuff the Death Eaters use can't have been invented by anyone but you two… That firework is practically your trade-mark and mum knows it."
"And you really think she will tell Dumbledore? At Christmas? You should know her better than that Ronnie."George answered, sitting down on the bed to ruffle his brother's hair. "It's true that they suspect us of having ties to the Dark, but we haven't exactly done much to deny that either. We're not ashamed or secretive of having joined the dark. They will have to learn to accept that. Now, get up, there's loads of work to do."
"Do you think… do you think I could tell mum too?" Ron hesitantly asked. "She'll be madder at me than you, for not finishing my education, I know, but I still like to think that she would at least recognise my reasoning."
"Ohh, George, he has a brilliant idea there! He can serve as a decoy for us! Lead away mum's negative attention! Go for it Ron!"
"That is not what I meant." the teen glared. He finally resented though, and threw away the blankets, ignoring the Twins, who abruptly put their hands in front of them and turned their heads away, Fred even making noises as if he was throwing up. "Oh, I'm so blessed with brothers like you." Ron grumbled, changing clothes. "No wonder you don't have girlfriends if you can't even stand seeing your family naked."
Both of them stared at him for a while and suddenly burst out in laughter.
"What's so funny?" Ron asked angrily, still annoyed that he had to work at the day before Christmas eve.
"Oh Ronniekins, you can be so dense." George said. "Watch. I won't be able to put it any clearer."
Confused, Ron watched as George turned to Fred and roughly grasped the other's hair. "What are you-" he started, but he failed to produce any further sound as Fred's back slammed into the wall because George harshly shoved him against it, only to proceed kissing the hell out of his brother. A few minutes of rather heavy snogging later, they finally released each other, panting.
Ron let himself slump back on the bed. "Bloody hell… And here I thought my life couldn't become any worse after seeing You-Know-Who shag Harry on the dinner table."
"Shagging? You actually saw them shagging?" Fred exclaimed with a disturbing amount of excitement.
"Can you give us that memory,"
"As blackmail?"
"You two are insane." Ron muttered.
"Pleeeeease?" They both begged with wide eyes.
"Or else we won't stop begging,"
"And rambling"
"until you give in!"
"If you two had been born without a mouth, the world would be such a better place." Ron grumbled.
"It would also be a much better place if you had been born without a stomach,"
"but you don't hear us constantly complaining,"
"about you eating the world's riches away."
"Oh shut up and let's get started with work."
With a blank face that showed none of his feelings, Lucius shook the Minister's hand, slightly disgusted at the man, who was blabbering on as always. He almost couldn't wait for his Lord to arrive, so the fool would be shocked into silence. Almost. Having a Dark Lord amongst your guests also brought quite a few complications with it. Strangely enough, he actually looked forward to seeing Potter again. His relationship with the boy had changed drastically. At first, he'd thought the Dark Lord crazy for seducing Potter, and there had even been moments where he doubted the influence the teen had was good, but gradually, it had changed for the better.
He'd always been too reserved to ask Potter what exactly had changed, but it was clear that something had. When he'd first arrived, he'd been ever the Gryffindor, but when bringing Potter to the Order's Headquarters, he had seen another side of the boy, a cold side, that had never left the boy again afterwards. Lucius decided that he liked the new Harry Potter. He trained hard and wasn't at all like his parents, like many would say. It had come to a surprise to the both of them that they actually got along. Lucius still hadn't forgotten the freeing of Dobby, and neither had Potter forgotten that Lucius had tried to kill him for that, but the conversations they'd had to fill in the silence when trying to avoid those subjects had been pleasant, and from Potter's side amazingly insightful.
They saw each other quite often now, as he taught the boy everything he needed to know about etiquette and pureblood history. That wasn't to say Potter enjoyed the lessons. Lucius had caught him staring blankly at a wall far too often, but there were lessons where he really had the feeling that Potter grasped the basic concepts of what he was trying to teach him.
A nervous tapping of two fingers against his thigh was the only sign of impatience he showed as the man before him went on and on about the latest gossip and followed with a heroic story about how he had supposedly saved a boy from a dark wizard once with nothing but the tickling hex. It was even more boring than the last School Board meeting, where it had taken three hours to discuss whether or not teachers were allowed to take off or add more than one-hundred and twenty-five points to a single student for a single act.
He excused himself from the conversation when he spotted Narcissa, and he felt proud when looking at his wife, who was watching the guests with very well-concealed iciness. She looked absolutely stunning, but the only time her smile reached her eyes was when they met his. He sympathized with her. He didn't need to deal with women like Mrs Parkinson or Mrs Goyle. Lady Zabini, one of the few who could match Narcissa in wit and cunning, hadn't arrived yet, and neither had Abigayle, her closest friend.
The room was still pretty full already, and Lucius was glad that they had also ordered their house-elf to adorn the garden. Lucius briefly wondered where Draco had gone off to, before he spotted his son together with his friends near the table with beverages. He thought it was a shame that Draco had never been able to get along with Potter, even after the other had joined the Dark and risen up in the ranks. Their mutual dislike ran too deep, having grown over the years, and while they were able to put their differences aside for the sake of a mutual goal, they would never be closer than acquaintances who didn't like each other.
He let his eyes wander around, inspecting the stylish, elegant decorations, until he suddenly noticed that the room froze, and even without his mark heating up momentarily, it was clear that his main guest had arrived.
XxX
Harry had very much looked forward to this moment, and the brilliant looks they got as he coldly let his eyes travel over all the unknown faces didn't disappoint him in the least. It was the first time he'd made a public appearance as himself for a long, long time, and while he had always tried to avoid attention, it felt good now he knew it was him they were looking at, someone of whom they all knew that he had taken his own decisions. Never again would he be their Saviour, no matter how convincing people would try to be.
His gaze fell on the Minister of Magic, and his grin widened. Fudge looked at the both of them as if he had turned into a fish. His mouth hung agape and his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets as he looked at Marvolo.
This will be interesting Harry remarked, gleeful.
Indeed it will be… It is a shame that Lucius will still have to hold up some pretense around Fudge.
Harry noticed Lucius, who indeed had maintained an absolute poker face, an expression the man had perfected through his years of political maneuvering. He actually didn't really think that Lucius really welcomed Marvolo into his home, but he also knew that his lover couldn't care less about his follower's opinion of him, even if that follower had been his right hand for years. Harry's vision of Marvolo's private life before he'd gotten to know the man however, hadn't turned out to be quite correct either. While Marvolo kept saying that 'Dark Lord's don't have friends', that apparently didn't count if said friends were not human. Over the months, there had been a few regular visitors who certainly treated Marvolo different than one would a master or an ally.
It was a shame that he didn't really know anyone here apart from Marvolo and the Malfoy family. Well, he did spot a few of Draco's Slytherin friends over at the snack table, but after hating them and being hated by them for several years, he didn't feel like suddenly becoming the best of friends with them. He supposed he would have to try and get to know a few other people here, while listening in on more interesting conversations through Marvolo. He thought that he would get a major headache If he was forced to speak to Fudge himself.
Speaking of annoying people… he did spot a certain potion master… Slughorn looked slightly better than he had a few days ago, and had clearly done his best to find his best robes to wear. Harry felt a bit out of place in the simple green robes he wore, the same dress robes as Molly had bought for him –using his own money- to wear at the Yule ball last year. Not that he had wanted to be found dead in the robes that the majority of the male attendants here wore. While neon colours were rare, cuffs and ruffles seemed to be in fashion, to his horror, as were extravagant hats and knee-high boots.
He pretended not to notice the whispers and stares as he walked forwards as if he knew where he was going. Deciding that he wasn't in the mood for Slughorn, he went the other way. Just as he nearly reached a wall without having found someone who captured his interest, and threatened to make a fool of himself, an old woman appeared out of nowhere.
"Harry Potter! Such a pleasure to finally meet you! I have been itching to speak to you ever since it was confirmed that you chose the right path!" Harry blinked, speechless for a second until he remembered all the etiquette lessons Lucius had stamped in his head. He took the offered hand and pressed a chaste kiss to the wrinkled skin. "Ah, such a charming young man you are." the woman said, approving. "My name is Cysty Yaxley. I believe you have met my son?"
"I do not know him well, madam, but I am sure you must be proud of him." Harry smoothly answered. "He has achieved much."
A small smile told him the compliment had been accepted. She started talking about her family and past, but while Harry would have politely excused himself in any other situation, her ramblings were actually very interesting to listen to. Other old witches and wizards he'd met were very light and their school mischief was about the most interesting thing they had to tell, but Mrs Yaxley had travelled the world in search of the darkest of magic. Harry listened to her with rapture, though he never ceased to be aware of his surroundings and the fair number of people listening in on the conversation with poorly hidden curiousity.
"And then I met Cissy! Well, I suppose you know her as Mrs Malfoy. Such a young thing… shame that she broke off her Healer studies to dedicate herself to motherhood, but it seemed that she was happier with that."
"Excuse me… did you say 'Healer'?" Harry interrupted.
"Oh yes! Cissy was always gifted in healing people. But as I said, she never finished her studies after Hogwarts in favour of marrying Lucius and raising their child."
"Do you think…" he began, but then noticed all the eyes on them, and he discreetly signaled to Mrs Yaxley to go someplace more private. She nodded and they both crossed the room and went outdoors, but not before Harry locked eyes with Marvolo for a few long seconds. The link flooded open, and Harry silently asked for it to stay that way, on which he got a nod in return before his lover turned to his conversation partner again, an old wizard Harry didn't recognise.
"You wanted to say something dearie?" Mrs Yaxley asked him after they both sat down on an elegant, white bench that was carefully hidden in between several bushes. It was clear that the woman came her often, for he would never have found the spot himself.
"Yes… I am in need of a therapist. Not a usual Healer skill, but do you think that Mrs Malfoy might… I don't know her all that well, even though I'm quite close to Lucius, but I don't want a complete stranger to poke in my mind, if you know what I mean." he said, hesitant. The face of the woman softened, and she smiled.
"I think she can help you. As I said, she is very gifted. I could ask her for you…?"
"Ah, that won't be necessary." Harry said, giving her his most charming smile. –and damn, was he getting good at this- "I will ask her myself. I merely needed to know if she could be of assistance to me."
I didn't know she started a Healer study. Marvolo butted in.
Well, guess the omniscient Dark Lord can't know everything. Harry replied with jest, biting his lip when receiving a mental slap. The gesture seemed to be misunderstood by Mrs Yaxley, who was unaware of a third person entering the conversation.
"Harry dear, don't give me that look. Whatever is wrong with you, it'll all be fine."
"Thank you." he mumbled.
"No worries dearie." She smiled. "Now, I-" She broke off her sentence as Harry abruptly raised his hand, his head tipped slightly to the left and eyes seemingly staring into nothing. Nothing happened for several seconds, in which Cysty looked from left to right to find the reason why Harry had interrupted her. The silence dragged out as Harry kept his hand raised, waiting intently. Cysty kept quiet, but the wrinkles in her face deepened as she frowned.
Harry, who realized that to her, it must look as if he had broken her off for no apparent reason, said in apology: "I'm sorry Mrs Yaxley. It was not my intention to offend you. I hope this can stay between the two of us, but I can hear the Dark Lord's thoughts." He realized that it was probably confidential information, but he did not want to lose this new bond he'd formed with a, while not very powerful, influential witch. "He is currently being approached by the Minister of Magic, and that is a conversation I do not want to miss."
"You…" she stammered, losing her calm posture for an instant before she managed to compose herself. "Does he know?"
"Of course." Harry muttered absentmindedly, trying to follow Marvolo's thoughts and emotions as Fudge finally spoke to the man. "He can do the same. If you don't mind… I want to try something, but it will cause me to either fall in a trance, or, in the worst case, to fall unconscious. Could you watch over my body?"
She nodded curtly, her face serious. "I would be honoured."
Harry, pay attention. Marvolo told him, and Harry quickly sat down on the grass in case he would fall over.
I'm going to watch through your eyes. He replied, and he closed his eyes, deepening his breath as he concentrated on the link. The rest of the world became hazy, as if it only existed in a dream, and he felt the strangest sensation in his stomach, like a slow, much more gentle version of Portkeying. When he opened his eyes again, he knew they were no longer green. It was very strange, being in the body of someone else. He had experienced this a few times now, but he never got used to Marvolo's strange way of seeing and feeling the world. Also the feeling as if he himself was nothing but a dream, not able to control anything that happened, was not something he would ever like.
Marvolo was currently looking down at Fudge, who was clearly terrified, but too much under pressure from the bystanders to back off as he would have liked. It took Harry a moment to realize that Fudge was speaking. Marvolo's ears registered the human voice significantly different, although it was hard for Harry to point out the exact difference. He could describe it best as a low humming sound that resonated underneath the voice, occasionally lashing out. Marvolo had explained to him that he heard people's emotions as they spoke, which was why he could tell so often whether or not someone was lying, and he could use the same ability to increase the control his own voice had over others.
Under Fudge's voice, there was a constantly trembling low tone, which made it hard for Harry, who wasn't use to hearing it, to understand the man, but once he was able to concentrate on the upper voice, he slowly got used to it and the tone faded into the background.
"- Was actually working on an invitation to you." The man squeaked.
"An invitation for what, exactly?" Marvolo cut in, and Harry was not surprised when the tone beneath the Dark Lord's voice was a single, high piercing note, like a string of glass or ice.
"A meeting." Fudge answered, nervously spinning his bowler around in his sweaty hands. "To see what we can work out… compromises that can be made…"
"Compromises?" Marvolo asked on a soft, dark tone. "I stated my demands, what I want to happen to the Wizarding world. I am a man of my word, and will not placate the people who I represent with compromises. You can either implement the necessary changes yourself, which I doubt will happen, or you can give up your place to someone more capable."
"Those aren't the only options I have." Fudge snapped, his magic visibly flaring red for a moment before becoming a faint yellow as his own words sank in, and he visibly shrank under the cool gaze of the man before him. "I… I didn't mean to imply… I"
"Silence." Marvolo breathed, his magic coiling around him like a stormy cloud. "There will be no meeting before you are certain where you stand. I know what you are doing, Minister. You are trying to procrastinate your decision by keeping both me and Dumbledore at an arm's length. It will not work for me, and though I hate him, I can tell you that the old man is too smart for that weak strategy as well. I have nothing more to say to you."
"Now listen here, Sir, I am still the Minister of-"
"You will me address with Lord or not at all." Marvolo said, his hand moving towards his wand.
Fudge hesitated, opened his mouth and closed it again, before pulling off the greatest act of bravery Harry would ever see him do. He walked away without a word.
And Harry knew that it would cost the man dearly.
With a last soft caress to Marvolo's mind, he retreated, gasping as he returned to his own body with a feeling as if a brick had been dropped on his stomach, and he was disappointed with the mundane sounds and colours he heard and saw. Even the feel of things was different, he mused as he stroked the grass with his fingers. Less harsh. Marvolo would never admit to it aloud, but his skin was extremely sensitive, hence why he preferred to wear silk or other smooth and soft materials. Strangely enough, he did prefer to walk bare-foot, even though he currently wore deerskin boots, completely ignoring every fashion trend ever in the Wizarding world…
"Good to have you back dearie." Mrs Yaxley softly said, after Harry shook his head and rapidly blinked a few times to get used to his own body again.
"Thank you. I'm glad someone appreciates my presence."
"Oh, I'm sure there are a lot of young ladies who would appreciate you." The woman grinned, winking at him. Harry blushed fiercely at the implication, and nervously cleared his throat.
"I am afraid that I would severely disappoint said ladies. I have a rather possessive lover."
"You do?" Mrs Yaxley asked, clearly delighted.
Harry really wondered why she wasn't aware of his relationship with Marvolo. He'd thought that by now, the news would have circulated around the whole Dark side. Mrs Yaxley's son had been at that meeting after all, where Harry had been visibly snogged in front of pretty much everyone. He supposed the Death Eaters were even more discreet than he'd thought. Now he thought of it… Draco hadn't known before Harry had told the boy either.
"Perhaps one day I'll introduce you to him." He muttered, thinking that she might die of happiness if he personally introduced her to her hero.
"Him…? Ah. I see." She spoke, processing this new information.
"I'm sorry, I really think I'll go inside and find Mrs Malfoy…" Harry quickly said, before the conversation would turn completely to his love-life. "It was lovely speaking to you Madam."
"Oh, call my Cysty." She smiled, with that trade-mark grandmother face of hers. "All my friends do."
Harry smiled brightly. "I'd say 'call me Harry', but you already do." He joked.
"Oh shush." The woman scolded. "I am old, I'm allowed to."
"Not that old." He winked.
"Charmer." She answered, flicking imaginary hair over her shoulder. "Now, back inside with you."
"Aren't you coming?"
"No, I have socialized enough for this evening. I will make a silent retreat soon, but first I'm going to enjoy the cool evening air some more."
"Good night then. I hope to speak to you soon again."
"The pleasure was all mine, Harry."
With a last wave, he went back inside to search for Narcissa Malfoy. He spotted her fairly easy. As hostess of the ball, she was supervising everyone instead of mingling with the crowd. He used the shadows of the pillars to approach her without being noticed by curious guests, and tapped her shoulder. She gasped slightly and turned around, her beautiful face wearing a startled look. "Mr Potter!" she said.
"Good evening Mrs Malfoy." He politely said, bowing slightly and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
"Ah, I see my husband has taught you some necessary improvements?" she asked, one of her eyebrows raising slightly. "Lucius seems to hold you in high regard now."
"Can't be that high." Harry impishly said. "He still whacks me with the tip of his cane whenever I don't sit at the correct angle."
"Oh, that man." She sighed. "But I take it you are not here for a casual chat?"
"No, actually… I know that you can't actually go somewhere more private as you have to watch the guests, but would it be alright if I put up a silencing barrier?"
"No trouble at all." She replied, drawing her wand and casting a ward before Harry had the chance to. At his surprised look, she said: "This is the only way to ensure complete privacy Mr Potter. The Malfoy wards interrupt with privacy charms cast by anyone who does not bear the name Malfoy."
"Good to know." He answered, glad that he had went outside when talking to Cysty. "Very well then. Forgive me for being bold, but I would like to ask for a favour. Mrs Yaxley told me you are good at Healing…"
"I never received a certificate as I broke off my studies right before the final tests… Can you not go to St Mungo's?" she hesitantly said.
"I don't… I don't want a stranger to know of all my problems. And while I don't know you very well either, I do know you. Madame Pomfrey already checked me, and while I am physically healthy, I am in need of a therapist, and she could not help me with that…"
"Ah, in that case, I would be more than glad to aid you, Mr Potter." She smiled. "Shall we discuss additional details later?"
"Yes. Thank you so much." He said, relieved. "I had no idea who else to turn to, and when Cysty recommended you…"
"Cysty hmm? Be careful Mr Potter, to not get too familiar with everyone you meet so quickly. Cysty is an exception, but more than half of the people in this room would try to pick you apart and use you."
"Thank you for your advice Mrs Malfoy… I'll keep it in mind."
"Well then… for when do you wish to schedule our first appointment?"
"Coming days won't be possible… how about the weekend? This Saturday? Sunday?"
"Preferable not on Saturdays, but I am available Sunday morning. Could you come here?"
"That's perfect. Thank you so much."
She smiled at him again. "I'm always happy to help people, especially if they're family."
Harry blinked. "Family?"
"The Potters are related to the Blacks…" she said. "And furthermore, your godfather, though he has been kicked out by his own mother, is still my cousin."
"I forgot." Harry whispered.
"Perhaps you should study your family tree Mr Potter. It is always good to know who is related to whom, especially now you are part of the Pureblood society."
"But I'm not! Not really…"
"You being here sends everyone in this room a message Mr Potter… That you are ready to stand up for yourself in this harsh world, and don't want to hide yourself any longer. If you did not want to be a part of this society, you should have stayed home." Her voice turned cold, and Harry realized that with this careless words, he had implied that he did not want to be a part of this world. Of her world.
"I'm sorry." He hastened to say. "I spoke carelessly. I meant that I was not aware that I had been accepted here yet."
"Ah, I see." She answered, significantly warmer. "I'm sorry for my assumption. I am not used to conversing with someone who is unfamiliar with… well, with this."
Harry opened his mouth to reply, but then his instincts kicked in. He didn't really know how it happened, oreven what happened. He only knew that one moment, he'd been talking to Narcissa, and next thing he knew, he reacted instinctively on a sudden mental warning on Marvolo's side. He whipped his wand out, only to look into the astonished face of his godfather, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air, although Harry knew that it was likely that the man had breached the wards and hid under the tables in his Animagus Form. Sirius's throat bobbed visibly as he swallowed against the tip of the wand that was still pressed against his throat.
"Harry." the man rasped out, looking at the teen with the odd mixture of fear and pity. "You really have changed a lot since I last saw you. Reacting instantly with violence on every moment now?"
"No… No I haven't changed." Harry whispered, retreating his wand, even though he did not completely put it away. "But you wished to forget."
"I don't understand." Sirius commented, confused, causing Harry to sigh deeply.
"You wouldn't."
"Black." a cold voice cut through the silence that followed, and Sirius whipped around to glare at the Dark Lord.
"Voldemort. Still as hideous as ever, I see."
"I am getting unpleasant déjà vu feelings. Please do everyone a favour and don't open your mouth." Marvolo icily retorted, but despite his words, he put up a new silencing ward so the curious and frightened onlookers couldn't follow what was being said. Harry vaguely recalled the other one breaking, most likely because of Sirius. "So, Dumbledore is finally sending his minions out?" Marvolo asked, raising an elegant eyebrow.
"Your Death Eaters may be minions, but in the Order, we refer to each other as friends." Sirius bit.
"I'm sure that our dear headmaster thinks of it exactly like that." Marvolo replied sarcastically, his upper lip curling into a sneer that reminded Harry a tad too much of Snape.
Sorry dear, but he's just so ignorant of everything Dumbledore does.
I know, Marvolo, I know.
"For your information, I came here for Harry." Sirius continued, oblivious to their mental conversation. "That you got your filthy claws on him and undoubtedly fed him your propaganda and lies doesn't mean he won't be able to see reason!"
"First of all, my nail hygiene is immaculate, though I don't see how it concerns you." Marvolo dryly remarked. "And secondly, Harry already saw reason, which is why he joined me in the first place."
Harry stiffened as Sirius took a step back and slung a protective arm around the teen's shoulder, but he didn't want to hurt his godfather by immediately drawing back either. His heart sank at Sirius' hostile attitude. How had he ever thought he would be able to persuade this man? Sirius hated everything that had to do with the dark because of his own childhood, and no matter how or how often Harry would try and explain, the man had chosen his side.
"Sirius." he softly spoke, suddenly feeling very tired. "I know you don't want to hear it, and I know that you feel you have responsibilities regarding me or should protect me, but I won't go back to Dumbledore and the Order. You don't want to hear it now, as you didn't want to the first time, but I am here, with him, and that's what I really, really want. I belong here so much more than in Dumbledore's clutches. You don't see what he does, you don't know what he's done to me and my friends…"
"But we are… aren't we your friends? Your family? That there, killed your parents! The only biological family you had left if you count those horrible excuses for people!"
"I don't want to go over all this again Sirius!" Harry suddenly shouted, fed up with it all. He broke away from the man's grip abruptly in favour of stepping closer to Marvolo, who laid a firm hand on his shoulder in support, trying his hardest not to curse Sirius into the next world if Harry interpreted the emotions that flowed through the link correctly.
"But I don't understand!"Sirius exclaimed. "What are you talking about? First time? Forgetting? Going over it again? You! It's you isn't it? You've done something to him to….to… to make him lose faith in us!" He was yelling directly at Marvolo now, and Harry really saw why Sirius' Animagus form was a dog. He resembled one now far too clear. A scared but angry, rabid dog.
"Trust me, I didn't need to do anything for that." Marvolo evenly replied, and the teen admired the amount of control the other was showing. If they hadn't had an audience, even though they couldn't hear the conversation and accusations, Sirius would have long tasted the Cruciatus curse. "Dumbledore dug his own grave all on his own. Make sure not to do the same, Black."
Pure rage crossed Sirius' features for a moment, and in a gesture that was both braver and more foolish than anyone else could have shown, by which Fudge's act of walking away without a word paled considerably, he spat at the feet of the Dark Lord, whose face hardened considerably.
"Keep your threats to yourself." the other said, sneering.
"And with that, you crossed the line Black. Again." Marvolo whispered. "And this time, no-one will jump in front of the curse." he continued on the same, deadly tone.
Harry closed his eyes slowly and let his breath escape through his teeth with a hissing sound. "Sirius, why couldn't you just have stayed away." he muttered sadly. "You and I will never see eye to eye regarding my choices. And despite what you seem to believe, they were my own choices." Harry finished, though he was unsure as to whether or not Sirius had heard him, as the man was fixated only on the red-glowing tip of the Dark Lord's bone-white wand.
"As I said… you went too far."
Christmas. Such an odd, wonderful thought, but one that seemed to hold merely a faraway meaning to her, even after she had celebrated Christmas evening yesterday with an elaborate dinner and presents. It didn't have the same meaning to her anymore as it had before Hogwarts. Christmas then, had been a 'magical' time, but after being introduced to real magic, it… just wasn't the same anymore. And yet, something big always happened at Christmas…
Past year, she had even danced in the arms of Victor at the Yule ball before Ron had ruined it. Jealousy, she now realized. Well, not that she hadn't figured that out that time, but it had been something she'd pushed away a bit throughout the following conversations with him, in which declarations of love were left unspoken time and time again.
She heard her parents downstairs. They had already been up early in the morning to clean up from last night and prepare everything for today, but after everything that had happened last days, she hadn't felt much for doing the same. Now, however, she was well-rested –finally- and rose from her long slumber, pleased to see that it was nearly afternoon. The distinctive smell of pine floated through the door and walls, finally making the thought of Christmas a tad more real again in her mind.
Hermione quickly dressed and went downstairs, cheerfully greeting her parents, glad that she finally had some time to spend with them. However, the feeling that had overcome her yesterday, the feeling of foreignness of the normalcy in the house, had not yet left. She had spent the last months practicing magic, discovering secrets, and finally joining the Dark Side. It was something she would never be able to share with her parents, who had no clue as to the on goings in the magical world. They were hesitant about the concept of owl post, and therefore had no subscription to any sort of magical magazine or newspaper to inform them about it. She also sometimes thought that they didn't want to know, that perhaps it was too confrontational. While they were proud of her abilities, they did not like to be included in anything magical.
And yet, that was what had mainly driven her to get to know everything there was about that new, foreign world that opened its arms for her.
However, she was not met by the same greetings, as she had expected, and when she looked at the item in her frowning father's hands, she realised why. While they were not subscribed to the Daily Prophet, she was, and as she hadn't been up yet when the owl delivered the paper, they had taken it. Usually, it would not have been a problem, but the headlines weren't the usual 'Robbery here, election there'. Instead, the Dark Mark alighted a dark sky, Fudge's face below, and the headlines weren't any better. She grabbed the newspaper before her father could say anything, frantically reading it.
Yule Ball Fiasco at Malfoy Manor
by Jives Janeway
A week of peace has finally ended in a gruesome attack. And not from whom many may expect. Last night, during the Yule Ball, several members whom are believed to have ties with Albus Dumbledore, and are even suspected of being members of the Order of the Phoenix, attacked the many innocent guests of Mr and Mrs Malfoy. Their excuse was the presence of the notorious He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and the former Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter.
Yesterday evening, the top of the Ministry, and many members of the upper class society were invited to the Yule Ball, hosted at Malfoy Manor. Everything went smoothly until the infamous fugitive, Sirius Black, appeared amongst the guests. Interesting to note however, is that while the general belief held is that Black used to be You-Know-Who's right hand, it became clear through the confrontation that followed, that such is not the case at all. Instead, Black is a firm supporter of Dumbledore, which of course raises the question as to why the Headmaster of Hogwarts and Head of the Wizengamot, never spoke up in his defense.
Due to silencing wards, the exact contents of Black's heated argument with Harry Potter and You-Know-Who remain unknown, but the gesture of spitting in front of You-Know-Who's feet and trying to drag Potter away could not have been more clear. Enraged, the Dark Lord tried to curse Black, but was forced to divert his aim as suddenly, other, uninvited people started attacking, not seeming to care about the bystanders in their haste to curse He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
The guests ended up hurrying home through either Floo or Apparition after the Dark Mark was fired into the night sky, while the fighting continued. Sadly, this morning, right before this paper was printed, the shocking news reached us that Minister Fudge never returned home. His whereabouts remain unknown, though many fear the worst.
While Minister Fudge also had an argument with You-Know-Who this evening, it is unclear who his real enemy was. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named clearly had not expected the attack at the Yule Ball, and through his earlier conversation with the Minister no death threats were given, although Fudge's insult at the end may have changed that opinion. It was revealed though, that Fudge tried to play both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore to his hand, so these remain the main suspects.
Attempts of contacting either Albus Dumbledore or You-Know-Who ended in failure. As of now, it looks like new elections will have to be held soon, unless Minster Fudge somehow re-appears.
"Hermione, what is this?" her mother softly asked. "Who is this... Dark Lord? And wasn't Harry Potter a close friend of yours?"
The girl didn't answer, her face pale after reading the article. While it had been the Order to attack, she was certain of who had taken Fudge. It had really, really begun, hadn't it? The Ministry might still be clueless, but at least the Order had dropped their defensive, awaiting stance.
"You have to get out of the country." She whispered.
"What?" her father asked, bemused.
"You have to get out. You might not realise it, but the country is a battleground, and you will be targeted. I am too far in for you to be safe."
"Hermione, calm down. Calm down and explain to us what you mean."
She sat down at the table, but made sure her wand was within reach. "There is a war going on. It started almost thirty years ago, when a man saw the wrong in the world, gathered followers, and fought for his beliefs. While his views are good, his methods are questionable at least. He fought against the Ministry of Magic at first, but soon his worst enemy, Albus Dumbledore, gathered people of his own. He is the headmaster of Hogwarts and has also his share of power within the Ministry."Hermione paused, wondering how she could possibly tell everything. "The man who started everything was called Tom Riddle, but for personal reasons, he changed his name into Voldemort, and made sure to erase every bit of his past until no-one remembered it anymore, except for the few who knew him personally."
"And yet you know." Her mother said. "Do you... personally know this… Voldemort?"
"I do, actually, because of Harry. Seventeen years ago, Voldemort attacked Harry's parents, who were members of the Order of the Phoenix, the group Dumbledore had created. He tried to kill Harry too, but failed for reasons yet unknown to me. Perhaps they have figured it out by now, but if so, he hasn't told me. Instead, Voldemort's body was destroyed."
"He's dead then?"
"No, it's… it's complicated. I told you that he started fighting for his beliefs, but he has also always been very afraid of death, and therefore he searched the world for means to reach immortality."
"There is no such thing." Her father scoffed.
"He succeeded." Hermione continued, throwing her dad a pointed look. "But at the cost of his sanity. He lost his goals in a quest for power, and fell deeper and deeper into madness until he was nothing more than someone feared by all. He seized power by force and terrorized the Wizarding world during those years, until that night Harry defeated him. And yet, Voldemort, or his more common names 'the Dark Lord' or 'You-Know-Who', as he was known by now as many feared to speak his name, had not been vanquished completely. His spirit somehow survived and hid for thirteen years. Thirteen years in which the Ministry slowly attempted to built up society again from the ashes he had left it in. However… they didn't change a thing. They built it up by old standards and old laws, making all the good changes Voldemort had brought, null and void."
"Good changes such as what?"
"Rights for magical creatures, early education for Muggleborns and wizards raised by non-magical people, the start of integration in the Muggle World, and the legalization of hundreds of potions and spells that were deemed 'dark' before, even if they could be used for good in certain situations. Sadly, throughout the years, a lot of these changes disappeared again, even during His reign."
"And now?" her mother asked, pointing at the newspaper. "He is back?"
"Yes. He made a few attempts to regain a body, and at the start of summer this year, he succeeded. But, with one difference: his mind has also been restored. He is still a cruel man, I can't deny that, but he is sane at least, and… I've also seen more sides of him than the face he shows the world." Both her parents opened their mouth to speak, but Hermione hurriedly went on. "And Harry, his supposed enemy, and the 'hope' of everyone who fears Voldemort and doesn't agree with his beliefs, has joined Him. They met over summer, and… and I suppose they spoke it out."
"They spoke it out?" her mother exclaimed. "You can't just speak something like that out! Didn't he kill Harry's parents? Didn't he try to kill Harry and was killed in return? How could you possibly get over that?"
Hermione sighed deeply. On one hand, she wanted to defend Harry, but in truth, she had absolutely no idea what had occurred exactly. Harry had told them bits here and there, but had mostly been too busy to chat much. She knew that when in love, one tends to overlook the bad sides of someone, but even that didn't fully explain the how and why. "I can't answer that, except for that Harry found that he absolutely agrees with Voldemort's ideas."
"And you?"
"Me too, which is why I said that I am involved in this as well. I joined Voldemort's side too, even if I didn't take his mark." Her dad spluttered something about 'his what?', but she didn't comment further on it. "Harry and Ron both have family and friends in the Order of the Phoenix, and thus, I have too, but both Ron and I followed Harry over to the Dark side. There are many points on which I frown, but I do agree with their main beliefs, and it is certainly better than the alternatives."
"But what about Dumbledore? We met him and… he seemed nice enough. He stopped Voldemort when that man went insane, didn't he?"
"Yes, but the truth is that it was all a power play. He tried to gain support from more and more people to cover up his past mistakes, and uses them now at their will, using underhand tricks and feelings of guilt. He sent Harry into deadly situations to test his strength, withheld vital information, and ultimately planned to sacrifice Harry if it meant defeating Voldemort again. Dumbledore wants the world to stay the same, where he can overview everything. Muggles and wizards should, in his opinion, live in separate worlds, because out there, he has no power. He hides his intentions behind golden lies and promises he doesn't keep, but in the end, he is only out for personal gain."
"And the Ministry?"
"They want the same; separate worlds, but for another reason. They fear what Muggles could do to them. They are afraid to take steps out into the open and try their best to restrict magic to carefully hidden magical areas. Regarding other things, they are also afraid. Either of being attacked or disturbed in some way, or of losing face, as with the age-old issue about allowing goblins to have wands. And now, they are all fighting." Hermione said, waving vaguely at the newspaper. "The Dark Lord came out into the open a week ago, and the Order has given their answer. Using the chaos, Voldemort captured the current Minister of Magic, who is a weak-minded fool . And I'm not just saying that, I've met him, as have Harry and Ron. Open war has broken out with this fight, and because the Order doesn't yet know that I turned my back on them, although they suspect, and most at the Dark side don't yet know that I joined them, I'm caught somewhere in the middle. I don't want you to be attacked because of me."
"Hermione… we are your parents. We are supposed to take care of you, not the other way around. I might know nothing about the politics of your world, or the details of what's happening there currently, but you should not be burdened with protecting us."
"Then leave! Take a long holiday, get out of the country until this is over, please. When Dumbledore confirms that I have left his side, he will try to get me back on his side, and when he won't succeed in that, he will try to destroy me, the enemy."
"What is this world, where fifteen-year-old girls are head figures in a war." Her mother spoke sadly. "We should never have let you go there."
"I wanted to. And even through everything that happened, over the years and now, I wouldn't want to have missed it for the world. You don't understand, they are my kind."
"Magic or not, we are all human."
"I know mama. And I wish for all humans to share their abilities. Magic will be free, but first, we'll have to fight for it."
"And what will you do? Personally?"
"I think I'll start by releasing a demon to add to the chaos." she smiled, and abruptly turned around, walking towards the stairs again. A certain little bug had been locked up far too long.
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xx GeMerope
