!*!*! ATTENTION... QAPHELA... E'TIBOR !*!*!
Disclaimer: While I may be obsessed with Harry Potter, as is apparent by my knowledge of far too many Harry Potter pickup lines, I do not own it in any shape, way, or form, a fact that extremely depresses me.
Voldemort leaned back in his leather chair and propped his feet on his new desk, the old one having been burnt to a crisp. He eyed it with approval. It was large and made out of petrified wood, dark with rings and swirls of other colors. Luna Lovegood certainly was efficient. It was only the day after he destroyed his desk, and she had found him a new one, perfectly matching what he was looking for. It also made him wonder whether she had some sort of split personality. Someone so vague and absorbed in her rather unusual thoughts couldn't possibly oversee part of the ministry and keep things running smoothly, could she?
He shook his head. On second thought, he didn't want to know what went on in her head. He was perfectly happy letting her dealing with all of the things he didn't want to.
As if called by thoughts of her, the blonde witched stepped through the double doors of the office, smiling dreamily like usual, and wearing black robes.
He did a double take. Black robes? There was no way… Oh. As he watched, the black faded to a grey and then to a vibrant purple before flashing to orange and then neon green.
While her robes flashed an array of eye smarting colors, she just stood there, smiling at him serenely. "Hello, Tom. I take it from your aura that the meeting with Harry went well?"
He ignored the comment about his aura, but answered nonetheless. "Yes, it did. Far better than I expected. And I met Ms. Granger as well."
"Ah, Hermione. She's nice, a bit narrow minded, though," Luna said simply.
He refrained from shaking his head. Of course Granger, with her logic and book smarts, would seem narrow minded to Luna, who believed in things that other people had never even heard of without a shred of proof.
She went on. "I'm glad that it went well, but you've been spending a lot of time with Harry and away from the ministry." His eyes narrowed as he waited for her to finish. "I rearranged your schedule and moved your five appointments from yesterday to today and Thursday. That means that you have seven people to see today."
Unconsciously, he hissed. "Meetings with simpleminded fools who are only coming to me to complain about everything from seating at the next quidditch match to the inflation of the price of dragon livers," he said dismissively. "I have more important things to deal with. Now, is there anyone I have an appointment with that actually has something important to say? Anything that requires my immediate attention?"
She tilted her head to the side. "No. Not since the Vampire delegate cancelled his appointment. There was some sort of emergency involving a young vampire, glitter, and a pair of muggle twins that he needed to take care of."
Voldemort twitched. Why had he decided that it was a good idea to take over the wizarding world again? He really did miss the days where witches and wizards would rather disembowel themselves rather than meet his eyes. People still feared him, but now it was more fear and awe. And it was actually getting to the point where they were looking at him as, not a savior, but someone to be looked up to. Had they already forgotten what he'd done? The Dark Lord Voldemort, so feared that none would speak his name. The general population's memory must have been shorter than a goldfish's. Or perhaps he was just doing to superb a job. He had whipped the entire wizarding world into order and was now in the process of improving it.
What he had to do then, he mused, was to put some fear back into them all. Maybe he could wipe out an entire species or raze and pillage a town somewhere. Or, even better, he could seek out his enemies, some of the wizards and witches who dared to still oppose him, and have them publicly executed. Having their skin nailed on a wall sounded like a good idea and particularly grotesque. He made a mental note of it. But, at least he had something else, something fascinating, to focus on. Harry Potter.
Realizing that Luna was still standing there, although staring off into space vaguely, he ordered, "Find Severus and send him in."
She nodded and disappeared out the heavy double door.
The Dark Lord didn't have friends, per say. He had loyal followers, some of whom might almost be considered friends, but whom never forgot who they were dealing with and who was in control. Severus Snape was one of those people.
The door opened, and Snape entered without a sound, only to pause before the Dark Lord.
Voldemort studied him, taking in the expressionless face and dark, glinting eyes. He had known that the man was a double agent, but he had been useful. He'd delivered information about the order and Dumbledore, although small pieces of information most likely told by Dumbledore to tell, and was a potion's master. Both of which were useful. There had been times when he wondered whether the hook-nosed man had actually been on their side after all as a triple-agent. But, whatever the case, he was loyal now, probably, and a trusted adviser, being at least competent and in possession of a brain that actually functioned. Voldemort nodded to himself. He was just the person to consult on the issue.
Unnerved by the silence, or perhaps the fact that his lord was nodding to himself, Severus asked, "You wished to see me, my lord?"
"Yes, I did. I want your advice, or opinions, on a certain issue." He paused and then said, "I wish to court Harry Potter."
The effect those six words had on the potion's master were instantaneous. His skin went even paler than usual; his black eyes bulged; his jaw was hanging open; his right eye was twitching, and he seemed to have stopped breathing.
Voldemort took it in with satisfaction. So that's what a shocked Severus looked like. He'd rarely seen the man discomposed, and never as ruffled and perturbed as he looked now.
"My lord… You don't wish for advice on how to – woo Potter, do you?" Severus asked in a horrified strangled voice. He looked like he'd much rather swallow acid, highly corrosive acid.
"Severus, forgive me, but you would be one the last people I would ask for advice on that subject. I wish to know of your opinion of the political consequences it would have."
To say that Snape looked relieved would have been an understatement. He straightened his robes and let out what might have been a sigh of relief. "I see." He seemed to pull himself together. "I would say from a political standpoint, it would be perfect. Even though Mr. Potter vanished, he's still the epitome of light and good in people's minds. Whereas you, my lord, are still viewed by some as…"
His voice trailed off, and Voldemort suggested, amused, "Evil?"
"Yes. If you two were to unite, if he was to stand by your side, then I don't believe many would dare oppose you. If the masses saw that he stood by you, then your power would be nearly absolute. That would be, of course, if it was clear that you hadn't coerced him in some way."
Voldemort smiled. It was just what he'd thought, although it never hurt to confer with someone with an actual brain, which many people apparently lacked. The few rebel groups who opposed him would crumble. All of their support would vanish. And, in addition to that, he genuinely found Harry intriguing and attractive, so he wouldn't have to fake his interest. Now, all he had to do was charm the boy, and he knew how to charm. Although he had the feeling that it would be more difficult that usual. Killing ones parents did tend to make things unpleasant and complicate things. Really, what had he been thinking?
He glanced up from the desk; Severus stood there, silent and unmoving. "Severu-"
Before he got a chance to finish, the door opened and Luna poked her sunny, blonde head in. "Tom? Hermione Granger is here demanding an appointment with you."
Well, well, well… Ms. Granger? What could she want? He nodded sharply. "Send her in." Then he turned to Snape. "Stay. I have the feeling that an interesting conversation is about to take place. And, besides, you wouldn't want to miss seeing an old student, would you?"
The ex-potion's teacher didn't even bother to disguise the look of distaste on his face.
A moment later, the doors opened once more, and Hermione Granger walked confidently into the room, which was different in itself. Most people tended to almost crawl in. She was dressed in neat pale blue robes and the only trace of her nervousness was her hands clenched tightly at her sides. Her eyes flickered from Voldemort to Snape in faint surprise.
Voldemort rose from his chair and walked around the desk, hands held out, lips curved into a friendly smile. "Ms. Granger, what a lovely surprise. Ah, and you must remember your old professor."
She smiled tentatively at Snape, "Professor."
He nodded back. "Ms. Granger."
Before the atmosphere could plummet into awkward silence, no matter how fun it would be to watch the girl squirm, Voldemort sat down on the edge of his desk. "Now, what do I owe your visit to?" He could already guess.
Brown eyes narrowed at him. "I think you already know. I would appreciate it if you didn't underestimate my intelligence or play games with me, Vol-"
"Riddle," he corrected.
She stared at him for a moment. "Fine, Riddle. You know what I'm here to talk about." She fell silent, apparently waiting for him to say it.
He did. "Harry Potter."
She nodded. "Yes, Harry. I want to know what you want with him." She paused and then plowed on. "No, I'm already pretty sure what you want with him, although he's in denial about the whole thing. But I want to make sure. Are you interested, romantically speaking, in him?"
"Yes," he answered simply.
She nodded slowly.
It really was surprising how well she was taking it all.
"And what are your plans for him?" There was an edge of suspicion to her words.
Did she really need to make it sound like he was plotting his downfall? Although, given past events, he supposed it was justified. "My plans? Nothing sinister, I assure you. I intend to form a relationship with him and bring him back to the wizarding world, where he belongs."
"I see…" she said. He could almost see the neurons in her brain firing, and, yes, he knew what neurons were. He was almost up to date on muggle science. "And are you doing this from a personal interest or a political one?"
Ah, so she'd already thought of that. "Both." His eyes darted to Severus, who hadn't moved since the conversation began. He looked torn between being interested in the discussion and wishing that he wasn't there in the first place.
Hermione spoke again, voice carefully modulated, "And what if I told you that I wasn't entirely against it?"
"I would be very glad to hear that indeed, but I would wonder why." He was surprised enough, even if it didn't show on his face, that she wasn't plotting his demise for even looking at her best friend. Although, there was the possibility that she was…
This time, she glanced at Snape, as if to make certain that it was okay to speak in front of him, and then apparently came to the conclusion that she could. "Harry needs to come back. I know that he says that he's happy, and maybe he is, but it's not right. He keeps everyone at arms length because he's afraid that they'll find out about magic or they'll get hurt if they get close to him. He does have a few acquaintances, but they're not really close friends. I'm the only one he has. And I know he misses the wizarding world and being able to use magic all of the time and riding his broomstick," she said, and then paused. "Although, that's not all. If you two came together, as a single power, then it would unite the wizarding world. There would be peace." Ah, so she'd seen that as well. She continued, voice getting stronger, "Frankly, I want Harry back. He'd be happier back. The wizarding world would be better off, and as for you… You're bored, aren't you?"
That had been one of the last things that he expected her to say, even if it was the truth.
She gave him a faint smile. "I think it would probably be better for the wizarding world if dark lords didn't get bored. And hanging around with Harry… Well, you never get bored."
He could very well see that. "What a surprise. I must admit that I didn't expect this. So, do I take it, Ms. Granger, that I have your approval?"
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not sure you have my approval, but I'm saying that you should try to win over Harry. But… If you hurt him in any way, I will make you suffer." The words were spoken like cold, hard, facts.
Snape, breaking his silence, hissed, "Girl, you do not threaten the Dark Lord."
Voldemort's eyes narrowed and his smile became fixed. "Are you threatening me?" he asked, voice cold.
She faltered slightly under the biting gaze of his blood-colored eyes, but then stiffened. "No. I'm not. I'm promising you."
He got off of the desk and stalked over to her slowly, all animalistic grace and deadly, controlled fury. The temperature in the room seemed to drop and the air became heavy. "It is not wise to threaten, or make a promise, of that sort to me. Not wise at all."
She shivered but held her ground. "Nothing is going to happen to me."
"And why is that?"
"Because Harry would know. If I suddenly vanished, then he'd start looking, trying to figure out what happened, and he wouldn't give up. We both know that's true. He'd figure out it was you. I think that you're interested in Harry enough that you wouldn't sabotage it by doing anything to me."
He almost smiled. He was actually enjoying this, even though he wanted to turn her internal organs inside out. "People have accidents all of the time, Ms. Granger. Fatal ones."
She nodded as if she'd already considered that matter. "True. But I took care of that, too." She reached into her robes and pulled out a small, rectangular device. "This just recorded our entire conversation. It's also broadcasted the conversation, using radio waves, to a transceiver that I set up. The transceiver is broadcasting next to my computer on which I have a program recording everything and sending it to several different places on the muggle internet. If I don't get back to it by a certain time, then the messages, with the audio file, get sent to different places, one of which being to Harry." She finished with a slightly smug look on her face. "I've been working on how to get electronic devices to work in the presence of magic and been fairly successful with my experiments."
"So, you're betting everything on how interested I am with Harry?"
"Yes. You don't want to mess things up with him, so you won't harm me, and at this point, even if you killed me or obliviated me, the proof would still be there."
Then he laughed, and she jumped, eyes wide, obviously not expecting it. "How delightfully Slytherin of you, my dear. Are you sure that you didn't get placed in the wrong house?"
"Positive. Although, the sorting hat did consider Ravenclaw," she said, having trouble forcing the words out and probably wondering if she was having a hallucination, since the dark lord was laughing instead of cursing or glowering.
"Fine. I won't harm a hair on Harry's head, and I won't kill you, Ms. Granger." He leaned in closer, dropping his voice to a whisper. "But, have you considered the fact that I could stupefy you, stop the transmissions from that device, torture you, heal you, and then simply obliviate your memories of being tortured and stupefied? Or, I could use legilimency and find out how exactly to stop that little message of yours from being sent out. Or I could use the imperius curse to make you take me to the computer set up and delete it all? But, I will not do any of those things, because I do care about Harry. So, while I admire your brains, Ms. Granger, and your courage, do not threaten me again. You will not win. Do we understand each other?" He didn't mention that there were slight issues with all of the methods he just listed.
For a moment, she looked like she was going to open her mouth to say something, but instead, teeth clenched, she nodded.
He patted her cheek. "Good. Now that that's over with, would you like a job?"
That struck her dumb. "What?" she finally managed to squeak out.
"Yes, would you like to work for me? I have been considering the idea of combining muggle technology with magic. Or, if you wanted to study something else, there are several other topics that my employees are researching. You would be working with the brightest minds in the wizarding world. Alternately, you could assist with the negotiation and treaties with the magical creatures? I believe you have an interest in that," he said smoothly, enjoying the dumbfounded expression on her face.
"I- um – I mean, what? Are you trying to bribe me?" she demanded once she'd gotten her voice back.
"Perhaps. But, really, I just recognize your intelligence. Think about it. There is no rush," he said easily.
"Right," she said. It was easy to tell what she was thinking. I just threatened the Dark Lord and he offered me a job. I need to read about alternate universes.
Well, it wouldn't hurt to be charming to Harry's friends, and she was intelligent. The Dark Lord simply waited, gaze even, as she pulled herself together. "Is that all you wished to discuss with me, Ms. Granger?" he asked mildly.
"Yes. I mean, I think so. You have changed, haven't you?" she said, tucking the recording device back into her robes.
He raised an eyebrow. "I could very easily lie to you and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference."
She peered at him. "Yes, you're right. So, I'll just judge by your actions. And, in that case, I think you're not all evil. Or at least you're making definite steps in the right direction. Unless all of it's part of some elaborate plot…" Her voice trailed off and she frowned and shook her head. "I think it's time I left. And… don't tell Harry about this. I don't think he'd appreciate it," she said with a sheepish smile.
He nodded. "I agree. It was a pleasure. I believe I'll be seeing you soon." Very soon, because he didn't intent to let any time go to waste before visiting Potter again.
"Call me Hermione," she said suddenly, moving towards the door, "and I'll think about those job offers. Oh, and one more thing. You may have to be pretty blunt about how you feel towards Harry. He can be pretty dense, and he's really good at denial."
With those last few words of advice, she reached for the doorknob, but, before she could get to it, the door opened, and the sharp, aristocratic featured face of Draco Malfoy came in. He caught sight of the brown-haired witch and sneered. "Granger, what are you doing here?"
Oddly enough, she didn't glare or frown at him for his attitude. Voldemort watched her curiously. If anything, she seemed to be trying not to smile, lips twitching with the effort. She swept pass him. "Good to see you, too, Daphne," she said, putting emphasis on the last word and then disappearing out the door with a little laugh.
Draco's face slowly turned pink. "How does she know about that?" he demanded in a shrill voice.
Severus didn't even try not to smirk at his godson. "She's friends with Potter. Of course she's going to know. Do use your head, Draco."
"My life is over…" Draco groaned.
Voldemort grinned, both at the humiliation of the young Malfoy and at the recent turns of events. He and Granger, or rather Hermione, weren't friends, he wasn't sure they would ever be, but they were definitely acquaintances. Acquaintances who were plotting against a certain Boy-Who-Lived, for his own good, of course. And now, everything started…
I'm alive. I think. Barely... That is all.
Ja ne,
Rumer Hasit