Chapter 8: Riddles
Valentine's Day had come and gone and oddly enough for the resident Potion's Master, Severus, there oddly wasn't a single incident involving students poisoning one another and having to make antidotes for students due to botched Love Potions, which were clearly against school regulations. Since Lucius had taken Harry into his home. However he could tell that Albus was beginning to suspect that something wasn't right and was attempting to locate him. Whispers flew through the castle faster than owls carrying the morning post. Even students were attempting to guess where the boy was. En members of the staff were guessing where Harry had been at this point.
Now Severs was worried, if Albus really looked he would not only find Harry, but he would also find Tom and learn what side he really was on. There was always the risk of the Headmaster finally realizing just what was going on. Severus quickly turned right and stalked down the hallway, the dim glow of the torches against the cold stone walls of the castle made it seem as though it were later than it actually was. His head was spinning as he fought of what could possibly happen to Harry if Albus were to discover just who he was with. It had been months since he had last managed to escape the castle and see the boy.
Severus paused at a massive window, it towered above him and he stared at the cast iron frame which had been used to hold the glass in place. His eyes drifted out over the dark landscape, over the still lochs and into the distance the moon hung high in the night sky, a stark silver disk against the pitch black night. He slowly leaned against the cool wall and felt the harsh cold stones against his back, they were unforgiving physically, and yet, when it came to energy the walls seemed to hum and warm to his touch. "What does this all mean? What am I supposed to do?" he whispered softly, his deep voice hung in the air and echoed off the walls of the castle. The past few days it had proven him repeatedly wrong. His head was spinning as he attempted to understand just what was occurring.
Severus leaned his head on the wall and lazily continued to gaze out the window. Black eyes closed for a moment as he attempted to comprehend just what was going on. Salazar's questions from months ago still hung loosely in his head as he remembered an airy voice, it float in the air weightlessly and was just above a whisper. The dower professor slowly turned his attention to the entity which possessed the voice.
Floating in the pale moon light, a pale figure hovered above the floor, with heavy chains around his wrists and a mangled chest. A broad brimmed hat sat upon his head with a feather sticking out of it. "Barron?" Severus inquired as his eyebrows lifted. The Bloody Baron had always been Slytherin's House Ghost, he had long haunted the halls protecting students and assisting the Head of House, as well as keeping Peeves in line. Severus' blood ran cold as his gaze fell on the familiar phantom. "Is something wrong?" he asked nervously. Even though the castle had been quiet for a few days, the Weasley Twins were long overdue to execute a prank.
The Baron hummed and replied softly, "No, you seem distant recently," he remarked. Severus lifted a brow and threw the phantom a questioning glance. "How so?" he asked slowly, his eyes never leaving the Baron. He could let the meddlesome Headmaster think something was wrong, it would have catastrophic results and destroy all of Harry's chances at having a normal life. The Baron snorted and shook his head, "Simple you haven't been docking many points from Gryffindor recently, and now you take long walks through the corridors even when your shift to do rounds is long over," he replied, "You haven't wandered this much since you were a student."
Severus folded his arms, his hands slipped into his sleeves to shield them from the nippy air, it was hard to believe that spring was coming with how cold it had been recently. He looked at the ghost before him and hummed, as always the Baron was far too observant for his liking. "Perhaps I have been a little more restless than usual as of late," he remarked, knowing full well the Baron would glare at him with disapproval. "Perhaps?" the Baron mocked, Severus stifled a groan. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with the irritating phantom. "Why are you even interested in my affairs?" asked Severus snidely. As far as he was concerned no one in the castle would care if he were alive or not, let alone happy.
"Severus, despite what you believe there are people in this castle which care greatly for your health and wellbeing," the Baron commented. Severus' paused and looked at the phantom before him in confusion, he didn't believe the ghost for a second. The Baron sighed and whispered, "Touch the wall," his tone was commanding and harsh. The Potion's Master heavenly brushed his fingers against the wall, it was cold for a moment beef he felt a tingle travel through him, similar to the first incident. His ears rang as he felt centuries of magic course through the walls of the castle and into his fingertips.
"There are few in the world who can feel that, Severus, so very few," remarked the Baron. Black eyes closed as he felt the warmth of the castle's magic envelope him like a warm woolen blanket. "Follow me," the phantom commanded before gliding down the hall. Severus reluctantly pulled away from the wall and followed the ghost, "As you now know the castle is very much alive, and as a result she has a consciousness," he explained.
Severus stopped in his tracks, he had heard of such enigmas mentioning texts but didn't think it were actually possible. He always thought I was a wizard's imagination getting the better of them. "Baron, mind telling me just where we are going?" he asked after a moment as he climbed another flight of stairs. The ghost chuckled rather than replying, clearly the infuriating ghost knew something. Severus stared at the entrance to the library, " Baron I have plenty of books of my own at my disposal in my office and there are few that the librarian will even willingly perjured for me, so a trip to the Restricted Section is also pointless," he remarked stiffly.
The ghost simple hummed and slipped through the door, "You'd be surprised," the phantom commented. Severus growled as he opened the door, he hated dealing with the ghost when he decided to be an enigmatic spirit rather than the direct phantom he knew him to be. The library was dark and the pattern of the window panes of the castle was cast onto the floor as the eerie blue light of the moon slipped through it. The work tables were vacant and the chatter of working students, which frequently filled the air, was missing. Yet, even in their absence the large hall was anything but quiet, it was filled with a buzz of whispers. They swirled around the dower man as though they were gnats, "What?" he questioned as he continued to walk down the hallway, his footsteps echoed as the buss of whispers continued to dominate the air.
" What is that sound?" he demanded as he covered his ears with his hands the voices were getting louder and louder, hearing voices regardless of what world it was, was never a good sign. So many wizards had gone insane from practicing advanced and dark magics that it was very possible for Severus to have fallen prey to such a thing as well. "Listen Severus, lower your shields and just listen she will break them," the Baron commanded. The voices grew louder till they were shouting, thousands of voices at once screaming at the top of their lungs, all demanding his attention. His head was pounding as he attempted to push them out, he felt as though someone was smashing his skull in as they attempted to take control of him. He hissed in agony as a white light flashed before his eyes.
So many voices, and they were joined by even more, talking, screaming, shouting, whispering, mumbling, wailing, seething, arguing, sobbing voices, all raging in his head. Severus fell to his knees, he ears were ringing, head throbbing and he pulled at his hair in a feeble attempt to distract himself from the flurry of voices in his head. "SILENCE!" he shouted as he crumbled to the floor. It was agony, "Listen to them Severus, focus on the one who is whispering the softest," the Baron commanded, his tone left no room for argument. Tears fell from Severus' eyes and cell to the floor below.
"I can't," he whimpered. He was clawing at his ears and his teeth were on edge, it was just like when Albus had first brought him into his office, so many voices he wanted to strangle them. "Yes you can," the Baron commanded. Severus was about to lash out once more when he heard it, that voice it was soft and soothing, it sounded more like singing than whispering, humming in his opinion. "Good, focus on it," the Baron advices. Severus pushed the rest of the voices away and began to follow this voice, it was light and airy, her tones made him feel safe and welcome. He gravitated to it like a small child does toward his protector. It was sweet and soothing, making him temporarily forget the agony he had been in.
"Open your eyes," the ghost said softly. The whispers had all but disappeared and finally he heard a soft, musical voice ring in his ears, "Sev, open your eyes," it whispered. His eyes shot open as he stared at a woman hovering just above the floor before him. His stared at the golden hem of her silver robes, and slowly looked up. His eyes widened as he stared into a pair of silver eyes with long flaxen blond hair, her skin was pale and her lips looked as though they had been tinted pink from a glass of merlot. She smile warmly and tilted her head, "Hear me now?" she asked with a mocking tone.
Severus was confused for a moment as he slowly straightened himself out and looked at the woman beret him, he could see a lion, serpent, badger and an eagle had been embroidered on her silver robes in the corresponding house colors. "Who?" asked Severus as he slowly got off the floor and looked at her. "I see our history department is severely lacking if you don't know who I am," she remarked. He shook his head and went looking for the Baron who had long since gone. "I am the castle," she said simply as her silver eyes met a pair of black ones. "That's not possible," he whispered as he slowly began shaking himself out of his stupor. She giggled and straightened out r robes before gesturing for him to take a seat. "Is it that difficult to believe?" she asked.
Severus took a seat in a soft chair and looked up at her, she didn't seem intimidating as he thought she might have been of she had been both human and closer in representation of the castle. "Severus there is so much to learn, so much you don't know and so much to see," she commented as she slowly stepped toward him. He simply watched as she moved, "The founders created you?" he asked. The woman chuckled and shook her head, her hair swaying as she did so, "No, not on purpose at least, this castle was built with magic, it mortar contains one of the strongest pieces of magic I have seen," she explained. He stared at her in confusion and watched as she stood so close to him that he could feel her robes against his fingers.
"What do you mean?" he asked curiously, rare magic had always fascinated him and to learn that he was looking at a piece of centuries old magic enthralled him. "Severus what is the first kind of magic we learn to do?" she asked. The Potion's Master was silent as he looked at her, thousands of spells ran through his head, "A levitation spell?" he replied after a moment. A smile curved her lips as she shook her head and replied, "No, it's far more simple, it's something children often so," she supplied, yet the hint only confused him. "They wish," she said after a moment.
Severus gaped at her, there was now a grand centuries old castle was held together by something as simple as a wish, a desire that seemed so impossible that to even have it granted was an act of magic. "A wish to teach students all they can about magic, and send them into the world equip to chase their dreams and make them reality," she replied. Severus slowly swept his hair back and the words of the Headmaster's sacred oath came to mind, it was a wish and, "A promise," he whispered aloud, causing the woman to nod encouragingly. "Pure magic, with no guile," she explained, "after that the magic began to accumulate and I came to be, a guardian for children who wished, a home for those who desired one and a companion for those who needed one the most," her voice rang in his ears.
"Companion for whom?" he asked softly.
"The Headmaster," was her reply before she could say more he felt something wet and cold hit him. Severus jumped and food himself face to face with a rather worried looking Minerva. He was laying on the floor of the library soaking wet. The sin spilled through the windows and students had gathered around him as though he where an exhibit. His face fell and he whispered, "Was it all a dream?"
"Was what a dream, Severus?" asked Minerva curiously. The Potion's Master hummed and got off the floor before silently casting a quick drying charm. "Nothing, shouldn't you be prepping for you next lecture, Minerva?" he shot before glaring at the few students who dared to remains in the library with him. She glared at him harshly and crossed her arms, yet, said nothing instead she turned on her toe and walked away. The students whom had gathered fled as he adjusted his robes.
He stalked out of the library and felt a familiar tug, it was as though the castle was begging for him to open his eyes, and he was quick to head down to the dining hall. Sitting at the center of the table was the familiar Headmaster, whose blue eyes fell on him. Albus shot him a look which in reality could only be interpreted as a summons. He walked up to the table and stood before the Headmaster. "Good morning, my boy," the elderly wizard chimed. Severus nodded and replied with a great deal of respect, "Headmaster."
The elderly wizard smiled lightly and looked at him, "I heard you were found on the floor of the library this morning, are you alright?" he asked simple, his eyes twinkling and Severus could tell he was enjoying himself. Severus nodded and replied, "I must have been more tired than I thought." He had no intention of telling the man anything else, he didn't want Albus snooping even further into his life than he already was. "Well let's not make it a habit, next time it may not be Minerva who finds you but a certain pair of Gingers I know," he replied with a chuckle.
Severus hummed and turned his attention to his black coffee, he didn't say more, he needed to wake up first. "Any news on Harry?" asked Minerva curiously. Severus perked up slightly at the question, he was hoping that Albus had abandoned his search for the boy. "No, however t strangest thing has occurred, his Aunt and Uncle were found this morning, brutally murdered in their own home," he replied nonchalantly. The Potion's Master's blood ran cold, he knew for a fact that Tom hadn't sent anyone to kill them, as much as he desired to. His mind was spinning and he avoided making eye contact with Albus to prevent the wizard from noticing it. Minerva gasped and stared at him wide eyed, "How?" she asked cautiously.
The Headmaster sighed and looked at her, "The Aurors are looking into it, however, we can safely say the act wasn't done by another human, remnants of stark magic were detected around the home," he replied. Severus froze, he hadn't pulled a wand when he was there and even if he had more than enough time had passed for their signatures to fade. He closed his eyes and took another sip of black coffee, schooling his features and attempting to control his mind as he did so. "They were rather fowl muggles, I'm not surprised really," she remarked.
Severus looked at the pair and asked, "What did his uncle so for a living?" Albus looked pensive for a moment before replying, "He worked at a company, why?" Severus looked at the elderly man and replied, "Perhaps it was an enemy from work," this made both pause a look at him curiously. "You did say they were rather foul muggles, so it's possible," he commented. This seemed to appease them, "I see what you mean. Perhaps it was a rival," Albus mused before picking up a scone and taking a bite.
The rest of the meal was quiet, but Severus could tell that Albus was up to something, he was far too lost in thought to not be. Part of him wondered if it would be a good idea to floo Lucius but the more rational part of his mind told him not to. Albus would likely be watching his fireplace, and even going through his mail. Severus growled as he turned the corner and began his typical path to the dungeons. It was going to be a very long couple weeks before Spring Vacation, he could tell.
~~WL~~
The house was relatively quiet, save the sound of guitar strings being plucked on an acoustic guitar. The notes drifted softly through the air as the musician strummed. It was a lonely sound, it was as though the musician was wishing for another musician to join him. Tom hummed as he listened to the lonesome guitar, his feet glided across the floor and he smiled as he watched Draco play, his fingers caressing the strings and his eyes closed, perched on a tall wooden stool before several towering glass windows was the boy. The beautiful golden guitar rested on his lap and the green strap hung over his shoulder. His rather small hands cradled the guitar's neck with care as he strummed again, hunting for just a hint of inspiration. His blonde hair glowed in the light of the early morning Spring sun, making it look more golden than blonde. Tom slowly slipped into the room when he heard a tap of the same four notes Draco had been repeating. Sitting on a chair not too far away was a familiar raven haired boy with bright green eyes and a large smile on his face.
Draco's silver eyes snapped open and he smiled at the boy who was sitting on the folding chair Narcissa usually used to practice cello. Tom leaned in the doorway and listened to Draco gently strum, only for Harry to tap out a reply on t guitar's neck. Draco grinned as they did several rounds of this, before the young man finally began strumming, the sound of two guitars playing in harmony and teasing each other filled the air. They coupled one another and seemed to flow effortlessly, neither boy stuttered as they played. It was continuous and passionate, two things that Tom found endearing.
The truth was Draco never played unless Narcissa was gone, and apparently he had taught Harry the basics. He watched as the two grinned brightly and came to a stop, Harry chuckled, a sound that warmed Tom's heart. A month ago the boy was scared of being an intruder and somehow making them hate him, and now there he was sitting with Draco holding a guitar and beaming with joy. The scars were gone and at a glance Harry was a normal boy, free to live life as he pleased without a care in the world, and somehow Tom liked that. He was well aware that everyone in the Wizarding World was hoping that the young boy would kill him, but Tom felt that he would never be able to raise a wand to the boy.
"Tom!" cried Harry as he set the guitar down and bounded toward the Dark Lord. Tom grinned as Draco got up and stood before him, "You two sound wonderful," he commented, he looked around curiously and then to Draco, "Where has Narcissa vanished to?" he asked curiously. Usually the blonde Lady Malfoy could be found tutoring the boys, or in Severus' opinion torturing them. "She wanted to redo the master bedroom and came across a beautiful Mahogany bed and wanted furniture to match," Draco replied.
Tom chuckled as he imagined the beautiful Malfoy matriarch in jeans and a tee shirt running from furniture store to carpenter looking for someone to make a set. While Narcissa was a skilled healer, she was also a top interior designer, a rather difficult job and it wasn't unusual to see her walking with fabric samples and paint chips.
Tom smiled and looked at the pair, they were in semi-formal dress without robes and an idea came to mind. "Harry how would you like to go out today and go shopping?" he asked curiously. He had Draco's attention in seconds, "You are invited as well Draco," he remarked grinning. It had been a while since he was out and about and couldn't resist the opportunity of taking them both out to see Diagon Alley. He knew Harry had yet to see it and was well a are Draco wanted some new books and robes. "Sounds like fun, but I don't have money," he replied. Tom stared at Harry in shock, clearly he didn't understand that he didn't have to have his own money, "Harry, I was going to cover the coat, you're just supposed to have fun," Tom replied.
Harry tilted his head and looked at the man before him, he looked even more confused than when he learned he was a wizard, not a freak. "You don't have to want or need for anything, I will see to that," he stared. A smile curled the boy's lips, "Okay, but after we go to the alley can we go into London?" he asked. Tom looked over at Draco and smiled, that would give him the perfect chance to give Draco a head start on muggle studies. "I don't see why not, Draco would you like to see muggle London?" asked Tom curiously.
Silver gray eyes widened in shock as he pointed to himself, "Me?" he asked softly. Tom nodded a chuckled, "Yes you, I won't take one without t other, that's not very fair," he explained. Draco smiled brightly, "Yes," he replied quickly. Tom nodded and looked over the boys, "Okay, why don't you two grab jackets while I change into something a little less… suspicious," he stated and with a quick step he vanished from view. In a flash he was in his room rummaging through his closet, honestly he was happy Harry even suggested muggle London. It had been a decade since he was last there and couldn't wait to go back. Clothing flew through the air as he looked for the one thing he peed he still had, there was a pop as one of the Malfoy elves appeared before him. "Master is there something you be needing?" asked the elf, he could tell she was terrified as continued looking through his wardrobe, "Do I own anything that isn't black? My god, my wardrobe looked like Sev's!" he exclaimed.
He certainly had to amend that as soon as possible. He looked over his shoulder and sighed, "I need a pair of jeans and button down that isn't black," he stated. He continued looking through his wardrobe when he finally found it, "A HAH! I knew I had them still!" he chirped as pulled out a pair of charcoal gray tight skinny jeans. A smirk curved his lips as found his brown oxfords as well, now all he needed was the shirt, blazer and scarf. Before he could say more the elf appeared once more she was holding a mint green shirt, silver scarf and black single button blazer, as well as a brown belt. Tom stared at the stack, he didn't own any of those things, "Where?" asked Tom softly as he reached out and touched the silk shirt. "Master Severus, apparently he bought them for you but never gifted them," the elf explained. It was clearly the case too since they were all in his size. He blushed a little as he gently collected the clothing from the elf, "Yes, well, thank you," he replied, causing the elf to smile, and bow before vanishing once again.
Part of him wondered just why Severus would have somehow for him in his size, then again the man seemed keen on taking care of him and making sure he was both taken care of and provided for. Tom was quick to shimmy into his new clothes and smiled at his reflection, there was one more thing he had to do. He pivoted and smoothly wandered into the bathroom, he looked in the mirror and hummed, his hair was styled in its normal strict style complete with what he called choir boy part. Red eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked in the mirror. There was no way he could take the boys out with that hairstyle, he would attract all the wrong people, salesmen who were interested in his money and what ever diplomats who happened to be in the alley.
Tom slipped his hands through his hair when he spotted a small round container labeled hair putty, there was a note on it from Draco saying, "Use sparingly." With a twist the white cap was off and he stared at the white cream in it. He swept his fingers into the tub and quickly rubbed it between his fingers through a moment beret raking his fingers through his hair. He sculpted it to make it stand up and smiled as he began sculpting it, his fingers spiked a few tips and lifted it before finally sweeping it forward. A smile curved his lips, he looked younger than before, gone was the strict dark lord and in was the young carefree wizard.
Tom slipped out of the room and quickly made his way back to the boys, he smiled at Harry who was fiddling with a tie. "Hadrian, where do you think we're going?" he asked curiously. Large green eyes looked up at him in confusion and he replied, "Out?" Tom smirked as he stood before the boy and gently tugged the tie away from the boy, "Today is about having fun, not who can hang themselves with a tie," he remarked as he tossed the piece of fabric into another chair. He hummed as he perused his lips, he didn't want Harry to look like a straight laced rich kid, "Shirt tails out, unbutton the top button, put on a pair of jeans and your Chuck Taylor's," he instructed.
Harry stared at him in confusion, "Don't worry, you'll be fine, just wear what you want," he commented. The raven haired boy grinned brightly and quickly dashed off to change. Draco sauntered in he was dressed in a pair of form fitting jeans, his hair was shaggy and he had chosen a black v-neck sweater with a green and silver scarf, he had a pair of gold rimmed aviators in hand and Tom smiled. Draco always had a good sense fashion, thankfully Narcissa had gifted her son with a sense of it, everyone knew Lucius was oblivious, if it weren't for her Lucius would be parading around in some of the appalling outfits.
Harry slipped back into the room, clearly he had taken Tom's advice but taken the liberty of adding a fedora, making Tom smile, perhaps Harry wasn't a lost cause. He quickly made his way to the door and picked up a pair of keys, "Let's take the Mercedes," he remarked. Harry stared at him, he clearly had no idea how much money the Malfoy's possessed. It was strange really, since Harry had money as well being the sole heir of the Potter line, and yet he was unaccustomed to being near expensive things, even after all of the time he had spent in the mansion he was still unaccustomed to Lucius' massive amounts of spending.
Tom walked into the garage and slid into the driver's seat as the two boys sat in the back. Tom grinned as he started the car, "Since this is Harry's first time in the alley, we are going to stick together and the car will be parked near the Leaky Caldron," he explained to Draco who seemed confused about a car being driven to the alley, as approved to simply flooing to it. That and to be honest he loved driving, he honestly couldn't wait for Albus to vanish so he could drive his Jaguar, until the he would have to be patient.
The drive was filled with Draco telling Harry about Diagon Alley, he covered everything from the apothecary to the bookseller and even the quidditch supply shop. All the while Tom continued to watch the pair, his eyes gleaming with joy as he listened to the two of them. He was happy to see the nervous raven haired boy finally make friends, and Draco was such a gentleman and quite adventurous as well he could see them having a lifelong friendship. He turned the corner of another small street and parked just opposite of the Leaky Cauldron. "Harry, I'm going to show you the entrance of our world from the muggle, just in case you need to get here one day and can't get to the floo," he explained.
Harry nodded as he listened to Tom intently, prepared to commit the information Tom would give him to memory, this made the Dark Lord smile a little wider, Harry was always so enthusiastic about learning new things. "See that pub over there?" asked Tom as he pointed to the pub across the street. It was rather shady looking, the paint was dull and even from there Tom could tell it was chipping. A large black sign in the shape of a calderon hung above the door and the windows looked like they desperately needed to be washed. "Yes," Harry replied nervously.
He could remember t first time he had been shown the infamous pub as well, and even during his tender years as a child it didn't look much better. "That is one of the major entrances to our world," he explained as he got out t car and waited for the boys to join him before locking it. Harry was hesitant to even walk toward it, and that was when Tom reminded himself that even after a few months Harry was still nervous around people, the Dursleys had done a great deal of damage to the child's mind, and his ability to trust strangers was severely hampered. It had taken months for Harry to trust anyone in the house, excluding himself. "Don't worry, no one will harm you, now stay still," he whispered as he looked around for prying eyes, once he was certain the coast was clear he slipped his wand out of his sleeve and hit Harry with a manor glamour, just something to hide his famous scar.
"What was that for?" asked Harry curiously as he looked at Tom in curiously, his emerald green eyes were wide and filled with a certain amount of awe, which was normal after watching an adult cast a spell. "To hide your scar so people don't stare so much," he replied, which was the truth, well in part, the other reason was he didn't want people pinning Harry's disappearance on the Malfoy family. Harry nodded and said softly, "Thanks Uncle," making Tom's heart swell. He couldn't explain it but he loved it when Harry considered him family.
"Of course," he replied with a smile before ruffle Harry's hair, it was soft and silky, it felt more like a bird's wings. Harry grinned broadly, "Come on Harry," cried Draco with a hint of excitement as he wrapped his hand around the boy's and began to enthusiastically drag him toward the pub. Tom smiled as he walked behind them, locking t car as he walked away, watching the two boys keenly.
In moments they were entering the pub, it was radically different, as always the tavern looked lost in time. The room was lit by candles resting on hanging chandeliers, the wooden walls were dingy and massive wooden tables stood firmly throughout the room. It smelt of cedar, soot from the fireplace on the wall and assorted ales. Witches and wizards were perched on stools, chairs and tables, they were leaning on walls and counters. Mugs sitting upon tables stirred themselves and books flickered pages with the lazy flick of a wizard's finger. His eyes fell on the rather round older gentleman behind the counter, the bar master who also happened to be named Tom.
He slowly leaned over and whispered to the boys, "Call me Marvolo for now." Harry nodded in acknowledgement before looking around the pub in awe. He was honestly enthralled by how much magic was being used. "That is Tom, the bar master," he pointed out. Harry hummed and noticed how all the inhabitants of the pub seemed to be going about their business. He couldn't help but think about what would have happened if he hadn't applied a glamour to Harry's scar.
Tom grinned as he realized that without Harry's famous lightning bolt scar, that not a soul in the room could recognize him. He grinned with delight as he lead the boys to the back of the shop and stopped before and all too familiar large icky wall with several bricks missing. "Now watch carefully," he instructed as he slipped his wand from his sleeve and tapped out the all too familiar password. The wall roared as the bricks shifted, forcing a doorway to appear, Tom crossed his arms and smirked at the awestruck looks on Harry and Draco's faces. He twirled his yew and phoenix feather wand in his hand lazily before proceeding into the alley, "Easy as pi," he said briskly.
Harry and Draco trotted after him, both looking around keenly at all of the shops and magic folk moving through the street. He could feel the gazes of respectable wizards and shrugged them off, there was no point in paying them any attention, he just wanted to enjoy the day, rather than cause misery. "So where shall we go first?" he asked curiously as he turned his attention to Barr, he was dying to take the boy to an occultist to get rid of those revolting massive frames once and for all, but had a feeling there were other stops the pair would be more interested in. "Books?" asked Harry shyly, his green eyes look up at him through his lashes.
Tom grinned, he was happy that Harry wanted to read and actually enjoyed it. "Well to Flourish and Blotts, it is," he said with a hint of gusto before leading the boys to one of his personal favorite shops. He silently made mote to show Harry the rare book sellers in Knockturn Alley. He pushed the door open for the boys and watched as Draco led him up the stairs to the landing where there were shelves and shelves of books on potions and charms. Tom leaned on the banister, Harry had already shown an interest in the intricate art of potion making as well as charms, which had made Severus grin like a loon for hours.
He slowly walked down the aisles looking for some fresh literature, he was tired of reading the dusty tomes in Malfoy Manor and was starving for a newer work that challenged old theories. As his fingers brushed over the shelves he noticed an abandoned Daily Profit stuffed on it. With a sigh his slender fingers wrapped around the corner of the rag that people called a paper and he plucked it from the shelf. He was about to send it to the trash when he noticed the headline splashed across the top.
BOY WHO LIVED GUARDIANS FOUND DEAD IN THEIR OWN HOME!
Tom's blood went cold at the declaration and he felt his hands tighten around the paper, worry etched his brow as he stared at the headline. He hadn't killed them, as much as he desired to he hadn't, and knew that none of his followers would touch them either. He hummed as he looked around the aisle and then shrank the rag and pocketed it. Once done he rushed up the stairs to check on the boys. Whoever had killed Harry's Aunt and Uncle wanted to make it look like he did it, and probably would try to harm Harry as well. Those steps up the stays felt as though they were miles apart as he rushed to get to them, his heart was pounding as the headline echoed in his head like a knell.
He skidded to a stop and stared at t stack of books the boys were building, History, Charms, Spells, a Potions texts were among them. He breathed a sigh of relief as he stared at Draco who was sitting against a bookcase and Harry who was sprawled on his stomach on the floor, a book on the floor and his feet in the air. He smiled a little, "Perhaps I should ask Severus for a list of beginner texts," he remarked, making both boys snap to attention.
Draco and Harry looked at one another and grinned, "Please?" they asked at the same time. Tom hummed as he looked at the pile and nodded, he was a little out of his depth with modern texts, anything before the 1980s and he was safe, after that and he was honestly confused. He often consulted the sneaky Potion's master when it came to it and later just asked Severus to make them, he was a Potion Master after all. Tom flicked his wand making the books vanish from view and reappear at the front desk. "Anything else?" he asked curiously as he cast a tempest, only to realize they had spent two hours in the shop. Time flew when he was with them.
Draco shook his head and commented, "I'm going to run to the front desk and tell them who the order is for," he said briskly. Tom chuckled and shook his head he quickly pulled a piece of paper from his coat and deftly folded it into a bird, with the snap of his fingers it took a life of its own and flew down to the desk below. Harry and Draco leaned over the balcony and watched in awe as it landed on the stack of books. The shopkeeper hummed and opened it only to look at the name and smile.
"Taken care of, and he has been instructed to bill the Riddle Family as well as have the books delivered to the Malfoy residence in Manchester," he explained with a smirk. Both boys gaped at him, Severus tended to carry everything and Lucius was often followed by a house elf, he preferred his purchases to be delivered to his home. He clapped his hands together and asked, "Where to?" The boys looked at one another and grinned, he could tell they weren't accustomed to how he did things. "Robes and Quidditch Supplies," they agreed. Tom simply nodded and led the way. It had been a while since he went shopping and now remembered how enjoyable it was to spend.
~~WL~~
Lucius grumbled with frustration as he attempted to figure out how to get into the castle and hunt for the Charter, it annoyed him a great deal that he had no clue how to proceed. "Lucius if you continue to furrow your brows, your wife will have an old man rather than the elegant Lord Malfoy," commented a teasing voice. Lucius looked over and noticed an all too familiar face leaning in the doorway, with short wavy brown hair, brown eyes and a rather prominent nose was Barry Crouch. "What do you want Barty?" he hissed as he rubbed his temples. The young man pushed himself out of the doorway and walked over with a new paper in hand.
"Your help, I know our master didn't do this," he began as he tossed the newspaper on the desk, Lucius arched a brow as he picked it up and stared, his face paled and he felt the world spin before collapsing into his chair, "I take it you had nothing to do with it either with that reaction," he remarked before lurching on the edge of Lucius' desk.
The blonde aristocrat was silent for a moment as he attempted to get his thoughts in order. He was working to keep Harry safe and Tom hidden but if the murder was to be pinned on the Dark Lord this meant they were both in danger. It also meant an open option to adopt Harry. It would be chaos as everyone flocked at a chance to have the "savior" in their family and assimilate the Potter wealth as well as blood into the family. He had to figure out an adoption scheme, while the world may not have known Voldemort's true name, Albus Dumbledore did. "We have to stop the chaos from peaking loose, the animals can't be trusted," Lucius commented.
Barty gave a crooked smile, "Yes we must do everything we can to keep to animals at bay," he remarked. Lucius hummed, he honestly wished he could consult the Archivist again, if anyone could help him she could. "We could always kill the boy," commented Barty. Lucius' head snapped up and he glared darkly at Barty. In seconds the young man was at wand point with a furious Malfoy patriarch on the other end, and that wasn't a place you wanted to be. "You will not harm him," hissed Lucius, Harry had become one of the family and he'd damned if anyone harmed the boy.
Barty held up his hands, "Relax, we aren't going to literally kill him, we'll just make it look like we did," he replied. Lucius was about to ask what he meant when his secretary wandered in, "Sir, there's someone here to see you," she said hesitantly, and from her tone Lucius could tell it wasn't someone he particularly liked. "Who?" asked Lucius darkly. She shuddered and replied softly, "Headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore." Lucius froze, there was no way his luck was that bad, "Tell Bella to fill out the right paperwork next time," he said quickly before dismissing Barty. He watched the other man vanish before rising to greet the one man who irritated him as much as Umbridge.
Albus swept into the room in his usual grotesque robes, these were bright pink with neon green stars, his stomach churned as he looked at the man. "Ah Lucius, how nice it is to see you," he greeted, "I hope I didn't interrupt anything." Lucius smiled simply and replied as cordially as he was capable, "No, we were just finishing up." The Headmaster nodded as he took a seat fore Lucius, "I heard and interesting rumor that there had been a blonde man found unconscious on t castle floor several months ago, matching your description, I was only made aware of this today," he remarked as his blue eyes twinkled mercilessly, the blonde aristocrat could feel Albus pushing at his shields, attempting to break them down.
"I fell prey to one of the Weasley Twin's pranks, I should have been more attentive," he replied. He knew word would spread that the twins had managed to catch him off-guard and cause him to collapse would spread faster than it was possible to say lemon drops. He just wasn't sure if the twins would take credit. He had seen the remnants of their handy work many times before but had never met them personally. Albus' eyes widened in realization, "I apologize you should have told Minerva, she would have seen that they were punished," he stated.
Lucius held up his hand and shook his head, "It wasn't intended for me, but for a student, I was trying to get o Severus' office, he had requested to see a copy of the laws on Boomslang and dragon based ingredients," he explained smoothly. Albus seemed to accept this, and quickly moved past formalities. "I heard someone was looking for the charter," he remarked. Lucius hummed dismissively as he made a mental note to track down the snitch.
"Oh?" he asked feigning curiosity, "I didn't know it had been lost." Albus looked uncomfortable for a moment, "The charter is a key document Alibis, if you have lost it you must find it. Without it Hogwarts is breaking the law by remaining open, you are well aware of that aren't you?" asked Lucius firmly, sounding ever so like the solicitor he was. The elderly wizard stiffened and paused, he had just been about to pop a lemon drop into his mouth. "Yes, I am, and assure you, I know both the law and where the document is," he replied, "It's not the original but I was assured by the Minister that it was up to par."
Lucius suppressed a growl, had a feeling Albus had threatened the minister, in fact, he didn't doubt it. The issue was that he had no ground to stand on in order to launch an inquiry. There wasn't a drop of evidence that would support him and he would be considered the wizard who cried wolf. "I see, would it be possible to get a copy, for our records as t Board of Governors?" There was silence as Albus seemed to contemplate this action, "Of course, I'll have them sent in two days time," he replied with a smile.
Lucius made a quick note on a sheet of parchment en Albus said, "Pity," the word rang in his ears and looked up to see Albus looking at the paper. "Whoever is responsible was look for the boy, I would hate to see anyone else hurt," he remarked. Lucius felt his body go cold, "After all it would a tragedy to see the light of the Wizarding World to be snuffed out so young, thankfully he is safe," Albus commented as he placed the paper on his desk. "I must return to the school, Severus and Flitwick desire to discuss warding with me," he stated before slipping from the room. Lucius slowly released the breath he had been holding and immediately got up. He needed to speak to Tom and Narcissa, he couldn't lose them.
~~WL~~
Harry looked around the streets of London with as much awe as when he was in Diagon Alley. Dudley had been to London hundreds of time, while he never had. It was different with Tom and Draco than the Dursleys, Tom was far more sophisticated and he noticed how women seemed to throw themselves at him. By the third muggle shop he had given up getting irritated with these women, there was no denying how attractive was. Harry glanced over at Draco who was smiling, he hadn't seen the blonde this relaxed before, usually the boy was wound up so tight that Harry was worried he would snap from the tension.
They were walking by a Jaguar dealership when a beautiful car caught his eye. It was sleek a jet black, with a spoiler on the back, it was one of those cars Harry just wanted to run his hand down the side of. "Wow," whispered Draco, Tom smiled and asked, "Want a closer look?"