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Chapter 11: Power Plays
Tom and Harry stared at the creature before them, Tom had a feeling the Goblin would spot him, however he hadn't anticipated that the creature could detect Harry as well. The Dark Lord took a step so he was standing between Harry and the Goblin, "Good Afternoon," he greeted smoothly, his voice was inviting but his body language spoke a different tone. His red eyes narrowed as he looked at the creature with large ears and a rather big hooked nose that actually made Severus' flattering. The Goblin was balding and had a number of warts, it's sharp teeth were yellowed and decayed. While Goblins were superior bankers, they were never the most physically appealing creatures.
"What can I do for you Mister Riddle?" asked the Goblin as it placed it's quill down, it's small black eyes glared at him through small wire frames. "I would like to claim my place as Lord Gaunt," said Tom sternly. He had refused the first time in claiming the title, even though it was indeed his birthright, at the time he hadn't believed it was necessary. Only now did he realize that was unwise, it would have been better for him to become a member of Wizengamot than it would have been to run around as the Dark Lord. Tom internally sighed at his own foolishness, brute force was never a way to achieve his desires, it was through tactful deals and negotiations that real work was done.
The Goblin smiled at him, its black eyes flickered to Harry again, "I see, and will the Potter Scion be naming Gradient of his assets today?" he asked. Tom looked at Harry and replied, "Yes, however we would like to do something else, I would like to claim him as my heir." The Goblin was puzzled for a moment and leaned back in his seat, "I see, this can be done, however you must apply to the Ministry for full custody and once you have obtained such I may release the Potter Assets to you for management," he replied hesitantly. Tom grit his teeth, it was taking everything he had to not lash out at the creature, "Why would you take him in? You desired to kill him not so long ago," it stated.
Tom stiffened, his crimson eyes narrowed, before he could berate the Goblin the Manager of the branch stepped in. "Ragnok, enough," snapped the Head Goblin. The shorter Goblin was dressed in a suit and stood tall, it's hands were behind it's back and looked rather well groomed for a Goblin. In reality Tom had a great deal of respect for Goblins, they were a crafty race and were to never be underestimated, yet at the same time they were rather difficult to deal with. The Goblin behind the desk growled as walked across the floor and stood before Harry and Tom. He was shorter than Harry but a great deal older.
"I apologize sincerely Mister Riddle, I will be handling your affairs personally from here," stated the Head Goblin, his professionalism was commendable as he extended his hand to shake. Tom smirked as he accepted it and replied, "May this dealing be a healthy and prosperous one, in which both our vaults grow." Rangock smiled and nodded before guiding them into his office. It was larger and rather lavish for a goblin. Harry's eyes widened as he looked up, looming above them was a beautiful glass dome. "Now then Mister Riddle, you have expressed interest in claiming your title," began the Goblin as it flickered through several feet of parchment.
Tom watched as the creature looked over the pages, "Titles are based on blood and magic, since you are the end of the Gaunt Line you may claim the ring," he stated as he placed the pages on his desk, Tom noticed a file out with his name on it and looked at the Goblin before him curiously. The Head Goblin smiled and stated, "Lord Malfoy called earlier informing me that we would be introducing a new Lord today." Tom smiled at the mention of Lucius, of course the man had called it in, the blonde had a way of making things happen and it was a well known fact that his business had also made the goblins rich.
The Head Goblin snapped his fingers causing a silver box to appear on the rosewood desk, it was a glistening silver cube with scroll work along the sides, an elegant silver rope had been forged around the box. Tom's eyes glided over the intricate work, it was quite clearly Goblin made, resting on top proudly amongst the scroll work with a snake wrapped around it was the Gaunt Crest. The Head Goblin slipped a long silver blade out of the drawer of his desk and placed it before Tom. "Your magical signature and blood will open the box, both are required to collect the ring Mister Riddle. The ring has a choice in the matter, if it sees you as able, it will slip around your finger and can not be removed, if not you can not claim it," stated the Goblin.
Tom nodded, he could remember this lecture from Lucius, the blonde aristocrat felt it necessary to inform Tom of all the nuances, hence the velvet cloak. Once the ring was claimed he had full access to the vaults and the registry of Lords at the Ministry would automatically update. He slowly collected the black handled silver blade from the desk and held his hand over the box. Something grabbed his arm, small delicate hands wrapped around his arm, he looked over to see Harry's wide eyes staring at him with concern. "Don't worry," Tom said soothingly, "This is necessary and there is nothing on the blade." Harry bobbed his head, but didn't look convinced.
The long and thin silver blade winked in the dim lights of the office, without a second thought he slit his palm, he didn't even feel it bite his skin. A ribbon of crimson fell from his fingers and fell into the crest. There was a spark and a flash of green as his blood slipped into the crest, and quickly spread. His eyes widened as the blood swept through the scroll work which covered the box, slipping down each and everyone of them. He pulled his hand away and held it close to his heart to stop the dizzy feeling which had swept over him.
His eyes followed the trails as he watched the silver box's vines go from pure silver to blood red. It swept through them as though they were veins and quickly entered the scales of the serpent, he heard a gasp from behind him and realized Harry was as awed by this as he was. The crimson ribbons ended in the snake's eyes, the silver serpent hissed, "Speak."
The Dark Lord blinked it was clearly a challenge to any member of the family to see if they were truly a Gaunt. "Open," he commanded, the snake blinked it's now blood red eyes before uncoiling from around the box, only now did Tom realize it wasn't scroll work but the coils of a serpent. He was confused for a moment when the serpent had finished uncoiling, there wasn't a ring in the box. The silver serpent blinked as it lifted half it's body of the desk.
"Lord Gaunt," it proclaimed causing Tom to blink owlishly. In a flash the silver serpent was in the air leaping toward his hand, he was about to jerk away when he felt it's cold silver body wrap around his finger. His jaw dropped as he watched the serpent finish coiling around his finger, the Gaunt crest now resting on top with two others on each side, the head of the serpent resting on top of the Gaunt crest.
He looked at the ring in wonder, it had stopped moving, he felt his magic surge as the ring accepted him. "Lord Gaunt," greeted the Head Goblin graciously with a slight bow, "Welcome back." He smiled and nodded as the Goblin placed a phial of Essence of Dittany on his desk. Immediately the Dark Lord grabbed the bottle and applied it, hissing with discomfort as he did so, it always hurt when Dittany was used to knit skin back together. Honestly there was a time he swore it actually hurt more to use Dittany on an injury than it had been receiving it.
There was a rustle of paper drawing Tom's attention to the Head Goblin once more, he noticed the file open and the Goblin was creating stacks, "Now Lord Gaunt, according to the bank and ancient magical right you are the head of your house, this is a list of all your vaults and ancestral holdings, I also have a roster of your vault contents, and finally a Genealogy Record," he stated. Tom listened intently and held up his hand when the Goblin said the last item. "Genealogy Record?" he asked slowly, he had heard of familiar charts and ancestral diagrams but a document of a Bloodline seemed odd.
The Head Goblin smiled as he pulled out a red colder and placed it before Tom, "This is your Genealogical Chart, it will tell you just who you are related to and your ancestors," he stated as he pushed it toward the elder wizard. Tom hummed as he picked up the thick volume and opened it, there were sheets of parchment tacked together, he flickered through the pages only to stop at the last one, his name was supposed to be the last and only one. His eyes widened as he looked at the sheet. "No," he whispered and leaned back in his seat, his head spun and he dropped the folder.
"Lord Gaunt," the Head Goblin gasped as it leaped over the desk to the wizard's side. Tom's vision tunneled as his stomach flipped, "I'm afraid I gave the crest too much blood, I must be hallucinating," he mumbled as he raked his hand over his face. The Head Goblin asked in a panic, "Shall I call a healer?" Tom shook his head, the last thing he wanted to hear was Narcissa having a conniption over the fact that he had passed out at the bank. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Harry pick up the book, the young man looked at the last page and his mouth popped open in a rather undignified manner.
Harry ran his fingers over the page as though he were trying to determine if the page before him was real. "Lily Evans," he read slowly, his emerald green eyes lifted and he looked at Tom in confusion. "I thought you were an only child," Harry commented.
All the while Tom's world was spinning. Evans was the name of the girl Severus wanted him to keep safe. Lily Potter nee Evans was Harry's mother. He held his head for a moment as pieces fell into place, If Lily was his sister, that meant Harry was his biological nephew. He was being charged with killing his own sister and attempting to kill his nephew, the only family that remained.
Tom's head snapped up as a small warm hand wrapped around his arm, "Marvolo?" asked Harry curiously, his large green eyes were looking down at him, they were filled with concern. The Dark Lord was confused for a moment as he replied, "Yes?" Harry's hand remained on his arm, he could tell the boy was shaking where he stood and internally growled, those horrible muggles had done this to his nephew. "What's wrong?" asked Harry slowly. Crimson eyes narrowed as the Dark Lord looked at him in confusion, his brows knit as he did so.
"You're crying," said Harry slowly, Tom reached up dumbly and touched his cheeks, he felt the moisture on them and swept the evidence of his pain away with his fingers. He flashed Harry a smile before pulling Harry into his arms, the young wizard stiffened as he did so from shock, obviously the boy hadn't been expecting this. "Harry," breathed the elder wizard as he clung to the boy, his only remaining family. He buried his nose in raven locks once more, "Marvolo?" asked Harry again, curiosity ebbing in his voice. There was a hum and the Head Goblin said, "Mister Potter, it would appear that Lord Gaunt has learned that he is the last of his family."
Tom looked over Harry's shoulder to see the Goblin holding the book, there was a knowing gleam in his eyes. Tom gave the creature a watery smile as he nuzzled Harry's neck, for once someone else decided to lie for him. Harry wasn't ready to know, he had to talk to Severus first, after all Lily was the woman Severus loved and he wasn't about to tell the young Potter scion he was actually the last of the Gaunt line. He slowly released the young boy, he had to get Severus to begin that paternity potion, it was perhaps the only way to unravel the mystery of the boy's origins. Harry wrapped his arms around the wizard and Tom silently thanked the Goblin, "I'm sorry," said Harry softly.
Those two words were filled with sorrow as the boy's arms tightened their hold on him. The Dark Lord slowly pulled back and said softly, "Don't be, now let's see to your business." Harry nodded and looked over at the Goblin with a hint of excitement as well as nervousness. He could tell the young wizard wanted to desperately learn what the Goblin knew of his family. Not that Tom could blame him, Harry didn't even know his parent's names, aside from what little Severus had told him. The Potion's Master was constantly on call and after the incident with dementors he was now working tireless with Narcissa to prepare his manor and create stores for it.
The Head Goblin pulled out the Potter folder and hummed, "Now then, Mister Potter. You currently have Albus Percival Winifred Brian Dumbledore as the Guardian of your Assets," he stated.
Tom froze, the elderly Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had named himself as Advisor. He held up his hand and looked at the Goblin sternly, "Hold on, what did the Potter Will state?" he asked. The Head Goblin was silent for a moment before responding, "It wasn't found and the Potter solicitor was murdered before a copy was handed to us, I have a guardianship document signed by the Minister for Magic," he stated. Tom was silent, this was something he hadn't seen coming, "Who's being charged with the crime?" he asked slowly. The Potter Will had been lost, it never made it to the bank which meant it had to have been lost after creation before it could get into the books.
The Head Goblin looked at Tom and replied, "Lord Voldemort," he was careful to not say Tom specifically and the elder wizard was thankful because he hadn't told Harry just who the world thought he was. If Albus claimed he was working in Harry's best interests than he had gained control of the Potter fortune, making the Headmaster far too powerful. Now he had a real reason to name Harry his heir, "It will take a few days to finish the draft for the scion paperwork you requested Lord Gaunt," the Head Goblin began, snapping Tom to attention. "I can change his manager and name a new Solicitor for the account, however," the Goblin advised.
Harry was looking at the Goblin and then to Tom, both of them looked at the boy. "I want Lord Gaunt to manage my accounts and Lord Malfoy to act as my solicitor," he stated hesitantly. Tom smiled a little and looked at the boy, Albus would have a conniption when that letter was delivered. "Yes, of course," the Goblin picked up a quill and made the changes, "I shall inform the esteemed Supreme Mugwump of the change," he jabbed. Tom's lips curled at the sneer, he couldn't wait to read the release stating his coming out as well as the alteration of advisement. "Excellent, is there anyway I can claim him as my scion?" asked Tom curiously.
There was silence in the room, Harry looked hopeful as he watched the Goblin mull over their options mentally. "No, I can speed the papers up, so you will have them by tomorrow. I will send them with an elf and then spell the pages to return here automatically once signed," said the Goblin after a moment. Tom smiled, clearly the Head Goblin had been thinking about just how far the Head Master's reach was. The Dark Lord nodded and replied courteously, "Of course, it would be a pleasure."
Goblins were into ventures which they seen as mutually beneficial, the Potters had a vast number of vaults and this gave them a great deal of say over how the bank was run. Few knew it but the oldest wizarding families had the greatest amount of influence in banking and many of them over time had decided to work alongside goblins rather than have goblins serve them, to build not only their personal wealth but that of the Goblin nations. Albus wasn't into such power, he never wanted the goblins to have control over the bank and investing, he was always afraid that this would cause the goblins to brow beat wizards, on top of the fact the Headmaster had always seen them as beneath him.
"Excellent you will see the pages tomorrow," stated the Head Goblin as he noted something and looked at the pair. He was about to send them out when he remembered something, he paused and looked at his desk. "A moment," he said softly as he opened a drawer and walked over to Harry. In his small hands was a black pouch with the Potter crest on it. "I'm unable to give you the Lordship ring, however I can give you your seal," he stated as he held the bag out to Harry. "Your mother and father would have wanted you to have it, as well as your vault key," he said slowly.
Tom was confused for a moment until the Head Goblin began, "I met your mother, she was the first in a long time, to treat me as an equal rather than a servant, other than Lords Gaunt and Malfoy as well as Professor Snape." Harry opened the pouch and watched the ring fall out of it. The gold band had a raised version of the Potter crest on the face of the ring. Harry slowly slipped it on his finger and held it up to the light, he smiled warmly, Tom felt his heart warm at this. The boy was overjoyed to have the ring, it was what remained of the Potters and one of the few pieces of jewelry he had access to currently. Harry pulled out the key and held it to Tom, "Here, I don't want to lose it," the boy stated.
The Dark Lord nodded as he collected the key and looked at the Head Goblin, there was a spark of hope in his eye. Something told him to return on a later date to see just what Albus had been up to.
~~xXx~~
Creaky floors, broken windows and doors hanging off the hinges were three common elements that made Draco cringe. The Estate was a mess, he stared open mouthed at the castle which was slowly falling to ruin, and clearly Tom hadn't inhabited it in a long time. The walls were covered in vines, the masonry was crumbling and the gardens were currently a jungle. Every inch of the interior was covered in a cobweb and dust, "My god," Draco groaned as he coughed, his mother had popped one of the sheets and was sliding it off the furniture.
Narcissa stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips and hummed thoughtfully, "I can work with this," she stated. Draco stared at his mother in disbelief, the house was a far cry from a lavish estate fit for the newest Lord. "Your joking," Draco commented as he stared at the mess. Narcissa clicked her tongue as she slipped her wand out of her sleeve and winked at her son. "There's nothing we can't do with a little magic," she teased. Draco was about to ask just what she was talking about when she flicked her wand.
The dust vanished as did the cobwebs, the curtains flew open and Draco watched as the room cleaned itself. "Now we just have to breath a little life into this place," she stated as she summoned a house elf, "Draco let's start with swatches and then work from there." The young Malfoy took a seat beside his mother as she opened various books. The young platinum blonde took a seat beside her and nodded, Tom's estate had to be elegant, refined and utterly stunning. He was going to be posing as one of the youngest and wealthiest Lords in Wizarding Europe, which meant a great deal of work had to go into the design. Attention to detail was the key to creating a mansion fitting of the wizard; it had to be grand, elegant and utterly intimidating.
Draco watched Narcissa's eyes flicker over the pages of the books, while conjuring furniture was a wonderful thing, it didn't surpass the stability of a real piece of furniture. Transfiguration had its limits. It was customary for a new Lord to christen a house with a party, an exclusive event where the elite would gather and have fun, it wasn't as stiff as the galas held by the Ministry but just as crucial. This gathering of people had to give the Wizarding World a taste of just who the new noble was. Draco smiled as he remembered his first party, it was loud, wild and fun. The host was supposed to reveal a great deal about himself, but a little at the same time. It was a delicate balance that had to be kept intact to ensure success.
"Dragon," called Narcissa. The young man looked at her and noticed Sage standing beside her, "Severus would like your assistance in the lab, Tom asked him to brew a new stock of potions and put in a decent Lab," she continued. Draco smiled a little and nodded, he would never admit it but he enjoyed spending time with Severus, the intricacy of potions amused him, and he knew as much as Harry hated it, he liked them as well. Draco followed Sage through the halls, he noticed house elves working tireless, they were new and dressed in Gaunt colors.
Draco looked around curiously as he continued through the halls of the massive mansion. Paintings covered the walls as well as tapestries, there were antiques scattered throughout as well as photos of the family. The walls were a deep blue for the most part, occasionally he came across a deep burgundy and dark forest green, but for the most part the Guants seemed partial to the darkest shade of blue he had ever seen. Many of the wizards in the frames were indifferent to Draco, they were staring aimlessly into the hallway, bored and rather un-amused about the fact that the house was being polished once more.
"You'd think they'd be happier," Draco mumbled as he continued following sage, he turned the corner and sighed, part of him wondered just how large the estate was, it could easily give the Malfoy's a run for their money. The walls turned into a bright tan, with a brighter wood trim making Draco stop in his tracks, the entire house was dreary and yet this hallway wasn't. He looked at the white curtains that were dancing in the wind, the windows had been opened and he noticed he had a clear view of the ocean. The young wizard's mouth popped open as he walked over to the windows, only to realize a majority of them were open. The scent of the ocean caressed his nose, he loved the smell of the salt from the sea and could hear the cry of gulls.
"Whoa," he whispered as he stood in the threshold of a pair of massive glass doors, he noticed a pair of snakes was the handles had been polished to perfection and hummed, this portion of the house was warm. "Quite a view isn't it?" asked a voice behind him. The young blonde spun around and looked down the hallway curiously, the voice was deep yet familiar. "Over here," it instructed Draco followed the sound and found himself looking at a man with ocean blue eyes and wavy chestnut hair, his features were strong but slightly rounded giving him an air of elegance. He was tall and lean, similar to Tom in build. "Hello, you must be Abraxas' son," the man stated as he slipped to the bottom of the frame of the painting and sat cross legged on the floor.
Draco shook himself out of his stupor, aside from Tom's eyes being wine red and his hair being chocolate brown, the man in the painting could easily be him. It was startling to notice the resemblance between them. "No, I'm his grand son, Draco," the young blonde replied as he continued to admire the man in the painting. "I see, I'm Alcester, it's a pleasure to meet you young Draco," he greeted. Alcester smiled warmly as he did so, he didn't look nearly as threatening as many of the other portraits had.
Draco looked at Alcester curiously, he didn't act or even appear dressed as all the other portraits. The young looking lord was dressed in a rather large black shirt with strings on the chest used as a closure. He had a tight pair of leather pants, he had a pair of leather boots on and was wearing a cream colored vest. "Forgive me, but um why are you the only portrait in this hall?" he asked curiously. Alcester chuckled as he slipped his hands over his thighs, "That would be because of what I used to do for a living, I'm sure you'll learn about me," he stated as he smiled coyly. Draco was even more confused, his father had been teaching him a great deal of what he was to expect from the History classes at Hogwarts but never once did they mention an Alcester Gaunt.
"I've never heard about you," he said slowly as he peered up at the portrait cautiously, there was a look of confusion on the elder's face before realization seemed to dawn on him. "Ah that's probably because my life has now been shrouded in shadows. Well I am the first of many wizards to have crafted the Archives, I created the delicate magic woven into the walls and became the first Archivist at the age of 24," he explained. Draco was confused for a moment, he knew the Ministry had archived however he had no idea what he was talking about, it was impossible for a wizard at the age of 24 to be the archivist. That was when he remembered his father mumbling something about an archive with flying books and moving shelves.
Draco's head snapped up as he looked over at the long plum colored robe draped over a chair haphazardly in the corner of the painting, the resilient crest was visible in gold thread. "You, you created the archive with moving books," whispered Draco in awe. Alcester chuckled and crossed his arms, his eyes narrowed playfully as he inquired, "I thought you hadn't seen my work?" Draco shook his head and looked at Alcester with wide eyes, "I haven't, but my father has. He was ranting about it," he commented. Alcester chuckled and shook his head, there was a large smile on his lips as he did so, "Typical Malfoy, if the world isn't run according to the order they created, it's there for a problem," he stated.
Draco crossed his arms at the remark and shot, "No only my father is like that, he's a solicitor, not all of us are," he defended. Alcester was about to say something when a cough got his attention, the wizard looked up and Draco noticed another man leaning on the side of the frame. He had dark olive tones skin, and nearly black short hair. He was dressed in a long sherwani that fell just below the knee in midnight blue with elegant scroll work in gold, he was wearing a pair of white pants, they were billowing slightly as he moved and wore a pair of dark slippers with embroidery covering their tops and pointed toes. His bright green eyes were the most shocking feature of the man who was now twirling his wand. "Alcester, it's not nice to tease a boy about his lineage," stated the other wizard, his voice was deep and run in the frame, there was a hint of a Hindi accent in it making Draco stare at the man.
Alcester hummed and leaned back on his palms, his legs were stretched out in front of him as he did so and he pointed his toes, "Amar, what's up?" he asked curiously as he looked at the other wizard in the frame. "You abandon me in such a state," he stated as he slipped behind Alcester, the wizard was smirking as Amar slipped his hands over Alcester chest, "Leaving me to my own devices, is very rude of you," he hissed. Draco's mouth dried as he watched Amar press a kiss to the side of Alcester's neck. Broad olive toned hands slipped over Alcester chest, and he stared at the former Gaunt Lord as his eyes became half lidded and hazy, "Amar, there's a child," he gasped as Amare slipped a hand under his shirt.
Confusion hit the young Malfoy, he knew members of the opposite gender were often in relationships but he had never seen those of the same together. Amar looked at Draco and grinned, "He's plenty old enough, I saw far more at his age," Amar stated before nipping Alcester's ear. Draco blushed brightly as he watched Alcester gasp and lean into the larger wizard's embrace. "Times have, changed," gasped Alcester, his ocean blues were tinted black because his pupils dilated. Amar ignored him and continued. Draco stepped back and said, "It was nice to meet you but my Uncle needs me, Severus." Amar's motions came to a halt as he looked at the boy, "Severus?" he asked curiously, his hand was still under Alcester's shirt and his green eyes looked strikingly like Harry's.
"Yes, Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House," replied Draco stiffly. Amar grinned as Alcester whimpered under his touch. "My, my, I have heard that name plenty of times before, he's very famous in our circles. I'm surprised he doesn't have a portrait in the hall of Masters yet, he will probably be placed beside mine," he stated. Draco froze, Amar, now he knew the name, "You're Amar Hashish, the famous Indian Potion's Master, you're renown for your work on blood potions and healing potions," gushed Draco. Amar smiled and nodded, "You show promise, you're Uncle is impressive, I wish him luck, now if you'll excuse me I have some unfinished business with this wizard," he stated with a wolfish grin. Draco nodded and was quick to run away, he hadn't seen something like that before.
Standing at the end of the hallway was Sage, she tilted her head to the side and looked at Draco in confusion. "Young Master?" she asked, "Are you ill?" It wasn't until now he remembered that he was still blushing brightly. Draco nodded causing the House Elf to nod and continue down the hallway. Sage stopped short of a pair of double glass doors, with wooden frames, similar to those from his own home which separated the lab from the rest of the house.
Draco slowly opened both doors and stared, it was nearly identical to the one in Malfoy manor, the only difference was Severus had drains put into the floor. There was light in every part of the room except the cupboards, and the hearths were larger. "Wow," whispered Draco as he looked up only to see that this room had a large glass dome, magic must have controlled the tinting. Severus walked out with a box of books and huffed as he looked at them, "I should have put more shelves in," he grumbled, his hands were on his hips and he glared at the box accusingly. As though it was somehow the book's fault that he didn't put in enough shelves.
"You always said you could never have enough books," stated Draco with a grin. Severus looked up from the book and sighed, he looked tired at that moment and the young Malfoy heir had a feeling the Potion's Master hadn't slept in a few days. "I can't until Tom's grand Gala, he asked me to make potions for his stores," he replied as he placed the book on the table. He walked over to the young blonde and tapped the counter, "Today you'll be making Bruise Balm and Burn Lotion, I also was hoping you would try your hand at Blood Replenisher," he stated. Draco nodded with a grin, he loved getting personal tutoring from Severus, it gave him an edge. Harry often joined them, but Tom had taken him that morning to the bank, something about fixing an injustice.
"Okay, I'll start with the bruise balm," he stated a she walked over to the counter and looked at the page Severus had set out with the procedure and ingredients on it. He knew the potion by heart but wanted to make sure he had everything he required to make it properly. Severus smiled as he walked over to the caldrons and picked one. "Okay, just remember to measure the ground garnet by weight, rather than volume," he stated as he placed the caldron on a stand and lit the burner. Draco nodded as he grabbed the ingredients, they were literally in all the same places they had been at Malfoy manor. Now he understood why Severus kept the set up the same, since he was jumping between labs so often it was easier to keep the same layout so he always knew where everything was.
Draco quickly began preparing ingredients and hummed as he watched Severus walk back over to his shelves and began putting his books on them. "Uncle Sev," called Draco after a moment. The Potion's Master hummed and looked over at Draco, one of his eyebrows was arched and he looked at the young blonde curiously. It was the same look he usually received whenever Draco asked a question about ingredients preparation. "Is it possible for two men to have a relationship?" he asked slowly.
Severus continued looking at the spine of his books and asked, "What kind? Relationships vary." Draco nodded as he gazed into his caldron it was currently blue and looked to be just the right consistency before adding the powdered Dragon's Fruit, causing it to turn gray. "Romantically, like my parent's marriage," he clarified. There was a loud thud and Draco jumped out of his skin, he whipped around and stared in shock at Severus. The time he had been looking at was now on the floor and the Potion's Master looked slightly alarmed.
Draco tilted his head to the side and noted that the reaction he had just received was far more expressive than the snide remarks Severus usually shot. "What brought this on?" asked Severus as he ran a hand through his hair, sweeping it out of his face and tugging on it lightly, he looked at the floor beneath his shoes, it was a nervous habit of the man's, one very few ever saw and was common when Severus was attempting to figure out the proper approach to a situation. "It is, and it's actually rather common," he replied as he walked over to the work bench.
His steps were measured and as smooth as usual even though he looked rather nervous, "Love is something that can't be bound by simply gender, it's grander and more ambiguous," he said simply. Severus was leaning over the table and glancing into the caldron he gave it a nod of approval before leaning against the bench. The young wizard went back to work and continued, "I saw one of Tom's ancestors in the hallway, he was making out with another man," he explained. Severus seemed to visibly relax, his posture loosened and his face looked less pale, "I see, so you wondered if it were acceptable," he concluded, receiving a nod from the Malfoy scion in exchange.
"Of course it is, not all Wizards gravitate toward woman and the same goes for witches," he stated, it sounded as though he were lecturing a student on the subject. It probably was a common thing in Slytherin, since a number of students were nervous about what their parents would think, since most marital arrangements were made between opposite genders. Draco hummed, he had heard his father mention male pregnancy once to Narcissa who smiled and immediately went to work on helping with the nursery. Yet it wouldn't explain the man's reaction, he seemed indifferent to the concept as he spoke.
Severus sighed and looked at the young Malfoy, "I don't have an issue with gay men, I just don't have pleasant memories of them," he stated before slowly walking away. Clearly desiring to drop the topic since the room had gone silent, silver eyes watched the man bend down and snatch the book up from the floor. His fingers ran over it almost apologetically before sliding it onto the counter and looking at the shelves.
~~WL~~
The day had been long and Harry looked over at Tom who was slipping into his cloak. His red eyes were closed as he made the motion of flipping it over his shoulder effortless. In a matter of hours Harry watched the man Tom Marvolo Riddle turn into Lord Marvolo Gaunt, a new vigorous Lord with a fortune in a half. Harry smiled as he remembered Tom adding him to his family, and claiming him as an heir. Tom turned his attention to Harry and quickly flicked his yew wand out of his sleeve. A tender smile curved the man's lips as he flicked it and cast a glamour over Harry.
"Ready to go Hadrian?" he asked softly as he tucked a stray hair behind Harry's ear. Harry simply nodded and eyed the massive wooden doors nervously, "I want you to stay close to me, I don't know who is in the alley and by now the Lordship list should have updated, meaning they now a new Lord has claimed his title," he stated tightly. Wine red eyes were locked on his and he could sense the urgency in them. Tom protected him, it was as though he would step in front of a car for Harry and the young man wondered if this was what parents were supposed to be like. All his life Harry had been dreaming of a family one like Draco's that would love him to no end and support him. Now he had one with Tom, it wasn't the same but he had a feeling Tom was going to make sure nothing terrible happened to him.
Harry watched as Tom turned his attention to the doors and rolled his shoulders, as though he were a boxer about to step into the ring, a coy smile curved the man's lips as he looked over at Harry and asked, "Ready?" Harry nodded and watched as Tom opened both doors of the bank. Harry's emerald green eyes widened as he looked at the crowd now on the steps, his head spun, there were a ton of reporters, wizards and witches all lined up to get a glimpse of the new Lord. Tom slipped out of the darkness of the bank and onto the pearl white marble steps of the bank. There was silence as the crowd began measuring Tom up.
Tom slipped his hand through his hair, the Lordship ring caught the light as he did so and winked a blond woman. The witch gasped and Harry listened to the roar that followed, it was loud and filled the Alley. Tom moved with his usual predatory grace as he walked down the stairs, one hand was in his pocket while the other was at his side. His shoes clicked against the marble as he moved. Harry followed diligently, several steps behind Tom, and decided to show off a little. Draco had always told him what separated the elite from those below was their power, money and walk. The way they moved, Tom was honestly build for the upper class, everything about him screamed power. Wine red eyes flickered over his shoulder and he winked at Harry in approval as he walked toward the young woman he had winked at.
She had bushy blonde hair and a pair of brown eyes, her lips were bright red and she had long pink nails. A pair of glasses rested on her nose and she had a pad with a quill waiting. "You must be the lovely Miss Skeeter," Tom stated as he stood before her. His red eyes fell on hers and Harry watched the reporter stammer for a moment as she attempted to recover from Tom's full assault on her. "I-I am," she began and swallowed as Tom shifted slightly, his shoulders dropped and he put his weight on one leg, "A pleasure to meet you, I'm Lord Marvolo Gaunt, the newest Lord of Wizingmont, I was hoping you would be interested in interviewing me," Tom said smoothly.
Harry chuckled as Skeeter blushed, he had seen her on many occasions act like a new hound and yet when face with the debonair Tom Riddle she was no match, "Of course Lord Gaunt," she practically purred. Tom smirked before nodding and said, "Come Hadrian, we have robes to purchase." Harry nodded and adjusted his glasses, he noticed how this movement irritated Tom and wondered why. He didn't question it though and followed the new Lord from the crowd, he heard them going wild as he did so, clearly this was going to be in all the papers, Harry looked at Tom and said, "Late Edition."
Tom chuckled and nodded as he continued down the street, "We aren't getting robes yet, I'm taking you to an Ophthalmologist to get your eyes looked at," Tom stated. That explained Tom's irritation with the glasses, Harry looked at him curiously and suddenly realized none of the Lords had glasses. "You'll note that the only house with glasses are the Potters, and even they use corrective procedures," he stated as he turned the corner and took Harry to a rather regal looking shop with a pair of eyeglasses as the sign. Tom opened the shop door and Harry looked around curiously, it looked similar to a muggle Ophthalmologist.
There were rows of frames on the walls as well as mirrors and he noticed a vast number of certificates, by sheer number alone Harry figured this shop was one of the best. He paused when he noticed a few muggle brands including Ray-ban, Prada and Oliver People. He looked confused and glanced at Tom, "They aren't muggle companies, they were magic first, and then realized muggles had more eyes sight issues," he commented as he walked over to the wall and picked up a pair of Tortoise shell O'Malley's from the rack. He hummed and smiled as he placed them back, obviously Tom was interested in them and Harry had a sinking feeling they were very expensive. "Most nobles have sunglasses and readers but nothing extreme, I want to know just how bad your eyes are and if corrective healing is possible," he stated.
Harry nodded and watched a wizard cloaked in white walk out of the back, he wore a pair of gold rimmed glasses and smiled at Harry. "You must be Hadrian Potter," he greeted and extended his hand to Harry before looking over at Tom. "Lord Gaunt," the wizard stated with a slight bow of his head, "I was surprised when I was informed this was your first appointment, I would be more than happy to do a full exam and then we will talk about solutions," the wizard explained. Tom crossed his arms and nodded as Harry sank into a chair as he had been directed.
"Once this is done, you're getting a haircut, we're going shopping for robes, suites, shoes and a few casual looks, you need to expand your wardrobe," stated Tom as the Ophthalmologist pulled out a wand and said, "Mister Potter, look up please and hold still," he said smoothly, clearly he was accustomed to high end clientele, even his speech was formal.
At that point Harry had nothing to say, he was swept away by Tom's generosity but realized that this launch for Tom was also a launch for himself, after all he had been named Tom's heir. There was just one thing he didn't understand, why Tom stared at the page his name was on with Lily beside it. He had been told Tom was an orphan and an only child but from how the chart had read that wasn't true. Yet, he acted as though something terrible had happened to her, Harry mulled it over in his mind, Tom wouldn't have practically crushed him if something hadn't.
All he could conclude was that Lily was special he just didn't know why. The image of the icy glass lily Severus had given to him appeared in his mind and Harry hummed, perhaps Severus would know. After all, the Potion's Master had given him the flower as though it meant something dear to him.
~~WL~~
The castle was quiet for a moment as the Headmaster looked over the grounds, he could still see the remnants of the stink bombs the twins had set off, there was goo throughout the castle and he had spent most of the day scraping it off the walls. Oddly the castle wasn't harmed, it simply ate through everything else including the house banners, which he had replaced that year as well as several torches, it snuffed them out as though a hand had. Albus was slightly impressed by this feat and sighed, this wasn't typical usually the twins weren't this destructive, it wasn't until that moment when the Slytherins joined in. He could still remember the shrill screams as the mandrake roots were plucked from their pots in the middle of the Great Hall, the exploding toilet sand finally enchantment on the floor of the dungeon causing students shoes to stick to it.
Albus groaned as he raked a hand tiredly over his face, they had chosen a beautiful Sunday afternoon of all things to go to war with one another. He had to hand it to the students though, the spells and enchantments were quite something. He leaned on the wall behind him and tipped his head back. Lucius wasn't making quite as much noise as he had been before, or at least that was what he had been told. Albus looked out at the horizon and stared at an owl flying his way, instantly he recognized it as an official Ministry Owl. The bird swooped over his head and dropped it's mail on the desk. The Headmaster quickly walked over to the desk, he was about to open the mail when he noticed a paper resting on top of them.
"What?" asked the Headmaster as he plucked the paper from the stack and unrolled it. Plaster on the front page was a photo of a smiling young man, he was energetic, passionate and looked as though he had walked out of a painting. The Headline really struck him, "New Lord Claims Title of the Gaunts!" His jaw dropped as he looked at the young man flaunting the Gaunt ring, his eyes were filled with joy as he did so. Albus was about to toss the paper aside when his eyes fell on the young man behind the new Lord, he had large doe like eyes, messy hair and was standing in a tailor made suit. "Potter?' he asked as he flipped to the full article.
His eyes widened as he read before shouting, "FUCK!" and throwing the rag across the room, all of the portraits were suddenly alert and looking at Albus wearily. The Headmaster crossed his arms and growled, this wasn't his plan, he needed Harry subservient, not independent and being groom to be the next Lord Gaunt. He leaned heavily on his desk and glared at the letters, he knew, he knew what they were about. Harry was fighting him and now he had to figure out what to do. "I warned you," stated a familiar voice, its tone was dark and foreboding.
Albus looked up to see Salazar in one of the frames, he was talking to his familiar as he glared heavily at the headmaster. "I warned you not to mess with my heir," he hissed. Albus sneered at the portrait before shouting, "You know nothing!" Salazar crossed his arms and smiled a little, "I know more than you do, that is for certain."
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