Disclaimer I do not own Harry Potter and everything recognisable belongs to J K Rowling.

B-Chan's request - Harry gets his first wand - Harry learns from his father

Aleyerrad's request - Harry and Nagini talk about Harry's new life with Voldemort

Dedicated to B-Chan and Aleyerrad. I hope you like it!

Harry the Wizard

"What are you waiting for?" Lord Voldemort asked the small boy seated before him. "Pick one up."

Harry gave the three wooden sticks another nervous glance before looking up at the man he had began to think of as 'father'.

"I...I don't know what to do with it," he said honestly.

"You don't need to do anything," Voldemort said. "The wand chooses the wizard. All you have to do is pick it up."

Taking in a deep breath, Harry reached out to pick up the first wand, a twelve inch, pine wand. He curled his fingers around the stick and waited. Nothing happened.

"Try the next one," Voldemort instructed, looking rather calm.

Harry picked up the elm wood, thirteen and a half inches long. Again, nothing happened. Disappointment welled in Harry's chest and he chanced a quick look at his father. He didn't look mad or disappointed. He looked rather intrigued.

"That last one," Voldemort gestured to the fourteen inches, yew wand.

Slowly, Harry reached out and picked up the wand. He gave it a desperate swish, but nothing happened.

Voldemort straightened up in his seat, staring at the unsuccessful wands.

"Those were the three I had picked out for you," he said. "I was sure one of them would have matched you."

Harry silently put down the wand, not having the courage to say what his mind was screaming at him. No wand would choose him; he was a squib.

Voldemort stilled, as if a sudden thought had occurred to him. His scarlet gaze moved to rest on Harry, scrutinising him. "I wonder," he murmured. He smiled before waving his hand to gather the three wands. He stood up. "I will see you promptly at seven for dinner," he said.

"Yes, father." Harry cringed at the reminder of breakfast that morning. He had slept in, almost a full ten minutes. His father was so mad, he barely looked at him at the table, no matter how profusely Harry had apologised.

With a last nod, Lord Voldemort strode out of Harry's room, leaving the five year old sitting on his own. Harry took in a great deep breath, willing himself not to dwell on the hopelessness of the situation. He knew his father hadn't admitted defeat. He had brought him a selection of wands today. He would do the same again tomorrow. He wouldn't stop until Harry had tried all the wands in the world. But Harry knew, he knew it didn't matter what anyone did, he wasn't ever going to get a wand to choose him. Wands chose wizards. He was a squib, his dad – Harry shuddered at the memory of James Potter – had always told him so. The mere thought of James Potter had Harry grow so uncomfortable, he couldn't remain sitting. He got up and hurried to his bedside desk, to pull out the small silver mask. He put it on and walked out his door. He needed to get outside, in the open air, where thoughts of his real dad couldn't suffocate him.

xxx

Harry made his way through the woods, walking aimlessly ahead. The sun was starting to set, the sky a glorious array of orange and pink. Harry was itching to take the mask off, but he remembered his father's warning to hide his face. It was dangerous for anyone to see him and as long as Death Eaters were around Riddle manor, Harry had to be extra careful.

Feeling dejected and depressed, Harry continued walking deeper into the woodland area, venturing further out than he had in the past. The comforting silence of his surrounding was broken by a strange sound. Harry stopped, his ears strained to make out the direction the sound was coming from. He turned to his left, squinting in the limited light to see what was slithering through the leaves. He relaxed when he saw the large serpent come out of the bushes, curling to rest before him.

"Nagini," Harry greeted.

"Young Master," the snake gave a little nod with it's head.

"How'd you know it was me?" Harry asked. "I'm wearing my mask."

"What other human child of five years knows the ancient tongue of my ancestors?" Nagini asked.

"Oh," Harry smiled behind his mask. "Yeah."

Nagini slid closer. "I'm surprised to have you out this far from the manor?"

Harry looked over to the towering castle in the distance.

"I just...I had to get out, get fresh air."

Nagini hissed loudly, rearing her head high.

"You're distressed." she commented.

"No," Harry shook his head. "Just a little...worried."

"I thought you'd be comfortable, living with Master?" Nagini asked.

"I am," Harry said quickly. "I love living here. Father is...he's very different to...to him." He shifted from one foot to the other. "But...I think he's expecting something from me which...which I'm not able to do."

"Like?" Nagini asked.

Harry took a look around, but he was well shielded from view by the tall thick cluster of trees. He sat down on the soft forest ground before taking off his mask.

"Nagini," Harry started in a quiet voice. "Being here, living with father and being his son, it's the best thing that's happened to me," Harry said. "Father never yells at me. Even if he's annoyed, like he was this morning when I was late for breakfast, he just gave me a look but he didn't shout or...or hit me." Harry rubbed at his hand, the one that was badly burned the day he met his new father. "I really like it here and I don't wanna leave."

"Master doesn't want you to leave," Nagini assured.

"Not yet," Harry said quietly. "But once he realises I'm a squib, he'll not want me anymore." He could feel the burn in his eyes and tried with all his might to hold back the tears. "He said he was going to teach me magic, but I needed a wand first. He got me three wands, but...but none of them worked." Harry's heart began to beat faster as his vision started to blur with hot tears. "My dad always told me I was a squib. I can't do magic. I'm useless. Now father's gonna know that and...and why would he wand a son whose a squib? He'll throw me out."

"Young master," Nagini brought her large head closer, peering at Harry with her lidless eyes. "You're not going to be thrown out."

"How do you know?" Harry asked, on the verge of sobbing.

"Because you're not a squib."

"I am," Harry argued. "My dad always said so."

"Then how can a squib speak Parseltongue?" Nagini asked.

Harry stilled, tear-filled eyes fixed on the serpent. "What?" he asked.

"You are a Parselmouth," Nagini said. "You speak the tongue of my great ancestors. Not only do you have to be a wizard to be able to do that, you have to be a great wizard with immense power."

Harry stared at her, hanging on her every hiss.

"You...you sure?"

Nagini coiled tightly, ducking her head and hissing, baring her fangs.

"You insult me, Young Master," she said. "I know who is worthy of the great serpent tongue. I'm not one to make mistakes."

Harry leaned back, away from the spitting snake.

"Okay, yeah," he said quickly. "I believe you." But truth was, he wasn't entirely convinced.

Speaking Parseltongue was one thing. Picking up a wand and doing magic was another. Harry wasn't sure how he did the first thing, and he had next to no clue how to do the other.

xxx

Lord Voldemort arrived at Harry's door the next day, this time bringing only one wand. Harry eyed it warily. Eleven inches, made of holly and looking like it had never been touched by another wizard, the wand gleamed on a wad of green silk, resting inside the box.

"Go on," Voldemort encouraged. "This one will choose you. I know it will."

Harry steeled himself for rejection and reached into the box. His conversation with Nagini, the day before, echoed in his mind. He tried his hardest to latch onto her confidence, to make himself believe he wasn't a squib but all he felt was the overwhelming surge of anxiety wash over him. Sucking in a breath, Harry picked up the wand. The moment his fingers curled around the wood, he felt a sudden warmth fill his entire being. The wand glowed for a moment before shooting out red sparks.

Harry was left reeling in shock. His mouth dropped open, innocent green eyes wide and filled with disbelief. He looked up at his father, to see a proud smile on his face.

"Brother wands," he said. "How fitting."

Harry looked down at the wand in his hand again, before glancing back to his father.

"Brother wands?" he asked.

"This wand is very special, Harry," Voldemort said. "Not only because it chose you, but because it shares a connection to this wand." He pulled out his own wand, holding it up to show to the stunned five year old. "These two wands have at their core a feather, come from the same phoenix. The only two feathers it ever gave." He grinned at Harry's awed expression. "Our wands are brothers. Do you realise what this means?"

Harry shook his head.

"It means," Voldemort lowered himself to look into Harry's bright green eyes, "that under my guidance, you have the potential to be just as powerful as I am."

Harry spluttered and quickly shook his head in denial. He had just learned he wasn't a squib but an actual wizard. He couldn't imagine being anywhere near as brilliant as his father.

"I could never be as powerful as you, father," he said.

Voldemort smiled in self-satisfaction. He straightened up, beaming at Harry.

"Your lessons start this afternoon. I will meet you in chamber three, in exactly one hour."

At the mention of lessons, a broad smile began spreading across Harry's face.

"I'll be there, father." He promised.

Voldemort smirked and turned to walk away.

xxx

"The first thing," Voldemort instructed, standing before the five year old child in the training chamber, "you must learn is the most important of all skills."

Harry, with his new wand gripped in hand, nodded at him.

"Defence." Voldemort stated. "You can't fight if you don't know how to defend yourself." He brought out his own wand from the folds of his robes and held it out. "This, Harry, is the most basic of spells." He conjured a shield, letting it hover in front of him for a few seconds before letting it fade. "It's simple, even imbeciles of the worst kind can conjure it."

"It looked complicated," Harry said, trying to remember the way his father swished and flicked his wand.

"No, Harry," Voldemort smirked. "That is not complicated. Neither is this." He flicked his wand and a gleaming red bubble burst from his wand, enveloping him from head to foot.

Harry dropped his wand in surprise. Voldemort held the shield in place for a few moments before allowing it to end. He smirked at the child's awed expression.

"Wow," Harry breathed. "Will I be able to do that?"

"Harry," Voldemort started with a smile. "I won't rest until you do."

xxx