A/N: Surprise, two chapters in two days. The next chapter will probably be posted in the next week or two. Thank you everyone for the reviews, follows and favorites. You guys are amazing and I love the response this story is getting.
I was sad to hear that Alan Rickman passed away today. He was a great actor and was one of my favorites. I do believe that he was the best choice for the character Severus Snape, and in my opinion made the character one of the best in the Harry Potter series. I will always see him as I read my books. Alan Rickman...you will be missed...Always.
Happy Reading
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
{Parseltongue}
Tom had almost reached the room that Fenrir disappeared into when Fenrir reappeared with a frown on his face. Raising a brow and looking over his friend, he shifted the boy so that he was settled a little bit more firmly in his grasp and less in danger of being dropped at any moment. "You look more exhausted than I feel…and I was punished by Magic."
Fenrir rubbed the back of his neck as he glared at the boy who was sitting calmly in his Lord's arms as though he had not been running him ragged since they had arrived at the Black Family Manor. "Yes, I guess I am tired. We should head to the Portrait Hall instead of the study." Tom just looked at the werewolf for an explanation. "The Portraits will all want to talk to you and there is more stuff in there that will tire out the boy. Maybe the brat will stay in his room tonight."
Following the werewolf, Tom looked down into the boy's eyes and tried to figure out what the child had done to one of his toughest followers to make him so exhausted. The boy just smiled around the fingers he had in his mouth and looked up at the Dark Lord with innocence. Pulling the fingers out of the boy's mouth, Tom said firmly. "Don't chew on your hand." Corvus just blinked at Tom and tried to pull his hand back to his mouth. After a few moments of pulling at his hand, Corvus blinked his eyes at Tom and laid his head on his shoulder. I don't know why the wolf is so tired. That was ridiculously easy.
Stepping into the Portrait Hall, Tom could not help but stare at the colorful rugs, toys and furniture that had not been present the last time he had visited the house. Corvus soon began to wriggle around in his arms, almost causing a startled Tom to drop him. Tom quickly placed the little boy on the floor and watched as he shot over to a small book shelf. Tom just stared around the room for a moment before making his way to the second arm chair that Fenrir had conjured for him. As soon as he was completely in the room, he was being greeted by most of the Portraits in the room.
Taking a seat, Tom listened as the Portraits told him that they were glad that he was alright and that he had been able to find the manor with no problems. They also explained that Fenrir had arranged for a suite to be made ready for his arrival. After a few moments, the hall finally quieted down.
"I must say Fenrir, the note that you left with the Goblins was a bit shocking. Do you want to explain just what is going on and how I have a new magical heir that we did not know about?"
Tom listened as Fenrir told him about finding the child he thought was Harry Potter on a muggle doorstep and how he had taken him to the bank because he could smell Regulus on the boy. When Tom heard about Dumbledore's interference and about how the boy had been stolen from the hospital to replace the already dead Harry Potter, his icy blue eyes flashed in his anger. His anger continued to build as he learned about the spells and blocks that had been on the boy and how Dumbledore seemed to be setting the boy up as his own personal weapon to use against the Death Eaters and Tom.
Tom looked at the boy with a calculating gaze when he learned that the child was wondering the manor all the time because he was able to get through the child-safety wards, and narrowed his eyes when he learned that the boy seemed not to be very distressed over the changes he had been since the Potter's had died. He agreed that there was something not right with the reaction they had received from the boy. Even he knew that a child should be upset when their primary caregivers were not around all of a sudden-he had seen it many times in the orphanage- and Corvus should be especially distraught since the boy had seen him kill Lily Potter.
"Corvus…come here." Tom was impressed that the boy immediately looked up when he heard his name and decided that Fenrir had done a good job so far when the boy stood up and came over to him without making a fuss.
"What are you thinking My Lord?" Morrigan asked from her frame as she watched her son make his way to the Dark Lord.
"I want to know why he is being so accepting of everything. I am going to look at his memories to find out why he seems to not care that the Potters have not been around." He picked the boy up so that he was on his lap facing him. Tom pulled the boy's fingers out of his mouth and raised one brow as he looked at the boy. "I also want to know why he is not screaming bloody murder at seeing and being held by the man who killed Lily Potter right in front of him." Tom looked up when he heard cries of 'no' from around the room. He was perplexed when he saw that Fenrir had slumped in his seat and placed a hand over his eyes as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"'Loody." Corvus seemed quite happy to repeat what he had just heard. Tom blinked down at the boy that was grinning up at him with pride as he again started to chew on his fingers. Tom looked at the werewolf as he pulled the boy's hand away from his mouth again.
"Ah, so…the boy repeats everything he hears?"
Fenrir just nodded at the question.
"Wonderful. Alright. Let's see what you are thinking." Tom held the boy's face so that he would be able to maintain direct eye contact with the boy and said quietly, "Legilimens." Fenrir and the portraits watched as the Dark Lord held the spell for half an hour before pulling out of the boy's memories. Tom handed the boy off to a startled Fenrir while he began to pace behind the armchairs. Corvus just wiggled until he was put back down so that he could return to the book he had been playing with before he had been called over.
"What is it?" Regulus asked anxiously as he watched Tom pace around the room. It was obvious that the Dark Lord did not like what he had seen.
Without stopping, the Dark Lord began to explain what he had learned from viewing the boy's memories. Fenrir and the portraits could only listen in disbelief. "The reason that the boy is so content is because he was more attached to the Potter elf that was looking after him than to the Potters themselves. They only bothered with the boy when someone was over and wanted to see the baby. When everyone would leave, they would just stick him back in his nursery with the elf looking after him and then ignore him until someone else was in the house."
"But was he not able to get out of the nursery like he does here?"
Tom finally paused in his pacing so that he could look at the portrait of Regulus. "No, I think that the blocks that he had placed on him prevented that. His memories show that he was always tired and almost never left the nursery, I did not see any evidence of accidental magic while he was with the Potters. It is plainly obvious that there should have been more. He only vaguely thought of the Potters as 'mummy' and 'daddy' before he was brought here. He does not seem to think of them at all since he has been here with Fenrir. His memories are full of interactions with the portraits here and with Fenrir, who he seems extremely attached to, and also a very old elf that reminds him of the Potter elf that was taking care of him. When he thinks Mummy and daddy now, he is thinking of you." Regulus and Morrigan smiled as they looked over at their son.
"You got all of that from just a half hour?" Fenrir asked incredulously. Legilimency generally took a lot of time to sort through memories to find any helpful information.
"The boy has a surprisingly ordered mind. And I think that he has an eidetic memory…or perfect recall. He remembers things from before his first birthday and the memory for the birthday was crystal clear; as was the interactions he has had with all of you." Tom smirked at Fenrir, causing the werewolf to shift in his seat uncomfortably. "I know that he the memory of the 'doggie' carrying him away in the night and snuggling with him to keep away the cold is one of his favorite memories."
Fenrir growled as Regulus fell out of his chair onto the floor of his painting as he laughed uncontrollably. "Doggie?" Fenrir glared at the Dark Lord for sharing such a thing.
"No wonder the boy picks up on things so fast." Orion said as he looked at the boy with fondness and pride.
"He will do well for our houses." Tom sat himself back onto the chair and closed his eyes.
"I thought that it would take least six months for you to be strong enough to return. Do you need anything?" Fenrir looked at the man carefully as he sat beside him.
"I ended up close to a small magical town in Belgium of all places. They had a store that I was able to get supplies to do a Strengthening Ritual with. Luckily I was able to get to the Gringotts branch before performing the vengeance ritual I had originally planned on performing upon awakening, which would have caused me to be relocated again, only Merlin knows where, if I had performed it. The Strengthening Ritual was enough to get me back here. I think I may actually return to that town in the future however, they had a surprisingly nice variety of stores; I even found a snake that I decided would be a perfect familiar. She is actually at the bank with the rest of my belongings. The manor we were using before will no longer suit. I am not sure if Dumbledore or his people know of its location."
"As soon as Kreacher returns, I will send him to pick up your things. He is getting some more elves. One can be your personal elf since you do not already have one."
Tom nodded at this information as he continued to lean against the back of the chair. He opened his eyes and looked down when he felt small hands pulling at his pants leg. As soon Corvus had his complete attention, he held up his arms and demanded. "Up."
Lifting the boy up so that he was back in his lap, Tom took a moment to observe the boy that was his heir carefully. "You are a demanding little boy, aren't you? Just like your father was." Tom smirked at the sputtering that came from one of the frames.
"What do you want the boy to call you? He calls me Fen since he can't say Fenrir yet." Fenrir hid a yawn behind his hand as he watched his Lord observe the boy.
Tom continued to gaze at the boy with a thoughtful look on his face. "Is there any chance of him being able to call me my Lord?"
Fenrir snorted at the question. "Highly doubtful. It is more than likely that he will shorten anything you tell him to call you. Such as Voldie for Voldemort." He held up both of his hands when Tom narrowed his gaze in his direction. "Just letting you know. He has done it to most of the portraits already."
"Hn. I suppose I can deal with something like Grandfather. He is my heir after all." Tom looked back at the little boy in his lap. "What do you think? Do you want to call me Grandfather?" Tom decided then that he would never resort to the sickening baby talk he had heard a red headed witch speaking while he was making his way through the alley on his way to the Black Family Manor. The woman was surrounded by a gaggle of ragged looking children and was talking to the child in her arms as though he was an idiot. Tom shuddered at the thought of the woman and her brood.
Corvus looked at the man who was holding him and tilted his head to the side as though he was thinking extremely deep thoughts. Tom could not prevent his lips from lifting into a slight smile at the expression on the little face, the boy defiantly had the looks of a Black. Finally, Corvus seemed to come to a decision. He patted Tom on the chest and said decisively. "Papa." Corvus leaned over the stunned man's arm and picked up the book he had brought with him to the armchair. "Look Papa…'itterby" Corvus was pointing to the picture of the Flitterby that was in his favorite magical creature book while Tom just stared at the top of his head with wide eyes.
"That sounds nothing like Grandfather." Tom just glared when Fenrir started to laugh.
Fenrir was spared his Lord's ire when Kreacher popped into the room with two younger elves following right behind him.
"Kreacher is being finding two elves to be helping Lord Grey. This ones is being Mango and this ones is being Cherry." Kreacher pointed out each elf as he introduced them. "They is beings already trained and wills be loyal and good house elves."
"Wonderful Kreacher. Go to Gringotts and pick up the Dark Lords things and bring them to the rooms you have set up for him. He has a familiar, so take care not to upset her." Kreacher nodded before popping back out to complete his task. "My Lord, Do you have a preference in personal elf?"
"I suppose that I will take the one called Mango." Tom leaned forward so that he could place his hand on the head of the elf that stepped forward. "I take the house elf known as Mango into the service of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Slytherin." The house elf bowed as a flash of light signified that she was now bound to a family. "Kreacher will show you my rooms when he returns with my things. You will make sure that you help out the Black family elves when you are not busy with my needs. This is my heir. Treat him as you would treat me."
Mango nodded and stepped back towards the wall. Fenrir repeated the bonding process with Cherry and gave out his instructions. After a few minutes, Kreacher popped back into the room and reported that everything had been placed in the Dark Lord's new rooms. The elves then popped away so that the new elves could learn their new duties within the Black Family Manor.
"Have you had any contact with any of the other Death Eaters?" Tom asked as he allowed Corvus to wiggle off of his lap so that he could go play with something else.
Fenrir explained about Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Barty being sent to Azkaban. Tom was displeased when he had learned that they had been imprisoned after Bellatrix had sought recompense for the actions of the Longbottoms against herself and her family.
"What about Lucius, Narcissa and Severus?" Tom was trying to figure out the best way he could half of his Inner Circle out of prison with the least amount of stress. "Are they in prison as well?"
"No. I have not tried to get into contact with them since everything happened." When Tom looked at him questioningly, he explained. "I did not want to risk allowing someone to see Corvus in case you knew something that I did not. Severus has been absolved of all wrong doings, by Albus Dumbledore of all people, and the Malfoy's have been strangely silent. I am not sure how they have managed to stay out of trouble so far since having the mark is pretty much a one way ticket to Azkaban if you are caught with it. I thought it best to wait until you returned to try and get in contact with anyone."
"Hn. Give me your arm." Tom grasped the wrist of his follower while he studied the mark that had be proudly worn by his followers since they had decided to stop allowing others to dictate how they used their magic or lived their lives. Now that mark was causing his followers problems. Pursing his lips, he brought his wand to the mark he had created.
While he was calling his Inner Circle to his location, he was also moving and changing the mark on every one of his followers. The mark slithered up Fenrir's arm to come to rest on the back of his neck. Though it was in a different location, the spell that was used would also mask it from the gaze of anyone that was not carrying the mark themselves or that could speak Parseltongue. Hopefully this would protect his followers and give him some leeway when he tried to get those in Azkaban out legally.
Fenrir shivered as the mark found its new resting place. Hearing pops outside the manor indicating that the rest of the Inner Circle had arrived, Fenrir stood. "I will let the others in, My Lord." Fenrir quickly left the room while rubbing the back of his neck where his mark was tingling.
Tom looked around the room while comparing it to the last room he had met his Death Eaters in. This room was full of toys and bright colors and was a far cry from his normal staid meeting room. Sighing, he stood and watched the boy look through a book as he waited for his followers to enter.
Outside, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy apparated in front of the Black Family Manor in confusion, only to be joined by Severus Snape only moments later.
"Isn't this the mutt's house?" Severus sneered.
"This is the ancestral Black Home. Why would we be called here?" Lucius was looking around to make sure that they were not being watched.
"What if something is wrong? Our marks moved as we were being called." Narcissa looked like she was close to tears as she clung to her husband's arm. The three Death Eaters tightened their grips on their wands as the door to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place opened only to stare in shock when Fenrir stepped through the door. All three were soon rushing towards the werewolf with questions falling like rain from their lips.
Once they were in the house and Fenrir was able to get the door closed, he turned to the three adults that were still asking him questions.
"Would you wait for a moment? Just follow me." Fenrir huffed and led the group up the stairs and into the Portrait Hall where the Dark Lord was waiting. When they entered the room, Narcissa started to cry as Lucius and Severus bowed to their Lord.
"My Lord, I am so glad that you have returned. There were so many rumors about the Potter boy." Lucius murmured.
"Yes. It seems that everything is not as it seemed. Sit down all of you." Tom sat back in his armchair and conjured a couch for the Malfoys and another armchair for Severus. "Tell me what I have missed in my absence." He looked towards Severus with one brow raised.
Clearing his throat as he settled into his chair he began to report to the Dark Lord. "Dumbledore has been telling everyone that will listen that the Potter brat was saved by his mother's love." Severus winced at the theory Dumbledore was spouting to all and sundry as he reported. How people looked up to the man he would never know. "He will not tell anyone where the boy is, but since he is supposedly protected by his mother's blood sacrifice or some such, I would think that he is with Petunia. He has said that there are wards there that will keep the boy safe and that when you return, the boy will be ready to… defeat… you…Is that a baby?" Severs came to a halt as he looked down at a toddler who was looking up at him with stormy grey eyes that were ringed with purple and had what looked like purple lightning streaking from the rims towards the pupils. The boy held up his arms expectantly while the Potions Master just blinked down at the small boy.
"Hn. Yes. That would be a baby. I believe he wants you to pick him up Severus." Tom was obviously amused at his followers bemused expressions.
Severus looked up in horror at his Lord for a moment before gingerly picking up the small child and placing him on his lap. Corvus quickly amused himself by playing with the many buttons on the Potion Master's robes. "Why am I holding a baby?" Severus asked the room desperately in confusion.
"Whose baby is that, my Lord?" Narcissa asked while leaning around her husband to get a closer look at the adorable child that was playing with her friend's buttons.
"I apologize; let me introduce you to the heir of the houses of Black, Loxias, Riddle, and Slytherin. He is Regulus's child." With this announcement, the boy was scooped up from a relived Severus by a sobbing Narcissa. Lucius and Severus looked around the room and finally noticed all the child paraphernalia surrounding them. The portraits were all looking on with interest, and more than a few were smirking at the Potions Master.
"I did not know that my cousin had been able to have a child before he was murdered. Why did I not know of this?" Narcissa looked at Tom, hoping that he would explain.
Tom sighed and gestured for Fenrir to tell everyone what had happened. By the time the story had been repeated for the second time that day, both Malfoys and Severus were livid. After he heard what the Dark Lord had found in his memories, Severus did not even protest when the boy made his way back to him to be picked up so that he could continue to play with his buttons.
"I am unsure, my Lord, if I will be able to be around Dumbledore while knowing what he has done." Severus whispered as he held the child in his lap. "He has asked that I teach at Hogwarts, what would you have me do?"
"For now, I think it would be best that you take the position and let him believe that you are on the side of the light. Your marks have been moved for your protection, but if you will be able to keep an eye on him until I decide if I will take up my seats or not it would be beneficial. According to his own words, Lord Voldemort was vanquished that night by the boy he is calling Harry Potter. He will be able to do nothing if I take my place as Tom Riddle, Lord Slytherin. Actually, if you act as though you have never met me, Tom Riddle, you may be able to stay under his nose longer. If he believes that I always used a glamor for meetings, it might work."
"My Lord, I was thinking that I would need to claim both the Loxias and Black seats as proxy for Corvus. I was unsure if it should be done now or if I should wait for a while to keep Dumbledore from realizing that there is a Black heir." Fenrir shifted in his seat. "I suppose that I could claim my seat at the same time if I claim the Proxys."
"You should claim both the proxy seats and your own. With the votes from the Grey, Black and Loxias houses as well as the Slytherin votes, there should be no problems off setting any votes that Dumbledore has now that he has claimed the Potter by proxy. He will lose those anyway within a few years when it becomes clear that the Potter boy is dead."
The adults continued to talk and make plans for the future. Tom wanted to try and get his Death Eaters that were in Azkaban out as soon as possible so that they would not have prolonged exposure to the dementors; it was decided that they would try their best to get them released without having to use the fact that Sirius Black had not had a trial at all to help push their case. Sirius Black being out of prison could both be a good thing in keeping Dumbledore busy, or it could alert the old fool earlier than they wished that the Potter boy was not where he thought he was.
Severus watched along with the Malfoys as their Lord and the most notorious werewolf in Britain interacted with Corvus Black. The little boy was not at all shy and would periodically join the adults and lift his arms so that they would pick him up. Lucius was horrified when the boy immediately grabbed fistfuls of his hair as soon as he was placed on his lap, and then even more horrified when the boy wanted to chew on the snake head on his cane. Corvus continued to be fascinated with the buttons on Severus's cloak and would snuggle into Narcissa anytime she picked him up.
The boy was obviously most comfortable with Fenrir, who would swoop down on the boy when he was making a mess or trying to leave the room and would hold him in his arms, where the boy would just dangle limply like a puppy.
The first time that Corvus had toddled over to Tom and demanded his 'papa' pick him up, the three adults were shocked in to speechlessness and had to be reminded of what they were talking about before they could continue the conversation. They ended up spending the rest of the evening in the Portrait Hall making plans and watching over the Black heir played.
As the Malfoys and Severus stood to depart and return to their own homes, Mango popped into the room. "Master, there is being a basket in yours rooms that is hissing and is being moving." The poor elf looked as though it was going to break out in hysterics.
"Ah Nagini has awakened. Bring me the basket." The elf nodded frantically and popped away, only to return in a moment with a basket that was definitely hissing and shaking. "This is my new familiar, Nagini." {Nagini, you are not to eat any of my followers, elves, or my heir.} Tom hissed at the closed basket.
{Fine. I will not eat the elves, or any small or large humans. Let me out.} The hissing from the basket was accompanied by even more shaking from the basket.
"She will not eat any of you, this is Nagini." Tom lifted the basket and allowed the large green snake to slither out of what was obviously a basket that held extension charms on the inside to make it larger than it looked. The snake coiled itself beside Tom so that her head was held off the floor. {Nagini, this is…}
Tom watched in shock as Corvus shot like across the room at full speed and attached himself around the neck of the extremely large and dangerous snake that he had adopted as his familiar. Fenrir had tried to catch the boy as he ran past, as had Severus and the Malfoys, but they were not quick enough and they were soon looking at the sight of the boy happily hugging the snake in horror.
{Mine.} Giggled Corvus as he looked from the snake to Tom and back again.
"Did he just…?" Narcissa sat back down with her hand across her chest as she tried to convince her heart to stay within her chest where it belonged. She knew that the Dark Lord would never allow any harm to come to his heir so she felt that the boy was in no immediate danger, but it seemed as though her heart disagreed vehemently.
"Yes, yes he did." Severus took a deep breath as the snake made no attempt to strike at the child. The snake actually seemed to be hissing at the boy who was still giggling.
Tom looked down at his familiar and his heir as Nagini hissed to the boy she was now calling his 'hatchling.' Corvus was still holding on tight to the snake as she hissed and nudged the boy with her nose. The boy was turning out to be more of a surprise than he had thought.
"Interesting."