Shadow Me Home

by Gambito

Harry is told to leave the house for a while on the day of the Dementor attack and his life ends up very differently due to the Twins' new Animagus potion. (Warning: This story is complete, but I will add an epilogue at a later date if enough people enjoy the story.) Pre-romance for this part.

Harry POV

Harry Potter was bored out of his mind. The summer started out well enough, even though he was back to being locked up in his room at the Dursleys. It's been two weeks already and yet it seemed like they were determined to act like he didn't exist. At first, he enjoyed the peace and he used it to finish his homework, but now he had nothing left to do.

The Dursleys only let him out at certain times of the day and they actually locked him outside for the night when he went to take a walk outside on his second day back. It shouldn't have surprised him, but with Voldemort being back, he knew that it was important for him to stay inside anyway.

He was just about to turn around to sleep for a bit when colorful wrapping paper caught his eye. He stood up and removed it from the half-open drawer of his desk. Fred and George sent it to him the morning before he returned to the Dursleys and he had completely forgotten about it with everything that happened just before the train left that same day.

Cedric had actually been able to dodge the killing curse, but he tripped and hit his head against one of the gravestones on the way down. Not that Harry had known and Dumbledore didn't even have the courtesy of calling him to his office and telling him immediately once he heard. Instead, he had to hear it in an announcement from the headmaster along with the rest of the school and the man even had the nerve to look happy as he singled him out and told him that the Diggory family had asked him to thank Harry for bringing Cedric back.

Slytherin house had been in the lead once more and it was clear by now that the headmaster was purposefully not allowing the house to win since he had once again awarded a score of points to Gryffindor for anything and everything from helping peers to 'the selfless act of saving another student's life almost at the cost of his own'. All in all, it only served to widen the rift between Slytherin's house and Gryffindor, much to Harry's irritation.

Now that he thought about it, he didn't see Cedric's ghost when the Priori Incantatem came into effect, but then again, he didn't have any time to concentrate on anything except survival in that graveyard. He sighed and shifted his thoughts back to the package in his hands. He turned the package around and opened the letter that was attached to it. It read:

Harry

We got you a little something to keep you busy while you are stuck at your

relatives' place for the summer. We thought that it would grant you a bit

more freedom than you currently have. Surprisingly enough, it was Percy who

came up with it. We may make a joker out of him yet! Bill and Charlie are lost

causes though and we wouldn't dare cross Ginny. Ron would have given it

to you personally, but we decided to evade our mom's suspicious mind by

sending it with an owl instead. She would have a unicorn if she knew that we

all worked together on this! (And of course, Ginny would enact some form of

payback for getting her in trouble. V) Hope you enjoy it!

Regards

Your brothers (and sister) in all but blood…

Gred and Forge (the other 5 are implied of course, but we have special

privileges don't you think?)

Harry smiled. The Weasleys always managed to cheer him up. He put the letter down before removing the wrapping paper from the present. He was surprised to see that it was a book, but when he read the title, he let out a soft laugh. How to become an Animagus: A Guide for Dummies. He opened the book and sank down onto his bed to read. It would be a very useful skill to have if he could accomplish it and like the letter said, it would help him kill some time.

In the end, it took him three days to finish the book and by then he couldn't wait to begin. He set the book down and made himself comfortable on his bed after adding his blood to it and then swallowing a potion that he found in the package with the book. The twins had apparently brewed it for him and he was very grateful that they did, otherwise, he would have had to wait until the start of the school year to start the training. He also knew that it was an experimental potion that they had been developing for quite a while, but he had complete faith in his brothers. He slowly allowed his breathing to even out as he tried to focus on picturing his Animagus form, but the more he tried to focus, the more he found his mind wandering.

He was just about to give up two hours later when the scene behind his closed eyes, changed. The shadows around him seemed to come alive and he felt like he was being swallowed by the darkness. Two red eyes suddenly watched him from the darkness, but Harry couldn't make out anything except that it didn't look like human eyes.

A growl started up in the shadows and Harry found himself jerking awake. He looked around his room with a frown before he sat up to see if he missed something in the book. The potion was meant to gradually show him his Animagus form during the first phase of meditation while also adapting his body to drastically shorten the time that it would take to fully gain his animal form.

The book mentioned that the version that the twins had based it on, was actually listed as an illegal dark potion because the drinker had to add his or her blood to activate it. Not that it made much sense to him since numerous other legal potions required blood to be added. He kind of believed that the Ministry had made it illegal because it would make it too easy for people to gain their Animagus form. Not that they could trace the potion once it has been used though, so he wouldn't get into trouble.

But the book mentioned nothing of what just happened to him. Apparently, the potion should have clearly shown him the form of his Animagus by the end of his meditation and it said nothing about the thick shadows that formed around him. He placed the book down and laid back on his bed. He knew the twins would have tested it on themselves before giving it to him and they wouldn't have done so if it didn't work. He decided that maybe he needed to meditate more, but he would try it again tomorrow, for now, he would sleep.

A week later Harry was still struggling and he would have given it up as not having an Animagus form at all if it weren't for the fact that the creature with the red eyes kept appearing.

He sank back onto his bed with a sigh and was just about to roll over to grab the book once again when there was a knock on the door. He was surprised since none of the Dursleys had spoken a word to him in all of the time that he had been there.

The door opened and he saw Dudley standing there looking bored. "Mom says she wants you out of the house today. We have guests coming over and she doesn't want something freaky to happen again." With this he turned around and closed the door, leaving a stunned Harry behind. Were they so set on ignoring him that Dudley completely even forgot to tease him as he usually did?

It seemed like it, Harry decided to pack his things into an auto-shrinking trunk that he had received from Neville at Christmas. It made it much easier to keep his things safe and with him being a danger-magnet, he was sure that it would come in handy. He also didn't put it past Dudley to steal some of his things or Vernon to throw away his things while he was out.

It didn't take long to pack since he had transferred most of his things into the trunk already. His old one was quite worn out so he had been glad when Neville had given it to him. He looked around the room and decided to let Hedwig out of her cage so that she didn't make a noise while he was out.

He left the window slightly open for when she wanted to return before pressing the button to shrink his trunk and then putting it in his pocket. He didn't meet anyone as he made his way out of the house and Hedwig swooped down and nuzzled him before taking off again. Harry smiled and looked around him.

Now that he had to be out for the day, he didn't know what he was going to do. He decided to go to the park for a while so that he could plan the rest of his day. It was too bad that he couldn't call upon the Knight bus this time. It would have been fun to spend the day in Diagon Alley.

He made his way to the park and sat on one of the swings. Children were playing all around him and he spotted a few of the kids that his cousin and the gang liked to pick on. They looked at him warily and he gave them a slight smile. He usually tried to help them out whenever he could so the smile made them relax. Harry wouldn't be smiling if his cousin was on his way.

The sound of thunder suddenly echoed over the playground and the parents hurried to grab their children before rushing home. Harry felt a tightening feeling in his chest and he knew that the sudden feeling of coldness around him wasn't normal.

He jumped up and headed for the Dursleys' house. They might not want him there, but if he stayed out of sight while still being inside the wards then he would be safe. The rain started pouring and the path became extremely slippery as ice began to form over the wet roads.

The feeling in his chest tightened even more as he ran and soon it felt like he could barely breathe. Sudden flashes of the night that his parents died, caused anxiety to coil up inside him and he ran into a tunnel before turning around, but he saw nothing behind him.

A breath of air behind him made him stumble and he had just enough time to turn and allow his eyes to widen in shock before the Dementor picked him up by the neck and pinned him against the wall. He kept trying to grab his wand, but the Dementor seemed to have expected this because it pinned his arm to the wall next to his head.

The Dementor leaned in closer and Harry closed his eyes in fear as he felt it suck out his memories. He tried to struggle, but it didn't help at all and he could clearly feel his strength fading. A sudden flash of red eyes behind his eyelids made him pause in his struggles and he felt himself being sucked into the room of shadows that he always seemed to end up in during his meditations.

The shadows seemed more active around him and the being with the red eyes was pacing in agitation. It suddenly stopped as it noticed him and Harry had just enough time to shield his face as it lunged at him. He closed his eyes in his mindscape and waited for the attack, but when it didn't come, he opened them again.

A shocked gasp left him as he saw the second half of the being disappearing into his chest and heat engulfed his body. He opened his eyes to face the Dementor, only to see another standing behind it. His body felt like it was shrinking, but at the same time, he felt like the reach of his senses was increasing.

The Dementor that held him quickly let him go and he saw that the two Dementors were gliding away from him in fear. Whatever it was that was now inside him didn't like this and it ripped the shadows away from the Dementors. Fortunately for Harry and unfortunately for them, it seemed like the Dementors couldn't live without the shadows that wrapped around their forms and they evaporated into thin air while shrieking out their last moments in pain.

Harry tried to stand up from where he had fallen on the floor, but he kept losing his balance as he tried to push himself up to stand on his feet. He glanced around him, only to find that the tunnel looked a lot bigger than it was when he had entered it and he finally gained enough courage to look at his hands and legs.

A sound of distress left him as he realized that he now had black paws. He stood up on wobbly legs and made his way to a frozen puddle of water, but the only thing that he could see in the reflection was a pair of glowing red eyes. He yelped and lost his balance, but he didn't have time to think about it.

Footsteps echoed in one of the connecting tunnels and even though he didn't know what his form was yet, he did know that it wasn't one that could be found in the muggle world, and if a muggle found him, they would probably study him like a science experiment since they would think that they had discovered a new species.

He stood up on wobbly legs, but his strength gave in before he could take a single step and he cursed before trying again. He had to find a safe place to try and change back. A feeling of fear welled up inside him as he heard the footsteps close in on him and shadows suddenly covered his form.

The sound of a busy street reached his ears and he finally turned around as the shadows around him disappeared. To his confusion, he found that he had somehow traveled to one of the side streets of Diagon Alley. In fact, he was right next to the VIP entrance to Gringotts. The door opened as he glanced at it and a man stumbled out. The man looked angry until he spotted him and a greedy smile stretched over his face. "Well now, won't you fetch a pretty price in Knockturn Alley? You would solve all of my problems…"

The man advanced towards him and Harry let out a growl, but it didn't stop the man since it would be clear to anyone watching that Harry was running on the last bit of energy that he had left. A crack of apparation echoed behind him and the man in front of him froze before Harry found himself being lifted up.

He just barely stopped himself from biting the person and he was glad he hadn't when he saw that it was Lucius Malfoy. He would take the Pure-blooded aristocrat he knew, above someone who wanted to sell him at Knockturn Alley any day, so he allowed his body to sag slightly in relief.

Lucius (he couldn't really call him Malfoy since he referred to Draco Malfoy like that), whom Harry knew liked rare and exotic creatures after listening in on one of Draco's rants, seemed to take in the situation before he brought up a hand to scratch behind his ears. "Here you are. Didn't I tell you to be careful until I got you your collar? Someone might sell you off to some very bad people. You can be glad that I put that tracking spell on you." With that, he turned around and apparated without even acknowledging the other man, but when Harry glanced back, he saw that the man had gone extremely pale.

The apparation took the last of Harry's energy out of him and the last thing he heard was Lucius summoning an elf and asking it to place the Shadowfox kit within his chambers. He didn't even register that the man was talking about him and that he currently found himself in Malfoy Manor. Though even if he did, he wouldn't have been able to do anything about it anyway.

Lucius POV

To say that he was surprised to stumble upon a Shadowfox kit right outside Gringotts as he apparated to the VIP entrance, was an understatement. But as he took in the scene of a man he didn't know, stalking toward the kit who was clearly weak and terrified, he found that he couldn't just ignore it, given his love for rare and exotic animals.

So, he scooped up the kit while hoping that it wouldn't attack him, and to his further surprise, it didn't. Instead, it sagged in his arms and this made him glance towards the other man. It was clear by the man's clothes that it was someone who had gambled their fortune away as soon as they received it and he had probably been trying to catch the kit in order to sell it. Shadowfox kits were extremely rare after all, since the foxes usually hid themselves and their kits within the very shadows themselves.

He admonished the kit as if it had run away from him before he apparated back to Malfoy Manor, completely forgetting his original reason for going to the bank in the first place due to the interesting turn of events. He called an elf and gave it the order to place the kit in his chambers, but even though the kit now seemed to be unconscious, it dug its claws into his clothes whenever he tried to remove it.

With a sigh, he asked the elf to prepare a bed for the kit instead as he made his way to his chambers. Narcissa had removed her things immediately when she heard that the Dark Lord was back and it wasn't long before he filed the divorce papers at her request. It didn't bother either of them since it was an arranged marriage and they still spoke sometimes as friends, but it was a relief to Lucius if he were to be completely honest with himself.

Neither of them had taken lovers during their marriage and except for the time that they had to sleep together in order to create an heir, he and Narcissa had slept in separate beds within the same chamber. He now felt freer than ever and even Draco had commented that his parents both looked happier.

It also calmed Lucius that while the Dark Lord was staying inside the Manor, Draco was able to spend his time with his mother in Italy. Lucius knew that he had made a choice to follow the Dark Lord, but that didn't necessarily mean that he wanted Draco to follow his example. Not with how the Dark Lord changed.

He frowned as he climbed the steps that led to his rooms. The Dark Lord had completely lost his sanity near the end of the last war and he just hoped that the man had regained his old self after spending so much time in the form of the wraith. If not, then even the death eaters might find themselves in trouble this time. As it was, he hadn't seen the Dark Lord more than five times since the man had called them in that graveyard, and yet his wards told him that the man was currently within the Manor.

The elves took his food to his rooms and they reported that he seemed to be quite busy with research if the books that were usually strewn around him, were any indication. Other than that, the man hadn't called upon any of his death eaters to give them missions so things were disturbingly quiet.

A whimper drew his attention back to the kit in his arms and he ran a hand over its soft fur. The kit probably lost its parents, otherwise, they would have come to claim him back already. He didn't know what he was going to do with it since he wasn't one for keeping pets despite his love for them, except for the white peacocks on his lawn and the numerous types of horse breeds in the stables, but a Shadowfox kit was very rare and it would find itself being sold for entertainment, research or ingredients if someone didn't look after it.

Draco wouldn't be able to take care of it since the school only allowed certain animals and even if it were allowed, too many students would seek to harm it due to not understanding its nature. Lucius himself had only come to learn about Shadowfoxes because his grandfather had an unhealthy obsession with learning everything that he could about obscure animals.

As he looked closely at it, he realized that it looked like the Vulpes Cana, more commonly known as the Blanford's Fox, which he had read about a while ago when he came across a book on fox species and their uses. But the Shadowfox's body was pitch black instead. It also had a slightly red coloring on the ears and feet, but it was only noticeable in the light.

He made it up to his room and saw that the elf had placed a pet bed in the corner. He tried once again to remove the fox while talking to it soothingly, but it refused to budge and, in the end, he settled on taking it with him to his office where he still had a few reports to read.

His business at Gringotts could at least wait a day he decided as he sat down on his chair. The kit lay in the crook of his left arm as he rested it on his lap and he set out to work with his remaining hand. Noon soon turned to evening and the elves came to light a fire and a few candles.

Lucius noticed that the kit seemed to be breathing a bit easier and he wondered whether the abundance of shadows that the candles made were the cause of it. He shifted a bit and brought his hand down to stroke the fur on the kit's back. As if to prove his thoughts, the kit snuggled deeper into the shadows that his raised arm now caused, but it did not let go of his other arm.

He shook his head in hidden exasperation before magically stacking the last of the reports and standing up. It was time for him to eat dinner and as indulging as he had been with the kit so far, he refused to allow any animals near the dinner table. He got to his room and finally managed to loosen the kit's nails with great difficulty without it waking up.

He then closed it with a blanket and stood, but a thought occurred to him and he transfigured a collar out of the tie that held his hair together and fixed it around the kit's neck after casting a few spells on it. The collar would let him know the location of the kit at all times and it would stop the kit from leaving the Manor. It would also act as a portkey to bring the kit directly to him if it sensed that it was in danger.

With that done, he went to have his dinner, but he stopped as he realized that the Dark Lord was sitting at the table as well and that he seemed to be waiting for him. Lucius silently took his seat after bowing his head in greeting and he waited for the Dark Lord to speak, but the man seemed content to eat first and Lucius followed his example warily. It would take time for him to get used to the more casual way that his lord behaved when compared to the end of the last war, but he was nothing if not good at adapting.

When dinner was finally done and the elves had carried away the plates as well as the leftovers, the Dark Lord finally turned his attention fully towards him and Lucius found that he didn't dare to move a muscle until he could figure out which mood his lord was in.

"Lucius, it has come to my attention that you have given away the diary that I had entrusted to you in the past. Do you deny this?" Lucius felt like he suddenly had ice running down his spine and his eyes widened before he bowed his head.

"I-I cannot deny this, my Lord. The Ministry had sent Aurors to search my home for dark artifacts after Dumbledore ordered his order rats to find a way to remove me from the Minister's council and so I had only a limited amount of time to remove everything. I slipped the diary into a bloodtraitor's cauldron in an effort to once again open the Chamber of Secrets as you ordered me to do when it was needed." He could feel that he had paled under the Dark Lord's gaze, but to his relief, the Dark Lord merely nodded before speaking instead of immediately throwing a crucio at him.

"Listen and listen closely, Lucius. Your disobedience played a very significant role in the fact that I was able to return as I once was and so I will not punish you for it this time, even though the diary was only meant to be used when I gave you the order to do so." Lucius was about to bow again to thank his lord as his body relaxed, but the Dark Lord suddenly stood with a cold expression on his face that said he wasn't done speaking.

"But, if you disregard my orders again, you will find yourself begging to be put out of your misery and your son will find himself taking over your position with a lot less perks." Lucius nodded and bowed once more, even as his thoughts raced, but then his mind locked on to the fact that the Dark Lord had spoken about regaining his former appearance.

He glanced up and visibly searched for any signs of a glamour. This caused the Dark Lord to smirk and he allowed his glamours to fall away. Lucius found himself staring at his lord in obvious shock as the snake-like features fell away to reveal a dark-haired man that looked like he was in his twenties.

The Dark Lord stood up and made his way around the table at a slow sedate pace. "This brings me to another reason for which I am here this evening. There is a way that you can regain my trust if you are interested." Lucius immediately gave him his full attention and the Dark Lord laughed darkly.

"Very well. I want you to retrieve Harry Potter for me. My research has proven to me that he would be more valuable to me alive than dead and I cannot inform the rest of the death eaters of this since there may be a spy or two within the ranks. Once you find him, he is not to be harmed in any way and he is to be given one of the guest rooms that I will be warding tomorrow. Is that clear?" Lucius nodded as the Dark Lord walked to the doors that led to his quarters before he paused.

"Oh, and Lucius, I want him here before the train departs for Hogwarts." With that, he walked away and Lucius realized that he only had a short amount of time to comply with his lord's wishes. He stood up and walked back towards his study. He had already been gathering information for the Dark Lord since he was sure that he would need it when the Dark Lord returned and it seems like he hadn't been wrong in his reasoning.

He took out the information that he had gathered on where Harry Potter spent his time in the summer. It had been all too easy to gain the information from the muggles that always came to fetch Potter and he had known the address for about a year already.

One might question why he didn't immediately give this information to the Dark Lord when he returned, but he had only been able to get the information validated a while back. After that, he had been busy trying to determine the wards that had been put up around the place, but he soon came to realize that not all the wards were protective in nature.

He sat back and ran a hand through his hair. Why would Dumbledore need to place restraint, loyalty, and compulsion charms on the house of the boy who is supposed to be the light's savior? It didn't make any sense unless the old man felt like the boy was slipping from his grasp.

A knock came from his office door and Lucius called the elf that he could sense through the wards, inside. The elf bowed low before giving him his mail. He dismissed the elf and looked through the mail until he found one with the Gringotts symbol stamped on it.

Lucius had written to the bank under the guise of wanting to buy Privet Drive number 4 and he had requested that they sent him a list of the wards that he could feel around the place. Seeing as Dumbledore had not allowed Harry Potter's address to be listed anywhere, the Goblins had merely decided that a witch or wizard must have secretly owned the place previously and so they had no problem with giving him a list of the wards.

The tests had of course been done while Harry Potter was at school and since underage sorcery was forbidden, the idea that a wizarding child could be living in the house, hadn't even crossed their minds.

He opened the letter and surveyed the list, but the more he read, the paler he became. From the number of spells and compulsions that were woven into the wards, it was clear that Dumbledore had feared that the boy would become a dark wizard.

Lucius didn't know why the man would think that, but the fact that the spells were reinforced like clockwork a day before school ended each year, ensured that even if the boy felt more inclined to the dark arts, the spells would bring him back in line after attending Hogwarts each year.

He sat there for a while, trying to decide whether he should bring this to the Dark Lord's attention or not, and, in the end, he gathered all of the evidence that he had collected and made his way to the Dark Lord's quarters. Experience told him that the Dark Lord hated it when information was kept from him and Lucius didn't want to suffer under a crucio on today of all days when he had successfully avoided it so far.

It didn't take him long to get to the entrance of the Dark Lord's chambers and an elf popped in next to him. "Tell the Dark Lord that I have information that he might be interested in." The elf bowed and popped away and it only took a second before the door in front of him opened.

Lucius followed the elf that he saw inside and it led him to the library where the Dark Lord sat at a desk. The man looked at him. "Did you find something?" Lucius nodded.

"I have been looking for information on Harry Potter's living arrangements since before you returned my lord and the Goblins just sent me the information on the wards. There are a few spells and charms that might catch your interest."

The Dark Lord lifted a brow in interest. "And how is it that you were able to gain this information, Lucius?" Voldemort waved his hand at a chair as he spoke, and Lucius immediately sat down. "The old fool thought himself clever when he hid the boy's address from everyone, including the Ministry and Gringotts. I only had to enquire about the wards of a house that I am interested in buying as a safe-house and the Goblins immediately set to work with a bit of extra coin as an incentive."

The Dark Lord grinned evilly as he held out his hand and Lucius gave him the stack of information that he had found on the boy, with the letter from the Goblins on top. The Dark Lord's expression turned into a frown as he read on and, at the end, he put down the pages and gazed intently at his second in command.

"You think that he may be inclined more to the dark side of magic and that the old man is using magic to influence his behavior and decisions?" Lucius nodded and the Dark Lord turned thoughtful before an evil grin took its place. "Well, then we will just have to break these compulsions to see the true character that lay underneath. If we can have him as an ally instead of a prisoner then I would go as far as to say the war is won."

Lucius allowed himself to grin at the thought. "If I may, my lord. I will buy the property and have the muggles sign a new lease form. The goblins will break down the wards and replace them with wards of my own specification. We can then grab the boy a few days before he has to board the train and see how much the wards really influenced him."

The Dark Lord nodded. "Do so immediately. I have heard that the Order intends to post a few of their members as guards in a few days because they have been short-handed up until now and that one of our spies will be the first to stand watch. He may be able to help you to remove the boy. You may also enlist your son's help since he may know the boy better than most of us. But make sure he knows that he is to keep quiet about it."

Lucius bowed and was about to leave as the clear dismissal ordered, but an alarm went off and the spells he put on the Shadowfox kit's collar, registered that the kit was trying to escape through a window that the elves had left open in his room.

He immediately reverse-portkeyed the kit into his arms and the kit settled down immediately as it saw him. That was until the kit turned his gaze and saw the room's other occupant and it let out a fearful whimper before pushing its way into the wide sleeve of his robe.

Lucius turned to the Dark Lord, who only seemed to watch them in fascination before he lifted a brow that clearly stated that he wanted an explanation. "My apologies my lord. I found this Shadowfox kit as I apparated to Gringotts a few hours ago. A lowlife had it cornered since it was clearly too weak to move and I decided to bring it home with me. I put a spell on the collar that would alert me if it found itself in danger and I portkeyed it to me the moment the alarm went off."

The man looked at the quivering lump that was hiding underneath his second-in-command's sleeve. He picked up his wand and ran a few diagnostic charms over it. "It does seem to be a bit malnourished and very weak. I have never heard of one growing attached to a wizard, but it must have sensed the alternative. It may be quite interesting to see how this bond would form as it grows older."

Lucius nodded and his face revealed none of his thoughts, but inside he felt his entire body sag in relief. It proved to him that the Dark Lord had at least regained some of his sanity. If it had been the version of the Dark Lord from the first war, then man would have forcefully taken the kit and experimented on it in order to see whether its abilities would be of any use. He was glad that his lapse in judgment of immediately summoning the kit towards him had not ended in dire consequences for the kit.

The kit in his arms had stopped shivering when it realized that the Dark Lord wasn't going to hurt it and it was now peaking warily out of his sleeve at the man. A glance at the Dark Lord told him that his lord was amused at the kit's antics and when he glanced down again, he was startled to see that the color of the kit's eyes and the Dark Lord's were a perfect match.

But he didn't get to ponder over it since the man drew one of the texts that he had been working on, nearer. "Let me know as soon as you find out whether the compulsion charms and other spells that the old coot had placed on Potter's home have actually been stopping his true self from coming out. I wouldn't put it past the old man to have placed quite a few on the boy himself as well. We need to either draw him to our side or get him to become neutral. We can't allow this manipulation to continue."

Lucius bowed and then left the room. He looked down at the kit as he walked and he was surprised to find that the kit looked deep in thought, but he didn't let it bother him. Shadowfoxes were notorious for being clever and he wouldn't put it past the kit to be able to understand them.

He made his way to his room and set the kit down on its bed before going into the bathroom to grab a shower. When he finished, he wrapped a towel around his waist and walked toward his cupboard. He had just opened the doors when a choked whimper sounded out behind him and he turned around to see the kit looking at him with a strange expression on its face.

He just shrugged and turned before taking out the pants he usually wore to bed. When he glanced back at the kit, he found that it had turned around as if to give him some privacy. The thought of a modest kit made him laugh softly and he cast a mouth-cleaning charm before getting into bed and placing his wand underneath his pillow.

He turned to the side and found that he could perfectly see the kit on its bed. A rumbling sound echoed in the room and Lucius sat up in surprise before cursing softly and calling an elf while looking at the kit, who seemed to creep more into a corner under his gaze.

An elf popped in and he ordered it to bring a few different types of raw meat as well as cooked meat and a bowl of milk. The elf popped away immediately and the kit looked at him as if it was surprised. Lucius scoffed as he went over to pick up the kit before sitting on his bed. "You were sleeping while I ate and so I forgot to feed you."

The elf popped back with a tray and Lucius placed the kit on the floor near the food. It looked at him as if asking for permission before it hesitantly walked forward to take a bite. After the first bite, it seemed to realize how hungry it was and it scarfed down the food before drinking the milk.

Lucius noticed that it seemed to prefer cooked meat to raw meat until it accidentally swallowed a piece of raw meat as well. In the end, none of the meat remained and the kit walked over to its bed before curling up onto it. It yawned glancing down at its collar and then at Lucius and the man could almost hear the question in his mind.

"I put the collar on you so that you wouldn't get hurt or taken. Shadowfox kits are rare and most people would pay a fortune to use you for research, entertainment, or potion ingredients. Since I do not require those things and because I have a high enough standing that no one would dare to steal you from me, I decided to bring you here."

The kit looked at him for a moment or two longer before it gave another yawn and settled down to close his eyes. Lucius decided to follow its example and he settled down before sending a wave of wandless magic through the room to make it dark. He needed all the sleep he could get if he wanted to find Harry Potter.

Harry POV

When Harry finally opened his eyes the next morning, memories rushed through his mind and he cursed his bad luck for getting him into his current situation. Not that he minded the soft bed when the alternative was a cold dungeon, but now he had no hope of escaping until he got the collar removed.

His initial plan had been simple. Go with Lucius Malfoy since it was better than being sold at Knockturn Alley, then escape once the coast was clear. It would have worked up until the point where Lucius decided to collar him in his sleep. He didn't know which spells were on it, but the few he had been able to work out so far were tracking and portkey spells as well as a spell that kept him from leaving the house alone.

Harry winced as he remembered his escape out of the window. One of his paws had slipped as he tried to judge the height of the building and he had been falling when Lucius had used the portkey in the collar to summon him to his side. At that moment he had actually been ready to kiss the wizard since the fall would have definitely killed him at that height and so he had settled in the wizard's arms while he tried to get over the scare.

The feeling of safety had lasted for all of two seconds before he smelled someone else in the room and he had let out a whimper in fear the moment he realized that he found himself in the company of Voldemort.

The man's eyes had stared at him intently and so he did the only thing he could do and crawled into Lucius' sleeve. He might have been prophesised to defeat the Voldemort, but he doubted he could do much in his current form. He felt spells running over him and it had taken him a few moments to realize that they were diagnostic spells and not curses.

As he realized that Voldemort didn't know who he was, he allowed himself to observe the man and his traitorous thoughts soon whispered that the man looked as good or maybe even better than he had looked at sixteen. In short, he looked hot and it wasn't hard to see why he had easily been able to win people over to his side.

When the two wizards started talking about him, it took him a while to process that they weren't talking about killing him. Instead, they were speaking or luring him to the dark side or allowing him to become neutral while also saying that Dumbledore had placed spells and charms on him.

He had immediately mentally denied it of course. He wanted to help the light side of his own free will. It wasn't Dumbledore that made him fight. The man just wanted to help him. And that mantra continued in his mind until he looked down at the paperwork on the desk below him.

He immediately recognised the Dursleys' house as well as the fact that it was attached to an official Gringotts letter. Thanks to the awesome eyesight of his current form, he was able to read the wards and spells that the Goblins had listed in the letter. The supposed blood-wards that Dumbledore kept going on about were not listed at all.

A painful feeling reared up in his chest as he realized that Dumbledore could have been lying to him and manipulating him this whole time, but he pushed it down. He couldn't just trust the dark side on words and letters alone. He needed his own proof. He just didn't know how to go about getting it.

As he thought this, he realized that Lucius was already making his way back to his rooms. The man laid him down on his bed and walked into another room. A few minutes later, Harry heard the shower turn on and he settled down to wait. He realized that his stomach was rumbling since he hadn't eaten since the previous night, but he tried to ignore it and go to sleep.

Footsteps made him open his eyes and Harry froze when he realized that he was watching Lucius Malfoy walk past him in nothing but a towel. He mentally scolded himself and tried to avert his gaze, but it was simply impossible. The man looked like one of those Greek gods that he had seen in one of Hermione's books and if Harry hadn't already known he was gay, then his thoughts about Voldemort and Lucius definitely proved it.

A whimper left his throat at the realization that he was eyeing two wizards that badly wanted to kill him in the past, and who probably still do. It didn't make any sense at all and the thought made him turn away from Lucius in order to give the man some privacy. Instead, he tried to think of Draco to try and see if it had the same effect, but his mind came up empty.

Harry mentally shrugged and settled down to sleep. It at least proved that he hadn't accidentally taken in a hormone potion or whatever it was that would make him think inappropriate thoughts about any male person that he saw or thought about. He heard Lucius climb into bed and the thought of having to sleep on a doggy bed made him frown. If it wasn't for the fact that he had to keep acting like a real fox kit, he would have simply refused to sleep in a doggy bed. It reminded him too much of the taunts from the Dursleys and specifically, Marge.

A rumble echoed around the room and to Harry's embarrassment, he realized that it had been his stomach. He moved back into the corner as a slight fear overtook him. What if Lucius punished him for being noisy while he was trying to sleep? The man had been acting extremely out of character from the moment he had seen him and he didn't know when the man would return to the thoughtless Lucius Malfoy that he knew from experience.

The man stood up and called an elf and Harry tensed, but the man merely picked him up gently before telling him that he had forgotten to feed him while moving to sit on the bed. Harry was surprised that the man would actually admit that he had made a mistake.

The elf popped back in and Lucius placed Harry near the food. Harry found himself relieved that there was cooked meat on the plate, but one taste of the raw meat reminded him that he was in the form of a fox and foxes had a different sense of taste. In the end, he had eaten everything before drinking the milk and he had settled down to sleep after Lucius told him about the reason for the collar.

Now that it was the next morning, Harry realized that he could use his current situation to his benefit. If Dumbledore was really using those spells and charms on him then they would weaken while he was away from the old man's influence and if it was only a trick from Voldemort, then he would be in the perfect place to strike in order to kill the Dark Lord.

Harry grimaced. He didn't like the thought of killing anyone. His eyes widened as an errant thought registered in his mind. Why would he have to? There were so many grown wizards who were better trained than he was so why couldn't they be the ones to do it? Would it be so bad if he just disappeared for a while?

His thoughts turned to his friends, his godfather, and a few other people who were important to him. Were they in on the scheme if he found that Dumbledore was guilty? That was something else that he needed to find out and as much as it pained him, he would rather be able to trust them completely when everything was said and done than walking around with a sliver of doubt in the end.

He mentally sighed as he surveyed his surroundings and a soft snore almost made him laugh. True, he only heard it because of his improved hearing, but he actually imagined Draco Malfoy standing in front of him and stating haughtily that Malfoys do not snore. He knew that he was trying to use humor to fight back the sense of fear that he was experiencing, but the thoughts also gave him a sense of purpose.

He would find out the truth about the dark and light sides of the war. The idea of being able to act however he wanted had a lot of merit behind it and he was reminded of when he was so much younger. He was sure that every child wished that they could take on the form of an animal to escape their responsibilities for a while and now he actually had the chance to do it.

A pop sounded in the room and he saw that an elf that looked a lot like Dobby, had appeared. The elf gave him one look before walking over and picking him up and popping out again before he could even make a sound. Harry felt extremely bewildered until he found himself in the middle of a kitchen full of about thirty house elves who were all staring at him.

The elf that brought him there, set him down and walked in front of him to face him with a stern expression. "We elves be knowing that yous be a wizard in animal form. We's be hoping that you do not harm Master Malfoy or we's elves be's very upset!"

Harry was shocked to find that all the elves around him seemed to agree with the elf that had spoken. He thought that all the Malfoy elves were like Dobby and that they were being mistreated, but judging by the clean outfits they wore, this was not the case.

He wanted to ask the elf to clarify, but he knew that he could not change back without alerting Lucius and Voldemort about his presence. The elf seemed to see this because it nodded. "House elf magic be's hiding animal wizard in human form, if animal wizard be's wanting to speak."

Harry nodded since it didn't seem like he had any other choice. The elf made a dome shield around him and he prepared to change back…but found that he couldn't. He looked at the elf in panic, but the elf merely shook its head. "Animal wizard must not worry. Wizard spell can make animal wizard change back. May Betsy cast animal speak spell?"

Harry nodded in resignation. It meant that he would not be able to change back unless he practiced or if someone decided to cast a reverse Animagus spell on him. The elf cast the spell and Harry was surprised when the elves could suddenly understand the jip (that is to say curse) that he let out in frustration.

The elf looked at him admonishingly. "Mr. Animal Wizard, that be's not a nice thing to say!" He nodded, but this time it was with a smile (well inwardly at least since foxes can't really smile, can they?) "Sorry, I do not mean your master harm, Betsy. I am known as Harry Potter and I accidentally came into your master's care. I just want to make sure that they mean it when they say that they do not want to hurt me and then I will reveal myself."

The elves around him started talking excitedly. "Oh, Master Lucius and Master Draco be's very happy. Master Harry be's making masters very happy. We's elves be's not saying anything." With that, the elf cast the counter spell and Harry found himself on the doggy bed again while blinking in surprise as he saw Betsy leave. It was good to see that they didn't start fawning all over him like the Hogwarts elves were prone to do, but the change in location happened a little too fast for him to like it completely since it threw him for a loop.

House elves were scary when they wanted to be.

He looked down to find that the elves had even placed down breakfast for him and he quickly ate the bacon and eggs that the elves had given him while simultaneously thanking and cursing the excitable house elves. He hoped that they realized that they could spoil his cover if they gave him human food like this.

The sound of a yawn came from the bed just as Harry finished his meal and he looked up to see Lucius staring right at him before moving to sit at the edge of the bed. "It seems that the elves really like you if they already gave you breakfast. We really need to think of a name for you though, unless you do not want to stay?"

Harry jipped and moved closer to Lucius and jumped up to set his paws on the man's knee even though he could barely reach since he was still a kit. This made Lucius chuckle and he leaned forward to pick him up before settling him on his lap. "Well then, what will we name you? As much as I find myself calling you Kit, I doubt that it is a worthy name for you and as much as I would like to call you Demon because of your red eyes, I doubt the Dark Lord will find humor in the situation. What about Khal? After Khalkaroth the demon lord of shadow?"

Harry jumped up and barked in excitement. For the time being, he would now be known as Khal. (A/N: Harry will now be referred to as Khal since using the two names to refer to one person could really get confusing and it sounds kind of weird when using Harry's name while describing animal actions.) Lucius nodded and set him down again before going through his normal morning routine. Once he was finished, he motioned for Khal to follow him.

Khal didn't even bother to hide the fact that he was glad to get out of the room. He spent way too much time in a single room at the Dursleys anyway. He followed Lucius and the man had just opened his office door when the Floo flared up and Draco Malfoy stepped out of the fire. "Good morning Father."

Lucius nodded his head and Khal was surprised to see a genuine smile on both their faces. "Good morning Draco. How was Italy?" Lucius moved to sit down behind his desk and Malfoy followed his example by taking one of the other chairs on the other side of the desk.

"It was all right. Mother is keeping busy with running her new business, but we did get to spend quite a lot of time together. I spent the rest of my time with Blaise and Theo though, we…" Khal was heading to the warm-looking fire to the one side of the room when he registered that Malfoy had stopped talking. It was immediately followed by the light scraping sound of a chair being pushed back and he suddenly found himself in Malfoy's arms.

He allowed himself to give an angry huff at the fact that everyone's immediate reaction to him was to pick him up, but that only lasted for a few seconds as he found Draco's hand scratching a delightful itch under his chin that he hadn't even known was there.

An amused chuckle echoed around the room and Khal peeked one eye open (When had he closed them?), only to see Lucius watching them with an amused expression on his face. "His name is Khal and as you can see, he is a Shadowfox. I found him at the Gringotts VIP entrance. I guess he preferred me more to the man who seemed like he wanted to sell the kit off."

Malfoy stopped scratching his chin and Khal looked up to see a look of irritation slipping over his classmate's features. "The man probably would have sold him at Knockturn Alley without a second thought." He frowned before glancing at his father and moving to sit back down again with Khal on his lap. "I thought Shadowfoxes were extremely rare? To see an unprotected kit is as rare as finding a phoenix. Could this be some kind of trick?"

Lucius shook his head. "It is as you say, but the kit was extremely weak when I found him, and the Dark Lord himself scanned the kit. Khal wouldn't be here if the Dark Lord even suspected that he could be a danger to us." Malfoy's features relaxed and he started scratching behind Khal's ears.

Lucius sat forward and studied his son for a moment before he spoke again. "How do you feel about Harry Potter, Draco?" Malfoy froze for a split second before he resumed scratching, this time behind the other ear.

"I still want to be his friend, even though I know that it is impossible with the coming war." Lucius nodded in understanding before he took out his own copies of the information that he had on Harry Potter.

"The Dark Lord has given me a task…" At Malfoy's panicked look, he held up his hand and shook his head. "The task is to either bring Harry Potter to our side or to have him remain neutral in the war." Khal could feel Malfoy's body slightly sag back in shock and he found himself wondering whether the Malfoy heir actually wanted to be his friend for something other than the fame that his name carried or the fact that it would have made him easier to get to for the dark side.

Lucius nodded at the shocked expression on his son's face and Malfoy quickly schooled his features before Lucius continued to explain. "It has come to our attention that the headmaster has been casting numerous spells on Potter's home, spells that are meant to control. We only have a few days to bring him here before the Order can place their guards and we know that he will not come willingly at first, even without the spells. By now the Dark Lord will have set up his room and he is counting on us to not fail."

Khal glanced between the two men and he was surprised to see a burning determination in both their eyes. He ignored the need to nip himself in order to make sure that he hadn't fallen into some kind of twilight zone. Something was keeping him back from revealing himself. A part of him was still thinking that this had to be some kind of trap and he hung his head as he realized what the problem was.

Even if the dark side didn't seem to want to kill him anymore, what about the light side? He still didn't know if Dumbledore really cast the spells on him and if he did, then he needed to find out who else was involved. He tuned the two Malfoys out as he heard the conversation turning to the general Q and A about Harry Potter's actions at school, especially near the end of the school year.

He filed the answers that Malfoy gave, away for later use as he tried to determine whether there was anything he could do without alerting Lucius or even worse, the Dark Lord. He was just about to give in to the impulse of banging his head against the table in frustration when his answer came unexpectedly from Lucius as Malfoy was getting ready to leave.

"I will be taking Khal with me to Diagon Alley today. I need to visit the bank and I need to buy a few things for him." Malfoy nodded. "I would have accompanied you father, but I already made plans to spend the day with Blaise and Theo." Lucius nodded, showing that he understood.

With that, Malfoy stood up and placed him on the floor near the fire. Lucius smiled again. "See you later Draco. Remember to keep the latest information to yourself. You can invite Theo and Blaise over for dinner tonight if you want. Just make sure that you do not disturb the Dark Lord."

Malfoy smiled and nodded before he slipped out of the room after saying goodbye. Khal glanced around, only to find Lucius' eyes on him. "He is still torn up about the fact that Harry Potter didn't accept his friendship. He may have been acting like a spoiled child back then, but his offer was genuine. I just hope that Potter recognizes that Draco is not that child anymore."

For a second Khal thought that he had been found out, but Lucius merely returned to the work on his desk and he realized that the man seemed to be speaking more to himself than anything else. Khal soon found himself dozing off in front of the heat of the fire as he thought about the new developments. Would he want to be Draco's friend after everything that had already happened between them? The younger Malfoy had indeed been less of a git than usual, but he and Ron still fought a lot.

Khal mentally grimaced. But that was just it. Yes, he sometimes stepped in when it looked like someone was going to get hurt, but now that he thought about it, Ron and Malfoy kind of acted like two dogs fighting over a bone and Khal/Harry was the bone!

He mentally snickered at the image that, that thought invoked in his mind, and without even asking for his permission, Hermione forced her way into the image as a referee holding two flags, one red and one green. Khal rolled onto his back in silent laughter which tapered off into a shocked yip as he found himself being lifted off the ground.

He turned his head and saw that it was Lucius who had picked him up. "Now I wonder what could be so amusing to you." Khal could see that the man was thinking a little too much, so he did something that would distract him. He arched over as if he was aiming to lick Lucius in the face, knowing that the man would not allow it, before struggling as if he wanted to be put down.

The older man did so with a laugh and Khal sat down before gazing up at the man. Lucius waved his wand to set everything on his table back in order before he walked out and held the door open for Khal, who followed him. He closed the door and walked to the dining room before he realized that the Dark Lord seemed to be joining him once more. Khal yipped and made a beeline for the pet bed that Lucius only now noticed.

The Dark Lord lifted a brow and Lucius shrugged before he mentally cursed himself for being so casual in front of his lord. Luckily the Dark Lord just waved it off, but his expression still demanded an explanation. "It seems that the house elves have taken a liking to Khal. He even had his breakfast already this morning when I woke up."

Lucius was shocked to see humor in the Dark Lord's eyes, but he hid it. This man looked and acted a lot like the man that his father had first followed and whom he had later joined. He was still reserving his judgment, but if the Dark Lord had completely or even just mostly returned to his sanity, then the Light side had lost their chance to win.

The Dark Lord looked at the kit who seemed to be sleeping happily once more. "He seems to be a lot more at ease now." Lucius nodded as the Dark Lord turned back to him. "What are your plans for today?" He sounded more curious than anything else, but Lucius knew that it was his way of asking whether the Malfoy Patriarch had made any progress yet.

"I have some business at Gringotts today regarding the muggle house. The funds are already secured so they will be removing the wards today. It has already been arranged that the family will be gone while they are having their home cleared of a pest infestation. I will be going under a glamour to see if I can find out anything about Potter while I am there." He had found the letter on his desk after Draco had left and it moved their plans forward by quite a bit.

The Dark Lord nodded and Lucius calmed a little more as he realized that the Dark Lord was satisfied with his progress. They ate the rest of the meal in silence and Lucius moved to pick Khal up as soon as the Dark Lord excused himself.

They apparated to the Gringotts VIP entrance where a Goblin informed the man that no pets were allowed in the bank. The Goblin offered to watch Khal for a fee and Lucius nodded before he left with only a single glance backwards. No Goblin would dare to do something to hurt the bank's reputation so he allowed it. Another Goblin walked up to them and Khal started worrying as he was easily handed over.

The Goblin started walking to the back rooms and Khal was just about to kick up a fuss when the Goblin chuckled before whispering under its breath. "Not to worry Heir Potter. We merely have a few things to sort out regarding your accounts and I doubt that you want your companion to know who you really are."

The words immediately caused Khal to freeze and he glanced up before allowing himself to relax. It was Griphook that now carried him he realized. The Goblin walked into an office before closing the door and placing Khal down on a seat. He waved his hand once and Khal felt a sickening feeling course through his body before he opened his eyes and found that he was human again. He was really glad to find that he was still fully clothed as well. He looked up to see the Goblin watching him with a thoughtful expression.

"Ministry sensors and tracking and monitoring charms do not work in here. Did you know this Heir Potter?" Harry shook his head and then stilled as he realized what the Goblin was actually saying. He could practice the Animagus transformation a few times before he left today.

"Thank you Master Griphook, now what was this about my accounts? I only know of one and that is my trust fund." The Goblin looked at him strangely before writing a note and waving his hand to send it off somewhere. "You do not just have one account, Heir Potter, you have several prominent bloodlines running through your veins. Although it would be up to the heir rings themselves to decide whether you are eligible or worthy enough to gain the heir- or lordship."

With this, he took a bowl from one of the behind him and placed it on the table. A knock sounded on the door and another Goblin entered with a dagger. The dagger was placed on a velvet cloth before the other Goblin left again without saying a word.

Harry kept calm as he studied the beautiful dagger. Bill had explained the process to him once before saying that it was something Harry would one day go through. Harry frowned. Now that he thought about it, Bill had also looked at him strangely when he insisted that he only had his trust fund.

The Goblin seemed to catch his train of thought. "Yes, Heir Potter. Bill Weasley was the one that alerted us to the fact that he had an idea that there were irregularities in both your accounts and the fact that you seemed to have no knowledge about your duties. Your previous accountant has been tried and dealt with. None of the heirlooms were removed except for an invisibility cloak and we have it on good authority that it has found its way back to you, but he did participate in keeping you in the dark about your potential inheritance and this is a most grievous action in the eyes of the bank."

Harry nodded in shock, but he was very glad to hear that, if nothing else, the people he had once trusted had at least not been stealing from him. While thinking this, he forgot that Griphook had specifically mentioned that it was only the case with the heirlooms. Griphook took out a stack of paper. "This is another reason as to why we had to speak with you. Your magical guardian, Albus Dumbledore, seems to have greatly neglected his duties and in turn, he also authorized several documents that have influenced you greatly thus far."

Harry sat forward even though he had an idea that he really wasn't going to like this. And he found that he was right as the Goblin went through the list of 'several' documents. "The first document was to seal away the joint will of your parents. He classified it as having placed you in a safe place and that you might want to open the will yourself one day." With this, Griphook handed him the will.

Harry slowly opened it and at the end, all he felt was a great loss. He turned to Griphook. "Please make sure that this reaches the Ministry. It will prove that my Godfather is innocent and then I can…" Harry paused as Griphook held up his hand.

"The first request I can do, but please reserve any plans you have made regarding your living arrangements, until the end of the session." Harry nodded. He was slightly bewildered, but Griphook hasn't steered him wrong yet.

"The second document was filed in order to give monthly payments to first the Dursleys and then from your first year onwards, to the Weasleys as well." Harry felt his chest clench tightly as he heard this, but he stayed quiet as the Goblin glanced up from his document. "The Dursleys sent back a note, saying that they refused to accept any money from magical folk, and the Weasley Patriarch and Matriarch paid us a visit in person while stating quite heatedly that they refused to take money from one of their children."

Harry felt his body sag back in relief. He had honestly been expecting the worst when he heard Lucius and Voldemort's remarks and as he saw the documents, but so far it seemed like it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Heck, even his so-called relatives had refused, and they hadn't treated him too badly over the years, except for the excessive amount of chores and little food.

Griphook nodded. "Moving on then. The third document was drawn up in your second year and this requested a binding marriage to one Ginerva Weasley (A/N Ginerva and Minerva, anyone else see the resemblance? Just noticed it due to auto-correct lol.), once you came of age. Fortunately for you and unfortunately for Dumbledore, the Weasley family has a tradition of drawing up marriage contracts that can only be filled in by the relevant Weasley family member and since it is written up at birth, it cancels any contracts that may appear afterward."

Harry gave a sigh of relief at this. He really needed to thank Arthur and Molly Weasley as he saw things so far. He wondered what Mr. Weasley would make of a computer. The man already had a magic-free zone in the house so it could work if he got a generator with it. Harry just had to figure out something that he could use as a cost-free alternative energy source.

He glanced back at Griphook who was waiting patiently and he decided to keep his thoughts for later. Griphook took out the next page. "There are only two contracts remaining. The first was a petition for your guardianship, but this wasn't processed since it was drawn up just before Bill Weasley approached us and we acted as soon as we received the notice. We have found that it would be detrimental to your health since he couldn't even fulfill his duties as a magical guardian and as such we started searching for an alternative guardian for you."

Griphook suddenly gave him a predatory smile and Harry found himself wondering about what the Goblin had planned. Griphook took out the last document. "This is the last document that we received, but it was not done with Dumbledore's permission. You see, the headmaster knew that as a magical guardian, he could remove your choice on whether you wanted to compete or not, but what he didn't know, is that in doing so, he had immediately declared you to be emancipated."

Harry closed his eyes as he realized what this meant. He had been declared an adult in the wizarding world ever since his name came out of the Goblet of Fire. Griphook grinned. "That is why you were able to cast those spells in that graveyard without any repercussions Mr Potter." Harry gazed at the Goblin in shock. He hadn't even thought about the fact that he had done magic outside of Hogwarts at that time.

Griphook slid the form over to him. "This is your copy. It was done through a magically binding contract so it doesn't require your signature. Now for the last order of business now that you are legally emancipated."

Griphook slid the bowl forward after pouring a potion into it and handed Harry the dagger. "As you know, this potion will reveal any heir- or lordships that you are in line to receive. It will also reveal any magical influence that you may be under and we will of course break the influences for a small fee."

Harry nodded in understanding and slid the blade over the palm of his hand with a small grimace, before he allowed seven drops of his blood to drip into the potion. Griphook waved his hand once more and Harry found that his hand had been healed. The Goblin took a piece of parchment and seeped it into the potion before removing it and waving his hand over the potion.

Four rings appeared as the potion evaporated and Harry looked at Griphook for an explanation. The Goblin simply slid the parchment over to him in exchange and Harry picked it up with shaking hands and felt a surge of energy running through him before it receded into his hands and onto the parchment to add more notes. It read:

Harry James Potter

Mother: Lily Potter (Miss Evans)

Father: James Potter (Lord Potter)

Godfather: Sirius Orion Black (Lord Black)

Heir to:

House of Slytherin (Through soul-heir bond)

House of Gaunt (Through soul-heir bond) *NOW DISSOLVED*

House of Black (Through the will of the Black Lord)

House of Peverell (Through link to Ignotus Peverell and soul-heir bond) *AVAILABLE

Lord of:

Potter Lordship (Through inheritance.)

Blocks:

Apparition – Dissolved with license or emancipation (Lily and James Potter)

Flying – Dissolved on 11th birthday (Lily and James Potter)

Animagus (If one is acquired) – Dissolved on 11th birthday (James Potter)

Magic – 25% forcefully dissolved due to Animagus form (A.P.W.B. Dumbledore)

Parseltongue – 100% unlocked due to soul-shard (Inheritance and Slytherin line)

Parselmagic – 100% unlocked due to soul-shard (Inheritance and Slytherin line)

Spells and charms on person:

Loyalty charm to the 'light' – Negated due to Animagus form (A.P.W.B. Dumbledore)

Loyalty charm to 'Gryffindors' – Negated due to Animagus form (A.P.W.B. Dumbledore)

Loyalty charm to 'A.P.W.B Dumbledore' – Negated due to Animagus form (A.P.W.B. Dumbledore)

Loyalty charm to 'Hermione Granger' – Negated due to true loyalty (A.P.W.B. Dumbledore)

Loyalty charm to 'Ron Weasley' – Negated due to true loyalty (A.P.W.B. Dumbledore)

Loyalty charm to 'Ginny Weasley' – Negated due to true loyalty (A.P.W.B. Dumbledore)

Loyalty charm to 'Weasley family' – Negated due to true loyalty (A.P.W.B. Dumbledore)

Spouse charm to 'Ginny Weasley' – Negated due to Animagus form (A.P.W.B. Dumbledore)

Distrust charm against 'dark' – Negated due to Animagus form (A.P.W.B. Dumbledore)

Distrust charm against 'Slytherins' – Negated due to Animagus form (A.P.W.B. Dumbledore)

Distrust charm against 'Severus Snape' – Negated due to Animagus form (A.P.W.B. Dumbledore)

Other:

Horcrux vessel – 10% (Now 25%) Active (Tom Marvolo Riddle/Voldemort)

Harry's eyes scanned the parchment a few times. Half of him was hoping that what he read about Dumbledore was a lie and the other half rejoiced that he didn't see Sirius or Remus on the list and that the entire Weasley clan as well as Hermione seemed to care about him to such an extent that the loyalty charms on him had dissolved.

In truth, he didn't know what to think and a part of him was still convinced that Dumbledore only did what he thought was good for him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts before he looked at Griphook. "I don't care what you do, just get the rest of these compulsions off of me even if most of them are broken already. Leave the Horcrux though, I know enough to know that it cannot influence my decisions and it might be useful at a later stage."

Sure it had thrown him for a complete loop to learn about the Horcrux, given that fake Moody had prescribed quite a bit of reading material to him in preparation for the tournament, and he was planning on thoroughly freaking out about it later when he was alone, but for now, he knew he could use it as a means to stay alive if needed.

Griphook nodded and snapped his fingers. A moment later two other Goblins appeared and it made Harry wonder whether their conversation had really been private. The Goblin gazed at him sternly and Harry forced his mind to settle down. Now was not the time to be suspicious about anyone and everyone.

The two Goblins motioned for him to follow them as they moved to the back of the bank and Harry's eyes widened slightly as they entered a gigantic ritual room.

They motioned for him to lay down on a mat that felt like it was made from Arcomantula silk, but that was the last thing he remembered as they started chanting. He did think about the fact that he didn't even know where the rest of the group came from, but when he came back to his senses again, he felt much lighter. He also noticed that the chamber was deserted except for Griphook and that it seemed to be very late.

The thought had him quickly sitting up in shock until Griphook set a hand on his shoulder. "Do not worry, this is a time chamber. Five hours may have passed inside here, but outside there, it has only been a few moments and Lord Malfoy isn't done with his affairs yet. In fact, this is the perfect time to practice your Animagus transformation and I will even be able to teach you a goblin-made spell that would enable you to retain your form, even if someone performs the revealing spell on you."

Harry nodded and lay back down. It went without saying that there would be a charge, but he knew that he needed it if he wanted to continue posing as a shadowfox kit. Both sides had people who were a bit too paranoid for their own good and he didn't like the thought of one of them uncovering him.

By the time he had to leave, he had mostly gotten the hang of changing, although there were still a few hiccups here and there.

The spell itself was relatively straightforward and Harry soon found himself back in the form of Khal and being handed over to Lucius. They had just arrived home when he was suddenly placed down on a couch and he found himself freezing in place as he came face to face with the Malfoy Lord's wand.

He was sure that the Malfoy Lord had somehow found out about who he really was and that he was now very angry at being lied to. Khal wondered whether there was a way to diffuse the situation and explain that he hadn't meant any harm.

But instead of his life now being over like he thought it was, Lucius simply cast the same detection and evaluation spells on him that the Dark Lord had cast the previous day. It was only then that Khal realized that Lucius had actually been very worried about him and that sudden thought made him feel bad for hiding his identity from him.

The man's shoulders slightly sagged in relief and he turned to pour himself a Firewhisky before sinking down on the couch beside Khal. He took one sip and laid back before closing his eyes and Khal found that he was worried about the man in turn.

It was too fast for such feelings to develop, but Harry simply put it off as currently being dependent on Lucius and Lucius simply decided that it must be the Khal's presence that he'd gotten used to.

He again noticed the man's handsome features as he moved closer and in the end, he decided to curl up on the man's lap. This caused Lucius to lift his head with a chuckle and he took another sip of whisky while laying his other hand on Khal's head.

"I think you should rather stay here when I go investigate Potter's home. You would stand out too much and I would rather have you safe here, than in the presence of those muggles."

Khal could feel that the ritual from earlier had taken quite a bit out of him, so he didn't argue. Instead, he gave a big yawn and snuggled up tighter. He knew that he would probably freak himself out if he allowed himself to think that he was actually dozing off on Lucius Malfoy's lap, so he was thankful when he passed out from exhaustion before his mind could even hook on to that line of thought.

Lucius POV

Lucius gently carried a sleeping Khal up to his bedroom, but instead of placing him on his doggy bed, he impulsively placed him on his own bed instead. He then lightly closed him with a blanket before leaving the room with only a single backward glance.

The sooner he went to Potter's house, the sooner he could be back he decided, so he apparated to a deserted house near Privet Drive no.4, before placing a glamour and a notice-me-not-charm on himself.

He found himself spotting Severus in the shade of a tree quite easily, but he knew that it was only because they had been friends for such a long time since the man had positioned himself in an area where the trees cast the most shadows.

The thought made him slow his gait and he found himself inwardly frowning. He knew that Severus was loyal to the Dark Lord and that Dumbledore had tricked him into making a vow to protect Potter, but what would happen now?

Yes, Severus might be able to protect the boy more openly now, but that would only happen if he survived the Dark Lord's wrath once he found out that Severus had been working against him for a while. Lucius knew that even though Severus had been tricked into forming the vow, he had truly meant every word of it and the man wouldn't hesitate to lay down his life for the boy.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a question of whether it would happen, but when, since Severus didn't know that the Dark Lord wanted Harry Potter alive and well yet and he was bound to reveal something once he found out. Not that Lucius could warn him either... since that would make it clear that he had known as well and it might set off the more paranoid side of the Dark Lord that he had avoided thus far.

Lucius saw a scowl on the potion master's face and for a moment he thought that the man was thinking about the same thing, but then he saw that man was glancing worriedly at what was apparently, Harry Potter's bedroom window.

Lucius tried to figure out why the other man would be frowning until he realized that his magic was only picking up on three signatures in the house, and none of them were magical. He frowned, surely the boy was allowed to go out sometimes... but then it hit him.

If Potter had gone out, then Severus would have followed him to make sure that he stayed safe, but since the head of Slytherin was still here, that would mean that the boy hadn't gone out while Severus had been here.

Lucius walked up to the house and he could feel that Severus' eyes had narrowed down on him. Lucius mentally shook his head. The problem with being friends with such an alert person was that even with the glamour on, he was still sure that Severus had already figured out who he was through his magical signature.

His suspicions were right when he saw the potion master take on the form of his panther animagus before shrinking himself to the form of a small kitten. Only the strongest wizards could perform such a feat and Lucius had to admit that he wasn't surprised that, like the Dark Lord and himself, Severus had the ability to do so as well.

A second later, a stronger version of the notice-me-not charm had settled down on the potions master and he came to stand next to Lucius' feet.

The Malfoy Lord withheld an exasperated sigh as he mentally shook his head once more. It was clear that Severus wanted to come with in order to see whether he can find any information on where the boy went and then he would probably ask Lucius about what his intentions were with the boy.

It would then probably end in a duel between the two of them and since their duels always ended with a draw, they would find themselves drinking a whisky together afterwards.

Lucius frowned, he didn't have time to go through all that. Khal was waiting for him at home and the kit would probably try to come to him if he took too long and who knows where he might end up then.

Lucius knocked on the door before drawing the papers for the house out of his pocket. Under his breath, he whispered, "Do not worry, I have not come to harm the boy. I found out a few interesting things about his circumstances and I simply wish to know more".

He was sure that his words would set the potion master at ease and he would probably snoop around to find more answers while Lucius dealt with the muggles. After that, he could gain whatever information he still lacked, from Severus himself.

He allowed one side of his lips to turn up in a slight smirk, in fact, if Severus helped him it would also clue him in on what the headmaster is doing and he would probably also gather evidence before presenting it to the Dark Lord under the guise of finding an easier way for the dark side to win.

That way, Severus' previously forced position as spy would not be uncovered and Severus would find out that the Dark Lord now had other plans for the boy and he would realign himself fully with the Dark Lord.

Lucius felt all expression fall from his face as he heard footsteps nearing the door. A tall and skinny woman opened the door and Lucius had to keep himself from snarling at her. "Good evening. I am Leon Moore, your new landlord. Do you have a moment?"

The Malfoy Lord heard a small growl next to him that sounded more like an angry mewl and he had to fight to keep himself from laughing, but it wasn't for long. The woman's eyes sized him up and he withheld a shiver as her gaze took on a slightly greedy glint before it disappeared.

She bowed her head slightly. "I am Petunia Dursley. Thank you for letting us stay even after you bought the land. Please come in, my husband is in the living room." With that, she motioned towards an open doorway and Lucius stepped inside. Severus immediately started sniffing around since the muggles couldn't see him and Lucius saw him running off before the woman closed the door and led him to the living room.

He had to withhold a grimace as he spotted a heavy man getting up from his chair and he wandlessly cast a quick scourgefy on his hand after shaking the other man's hand. "I am Vernon Dursley. Can my wife get you anything?"

Lucius shook his head. "No thank you. I won't be long. My name is Leon Moore, your new landlord. I have bought the new lease papers for you to look at and fill in." He was finding it very hard to talk like a commoner, but since that is who Leon Moore, the identity that the goblins had made for him, was supposed to be, he kept on with it.

Vernon took the papers and hastily read them through before filling in a few things and signing them at the end. Lucius took the papers and scanned it and it only took a second before his gaze went to the occupants' section.

It stated that only the three muggles would be staying in the house so Lucius decided to query this. "It states here that you will only be three people in the house, but my lawyer has heard a few mentions of your nephew staying here as well. I take it he has found other living accommodations?"

Vernon Dursley and his wife squirmed slightly before she decided to speak. "My...nephew does stay with us from time to time, but he stays at a special boarding school throughout most of the year."

Lucius nodded as if he understood before he made contact with Vernon's eyes. The man held no defences so he easily cast legillimens and found out everything he needed without the muggle even knowing. He did the same thing with the woman before stating that he had other appointments to fulfill.

The woman let him out and he could feel Severus brushing past him as they exited the door. Lucius walked back towards the abandoned house and discarded the glamour, but before he could apparate home, he felt a hand on his sleeve. He turned to see Severus looking at him with a worried expression in his eyes and he impulsively grabbed the potion master's hand and apparated them both to his study.

Once there, he poured both of them a glass of Firewhisky before sitting down on the couch next to the man. They were both tense from what they had learned, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been if the muggles had turned out to be the truly abusive sort. Yet it was still bad that something like this had been happening and they had turned a blind eye to it due to their own misconceptions.

Lucius summoned his small pensieve before placing the memories from the trip inside of it and Severus wordlessly did the same. Neither of them felt like they wanted to have a long discussion about it so it was easier to use a pensieve in order to get it over and done with. They put their heads together without a second thought and then they were gone.

Voldemort/Tom POV

Voldemort sat in his borrowed study at Malfoy Manor, but his attention was everywhere, but on the paperwork in front of him. There was something about the Shadowfox kit that felt extremely familiar to him and as much as he tried, he couldn't figure out what it was.

In all honesty, it felt like there was a part of him inside of the kit, yet he knew that he had never encountered a shadowfox before the kit had appeared in Lucius' arms.

With a frown, he shook his head and dragged his concentration back to the documents in front of him. There were a few things regarding Harry Potter that he still did not know and he needed everything he could find in order to draw the boy to his side.

With this, he stood up and headed for the library. Normally he would send for an elf, but since he only had a faint idea of what he was looking for, it was better if he did the search himself.

As he entered the library, a faint shiver of awareness caught his attention and he found his gaze drawn to a small kit that was dozing in front of the fire. He kept his movements silent as he neared it, but the kit's ears picked up anyway and the fox warily lifted its head.

Voldemort kept his movements even as he slightly changed course. He sat down into a chair next to the fire and he summoned a random book towards him in order to set the kit at ease. As he leaned down to read, he found that he had summoned the book on Horcruxes and he decided to try to test his link with Potter sometime. Now that he thought about it, it was strange that the boy and the kit gave off the same feeling...

The thought froze in his mind as his gaze jumped to the fox kit that was still eyeing him warily. Surely it couldn't be so easy, could it? Voldemort subtly sent his magic out to compare the kit's magic to that of the boy's and he couldn't really say that he was surprised when it came up as a perfect match.

Inwardly he could only shake his head at the fact that the boy had found himself in what could have been the most dangerous place ever, once again. Yet he felt pleased since it meant that the boy now knew of the headmaster's manipulations and that he was probably finding answers before revealing himself.

It also meant that he already had the boy close by and this thought interested the Dark Lord immensely. Although, if he were to be honest with himself, he knew that his interest wasn't just because the boy was his Horcrux, but instead because the boy had the potential to be his equal.

A feeling of anticipation ran through him at the thought of training the boy in all that he knew. The end result would truly be breathtaking.

Voldemort reined his thoughts in as he saw the puzzled expression on the fox's face even though he knew that his outward features had shown nothing of his thoughts. He wondered if the kit could sense his contentment.

A nudge in his mind told him that the kit was trying to listen in on his thoughts and he allowed some of his thoughts and feelings to filter down into their link. He knew for a fact that the boy didn't know anything of legillimency or occlumency so it was astonishing that the boy could reach for the link without any training at all.

The boy opened the link wider and this allowed a few interesting thoughts of his own to filter back into Voldemort's mind. Before he could process the thoughts, however, the door of the library swung open and he tucked them away for later in favor of turning his attention towards the doorway.

A wide-eyed Lucius was standing frozen in the doorway and behind him, Severus Snape stood in a similar shocked position. It was clear that the man was shocked at seeing the Dark Lord looking completely human again. Given that nothing had really rattled the potions master in the past, Voldemort allowed himself a small inward grin.

Both men thought that he didn't know of the corner that the old man had backed the dark-haired man into, but instead, he knew only too well and it was only Severus' unwavering loyalty towards him, that had kept the potions master alive.

Voldemort had once planned to use that vow as a trap in order to bring about the boy and the old man's death, but now he wanted to use it to gain the boy a bodyguard that would die for him if he had to as well as to set the potions master at ease.

Yet this would be tricky to do without letting it seem like he had gone soft. An idea struck him and he allowed himself a slightly sadistic grin. A little bit of drama would bring the boy out of hiding and it would also ensure that both Severus and Lucius took their places as his guard.

Voldemort set the book down next to him and glared at the two men, yet he knew that the fox would notice that there wasn't an intent behind the glare. The two men stiffened and bowed before he motioned them forward.

"You better have a good reason for disturbing my reading Lucius..." The man gave a slight nervous swallow. "My Lord, I left Khal, the shadowfox kit, in my bedroom before I left for Potter's home. I met Severus there and we came back to share information through my penceive, but when we came back out, I sensed that the kit had gone out of my room. I sensed that he was in here and I was worried that he might be bothering you."

It was a good enough excuse and usually, Voldemort would leave it at that, but he was interested to know about what the two men had found. He stood up and neared the two men before catching Lucius' eyes and holding them.

He cast legiilimens and explored Lucius' thoughts until he found the bundle of thoughts that had been hidden away. He ripped through the bindings as gently as he could, but with enough force that Lucius would think that he was in trouble. He knew what he would find there after all and he slipped out of the man's mind before mentally forcing him onto his knees to make it seem to the others that the man had collapsed onto his knees in pain.

He also knew that the man wouldn't question the action and was pleased when Lucius hung his head slightly, causing some strands of hair to fall forward and cover his face.

He then cast his eyes on Severus and he wasn't shocked at the resigned look on the man's face before he repeated the process with him as well.

As he extracted himself from the potion's master's mind, he noticed through the link that Khal, or Harry, was viciously fighting with himself in order to stay hidden. He could feel that the young man thought that it would mean certain death for the three of them if he were to show himself, even though he didn't know why.

Voldemort stormed to the desk and dramatically laid his hands on top of it before turning around again. "The two of you know what the punishment is for your betrayal. Even if I have now decided that the boy would be better off if he either joined us or became neutral, at the time my order was the complete opposite and you have disobeyed them." As the last words left his lips, he pulled out his wand and he was rewarded for his acting by a tiny bundle of fur that suddenly stood in front of the two men.

Khal/ Harry POV

Khal didn't allow himself to stop and think as he leaped in front of the two men in order to protect them from Voldemort. He didn't know why he only sensed amusement from the Dark Lord instead of the rage that he was clearly showing on his face, but he couldn't allow the men behind him to get hurt.

He glanced behind him for a split second, only to see that Severus had recognized him for who he truly was and that both Lucius and Severus were reaching out toward him in order to get him out of the line of fire.

He saw a green light forming on the tip of the Dark Lord's wand and abruptly decided that he would use himself as a bargaining chip in order to save their lives, but it was too late. The spell was released just as Khal turned back into Harry and it hit him straight in the chest.

Well, I definitely didn't see myself dying at Voldemort's hand just to save a couple of death eaters. Harry's mind screamed in outrage at his thoughts. But they're not just death eaters, they... for some reason he couldn't finish his thoughts as a strange pressure built up in his chest.

For a moment he felt weightless and numb as the spell knocked him back, but the two men behind him grabbed onto his arms to support him. He could see the cold dread on their faces as they laid him down and that is when the spell's effect kicked in.

Harry let out a shout of laughter as the spell started ticking him and he writhed in order to try and make it stop. The sounds didn't seem to register as laughter at first because Severus and Lucius immediately tried to stop the spell, thinking Voldemort was torturing him, only for nothing to work due to their sworn allegiance to Voldemort as their Lord.

He forced his eyes open and looked toward Voldemort to try and get him to release the spell, only to see that both Severus and Lucius were leaning over him and looking at the Dark Lord in shock.

He glanced past them towards Voldemort as he heard a simple Finite Incantatum and his body sagged onto the ground before he closed his eyes as he tried to recover. Shivers still ran through his body as the aftereffects of the spell came and went, but he ignored it in favor of steeling himself for any other spell that might come his way.

He expected Voldemort to bind him, but nothing happened so he opened his eyes once more. Instead, the man looked like the cat that ate the canary and Harry only hesitated a moment before he sat up and blurted out his thoughts.

"You knew! You knew it was me and you knew about the vow that Severus had to take and you knew that Lucius had been hiding it from you...! Harry wanted to point out a few other things as well, but then he realized that the words that he had just spoken had not been produced by his own mind.

In fact, he had not known before he had spoken that Severus had made a vow to protect him and he had also not known that Lucius had been aware of that fact. His shocked eyes met the Dark Lord's and the man nodded to confirm his thoughts.

Harry silently swore and sank down on the chair that conveniently appeared behind him, not wanting to spend any more time on the floor than he already had, "Does it work both ways then?"

Again he received a nod before Voldemort turned his attention to the two men behind Harry, "I had been aware of the vow and the secrecy from the day it began. You certainly don't think that I would have hidden away in a cave in my wraith form if I suddenly had the ability to go wherever I please unnoticed, did you?"

Harry had to admit that the man had a point there.

"I was going to use it to destroy you, but due to certain circumstances, I have decided to change my approach." Harry felt his face fall and he closed his eyes. Okay, so what if most of the people in the room had actively been trying to kill him over the last few years...that didn't mean that he didn't want to at least have a place where he belonged.

Harry glanced back at Lucius and Severus before looking back at the Dark Lord. He might have only spent a day or two here, but it was the first place where he truly felt like he fit in. Yet he had to remember that he was only alive due to the fact that Voldemort had discovered that he was his Horcrux and...

Before he could finish the thought, Harry felt a stinging sensation on his forehead and he was forcibly jerked from his thoughts to find Voldemort standing in front of him with his arm nonchalantly stretched out as if he had not just casually flicked Harry on the forehead.

Harry almost felt like turning around to see the expressions on Lucius and Severus' faces since he was sure that he had just imagined the entire thing, but the echoing sounds of surprise behind him made him realize that he hadn't been daydreaming and he slowly lifted his head to look at Voldemort, "What was that for?"

The blank expression changed into a smirk, "For thinking that your worth lies only in the fact that you guard a part of me."

He then glanced between the three of them, "I may be immortal, but I still need an heir. One that is just as immortal as I am, and I can think of no other that would be fitting enough for such a task."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise, "Wait, you want me to be your heir?", then he frowned, "But I'm not immortal…"

Voldemort slowly moved forward and after a moment of hesitance, he touched his scar, "This makes you immortal. It created a tether between the two of us and neither of us can die while the other lives."

Harry's eyes widened at the words, but Voldemort had already turned to address the other two men, "From now on, your main goal would be to guard him."

Harry immediately tried to protest, but it seemed to be an arrangement that all three men agreed upon and his words fell on deaf ears until he realized that it meant that he would be able to stay at Malfoy Manor.

Which was something he desperately wanted, though he didn't want Lucius to be angry at him because he had to stay at the manor as well so he turned to the man, "I promise I won't take up too much space…I can even turn back into Khal."

The man regarded him with a strange expression on his face for a moment, making Harry believe that the answer would be negative, but instead, the man lightly yanked him out of the chair and hugged him to his side, "You wouldn't be taking up unnecessary space, Harry, you would have been welcome to stay even without our Lord appointing us as your guards."

Harry completely missed the slight look of jealousy that passed over Voldemort's face, but a certain dark-haired man didn't miss the other men's expressions and he fought valiantly to stop a similar expression from crossing his face.