(TW: Mild torture in this chapter.)

Darkside, Neoni

Take a step into the havoc
Look around, this ain't even the half of it
Walking the line between panic and losing my mind
Embracing the madness
My devils they whisper in my ear
Deafening me with all my fears
I'm living in a nightmare

There's parts of me I cannot hide
I've tried and tried a million times

Cross my heart and hope to die
Welcome to my darkside


She'd asked several questions about Harry's Horcrux and the Dark Lord, and he answered most of them, explaining their plan with Cassiopeia and Nagini that they'd attempted to trick the Dark Lord into thinking it was his idea and failed spectacularly, causing, in part, the attempted murder-suicide. He didn't tell her more than that, but fear bubbled every time she came closer to the remaining truths, the fact that Eris knew more than she did making him sweat.

He'd stayed with her as she wrote her letter, taking her over twenty minutes of furious, emotional scribbling. He walked with her to the owlery, where he'd pet Hedwig as Ginny tied her envelope to a school owl and sent it off. Hedwig bit him without warning and dove from the opening in the stone wall, out of sight. He put his bleeding finger in his mouth and frowned at the space the snowy owl had occupied.

He didn't ask what Ginny had written, and she didn't offer. Instead of walking to the hall or seeking out Eris and the others, she moved without a word back to the Room of Requirement, tears streaming down her cheeks. He took her arm, and she squeezed him.

"I'm okay. Just…" She trailed off.

"Yeah. I know."


They'd stayed in his room till dinner when she asked him to check the map. Eris, Avalon, Pansy, Reed, Ruby, and Pollux were in the Great Hall. He searched for the rest of the Slytherins, finding all except Draco in their common room. After scanning the entire map twice, he deduced that Malfoy wasn't in the school.

"Most of them are in the hall," he told her while Tom opened his trunk and pulled out the Nurmengard gear. Then he changed his mind, opened the chest Cassiopeia had brought, and took his Skulmadras set.

"Wait, do you think-" Harry asked out Tom out loud, then stopped. 'Why this set? They aren't charmed?' he asked in his head.

"A possibility. Running to the room twice in one day is not on my list. This set sends a message," Tom replied.

"Er," Ginny said.

"Meetings. I'm expected at… Meetings. Draco's not on the map, so, I dunno." Then he wondered, 'What message?'

She frowned but said nothing else, so he locked himself in the bathroom to get changed.

'What message, Tom?'

'That we are not concerned.'

Harry felt like there was more to it; Tom always hesitated before he made an omission.

Once he was dressed, he stepped out, and Ginny grimaced at him.

"I saw them on the projection, but… They're so…"

Harry gestured at the large, yawning gold snakeheads, "Obvious? Much? Yes."

'And not protective,' he added internally, getting no reply.

He received dozens of double-takes and glares as they descended the hall. He kept his eyes forward, and Tom held his back straight. The Slytherin table buzzed at his arrival, though Blaise left at the sight of him, Daphne, Crabbe, and Goyle following. He didn't look at Gryffindor; he had seen all of them there on the map.

Tom nodded at Cassiopeia, and she wiggled her eyebrows at him from the staff table. She was still sitting next to Lydia, who seemed to have changed seats permanently. Snape was missing again. Tom took a seat at the serpent's table as though he were royalty, and Ginny sat down beside him.

"Going somewhere?" Eris asked, eying his robes.

Tom smiled at him, slowly spreading wider until it felt manic. Harry didn't move to correct it.

"Er," Ginny said after a long beat of silence, looking between the two of them, Harry still grinning, Eris still glaring, "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Harry dropped the smile and looked at her with a schooled face.

"So, definitely something, then?" She asked, her voice a whisper.

He didn't need to answer when Luna's voice interrupted them. He turned to find her clutching a book beside Neville, who looked mortified.

"Hello, Harry," she said, squeezing in to sit beside him. Neville hesitated, then took the space next to her, pale and staring at the table.

"Hi, Luna. Neville," Harry said, trying for friendly and watching them closely.

"Neville was wondering, I suppose we were all wondering, really, how it is that you're a Death Eater now?" Luna asked, reaching for a bread roll. Her tone was conversational. Neville grimaced.

Everyone within earshot had leaned in, strangers included. Ruby's mouth was open.

"Where's Draco?" Harry asked Pansy.

"Oh, what? I thought Luna said something. Did you say something Loony- Luna?" Pansy said, coughing when she called her loony.

"I heard her. I asked you a question," Tom said.

"Preparing for a meeting," she said, high-pitched, "…Inner circle only; we were wondering if you'd go. It'd be starting soon."

"Luna," Tom said, turning to her, "A series of mistakes were made."

"Red blood cells live for one hundred and twenty days," Pollux said. Reed snorted.

"A meeting? Do you think…?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah. He'll call me."

"My name is Ruby!" She extended a hand across the table to Luna, "This is my brother, Pollux. And my best friend Reed. We're new here. We met Harry at Skulmadras."

Luna took her hand, smiling dreamily as the hemalurgist shook her entire arm.

"This is Neville. He's my boyfriend."

Neville imitated a beetroot and didn't say anything.

"I am Avalon Delacroix. This is Eris, le connard." She glared at him as she spoke.

'She said Eris, the asshole.' Tom translated, and Harry's lips twitched.

"Le Connard, I've never heard that family name," Luna said.

Avalon cackled, and Harry grinned, biting his cheeks to withhold the laugh.

"…Jager," he spat.

"Oh, is that where you're from?" Luna asked.

This time, Harry did laugh, snorting into his fist. His eyes watered as Eris glared daggers from the other side of the table. The burn of the mark rapidly cancelled his guffawing. He sighed, dulled adrenaline attempting to bubble up, muted by the regularity of his life-and-death situations.

He stood up and said, "There it is. I'll see you later, okay?"

Ginny was frowning, so he tried to reassure her, "There's a plan now, alright? Things seem… I'll be back."

Neville was white as he watched Harry leave, the rest of them fairly non-plussed, apart from Eris' perpetual glare. He gave Cassiopeia a look, and she nodded. He didn't feel like he had time to run all the way back through the castle to use the west tower exit near Hagrid's hut. His only real option was the dock, meaning he had to sprint through the viaduct courtyard, eyes regrettably open as he crossed the stones where he'd murdered Dumbledore.

He finally inhaled as he pushed open the tiny iron gate, taking the steep stairs as fast as he dared. He buckled over as he reached the dock, nearly jelly-legged. Tom only let him breathe for a few seconds before he straightened and Disapparated.

He reappeared outside Malfoy Manor alongside Barty Crouch Junior, Mulciber, and Nott. Barty laughed when he saw Harry and clapped him on the shoulder, eyes wild, licking his lips.

"Look here, what my master caught, after all that song and dance," he shoved Harry toward the gates and laughed again.

Instead of walking, Tom spun, curse writhing on his arm, spreading it like smoke at his feet: "Do not touch me."

"Bit more bite to your bark now, Potter?" He gave a mocking bow, wand in hand, not taking his eyes away.

"A bit," Harry said, narrowing his eyes and summoning the darkness with his right hand.

Rookwood Apparated in beside Nott, followed immediately by Corban Yaxley. Harry retracted the curse as the pops and cracks continued, turned on his heel and headed for the manor, taking the distraction; unwilling to start a fight with Death Eaters outside the Malfoy residence, though Tom was. He could hear Rookwood and Crouch talking a distance behind him—not following as they stood at the gates, but he couldn't make out their conversation.

Narcissa and Draco were waiting in the open doorway at the end of the long gravel path. She ushered him in, and he nodded at her son.

"Next time just take me with you, yeah? Better than Barty Crouch Junior," he said to the Slytherin, who shrugged one shoulder and looked him up and down.

"Nice robes. Didn't know if you'd be coming."

"Could've asked," Harry said.

"And have you be weird about it? You're hard to get on your own nowadays."

He realised it was true. He had more people surrounding him at Hogwarts than he'd ever had.

"…Good evening, Harry," Narcissa said.

"Hello, Mrs- Narcissa," Harry said, and Draco snorted.

The Slytherin walked with him to the overlarge dining room he'd seen several times before while Narcissa waited in the foyer, collecting the other Death Eaters.

The blonde pushed the door open to find the room already semi-occupied. Voldemort was masked at the head of the table, and Nagini was sitting cross-legged on the wide tabletop next to him, drawing. She gave Harry a small smile before she returned to her work.

Lucius, looking less grey and far more like himself, and two men he didn't recognise, both bearing the telltale signs of Azkaban imprisonment. The dark-haired men looked related. Draco sat down by his father, and the Dark Lord pointed at the seat to his right with a gloved hand.

Tom moved while Harry was frozen. He took his spot, keeping his head up, fighting to stop his eyes from widening. Nagini rotated on the table to see him and turned her page with blackened fingers.

The rest entered altogether: Narcissa, Snape, Greyback, the Carrows, those he'd Apparated in alongside, and the Death Eater portion of the Hogwarts staff. The headmaster locked eyes on him, expressionless but intense, as they took their places.

"Almost took a swipe at me on the way in, that one," Barty pointed as he sat down directly across from Harry.

"Did he," the Dark Lord said, not moving his head or his eyes. "That would have been unfortunate for you."

"I remember when we'd punish accordingly," Crouch continued.

"I will reiterate, for those of you returning to the fold," Voldemort said, loud, "Potter and the students of Hogwarts are not to be harmed by any of you unless you are otherwise directed. If you have a grievance with Potter, you will direct it to me. Now, Corban."

Yaxley bowed his head, "Yes, my Lord. Albert Runcorn was found dead in his home. A presumed suicide-"

"I am aware. A replacement is being arranged."

"Blood magic legislation is set to be in place by the end of the week. There is some intelligence regarding…" The well-dressed man trailed off, looking down the table at Harry, a pastime shared by everyone present.

"You are free to speak," the Dark Lord said, his distaste thinly veiled. "Are you loyal, Potter? Here to receive orders?"

Harry swallowed thickly, his brain and tongue to large for his skull as Tom spoke, "Yes, my Lord."

Yaxley cleared his throat and continued, "A new hire in the curse-breaking department, Lale Evergreen. She is suspected of Order involvement."

"Look into it. Be discrete."

"Of course." He bowed again, "Nurmengard is also almost prepared, my Lord."

"Augustus," Voldemort said.

"All fine on our front. Got one of the new Vivariums up today, still working on the space. Something wrong with the rainfall cycle; I blame magical incompetence, to be frank," he said, then he bowed his head. "And the Hippogriff came out of her enclosure today, successfully bonded pair thanks to Wonder Boy," he gestured at Harry, who said:

"Sure," awkwardly. Tom flinched his eyes, and Harry decided to leave the rest to him.

"Severus…" The Dark Lord said.

Snape bowed so low that his nose nearly grazed the polished wood. "Forgive me, my Lord. I fear my connections may have… Died with Dumbledore."

"A pity. Begin arrangements for December."

Harry could feel Voldemort's glare from where he sat, for once not directed at him. He avoided Snape's expressionless stare and tried to sneak a look at Nagini's drawing instead, but she noticed instantly and held the book so he couldn't look. She narrowed her eyes, but there was a faint smile on her face.

"Rodolphus, you can join your wife or serve here," the Dark Lord said, and one of the Death Eaters he hadn't recognised spoke:

"No, thank you, my Lord." He looked at Narcissa and then said, "Bellatrix would have it well in hand, is what I mean to say. We would serve you more effectively apart…"

"As you wish."

He knew Tom, so he knew Voldemort was smirking behind his mask.

He asked Narcissa for her report. She gave an extensive speech on money and math, making everyone in the room recoil, particularly Draco, who grimaced at Harry and then sat back in his seat. She then gave information on recruitment, stated that there was a steady uptick in interest after the fall of Azkaban, and told him that the implementation of an application process for the Dark Mark—vetting potential Death Eaters—was complete.

When she finished, Crouch sighed and sipped from his silver goblet after giving Harry a mock cheers.

"If there is nothing else, Rabastan, Rodolphus, Bartemius, and Alecto, remain in the Manor. Potter, you will stay here," the Dark Lord's eyes flicked to him for less than a second.

They all stood immediately, recognising their cue. Draco watched Harry with one eyebrow raised as he replaced his chair.

He bit his tongue as the dining room cleared of all but him, Nagini, and the Dark Lord, who began speaking when the doors closed.

"I aim to replace Alecto with Rodolphus in the potions position. New classes will be added to the roster—Hemolurgy, the Dark Arts, and Necromancy—made available to all students. Eugenia Sallow will teach Hemolurgy when she is lucid—this is non-negotiable. Bartemius will teach the Dark Arts; he is highly skilled. Rabastan will replace Cedrum for Transfiguration. Acceptable?"

'Wait, he's still honouring the deal?'

'Why would he not?'

'I don't… I don't know, trying to kill me, maybe.'

"Yes, my Lord," Tom said.

"Recollect them, Nagini," Voldemort told her, and she shimmied off the table, giving him a distrusting look as she backed out of the room.

Harry swallowed when they were alone, putting his eyes anywhere but him, neck hot.

"I told you not to patronise me," the Dark Lord said.

"How would you have me address you," Tom asked, voice low because his throat was closing.

"Save the fallacy for the public. In private, do not."

Tom nodded once, Harry busy averting his gaze and trying to manage the excess saliva in his mouth without looking like he was about to vomit. Nagini returned quickly with the four Death Eaters, much to his relief.

He was startled when Voldemort casually, wandlessly, and wordlessly Crucioed Carrow. She bit her tongue on her way to the floor, spitting blood through gritted teeth, groaning, and arching her back as her eyes rolled into her head. Rabastan, Rodolphus, and Crouch looked varying levels of bored. Barty watched Harry, narrowing and un-narrowing his eyes.

Voldemort released the curse and demanded she stand. She struggled to her feet, heaving deep breaths.

"When I said to you teach potions, Carrow, I did in fact, mean teach potions. I will take no more incompetence. You will remove your belongings from the castle. Get out."

She bowed quickly and fled the room. Voldemort gave the three remaining Death Eaters their new positions and sent them to relocate, Crouch looking gleeful. Harry was questioning his lack of response to the torture.

'You believe it was warranted,' Tom told him internally, and he grimaced as the Dark Lord broke the short silence.

"Bring the letters," he said in Parseltongue.

Harry's heart jumped, and Nagini rolled her eyes, then her whole head, before stomping out of the room again. Her notebook was closed on the table, charcoal marking the wood.

Voldemort took his wand from his inner robe pocket and began casting wards. Silencing, privacy, detection, deterrent, and alarm. When he was finished, he removed his gloves, hood, and mask. Harry looked away, locking his eyes on the doors, unable to handle his face. His familiar re-entered, exempt from the wards. Harry had expected a handful of letters. Instead, she dragged a large fabric sack full to the brim into the room.

She kicked the doors closed behind her, and the Dark Lord said:

"I will be up all night."

She shrugged as she pulled the letters over and left them at his feet. She made eye contact with Voldemort, and her skin turned to scales. She collapsed to the floor, contorting until she was a serpent coiled beside him.

He tapped the table near Harry, and he put his hand on the wood, trying to hide how it shook with quick movement. The Dark Lord summoned a stack of letters from the bag and put two fingers on Harry's wrist. The ring that had once been a Horcrux on his left thumb.

Harry could count down the seconds before all the air, tension, and hate escaped him, and when it did, he laid his head on his free arm. He tucked his face into the pocket of darkness on the table and closed his eyes.

After a few minutes, he snuck a peek, moving his arm fractionally out of the way. The Dark Lord's eyes rapidly scanned three letters floating in front of his face. He flicked his hand, and they shot away, out of Harry's view, before three more were summoned and removed from their envelopes with magic to hover in front of him once more.

"Do not look at me," he said, eyes still flicking wildly across the papers.

Harry closed his again and ducked his head back in.

'This feels nice. I like it,' he thought, 'He's really pretty.' He was too comfortable to fight sleep.


(AN: I know, technically speaking, a Dementor kissed Barty Jr., but I had to have him, thanks.)