Chapter 37: Unwavering Loyalty
Chapter 37: Unwavering Loyalty
Saeviour flew above Potter Manor, looking at the manor below along with Ron. He could see everything as it looked so tiny from the distance. Tiny trees, tiny plants and flowers-particularly lilies that surrounded the manor- in memory of his mother. It made everything seem like a speck and nothing really mattered up here. It was almost like he could be himself, without having to worry about anyone or anything for that matter.
They were having a good time, before something sharp was cutting into his head. He touched his head, and looked at the blood that was covering it.
His scar was bleeding.
He'd never felt pain like this before, not even during the first term over at Hogwarts, where he was in pain during Quirrell's lessons. This was different. It almost felt like his scar was on fire, and something was happening.
Something bad.
"Mate, what's wrong?" Ron asked, looking over at him. "Is your scar hurting?"
"Yeah," Saeviour admitted. "It hurts real bad."
He gritted his teeth to stop from crying out in pain.
"I think he's back," He said, as the pain washed over him and than nothing.
"What- You Know Who?" Ron clarified. "That's impossible. He's been dead for ten years."
"What else is it?" Saeviour questioned. "Dumbledore didn't believe that he was dead."
"It's been years, Saeviour. We should have saw the signs or something," Ron told him. "If you are that worried- perhaps you should get in contact with Dumbledore."
"You're probably right," Saeviour muttered, once the pain started to reside. "Besides, don't old injuries act up anyways?"
...
The ancient wards surrounding Slytherin Manor welcomed him with a slight hiss of a welcome master as he walked through it. It'd been ten long years since he last set foot here, and it looked like nothing had changed. The weeds have been kept up and removed from the shrubs and tall trees that lined the entrance of the manor. The vines that wrapped itself around the sides of the manor looked exactly the same- not grown, but haven't been removed.
In the back, he could see the faint silhouette of the forest outline of the long trees whose branches stretched outwards, creating shadows that reached as far as the manor. The garden had been cleared of gnomes, and fresh vegetables and plants grew there. It looked rather peaceful and knew that the house-elves that resided there took care of the manor, in case a heir or a descendant of Slytherin returned.
He didn't have to walk far before house-elves appeared in front of them, all wearing matching tea-towels with the Slytherin crest on top, in the corner.
"Master, you've returned!" The house-elves greeted, "We're so glad you're back and you've returned to us. Is there anything we can get you?"
"Go back to your posts," he ordered.
The house-elves disappeared with a sudden pop, and he continued upwards- entering the manor, and all but before he headed up for the study. Nagini followed him, slithering and hissing in pleasure as she saw how large the manor was.
The study was exactly how the study was. The black, heavy curtains were drawn back to reveal the baking sun, as the light brightened up the room. There was a single bookcase in the room with stacks of books on it, most of the spines were mainly black bindings. He sat at the desk that had stacks of paperwork, most of them dated before his downfall back in Halloween night. He tucked those away in a drawer, before he came face to face with Nagini who decided to slither on top of his desk and laid there.
*You decided to get on top of my desk?* He asked, his brow arched up.
*It's warm,* she replied. *Besides, you weren't using it.*
*Nagini, get down,* He ordered.
*No,* Nagini answered nonchalantly. She barely moved her head as the Dark Lord let out a loud sigh.
*Would a nice rat suffice?*
*Maybe,* Nagini responded.
"Ollie!" He called out.
"What can Ollie do for you, master?" The house-elf, Ollie asked. Its light brown, tennis ball eyes looking at him.
"A large rat," He ordered.
"Right away, master! Ollie will be back in a jiffy," Ollie said, disappearing and then reappearing with a large, black rat in its grip.
The house-elf tossed it onto the ground under the command of the Dark Lord, and the elf disappeared once more. The rat scuttled around on the floor, trying to escape and went around the room. Nagni quickly moved from her position and went to hunt the rat that was running around. She didn't take long to catch her prey as she swallowed the rat in one gulp and she seemed satisfied now, since she was now lounging on the dark hardwood floor, right by the window- sunbathing.
Tom Marvolo Riddle aka Lord Voldemort barely paid attention to her as his thoughts focused on simple things, on the matter of an eleven-year-old. His mind couldn't escape the thoughts around the boy, Harrison Peverell-Slytherin, previously known as Harry Potter.
The boy was more powerful than an average wizard, more than an eleven year old should be. He brought him back- not out of fear like his followers, but because he was loyal to their cause. Harry refused to believe that he was dead, and simply followed the whispers that guided him to him. For that, he was eternally grateful for that. However, there was one thing on his mind with the matter being that the boy resembled his younger self.
Harrison Peverell-Slytherin had simply welcomed the names that followed him around- monster, freak, and lived up to his reputation. The boy didn't shy away from his reputation that followed him around and simply welcomed it. Harrison Peverell-Slytherin knew he was different and that's what made him dangerous, and similar to where he was, around fifty years ago. The boy had no family- and certainly not after his original family publicly disowned him like that, he was basically an orphan. And yet unlike him, he already found refuge in the dark and his loyalty was unquestionable.
The boy simply refused to give up on the whispers around the Dark Lord. He refused to give up the matter, and simply proved himself to be loyal, more than any of his followers. After spending ten years of being a simple restless wraith, almost losing hope that all of his followers had abandoned him. It almost seemed true, and for a long moment, Tom Riddle thought Quirrell might have been the one to bring him back.
But, the professor simply was too weak enough. He couldn't seem to grasp onto the fact what simple competency was. Yet, his options were limited and in the end, Quirrell was just a weak person, whose conscience grew against him over time. He always failed at the simple tasks through breaking in at Gringotts, and failure to break in through the trap door on that Halloween night with that Cerberus that had to be Hagrid's doing.
When the boy approached him with an offer, he couldn't refuse. He was curious, and disposed of Quirrell soon after that. He was too tiresome of a host, and was already getting unwanted attention. What else could he have done at that moment? Instead, he went back to the same place and hoped for the best for someone better and he came with no hesitation, and no one knew where he was. He found him rather quickly, and kept his word.
*What got your mind occupied, master?* Nagini hissed. *Also, there's an owl at the window.*
HIs head snapped up and looked at the window. Indeed, there was an owl right outside the window with a letter attached to his stubbly leg. He opened the window and the owl swooshed in and sat on top of the desk. He detached the letter tied with spindly, long fingers before the owl flew off out of the distance, and he was there looking at the letter that was addressed to him or to rather Lord Slytherin.
It's been years since he last thought about the fact that he was considered Lord Slytherin. In truth, he might have fallen into the persona of Lord Voldemort that he forgot what being Lord Slytherin would entail.
Perhaps he can build himself up into something else, someone that would be able to go into the public eye and people wouldn't be suspicious. It would certainly be easier, he mused to himself. No one would suspect who Lord Slytherin actually was, besides Dumbledore. The old fool was always suspicious of him, and was the only one who knew who he was. Everyone else had long forgotten who Tom Riddle was, or rather who he became.
His fingers broke open the seal of the Gringotts insignia, and read the letter.
It seemed that he was the boy's guardian now.
*Master, what's that?* Nagini hissed, looking at the letter he was holding.
*A revelation about something.*
*Is it him?* Nagini asked.
*Come, Nagini,* He said. *We have somewhere to be.*
Perhaps it was time to have a chat with the boy.
…
Tom waited in the armchair across the bed, waiting for the preteen to wake up. It seemed that during the time he was gone, the boy fell asleep. Ella had stayed with him for a few, occasionally combing through his dark black hair, but otherwise, just sitting right next to him, contempt. She didn't budge or say anything as she looked at him occasionally- her silver eyes flicking towards him every once in a while. There was no fear in them. It seemed that she wasn't scared of him- probably knowing what Bellatrix was like and if Harrison's word was, her mother probably told her stories about him and his reign.
He briefly wondered what got her into Azkaban in the first place, but no matter- he'll find out anyways, sooner or later. He just wasn't going to ask her quite yet, as he respected her privacy. Considering the gaunt look on her features- it was probably only a couple of months since she was released. It would have been too soon, and if anything was to go like- she was young when she went.
He paid hardly any attention to her though, it looked like Nagini came out of his robes and decided to entertain the girl. Ella smiled and petted the smooth, dark-green scales.
*Nagini, be careful with her,* He said. *She isn't your next meal.*
Nagini didn't bother hissing back a reply as Ella looked at him with curiosity written in her. She didn't flinch in fear or anything like that, merely stared at him before returning her attention to petting Nagini on her scales. Otherwise, he paid hardly any attention to her as he waited for the younger boy to wake up. In the meantime, he summoned a book and began flipping through it.
After a while, he noticed that Harrison was starting to stir. It caused Nagini and Ella to shift away, as she continued to pet her scales (mainly under her chin where she liked it). Harrison stretched his arms over head once he sat up. He rubbed the sleep away from his eyes and sat up. He didn't really take much notice of Nagini who was right on him or Ella. He straightened his posture.
"How long have you been there?" Harrison questioned.
"For an hour or so," He answered nonchalantly. "I believe you and I need to have a conversation. I would have waited, but something came up."
Harrison nodded.
*Nagini, leave us and take the girl with her,* He ordered.
*Yes, master,* Nagini responded. *Come, hatchling.*
Nagini disappeared off the bed and onto the floor, and Ella stayed put where she was. Harrison noticed and quickly whispered,
"Go play with her. I'll be alright."
"Okay," She responded and headed to where Nagini was, not looking back over her shoulder as she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.
"Were you ever going to tell me that I am your legal guardian?" Tom asked, starting the conversation. He produced the letter that Gringotts sent him and gave it to him.
Harrison took it from him, but didn't bother looking at it, but he responded anyway, "I was going to tell you eventually right when you got your body back."
"How?"
"When I went to Gringotts back in September, I took an inheritance test and claimed the heirship for Slytherin. Unfortunately, I wasn't automatically emancipated despite that," He explained.
"I see," Tom murmured. "Is that how you're able to speak parseltongue?"
"I've always been able to speak it, even before then."
"That's not possible," Tom murmured. "Unless…"
"Unless, what?" Harrison questioned, "What happened that fateful night?"
"I have to see for myself," Tom said. "Can you let down your shields?"
Tom entered the younger boy's head, and navigated through it. HIs memories were well-protected and hidden through the nooks and crannies of his mind, separated through the bars and the dementors that resided in his mind. It was horrible to remind him of something that the boy lived through. He ignored it through most of the first year, besides the ones that were more noteworthy.
It seemed that the boy had somehow got a hold of his diary and the locket. The diary, he already knew, but the locket? Last time, he knew the locket was hidden in the cave surrounded by inferi. It must have been Regulus, who had betrayed him like that- he didn't like the fact that the house elf- Kreacher was involved in that matter. No matter, the traitor was dead through the hands of inferi.
He paid no mind about the boy finding two of his horcruxes and dwelled deeper. He barely paid attention when Dumbledore cornered him and asked him if he had stolen the philosopher' stone. Though, the use of the boy-who-lived being cannon folder was immaculate, even if there were some very confusing things.
Though, it seemed that the boy was very observant when it came to things that he otherwise would have missed. How the boy picked up the old death eater code, was beyond him- but whatever the case was. He was glad that Severus Snape was actually on their side- he would hate to kill the potions master because he was otherwise a traitor to the light.
He pushed deeper in his mind, sorting through all the memories before he found the ones that he was looking for.
Azkaban and before.
He witnessed the five years where Harrison had grown up in Azkaban, surrounded by all of his inner circle members. HIs inner circle told him everything that they knew, including old death eater codes, spells including the unforgivable curses, along with everything else. They helped him succeed, and gave the two children who resided in Azkaban lessons, and the stories about his reign. It seemed that his inner circle made that their will to continue to live, to continue to survive everyday through hell because otherwise, there wasn't a point in living anymore.
He went back through, even before he was sent to Azkaban. He noted the way that Harrison felt the bitterness, anger and confusion on why his parents weren't paying attention to him. The times where it felt like he was forever in the boy-who-lived shadow, getting ignored and treated very poorly. It was obvious through the way the Potters neglected him, at times even forgetting that he was even there, that they didn't care for him. Though, the younger boy didn't give him, even occasionally hoping for a miracle and the small flicker of hope that his parents actually cared about him.
He saw the way the boy responded through the lessons. Through, the way he was constantly overshadowed by the boy-who-lived. He noticed the way he became angry every time he was ignored by his parents. During the times, where they were showing accidental magic by making the high chair float, or the toys ending up from one place to another. It always looked like it was Harrison who was doing, never Saeviour- never as much as he tried to do the things that Harrison did, flawlessly. He saw how they went to the old man- believing that it was a sign that the boy-who-lived was destined to vanquish him, and him showing accidental magic proved that.
There were several times where Harrison was talking to the snakes in the garden, feeling contempt and knowing that he was special at something. It was strange how magic adapted to him and allowed him the special ability to be able to speak to snakes. Nonetheless, it wasn't that important as there wasn't the presence that he may have been the one that he vanquished that fateful night. Though the scar etched on his brother's forehead was something else.
He went back further until he got to that fateful night, where he found his answer. It seemed that even though the boy in front of him wasn't marked by him, he still had the power to vanquish him, if he ever had the chance. It seemed that he was the one closer born to midnight as the Potter twins were born only a minute apart, but ultimately, Harrison was the one who was born closer to midnight.
He exited out of Harrison's mind, knowing the one thing that plagued him during his days as a wraith. He found his answer.
"If you want to know what happened that fateful night, you weren't the child that I marked. You were asleep in your crib when I entered the nursery. It was a mistake on Wormtail who fed me the wrong information, confusing you and your twin somehow. In the end, when you woke up- it was already too late. I casted the killing curse towards your brother, but ultimately, you were the other boy-who-lived. You were the one that somehow managed to rebound the curse back to me, protecting your brother, and leading me to lose my body."
"That makes sense," Harrison mused. "I hope you know that I won't ever betray you, my lord."
"I know you won't. You have nothing on the light side that you would consider. You were bred in darkness, and you ultimately became that," Tom told him.
…
Somehow, it made sense that Harrison was the other boy-who-lived, the one that was truly the chosen one out of this entire thing. It almost seemed ironic that the boy-who-lived wasn't the special one, he may have the scar etched on his forehead, but that meant nothing. He didn't have anything special, no magic to even think about vanquishing the Dark Lord. It was almost everything he wanted in a way.
By the time, Saeviour realized that he wasn't special, that the only thing he only had was a title, a flimsy title that should have been his.
"Did you want your objects back?" Harrison asked, "I know they're yours, and I've kept them safe."
"Yes," the Dark Lord said, "How did you even come by them? They were all well-hidden."
"If you say so," Harrison responded, as he unclasped the golden locket around his neck and handed it to Tom, along with the diary that was in his pocket. "I found the diary in Lucius's library, and the locket in Grimmauld Place. They were both calling to me."
"You haven't found any others?" the Dark Lord questioned.
"There are others?"
"Forget about it… I'm just surprised you came across these two," the Dark Lord said. "I need to have a word with Lucius about keeping an object that's precious to me safe, in a few days. An eleven year old shouldn't get a hold of something that is dangerous, and clearly saturated in black magic. Something that can easily possess you, or kill you."
"Both have tried," Harrison admitted softly, "If you saw through my memories."
"That's true," the Dark Lord agreed. "For now… I'll hold onto them."
So if it isn't clear: The Dark Lord went to kill the Potters on Halloween Night (81), attempted to kill Saeviour. Harrison rebounded the spell to protect his twin, and resulted in the Dark Lord loosing his body. Saeviour ended up with the scar, and Harrison had nothing.