Chapter 7: The Beginning

"I'm not going to sleep," Iris said, glaring at Harry with shining eyes. She sat on the bed with her arms crossed.

Harry laid down and closed his eyes, ignoring her. This had been the usual affair for the past four days. Iris threw tantrum after tantrum.

It took only a few seconds before she put her hand on his shoulder and shook it. "Harry, I'm not going to sleep," she repeated.

"That's wonderful, Iris."

"Wha… Harry, I'm not going to sleep!"

He didn't respond. Harry kept his eyes closed, until he heard soft plap of tears falling on the bed.

He opened his eyes, and despite who he really was, he felt a deep stab of worry. Iris's hands laid limp at her sides. She was shaking, and watching him with terrified eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her usually silky hair was matted and dull from days without washing.

The reason was simple: it was August the 31st. Tomorrow, he would leave for Hogwarts.

He immediately sat up. "Iris," he said, but she just kept looking at him, crying. He shuffled closer, and put his hands on her shoulders.

"W-Why are you l-leaving me?" his sister whimpered.

"I'm not leaving," he said. "I'm never going to leave you."

"You're going."

"I'll come back. It's only for one year, Iris. And then you'll come to Hogwarts too, and we'll be together."

Iris shook her head. "That's too long," she whispered. "That's too long."

Harry sighed, and pulled her into a hug. "What about staying at Aunt Petunia's house? Does that feel like a long time now? You're stronger than you think, Iris. Soon you'll realize that this was nothing to worry about."

He pulled away, and put his hand on her cheek. "Besides, I gave you that mirror, didn't I? We can talk through that."

Iris's gaze fell, and she sat there, unmoving. Harry had gotten her to change clothes the past few days, but she refused to bathe, as if he would run away during that time she spent in the bathroom.

"You'll take a bath tomorrow," Harry said. "And you'll eat breakfast properly, with your own hands. You'll come with me to King's Cross Station, and you'll watch me get on the train. You'll say 'bye' and wave when the train departs. And you'll do it all with a smile on your face."

He pulled her back into a hug, and she returned it. Her tears had finally stopped, but her face was still miserable. They sat together for almost twenty minutes, until Iris couldn't stay awake any longer, and drifted away in his arms. He laid her down on the bed, and stroking her hair with one hand, thought about his words.

Everything he'd said to console Iris had been from the heart. She has my horcrux inside her, he thought, trying to convince himself, so I need to be genuine with her.

But he could not deny the fact that the Voldemort of old would have never said such caring things, not even as lies. There was something about Iris. She brought out a different side to him, something that was more… human.

He laid there for a long time, and did not sleep until much later.

On the morning of September 1st, Harry woke up early and extricated himself from Iris's grip. She was not holding him as desperately as she had been the last few days, and so he was able to get up without rousing her.

He took a bath, and wore his usual black shirt and trousers afterwards. He'd finished styling his hair when the bed rustled, and a groggy looking girl rose up, rubbing her eyes.

"Harry?" Iris whispered, looking around for him with wide, innocent eyes.

"I'm here, Iris," he said, going to the bed's side. "You woke up at just the right time. Come on, let's get you ready."

He took the blanket off, and putting a hand on her shoulder, brought her up to stand. The messy bed made itself with a wave of his wand. Harry took her to the bathroom, and with another wave of his wand, cleaned her teeth and grubby eyes.

"Okay," he said, going out to the closet and fetching a towel and her clothes. "It's time to take a bath." Going back to the bathroom, he hung the towel on the rung outside the bathtub, and set the folded clothes down on the counter. He then went to the door, and looked back at Iris.

"Clean yourself properly, Iris. Wash your hair as well. I'll be outside."

Her head swiveled towards him, and panic flared in her eyes. She hadn't once left his side in the past four days.

"Iris," Harry spoke, voice stern. She looked down to the ground somberly, and then nodded.

Harry closed the door, leaving Iris to her bath. He sat down at his desk, and pulled out a small grey book from a drawer, which had Principles for the Mantling of Energy inscribed on the cover in golden letters.

He read for ten minutes. During this time, the sound of water flowing came from inside the bathroom, and then eventually stopped. Afterwards, the bathroom door opened, and Iris came out, wearing a knee-length black dress and tights of the same color. Her hair was uncombed, but it finally looked clean and full of life.

Harry shoved his book back into the desk's drawer, and went to her. "Finally, Iris. You'd begun to smell these past few days."

She glared at him. Harry went inside the bathroom, and Iris followed him. He took a comb from a little shelf, and pulled her in front of the mirror. He combed her hair, standing behind her. One could use magic, but hair was best styled by hand.

"I thought you wanted me to do things by myself now," she said, looking at him in the mirror. Seeing his face on top of hers, Harry couldn't help but note how similar his face and Iris's looked.

"Yes, but this is the last time I'll get to do this for a while. Consider it me being selfish."

He taught her as he combed. "You've seen me do this plenty of times. It's simple. Comb your hair back first, and then part it. You may use either a side or middle part, but I'll do a middle one this time."

After setting the style, he combed down the length of her hair so it wouldn't get tangled as it dried. Then, he set the comb down and beheld his work. Her hair went straight down the sides of her face and back.

"There. Much better." He kissed the back of her head, and squeezed her shoulder. "Now, let's go down and have breakfast. The others should be there already."

Iris nodded, and fixed her gaze onto the ground as they left. Harry thought he saw a slight blush on her cheeks, but he was so focused on the rest of the day that he paid it no mind.

Today was the day Harry and Iris came back to eat with the others. For the past few days, Harry's sister had been throwing so many tantrums that he'd been forced to eat with her in private, lest she create a scene in front of everyone.

The Malfoys were already at the dining table. Usually, breakfast wasn't eaten in such formality; Lucius and Narcissa had their food in the living room, and Draco ate on a counter in the kitchen. Today however, Harry was leaving, so everyone ate together.

Lucius sat at the head of the table in a black suit, with his blonde hair flowing down his shoulders. Narcissa was at his side, wearing a dark green Victorian style dress, and with her hair in an elegant bun. Draco was next to her, and he wore the same clothes as his father.

Harry took the empty seat to Lucius's left, and Iris sat down next to him.

"Ah, Harry, there you are. It's good to have you back at the table," Lucius said, giving a friendly smile. Harry almost believed it wasn't an act. "Are you all ready?"

"Yes."

Lucius nodded, and looked back down at his eggs and toast. Harry smiled. It seemed the man wasn't entirely comfortable with pretending he wasn't sitting with the dark lord.

"You look very nice, Iris. It's good to see you better," Narcissa said. As she spoke, Dobby the house-elf walked up to Harry's side with two floating plates above his head. He set them down in front of Harry and Iris—they were pancakes, the same kind Draco was having—and then bowed and left.

Iris did not respond to Narcissa. The girl only gave a nod, and kept staring at her pancakes.

"Iris," Harry warned in his stern voice.

His sister looked up, finally making eye contact with Narcissa. "Thank you, Narcissa."

Harry inwardly sighed. Iris had good reason to be embarrassed, of course; she'd spent the past four days clinging to him and crying her head off, and the Malfoys had seen all of it. That, and she was still worried about him leaving. She was hiding it well enough, but he could tell.

Narcissa laughed, looking fondly at Iris. Was that a real smile she had on, or a fake one? The woman was so good at acting that even Harry found himself wondering for a second. He knew the truth, though. Given the choice between Iris or her family, Narcissa would pick her family every time.

That was alright, for now. As long as she stuck to her promise of treating Iris well.

"Don't be sad, Iris." It was Draco who spoke, holding his fork in his fist and eating pancake. He looked like a miniature version of Lucius in his suit. "Harry'll come back for winter break."

"Harry will come back for winter break," Narcissa corrected. "Don't speak while chewing, Draco."

"Sorry," the boy mumbled. He covered his mouth with his hand.

Iris picked up her own knife and fork. "Of course he will," she said.

The young Malfoy grinned at her, then turned to Harry. "Harry, what house do you think you'll be sorted in?" he asked.

"I think I will likely find myself in Slytherin."

Narcissa briefly glanced at Lucius, and her smile faded a little, before going back to normal.

"Good," Draco said, nodding. "Slytherin is the best house."

Harry put a piece of pancake in his mouth, and smirked at the boy.

"Indeed it is."

The breakfast had been late enough that it would soon be time to leave for King's Cross Station. Everyone was going. Harry had told Lucius only he needed to accompany him, so that Iris would have a way to come back home, but then Narcissa had insisted coming as well. Draco didn't want to be left alone, so he joined his mother.

One person would be left back at home, of course: Bella. An escaped convict was not the person to take to a crowded location, especially when the woman in question didn't have the strength to stand of her own accord.

"Iris," Harry said, crossing his arms as they stood outside the dining room's hall. "I need to go do something important. Can you play with Draco for a little while?"

Her eyebrows arched, and she walked closer to him. "Why?" she said suspiciously. "What do you need to do?"

"Something important, Iris. It will not take long." With a sigh, he added, "And no, this is not a trick to distract you while I leave for Hogwarts. My trunk is sitting in the living room, and I wouldn't leave without it. You can watch it, if you must."

Iris was considering it, he could tell. Their conversation last night had had a positive effect on her. If this were a few days ago, she would have completely refused to let him out of her sight.

"Do you understand, Iris?" he asked.

"Okay," she finally said. "But promise you won't leave."

Harry chuckled. "I promise," he said, and gave her a small hug before walking down the hallway, towards the guest wing.

Narcissa was waiting for him outside Bella's door, as expected. She wrung her hands with nervousness.

"My lord," she said, giving a small bow of her head as he approached.

"Narcissa. Is she awake?"

"Not yet, my lord. I visited her in the morning, for her breakfast, but she was too tired to speak. She returned to sleep soon after."

"Very well. Let us see if we can wake her, then."

Narcissa nodded. She turned the doorknob and pushed it open, revealing a dark room with a musty smell.

Narcissa went in first, and Harry after. He closed the door behind them, and as he did, black mist began falling from his body. He had a sense of growing, almost like taking a deep breath, and he became taller; he could now see the top of Narcissa's head.

Even in the dim glow of the late morning light, Harry could make out the figure in black lying on the bed. He felt a sense of displeasure to see Bella like this. If he'd warned her of his plans beforehand, she wouldn't have been locked up in Azkaban.

And then she might have caused unnecessary trouble, a voice spoke in his head.

Narcissa sat down on the bed, and laid a hand on Bella's shoulder. "Bella," she said softly, stroking her hand back and forth. "Bella, our lord is here to see you."

As soon as she mentioned him, Bella gasped in a breath and moved her arms. Harry waved his hand behind him, and the curtain slid to let in a crack of light; enough to see with, but not to hurt Bella's sensitive eyes.

She fluttered her eyes open. As soon as she saw him, she smiled happily. "My lord…"

"I am here, Bella."

Narcissa got off the bed and backed away, giving him space to go to Bella's side.

"I came to see you before I left."

Bella's smile fell off her face. Her eyes filled with horror. "Left…?"

"There is something I need to do. I will be away for a while, until December."

"N-No…" Bella shook her head. She put an elbow underneath her, and with a groan, pushed herself up a few inches.

"Please… don't."

"I need to, Bella." His voice was even, and he stated facts. There was no compassion.

"No, please… don't. Don't… leave me."

Voldemort raised his brow. The phrase sounded oddly familiar. Don't leave me…

Why are you leaving me?

Iris had said the same thing when she'd been crying last night. In fact, there was more than that… Bella had pale skin as well, her hair was black, and her face almost had a similar shape. Was that why he treated Iris so kindly? Because she reminded him of Bella?

There was a pitiful moan from the bed. Voldemort sighed. He'd consoled Iris enough these past few days; he really didn't want to do the same for Bella.

He knelt down next to the bed. Already, he could see Bella trembling as she struggled to hold herself up. She would not stay awake for much longer.

"Bella," he said, pushing her shoulder gently so she was made to lie on her back, "I need you to stop being silly."

Her whimpering stopped. She looked at him with wide eyes. If they were green, she might've looked like a grown up Iris.

"You are not well. You know this. I have brought you here to recover, and you will not be able to do so if you are moping about. From now until December, you will get better." He leaned closer, taking his hand from her shoulder to her cheek, and added, "Because I have things for you to do."

She gasped. Her eyes opened even wider for a moment, and then the lids fell; she was struggling to stay awake.

"Yes, that's right," Voldemort said, smiling. "I need you, Bella. Back as you were. So, you will stop acting silly, and you will rest. I will be back before long. Is that understood?"

Bella gave a slow nod.

"Good. Close your eyes."

Bella's eyelids seemed to lock closed, as if they'd been waiting for his command all along. There was a ghost of a smile on her face. She settled against the pillow, and her breathing calmed down. Voldemort stood up.

"She stayed awake longer than before, my lord," Narcissa said. "She's improving."

"Yes. She is. Keep seeing to her recovery, Narcissa."

"Of course, my lord."

With that, he walked out of the room, the black smoke fading around him and Harry Potter returning to take its place.

They went to King's Cross Station soon after. Harry and Lucius went through the floo first, taking his trunk with them, and appeared directly inside of Platform 9¾. Iris, Narcissa, and Draco followed them after.

The day was bright, and the station was busy. People bustled about. Still, they noticed their group; the Malfoys had a regal air to them that was hard to ignore. People pointed at them and whispered, mostly at Iris.

Fortunately, everyone was put off of approaching by Lucius's imposing air. The Malfoy head stood with his hands on a snake-head cane, warding them off.

Iris stood with arm around Harry's. She was holding it in a death grip, and no trace of her earlier calmness was present on her face. She looked miserable.

Eventually, a whistle sounded from the train, indicating that boarding had begun. The crowds of people began moving, children gathering their things, parents giving tearful goodbyes.

Lucius eyed Harry. "You ought to go before all the seats are taken, Harry."

"Yes," Harry said, nodding. His chest was squeezing, he realized. Something was trying to crush it.

He looked down, and saw Iris had moved from holding his arm to holding his chest. She was shaking, and tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Iris, we've talked about this," Harry gently said. She shook her head, and wrapped her arms around him even tighter.

"Iris, dear, let your brother go. He'll be back for winter break. It's only a few months," Narcissa consoled. She put her hands on Iris's shoulders and tried prying her away, to no avail.

"N-No… no…" Iris cried, rubbing snot and tears all over his blazer. Harry sighed.

He turned to her, and put his hands on her cheeks, bringing her face up to look at him. "Look at me," he said. "I'm going to come back. Remember what I said? I'll get on the train, and you'll wave. With a smile."

"I don't want to smile!" his sister wailed.

Surprisingly, Narcissa reached around the both of them, and unclasped Iris's arms from Harry. She pulled her off him, holding her hands tightly. Iris struggled, but her little arms weren't stronger than Narcissa's.

"No! No!" she cried.

Harry leaned down towards her. "Iris, will you please behave yourself?"

She went still.

"Thank you. Take good care of Siril," he said, and kissed her on the forehead. With some consideration, he added, "I love you, Iris."

He took his trunk—it was charmed to be light as a feather—and began walking to one of the train's entrances. Draco waved at him, and Lucius gave a respectful nod. Iris was still crying in Narcissa's grip.

She looked at him and repeated his name. Seeing that almost made him want to go back.

Harry went up to the train's door, and glanced back at Iris. He mouthed "smile" to her and did so himself. Then, he took his trunk and climbed inside the train.