Embracing His True Self
Chapter 53
"Shit," Harry cursed viciously, glancing behind him, all the while yanking his cloak up over his head. He might have a million questions flying through his mind, but he would not risk her being right. He wondered if she'd overheard something and had put her own life in risk to tell him or if it was something else? It didn't explain how she'd known where he was, where Grimmauld Place was even in the vicinity.
They'd need to go somewhere, a café in London, but first he'd need to make sure she didn't have any sort of tracking charm on her. So, a pitstop then they'd talk and eat at the same time. Harry was literally just reaching out to Apparate Luna with him. "Damn it!" he scowled in mounting fury when Rodolphus grasped a hold of Luna and Rabastan before Apparating away. He wasn't pissed that Rodolphus had helped Luna per se, not at all but the fact he knew where the idiot was taking her. Straight into the den of Death Eaters, Death Eaters who still didn't bloody trust him completely, and would be more liable to kill Luna than trust her for a second. Voldemort wasn't going to let her go without erasing the memory of the place from her or worse…demanding oaths and endless vows. That was if he was feeling generous, if he was in a mood he was liable to bloody kill her.
Growling lowly, "I'm going to kill him," he vowed as he snatched Barty and Apparated them away from Grimmauld Place, into what he suspected would be one hell of a confrontation.
He was quite correct, Harry's stomach sank, Rodolphus had Apparated Luna to his home. Honestly, for a smart wizard he was being completely stupid. Removing his wand, he looked around warily, glad to see that there was nobody lurking outside. "What the fuck do you think you're doing bringing her here?!" he roared at Rodolphus, his magic leaking from him as he struggled to control his mounting fury.
Rodolphus took a step back, fear slithering down his spine, when you felt dark magic that way…the first instinct is to take cover. He was utterly saturated in it, and the magic was sparking out of him in droves. With the Dark Lord it was cold, calculated and controlled, Harry's was the opposite, hot, untameable and relentless. Gulping slightly, once again reminded just why Harry Potter-Black fitted in so well.
"You might want to calm down, Harry," Barty warned him, standing close to Harry, "You'll have a very uncontrolled situation on your hands otherwise…" the Death Eaters would converge on them in droves, wanting to see what was going on.
"I already have!" Harry spun around to face Barty, hissing the words out through gritted teeth. "You seriously think she's going to get to just walk away?" he wouldn't even be able to convince Voldemort of that, not even if he had a million years. He'd be lucky if he managed to stop Voldemort killing her for Merlin's sake.
"She is standing right here," Luna pointed out crossly, "I knew very well what I was getting into!"
Harry stiffened, his brow furrowed, "You really don't."
Harry didn't even blink at the sudden appearance of Voldemort, who looked just as pissed off as him. Instead, he just raised his hands in the air in defeat. "Brilliant!" he muttered darkly. He'd sort of expected him sooner, like the second they Apparated sort of soon.
"What is going on here?" Voldemort demanded, eyes narrowed in on the blonde-haired girl he knew to be Luna Lovegood, he also didn't fail to notice the protective stance Harry had standing beside her.
Harry sighed, brushing his hand through his hair, thinking of the best way to reveal everything to Voldemort without Luna being killed on sight.
"Dumbledore placed wards around the vicinity of Grimmauld Place, he might have forgotten the address, or how to find it." Luna was the one who spoke, quiet and respectful, but she wasn't doing that because it was Voldemort, that was just how Luna always was. Even towards those who bullied her she had been tranquil and humble. "He's grown more desperate to find you, Harry, and he if he did…you would have been…changed," a shudder ran down her spine the unending number of bloods spilled was nightmare fuel for her.
Everyone narrowed their eyes for different reasons, "What does that mean?" Harry asked, almost afraid to know.
"It's a long story, one that's best told away from prying ears," Luna said, giving a subtle glance over to where she knew Draco Malfoy was watching.
Harry impatiently closed his eyes, not even having to look over to know who she was referring to. Draco Malfoy was quite quickly becoming a thorn in his side; he was tempted to kill the idiot. Especially the way he was feeling, which was more vulnerable than he had in a while and he did not like it at all. "I wish to grant Luna Lovegood safe passage," Harry eventually asked of Voldemort, green eyes unconsciously pleading.
"Very well," Voldemort conceded, unable to say no to Harry when he begged so sweetly.
Rodolphus, Rabastan and Barty startled at how quickly the Dark Lord had given in to Harry's demands. Rodolphus shared a look with his brother, perhaps there was something in what Barty and Rabastan said. They would need to keep an eye out, truly curious to know if perhaps he was right, that they would have a consort – if Harry could be coined one which really, he shouldn't be since he was a Lord, twice, in his own right. He was as high up the hierarchy in terms of the pureblood ladder, perhaps just as high as the Dark Lord…some might say higher actually. Although not out loud if they want to live.
As if Rabastan agreed with his brother, understood where his thoughts were going nodded just once.
Despite the agreed safe passage, Harry kept Luna behind him as they began walking into the manor, with the Dark Lord leading. His strides were quick and urgent, it was clear to see that he wanted answers. Answers he'd only get once everyone was settled in for the time being. Harry worried regardless, just because she had safe passage in, didn't guarantee her complete safety.
It did not take them long at all to reach the Dark Lord's downstairs office, the moment they were all inside, the door was slammed shut and wards flared to life. Nobody, not even Draco Malfoy could hope to hear them down, although it would be amusing to see Voldemort's reaction if he did try.
"Luna what's going on? what do you mean by I would be changed?" Harry asked, as they all sat down, his confusion taking prominence. Sure, he understood that Luna might not know the answer to that question.
"You forget how smart Dumbledore is, he's created a potion that's part alchemy, part potion, it works like a liquid Imperius curse, giving you traits that he wished for you to have and without an anti-dote you would have remained his version of what he wanted you to be." Luna explained.
Harry paled, his stomach rebelling dangerously, what the fuck? He knew just how smart Dumbledore was, that's why he was considered a danger to them all. Yet to think Dumbledore was desperate enough to give him an untried potion without an antidote to get him to do his bidding…it was exactly like the old fool really. He was obsessed with ending the war, of him being the one to end it. They why only really made sense now, after Voldemort explained what he had inside of him. He was a Horcrux, he could imagine Dumbledore's plan alright, and he did not like it one bit.
"What are you?" Voldemort demanded, already heavily suspecting she was either a spy or something…much, much more. He knew everyone Dumbledore paid special attention to; Luna Lovegood wasn't one of those people. Nine times out of ten, those he paid special attention to he recruited for his Order. Unless, Severus had been mistaken, but he very much doubted it. Severus had been good at what he did, and he'd seen his memories of his time under Dumbledore's thumb. The thought of such a potion going into anyone let alone Harry infuriated him, causing his maroon eyes to flash dangerously.
"I am a seer," Luna spoke the words out loud without riddles for the first time in her life. She never thought she'd see the day where she actually joined a side, let alone revealed that information about herself. The fact that it was Voldemort himself, well, the irony wasn't lost on her at all. Yet she could see what was happening with greater accuracy each day that passed. It was almost as if events that had to pass unencumbered had done so allowing her to see fully for the first time. Although it may have something to do with her age, if this was it now, she wondered how much better control she'd have when she turned seventeen.
Harry suddenly smirked, green eyes gleaming, noticing the subtle reverential gleam in Voldemort's eyes. Oh, he was definitely not going to kill her, at least not unless he had absolutely no choice. She had chosen to come here, had chosen to warn him despite the obvious consequences – becoming entrenched in the dark was consequences enough you'd think – the outcome had to run in her favour…and she obviously wanted what was best for him too. "We need to take him out, now," he demanded, shuddering violently at the thought of what could have come to pass had Luna not warned them.
"What else do you know?" Voldemort asked, eyeing the girl with highly suspicious maroon eyes.
"I know a lot," Luna revealed, "Some of which cannot be revealed until its time, others completely insignificant, my abilities haven't always been…so clear."
"Do you know where that potion is?" Harry asked, mildly, green eyes flashing furiously, the desire to feed the old bastard the very potion he wished for him to take…it was very much prominently on the forefront of his mind. "Or more accurately where the old fool is staying?" would she give him the information he so desired?
"The most obvious place you can think of," Luna replied a knowing look on her face, "Who do most people go to when they're in trouble?"
Harry just stared blankly, how the hell should he know? Was this something he'd have to figure out on his own?
"Family," Rodolphus blurted out, "I'd go to family," which was true enough, the first thought when he got out of Azkaban was his father, who he knew was alive due to the letters they received from him. It was the only contact they were allowed with the outside world due to the fact they were top level Azkaban detainees. Watching the blonde with fascination, he remembered her father, vaguely, he was older than him, by at least a decade.
"His brother? You mean he's in Hogshead pub?" Harry muttered incredulously, that he hadn't seen coming, at all. Why the hell would Aberforth even think of helping his most wanted brother? They didn't get on, in fact Aberforth hated his brother, he might not remember the interrogation he'd undergone but they sure as hell did…and the newspaper got a whole flew of information because of it. Harry groaned and pressed the palm of his hand against his forehead, Merlin, help him, they really did need to take care of Dumbledore and very soon. "He'll probably have his room warded to the nines, if he's still near Grimmauld Place now might be the only time we have to get the damn thing. Maybe inform the Aurors where he is…give us time to get it?"
"Or we can take a leaf out of your book and send your House-elf to claim it," Voldemort stated with feral viciousness. Oh, he knew what sort of person Dumbledore would have turned Harry into. He would have had no choice but to fight his horcrux and Harry himself, since Harry under that influence wouldn't stop until he was dead. He didn't delude himself into thinking it could have been fought, the seer had brought them this information for a reason. Harry definitely had found a rare gem to call a 'friend' then again, he would have 'befriended' someone unique as well.
It was an odd experience for Luna, to have seen this conversation in clarity to have it play out in real life. It was giving her such a sense of Déjà vu. Of course, some things were different, she didn't just envision one potential outcome but one, two sometimes three. It made things a little exciting, she was definitely glad she hadn't seen her own death. The one difference was the fact Voldemort hadn't been pissed off enough to end her life before finding out she was a seer and not a spy for the Order.
"Destroy the potion and remove the memory from Dumbledore," Luna cautioned, "Such a potion should not exist, not even for one's own ends." Giving Voldemort a knowing look, she knew what he was tempted to do, and it would largely backfire at some point. She just couldn't see that point due to the fact that future was so undecided at the moment.
Rodolphus listened and watched the witch closely, feeling awed of her ability to be calm and respectful in the face of the Dark Lord. Not many could say they reacted this way. Most people he had seen meeting the Dark Lord were usually speechless, and embarrassed themselves or terrified and wetting themselves. Both scenarios actually amused the Dark Lord to no end. Interest sparked within him, as he watched her, she must be something else if Harry had befriended her.
"Dobby?" Harry called out, commanding the House-elves presence without being a nasty shit about it, like the others all were.
"What can Dobby do for Master Harry?" his eyes brightening when he noticed Luna – Harry Potter's Loony as he liked to call her – he always helped take care of Master Harry's friends even if they – or Harry – didn't know about it. He owed his master everything after all, for saving him from the daily beatings and mental abuse the Malfoy's inflicted upon him. He didn't care what side his Master was on, even before he had the spells – quite willingly actually – placed upon him to ensure there was never any question of his loyalty.
"Dumbledore is currently staying above Hogshead pub, with his brother," Harry explained, ignoring the disgust coming from the Lestrange's at his casual way of speaking to Dobby. "He has a very dangerous potion that would cause a lot of trouble…that would harm me, I want you to find his room and bring back every single vial or goblet of potion you find, in fact, just take everything except his clothes. It needs to be destroyed, Dobby, as quickly as possible."
Once Dobby disappeared, Harry glanced up at Voldemort in silent query, a single nod was his answer. The Aurors had already been informed and were on their way to Grimmauld Place to deal with Dumbledore. Voldemort obviously had a way of communicating with the Death Eaters, since Lucius was already at the Ministry and presumably already informed the Aurors or subtly manipulated them into believing they had a sudden 'tip' from a source who wished to remain 'anonymous' out of fear of retaliation. It would be believed after all.
"Does your dad know where you are?" Harry asked, knowing that it would kill Xeno if he believed anything had happened to his daughter. She was all he had left in the world, and he adored the ground she walked on, he only needed to look at him to know that.
"He knows," Luna reassured him, seeing the cross look on Voldemort's face, "Or rather understands that I won't be back for a while," she hadn't actually told him she was going to be in the Dark Lord Voldemort's manor. Her father probably wouldn't have let her leave if she told him that.
"I want to talk to Ms. Lovegood, alone," Voldemort demanded, telling them to get out of the room without saying the words.
Harry opened his mouth to protest.
"Now," Voldemort added, not in the mood to listen to him protest against his decision, especially not in front of this newcomer, seer or not he demanded respect.
"Fine. I'll be back in about ten-fifteen minutes," giving Voldemort a look that suggested she better be fine at the end of this and NOT in a cell along with Tonks. Or he would break her out and leave. There were a few people he had silently decided were completely off limits, Neville and Luna (as well as their families) were most definitely off limits.
The second he, the Lestrange's and Barty were out of the room, leaving Luna inside with Voldemort Harry rounded on Rodolphus. "You ever, ever do anything like that again and I swear I'll make what you did to the Longbottom's pale in comparison to what I have in mind for you. You'll be begging for death and I will never grant it. You could have gotten her killed! You still could!" he couldn't believe Rodolphus had apparated her here, well, actually, he could. Bloody idiot, and his loyalty to Voldemort, he meant it though, if anything happened to Luna, he would kill him.
Rodolphus outwardly remained stoic despite the fact he was a quivering wreck inside. Being on Harry Potter's bad side was a very…ill-advised idea apparently. If there was any truth to Harry's potential place at the Dark Lord's side…it made him a threat that he had best not antagonise. He didn't want to test the theory on whether Harry was more important than him, that's for damn certain. He had reacted to the potential threat without truly thinking it through. "I…apologise," Rodolphus managed to get out through gritted teeth, a sign of weakness apologising, but he conceded naturally that he owed the boy it.
"I mean it!" Harry spat, before he stalked off, fury exuding from every pore of his body.
Barty let out a breath, well, that had gone pear-shaped very quickly.
"You were right," Rodolphus told his brother, "Did you see the way he got away with asking questions?" none of them would have dared to do that, if anyone else had done it they'd have been cursed within seconds. The way he had looked at the Dark Lord spoke volumes too.
"He's been doing that since the beginning," Barty shrugged, "He holds no fear of the Dark Lord and I personally think he likes that," he finished wryly, his voice low just in case the Dark Lord could hear them, even if they could hear nothing coming from within the room. Hell, he had guts to talk so casually with the Dark Lord at meal times, it had been quite hilarious to see everyone's reactions and indignation at what they felt was a slight and disrespect. The others just didn't get it. But they would. It would just take time.
That's if Luna's arrival and potential danger didn't send Harry disappearing for good. Rodolphus had meant well, it just hadn't ended well.
"At least she's marginally safe," Barty offered, speaking mostly to himself, "I mean…a seer," he whispered almost reverently, prophets were dime a dozen, but seers were rarer. After seers were abducted and taken for powerful men wishing to know the future, and keep it themselves, the Ministry and Dark wizards included, seers never boasted about their abilities, they kept themselves hidden in plain sight. The fact Luna had revealed she was a seer to Voldemort…it spoke volumes, she had to trust what she'd seen in the future to have faith him. That got his blood pumping really good, between a seer, Harry Potter…the building blocks to them being successful was all laid out there for the world to see.
Rodolphus blinked, she was a pretty little thing, very powerful too, a seer, and he couldn't help but wonder what she could see.
"Quick question…is it possible to remember the impossible by using a pensive?" Harry asked them casually, leaning against the wall, a picture of nonchalance. "I mean even after a Fidelius Charm has been cast?"
The Lestrange's and Barty blinked blankly at him before it was replaced with a thoughtful frown, it was a very good question…one they hadn't contemplated before. "You think that's how Dumbledore remembered?"
"It's just a thought," Harry replied, and he definitely wasn't going to be looking it up any time soon, he had enough on his plate as it was. His attempt at 'Nonchalance' deteriorated quickly, as he began to impatiently tap his foot. "I'm done," 'waiting' went unsaid as he stalked over to the door and opened it, he found Luna and Voldemort eyeing each other like predators, as if trying to win the upper hand over the other. "Any news?"
Annoyance flashed over Voldemort's face for a moment, but his eagle eyes caught the apprehension Harry was trying to hide. Interesting, he wasn't used to anything affecting Harry, yet this news apparently troubled him greatly. "There has been no news from Lucius yet, I believe he will head back as soon as he gets word to let me know." The connection didn't work both ways, he made demands of Lucius and that was that.
"Speaking of Lucius…tell him to get that spawn of his under control," Harry hissed out in annoyance.
Voldemort blinked in surprise at the abrupt change of subject, "And what exactly is young Malfoy doing to have your ire directed at him?"
"He's been following me, and it's beginning to get on my nerves," Harry revealed in aggravation. "If I catch him in the mood, I'm in…" he gritted his teeth, well, Draco Malfoy would find himself in a world of hurt.
Luna sniggered, before her hand slapped over her mouth when she realized it had come out loud. "Nice to see some things never change, he had best watch himself otherwise he'll end up like Marge did."
"Who's Marge?" Barty asked, always eager for information especially on Harry.
"Vernon Dursley's sister," Harry stated coolly, raising his hands in the air in defeat, seems like his conversation was over then, arching his brow, that was rather scary that she knew so much about him without him revealing anything. It was also fascinating; did she actually see what happened or did the information come to her after?
Barty's eyes gleamed, "What happened to her?" whatever it was, he imagined it was well worth it.
"Actually…to this day I'm not exactly sure," Harry admitted as he slumped down in his usual seat, right next to Voldemort and across from Luna. "She just started to inflate; she was already a huge woman to begin with so it didn't take much to have her you know…floating up to the ceiling. Then like a balloon she began floating away. They managed to find her eventually and return her to normal though…minus the memories," which had irritated him, not that he'd shown that. He hated the woman with a fiery passion. He would have loved to have seen her cowed, too terrified to raise her hand to him again. Although…given how thick Vernon is…perhaps she wouldn't have.
"Brilliant," Barty whistled, "Leave that on long enough they will explode, their internal organs pack in, damn, that's dark magic, wonder how they managed to keep that quiet."
"Too bad the Ministry was alerted the moment I used magic then," Harry said, almost sounding petulant.
Barty just grinned wickedly, as always Harry reminded him every day that he had a steel backbone, and he might not be like the others but he was still wickedly devious and dark as they came.
Rabastan grinned, seeing the Lestrange in Harry Potter-Black for the first time, well, if you exclude the duel he summarised internally.
Rodolphus smirked a little, respect once again pinging inside of him for harry, his emotions for the teen keep ping-balling back and forth. Of course, none of this concern showed on his face. He felt like a young teenager again, especially emotionally. This should have all worn off, he'd been given the all clear having followed the healers directives.
"All of you, leave," Voldemort barked out, his annoyance obvious for all to see. "As for you, Harry, I expect you back here within the hour." He ordered.
Harry nodded, "Alright," taking Luna's elbow and guiding her out of the room, "Come on let's go,"
"She remains within the property," Voldemort demanded, his tone booking no arguments.
"I figured," Harry threw back, "See you later,"
The three Death Eaters just stared, at the sigh of exasperation that left their Lord.
Barty left the room sniggering, it was now the second person who had left Lord Voldemort's office laughing, which is exactly what he did moments after stepping out, unaware that he could be heard.
Luna hastened her stride to keep up with Harry, who was seemingly content to drag her off her feet to…who knows where. The place was silent as the grave, she couldn't hear a single noise and didn't notice even one person since Harry guided her out of Voldemort's office. The little chat had gone better than anticipated. Admittedly there was a great deal of suspicion on her from the Dark Lord, after all what better way to get Voldemort's attention than secreting a seer under his nose, someone to report back to Dumbledore. After losing Severus, it would be a move Dumbledore was looking to make. Each side wanted to know what the other was doing. He wouldn't just accept it; he was going to require a demonstration of her powers at some point.
"Slow down," Luna asked, her legs were beginning to strain with her attempts to keep up with Harry lest she end up being practically dragged up the stairs.
Harry slowed immediately, "Sorry," he replied slightly sheepishly, easing up on his grip and strides, "We're nearly there," he promised her, and true to his word, they stopped outside his bedroom. Opening the door, he glanced around, looking for the familiar head of blonde hair, but to his surprise and suspicion there was no sight. Hmm, he'd need to keep a better eye on the blonde idiot, especially right now, if he wasn't here then he was definitely up to something. "Come on in," he added, once they were both in his bedroom he closed the door, the wards flaring as they always did.
"Is this your suite?" Luna asked, gazing around, curiosity getting the better of her. You could always tell so much about a person by their bedroom, the dorms were different, naturally messy.
"Yeah, have you eaten?" Harry asked her, almost feeling off-kilter about her being here, especially in his personal domain. Only Barty, Severus and Voldemort had actually been in here.
"No," Luna replied, shaking her head, drawn to the warmth of the fire, sitting herself comfortably on the seat nearest it. She'd been so worried she'd immediately left, without putting anything on to keep her warm. It might be only August but it was still cold enough to require a jumper which she did not have on. She'd had to run knowing how vital it was to get there before it.
"Amita?" Harry called out to the House-elf, she was Voldemort's, he rarely used her preferring instead to use Dobby. She would do in a pinch, since Dobby was busy. He was stuck between wanting to be down in Voldemort's office where the updates would be immediate, and staying here with Luna. Although he definitely had an extremely important question to ask her, all else could wait.
"What can Amita do for Master Harry Potter-Black?" the diminutive creature asked.
Luna gasped in shock, at the pronouncement. "You're Black's heir?" unable to help herself.
"Can you bring us up a platter of food, please?" Harry asked her kindly, surprisingly enough, despite his orders Voldemort treated them decently. By decently he meant that, especially when compared to how the Lestrange's reacted to his perceived 'kindness' and how Malfoy treated his House-elf. He was made a note to himself that she didn't know everything, which pleased him.
Amita immediately popped away to do as bid, not bowing and scraping, aware their Masters' didn't care for delays. When they wanted something done, they expected it done immediately.
"So…Black heir?" Luna unhelpfully wanted more answers.
"Not quite," Harry said amused, "I'm Lord Potter-Black, as in the Lord of both estates," he corrected her assumption.
Luna gaped for a moment; he'd certainly kept that quiet. "Oh," was all she could articulate.
"Luna…I can get you out of here," Harry said sombrely, a worried look on his face, "The only problem is you'll need to go into hiding, probably forever." Giving it to her straight, but he would help her if she asked it of him. She was one of the few people he actually considered a friend and would do anything for.
"No, I'm needed here," Luna replied right away, not surprised by his offer, Harry would do anything for his friends, that much was obvious. He wasn't one for picking up and discarding friends easily or at all really. When he became friends with someone…they remained friends until they royally screw up and there were no second chances…he didn't even stay mad either. She'd seen him interacting with Ron after all that went down, and he was kind and also supportive to an extent. He'd just made it clear to the red head that their friendship was over but they could remain acquaintances. He'd heard them talking about Quidditch and things like that, without any warmth admittedly.
A platter of food popped into the room, on the table, ready for them to just eat. It was overflowing with food, but with some of the others already leaving there was probably enough food to last the remainder of the group for a couple of days.
"Needed? Or you want to be?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow in her direction. Grabbing a few sandwiches he absently began to nibble on them as he thought on everything that had come to pass in the past…what twenty minutes maybe thirty? There was no way she would have come here unless she saw a favourable outcome for herself. She'd have surely warned him then apparated away herself.
"Can't it be both?" Luna questioned innocently, her wide blue eyes staring into Harry's with only a sliver of wickedness in her gaze.
"With you? Absolutely," Harry agreed with that statement. "Are you sure?"
"I am," Luna replied, she had made her choice.
"You understand that you'll lose Neville?" Harry said, a saddened look on his face, he had come to terms with losing Neville as a friend when this whole thing came to public knowledge. Unfortunately, he just couldn't remain firmly on the light side for the sake of one person…maybe two, since Hermione was always going to remain on the light side but he wasn't as close to her as possible. Hell, she might join the Order and be the enemy fighting them.
Fighting the inevitable.
Luna got a knowing look on her face, "Perhaps," if what she saw came to pass…then things would be okay, nowhere near the best friend scale but not the enemy Harry was envisioning Neville seeing him as. She picked up a bundle of grapes and began to chew on them as she watched a thoughtful look pass across Harry's features.
"Alright…if you're sure," Harry agreed, he couldn't say he was displeased by what happened, it would be nice to have Luna on his side. Not because of her seer abilities, which he hadn't known about all that long. Rather because he had missed her. "There will be a lot of distrust from the others, heck, they might dare to attack you." Which of course, he would never allow to happen…at least not more than once.
"Then perhaps you'll help train me further?" Luna made it sound like a suggestion but it was a thinly veiled order.
Harry narrowed his eyes, sensing the undercurrent order, only Luna would get away with such a thing, he didn't even let Voldemort Order him around. "Perhaps," Harry gave his own warning right back with a look. He wasn't going to take orders from anyone and if she thought she was being subtle she wasn't. Subtlety wasn't ever lost on him; he knew manipulation like he knew his own wand.
Albeit he didn't know everything, especially when it came to emotions, but such as life for Harry who hadn't experienced life as a normal child or teenager.
Dobby interrupted the tense atmosphere, by appearing with what Harry assumed was a box containing everything found in Dumbledore's rooms in Hogshead.
"Did you check everywhere, Dobby?" Harry asked immediately. Desiring to make sure that there weren't any tracking charms or recalling spells upon the items. If there were he would prefer them removed, he did not wish for Dumbledore to remember whatever it was that Luna saw that could turn him into a puppet. The sheer idea of it terrified Harry and he'd long since stopped fearing Dumbledore.
"Dobby did, he brought everything Master Harry, Sir," Dobby said with a beaming smile, knowing he'd served his Master well. "No spells, curses or hexes, all safe." Absolutely delighted in being able to do as his Master Harry wished. He didn't ask for anything much, at least when he compared to his life within Hogwarts or worse the Malfoy family.
"That's perfect, Dobby, thank you," Harry said, feeling relieved, hoping against hope that the damn potion Dumbledore intended to use on him was amongst those Dobby had brought. Knowing his luck, Dumbledore would be too cautious to allow it, but he didn't have much in the way of other options. "I best get this to Voldemort, stay in here, I'll be back as soon as I can, just…stay here for now, there's plenty to read, the writing materials are over there," he pointed to their general direction.
"Leave the door open, I'll have it closed later," Luna commented, as Harry walked towards the door with the large box containing the potions from Dumbledore's abode.
Harry threw her a confused look, he never left his door open, he wasn't about to start now, especially not with Luna in the room. Short of actually putting the box down, and closing the door…he couldn't actually shut it anyway. He grunted, forcing himself to stop as he bumped into Rodolphus Lestrange. Who was sitting on the floor, rolling his wand back and forth absently. "What are you doing here?" he asked the wizard, sounding resigned and suspicious all in one go. Staring down at him wondering why he was waiting on an answer he already knew the answer to.
Rodolphus smoothly raised himself off the floor, brushing off his clothes as if he were removing an imaginary piece of lint. He didn't do awkward and clumsy; such a thing had been well corrected by the time he entered Hogwarts. Elocution, etiquette and every manner of lessons had been taught to him. being hit with a stinging jinx for shrugging his shoulders or putting his elbows on the table wasn't exactly what he'd consider a fun time. It was memories he'd rather forget, even though the lessons were deeply ingrained now. "Is Miss Lovegood receiving visitors?"
Harry's lips twitched, finding himself amused, he sounded like someone out of those old books his teacher in primary school read from. Then again, the Pureblood's were old fashioned, he wondered if they were all like that, if so, it was going to be an amusing time to be around the Lestrange's that was for damn sure. "Luna, you want to talk to Rodolphus?" Harry called out loudly, Rodolphus grunted in annoyance, his lips in a thin line of displeasure.
Voldemort must have given Rodolphus permission to be in this wing, Harry didn't know how he felt about that, nor did he know how to feel about Rodolphus' sudden interest in Luna. He had a rough idea that he wasn't just going in there to apologise for bringing her into the vipers nest even if it had been pure panic. They knew they'd have been figured out if Dumbledore had gotten there on time. It would have ruined everything for them and the Dark Lord's disappointment was painful. Literally and metaphorically.
"Sure," Luna called back, her giggle thawed Rodolphus dour mood almost immediately much to Harry's amazement.
"Want me to remain and be a chaperone?" Harry teased, not sure whether he was teasing Luna or Rodolphus.
"Harry!" Luna called back sounding exasperated and fondly amused.
"It's only appropriate," Rodolphus informed him, his own lips twitching, finding himself amused by the teasing. See, his emotions kept ping-ponging all over the place, and he detested it. He wished they would settle down already, he was physically fit, his magic had settled, why were his emotions taking so long to catch up?
Harry grasped a hold of Rodolphus arm, and led him down the hall, "What is that look on your face?" Harry asked, eyeing Rodolphus with an intense look.
"What? Nothing!" Rodolphus argued, a blank mask covering his features, even if he was unnerved by the teens grasp on something being wrong with him.
"It's not nothing," Harry argued, "You're…there's something wrong,"
Rodolphus just sneered, becoming irritated with his probing.
"Tell me," Harry said, green eyes softening a little, "If you won't…at least tell Vol…the Dark Lord," the words were exasperated giving in and saying the damnable words.
"Don't tell him," Rodolphus warned him, seeing it as a threat instead of concern. He didn't want to be excluded from any upcoming missions, even if it had been quiet on that front. Although it seemed it was just starting to build back up, if the sudden missions were anything to go on.
"Rodolphus I'm not saying this because I want you to get into trouble…but so many different emotions in one go…all different extremes, isn't normal," Harry cautioned him, he'd gone from amused, angry, sappy, happy then extremely vexed before settling on pleased again. "The potion to negate exposure to the Dementors was experimental but approved…did you take the calming draughts for the entirety of the course you were prescribed?"
"I may have missed a few," Rodolphus admitted with a grumble, "I was dealing with Bellatrix and she was taking them, I didn't think they were that important…" judging by how Harry was reacting perhaps he should have done so.
"Explains why your brother's fine but you're not," Harry said shrewdly, "No wonder you're messed up, I'll brew a strong, fresh batch after I'm done with the meeting…you take them all and at the requisite time is that understood?" how he'd gone so long without anyone noticing was beyond him. Then again pureblood's had a good hold of their emotions to begin with, except when they got a good drink in them.
Rodolphus winced, so they had been important, "Why bother taking them now?" shouldn't his emotions have gone back to normal by now? He'd been out of Azkaban for a long time now, were his feelings for Luna a result of his instability? Merlin, he hoped not, for the first time in a really long time, he felt something good, something pure, something he'd desperately wanted to feel for Bellatrix but couldn't.
"You need to take them, the course is four weeks long, it will straighten you out," Harry stated, "You take them every morning after breakfast, don't make me have to make sure you've taken it every day. If I have to, I will tell Voldemort."
Rodolphus flinched at the name and the warning, which wasn't thinly veiled at all, not very Slytherin but at the same time very effective so perhaps it did have some element of Slytherin in it after all. Shifting almost restlessly, "Is it that bad?" he didn't like the thought of anyone being able to read him so well, especially considering he didn't spend a lot of time with the teen.
"Not glaringly obvious, no, but your reactions to me vary widely by day, and that is abnormal," Harry stated, relieved beyond belief that the potion wasn't degrading. It would have resulted in instability in the Death Eaters resurfacing and Sirius getting becoming so as well. "According to Severus it's not your normal behaviour, and yes, he's noticed as well,"
"Which means My Lord has definitely noticed too," Rodolphus whispered mostly to himself, sounding rather devastated by that.
"I wouldn't be surprised, he's the most observant wizard I've ever met," Harry said, surprisingly being honest with himself. He'd figured Dumbledore out when he was just eleven when nobody else had. It had nothing to do with Slytherin houses' influence either, since Voldemort said it was before he stepped foot in Hogwarts. It was one of the rare times he actually spoke about himself, when they were duelling and discussing Dumbledore and how they'd figured out there was just something more to the old man. That he was wearing nothing but a façade.
He had too, but not to the same extent Voldemort had.
"He is," Rodolphus said reverently.
Harry told him, "I'll have the potion made for you within two to three hours depending on how long the meeting runs,"
A mixture of annoyance, anger and exasperation ran through Rodolphus. He was getting worse, he realised, he prayed the potion actually worked…and he hadn't screwed himself up completely. The calming draughts he'd taken occasionally, had masked the symptoms…and he'd slowly gotten worse over time. "I will," and it want a placation, he had every intention of taking the potions. It had to be quick, he didn't want the Dark Lord to be disappointed in him, the idea very nearly had him puking up.
"Of course he will," came Luna's voice through the door causing both to startle just so.
Harry chortled wickedly, having absolutely no doubt she would, before he knew her, he wouldn't have thought so, now? now he knew she cared for those she liked very much. She didn't seem to care about her own bullies and needs while at Hogwarts which irritated him.
Rodolphus looked at the door with a constipated look on his face, surprised and confused as to why she would even care. It would take a long time, even with Rodolphus' mental state becoming solid for him to realize that not everyone was Bellatrix.
"I've got to go, see you later!" Harry called out, taking off down the hall, technically Voldemort said an hour and that hour definitely hadn't passed yet. Harry though, wanted to know what was going on with Dumbledore, the Ministry and even everyone in the manor. The lockdown was officially over, but he didn't know if anyone had been told yet.
Rodolphus watched Harry Potter's retreating form, he was unlike any other wizard he'd ever met. Go figure he would be friends with a girl who was unlike any other witch he'd ever met. She made his heart pound, palms sweaty, and Merlin he could wax poetically about her, she was just…mesmerising. He had so many questions about her abilities, and more importantly why she'd chosen to help.
Taking a deep breath, Rodolphus stepped inside, none of his nerves showing, so very curious about her.
He hadn't felt curious about anyone in such a long time, it made for a refreshing change.
"Is that everything gathered from the old fools room?" Voldemort asked Harry the second he stepped into the room, standing up gesturing for Harry to put them on the table he was now standing in front of. He was slightly surprised he'd came to him and hadn't attempted to figure everything out on his own. Pleasantly surprised, it meant Harry was beginning to realize he had people he could rely on.
"Yeah," Harry said, barely blinking at the sight of Lucius and Fenrir – who were glaring at each other – in the room. Moving over to the table, he slid the box and its contents onto the stable surface and opened it for the first time. He chuckled when he realized what Dobby had done, he'd literally boxed everything, including his Bourbon and fire whiskey bottles. "Did they get him?"
Lucius let out a strangled sound which made Fenrir bark out a sound of amusement.
"They did," Voldemort informed him, "I have a few people keeping an eye on him from afar, they will stop any attempts to get to him," to free him went unsaid. It was possible, there were people who would risk life and limb for Dumbledore, refusing to believe who he truly was. There were too many people like that, it was sickening really, how blind they were all to Dumbledore's true character even with proof shoved under their noses. It's what made Dumbledore an extremely dangerous wizard, and they couldn't allow him to roam free…especially with the news they'd just learned. He hadn't spent two years watching Harry flourish only to see him change and have to fight him. Which he would do, if he must, regardless of his feelings. Considering how crafty the boy was…it was a fight he couldn't be entirely confident he'd win.
"I hope you're good at remaining in the shadows," Harry sighed, brushing his hand through his hair, feeling stressed to the max. At least Dumbledore was in prison, he mused, as he unscrewed the caps on the drink and sniffed them, making sure they were what they looked like. The strong smell of alcohol wafted from the bottles rim, definitely just drink. They were automatically put in the bin under the table, so they could focus on the goblets and vials set very carefully and tidily in the box, with Dobby's magic making sure they remained upright and free of spillages. "Can't you get him put in Azkaban right away until his trial? He IS a flight risk,"
Lucius just stared blankly at Harry, "I am going to assume that's some sort of Muggle custom?"
Harry smirked almost ferally, "Do you know the ministry of magic's motto is based on the Muggle one you deride?"
Voldemort cleared his throat, his annoyance unhidden, honestly, those two absolutely love winding each other up. Any other time he would have been quite amused by it. Dumbledore however, was a real danger, especially since his façade was obliterated, he had no job and held no fear of the Ministry. "Harry raises an interesting point, what would it take to get Dumbledore in Azkaban until the trial?"
Harry grinned smugly at Lucius, Merlin, there was nothing more fun than winding Lucius Malfoy up. His Dobby jokes weren't working anymore, so he was having to up his game. Although, strangely enough even that wasn't working. Why the hell had Lucius become so afraid of even reacting remotely to his taunts? It was so unfair. His eyes lit up gleefully when he noticed the subtle twitch of Lucius' jaw, it wasn't much but it showed a reaction.
Fenrir just leaned back enjoying the show, Voldemort knew Harry was taunting the blonde and never did a thing. He wondered how long he'd allowed it, did the boy even realize how high a capacity he was held in? Lucius and Severus were very high up in the inner circle, not many would deliberately wind them up. Hadn't anyone explained anything to him? Or did he know and do it anyway? He wasn't sure which one would cause the more respect for the teen.
"My Lord, I was barely able to convince Fudge to send the Aurors to Grimmauld Place," Lucius replied, his tone as always respectful.
"It's easy, play on his fears," Harry replied sardonically, "Dumbledore's already gotten away once, if he gets away from within the Ministry of Magic itself…the people will lose respect and become worried that others might be able to do the same thing."
Lucius blinked, almost cursing himself, why hadn't he thought of that? Oh, yes, because he was too pissed off at the teenager. He somehow had the capacity to rile him up like nobody else. The worst thing about it, he didn't dare do a single thing, he valued his life and the life of his family thank you very much. Which apparently Draco was jeopardising as it was. Not just with Harry but with Barty and now Rodolphus Lestrange who had come to him and warned him that he'd make Draco regret it if he kept spying on them. Even with his warnings the night of the party, his son was determined to destroy the family name. Or end the damn Malfoy name, Narcissa hadn't been able to get pregnant again and they had reconciled themselves to having only Draco. He'd apparently need to have another talk with him, this time he was bringing in the big guns, in other words his mother. Narcissa would need to be told everything, Draco would listen to her, if everyone thought he was terrifying they evidently hadn't seen Narcissa pissed off.
"Lucius?" Voldemort stated, thinly veiled annoyance in his tone.
"I'll get right on it, My Lord," Lucius said, standing, knowing when he was being dismissed. He hadn't been dismissed from a meeting in a long time, especially since it was still being conducted. His mind wondered whether it was because of Draco's actions or if it was the urgency that was Dumbledore. He chose to believe it was because of the threat that Dumbledore posed. Nodding curtly in respect he vacated the room, hastily making his way to the Ministry, the quicker he dealt with his Lord's demands the sooner he'd return to deal with his son.
"Some of these are just normal potions, pain relievers, calming draughts, ibuprofen muscle relaxants, makes you see the old fool in a new light," Harry said wryly, he was always buoyant, full of life, you don't imagine him with aches and pains. At least he hadn't, although he probably should have, he certainly could run like nobody's business. Had a tight grip too, he knew courtesy of the Triwizard tournament. "He wanted everyone to believe him infallible, seeing him taking these would have ruined the image. It would have enforced the idea that yes, Dumbledore is old, too old, as a matter of fact. They'd have begun thinking he should slow down, take it easy, before long whispers would have started up, insisting he cut back his duties, the Wizengamot and the ICW would have gone first, they liked the old fool too much at Hogwarts." He threw them all in the trash, nobody would be taking anything that belonged to Dumbledore.
Voldemort just observed the teen with a prideful glint in his eyes. Nothing the teen said had surprised him, he knew just how smart Harry was. He saw the world in almost the same way he did, with a few obvious differences, especially in the beginning. Harry had opened his own eyes to some of his misconceptions and he was glad he had. It had taken the war in an entirely different direction. He still wished the boy had more bloodlust though. Bellatrix hadn't taken it well when he had forbidden her from venturing into the dungeons for the foreseeable future. No doubt the news of Tonks placement there would reach her soon, or had already.
Then again perhaps he had enough for both of them.
"Which leaves only five unidentified," Harry gazed suspiciously at the two goblets and three sealed vials. "Do you know the smell of anything alchemy related?"
"Indeed," Voldemort replied, hence his decision to have Fenrir at the meeting, Severus too.
A knock at the door distracted them, "Enter," Voldemort ordered, knowing exactly who it was.
"My Lord," Severus said dutifully, stepping in and closing the door. "You wished to see me?" his eyes were gleaming with excitement.
"We have just found out that Dumbledore created a concoction that's a cross between a potion and alchemy," Voldemort stated, refraining from informing Severus of what exactly it was that was created. He wanted to see if Dumbledore had created it, and if Severus could confirm its authenticity. As tempting as it was to use it, he decided against it, what was created could be used against him, not just Harry or anyone else…thus it would be destroyed. He was too paranoid to allow such a thing to exist.
"I assume it's one of these?" Severus asked, gesturing towards the vials and goblets.
Voldemort gave him the go ahead with a gesture of his hand.
Severus stepped up, black eyes gleaming with challenge, picking up the goblet, he inhaled sharply, his nose picking up the subtle scents of all ingredients from within. Giving it another sniff, his gaze sharpened on the colour, "This is an extra strength bone regrowth draught, it's used for those with a degenerative disease," it does come with old age, his surprise came from the fact Dumbledore clearly had someone brewing this for him that was not him. It was insulting, he was the youngest Potions Master in the world, and the best at what he did, he could have made this potion much more potent.
Harry smothered a snort, "He probably had quite a few potion brewers out there making these for him, if he didn't do it himself. It's not wise to let someone know just how bad off he is. Especially if that someone is a spy, even if he did trust you."
"Oh, he brewed these himself, he wouldn't trust anyone else to know about his predicaments," Voldemort said in deep amusement.
"It means he won't survive in Azkaban long if he's suffering from bone degeneration unless he gets the potions he requests, but too bad there's no healers at the prison." Harry said darkly, he hated that fact, sure they're in prison, but that doesn't mean they didn't deserve the basic human rights.
"Don't tell me you're going to start demanding changes to Azkaban," Voldemort stated, his eyes closing momentarily in exasperation pinching the bridge of his nose.
Fenrir grinned ferally, his very canine teeth showing off, things were much more fun than they had been in decades.
"Maybe," Harry said simply, his tone slightly impish, "I'm sure the others will agree,"
Voldemort just gave Harry a unimpressed look, oh, he knew if the boy dug his claws into the cause he would damn well get his way. He had a penchant for being able to say the right things at the right time. It was infuriating most of the time, other times it amused him to no end.
"I figured out the potion by the way," Severus commented idly.
"Wait, what? The Metamorphmagus potion?" Harry whirled around to face Severus; his teasing Voldemort already forgotten.
"Yes," Severus answered smugly, "But first let's find out what these are," noticing the Dark Lord's edginess.
When Severus opened one of the vials, Fenrir hissed out sounding more feline than canine.
"Close that," a guttered snarl leaving Fenrir's lips, already close to shifting.
Harry stared in surprise; he hadn't seen Fenrir lose it so quickly. "What the hell is in that vial?"
"It's something that causes a werewolf to become…incontrollable," Severus replied, his tone cautious, "If drunk…it would cause irreparable damage to whomever drank it. The worst of it…I do believe it's much like the wolfsbane potion only twenty times stronger and I believe it would be overlooked…" in a routine autopsy diagnosis.
"Whoever?" Harry scoffed, rage building in his system, "We both…no we all know there's only one werewolf who would have trusted Dumbledore unquestionably."
"Lupin," Voldemort and Severus stated sharply.
"My impudent pup," Fenrir scowled at the same time. Another reason why he was quite correct never to trust Dumbledore.
"Damn," Harry said, "Just when I thought he couldn't get any worse."
"What do you know that I don't?" Severus asked, for Harry to say something like that implied Dumbledore had done or planned on doing something to Harry. His friends and the people he cared about always came before himself, hence why he knew it was something that had been done to him.
"You'll see, there's only three other potions left," Harry said, gesturing towards them, he wasn't a master, so he didn't know potions by scent the way Severus did. It was mesmerising to see though, he didn't know how Severus did it, Fenrir was self-explanatory, his sense of smell was much stronger than anyone else's.
Severus narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Very well," reaching forward he grasped the next goblet, it was by far the freshest batch of potion. The second he smelt the scent of books and the scent of the park from his childhood he knew what it was. "This is…an altered version of Amortentia, it does not have its noticeable mother-of-pearl sheen." Which was quite alarming, "My Lord may I take this to inspect it further?" saying nothing else until he gained permission. He was perplexed by it, and genuinely worried about what it could do.
"Very well," Voldemort agreed, getting impatient again.
"I shall have you an update as soon as I have news." Severus nodded his thanks, before getting to the last two vials, yanking the cork out so the wax seal around the edges broke. Taking a sniff of the cork, he froze, blinking, he repeated the process but inside the vial instead of the cork and it was exactly the same scent. He glanced quickly at Harry, who nodded solemnly, hatred blazing in his green eyes.
"There are a few ingredients in this that I can't pinpoint, they're obviously scentless, which means…that this potion couldn't be replicated or an antidote given for." Severus said, his heart pounding in his chest.
"What exactly would it do?" Voldemort asked deceptively, despite the fact he already knew, and Severus knew he already knew.
"This…the ingredients within are all components for ensnaring the mind, utterly bewitching the senses, in essence it would change someone into something else entirely…" Severus paused, unable to find the correct words, "It's worse than the Imperius curse…at least that can be removed or fought, this…this cannot it would change someone so utterly they'd never revert back to their true personality."
"Yes," Harry muttered his agreement, "Thanks to Luna it's not going to happen,"
Severus paled at the prospect of how close he came to closing Harry forever to the light side. It would have made his vow…complicated to say the least. It wouldn't have screwed with only Harry's life but his too. He owed Luna Lovegood a serious thank you, she certainly deserved it. If that was how he felt, he dreaded to think just how pissed off the Dark Lord really was.
"He's at the Ministry, with a little luck Lucius will manage to convince Fudge to send him to Azkaban until his trial," Harry said grimly, it would be much harder to get him out of Azkaban than the Ministry of magic.
Probably the only reason he was alive, the Dark Lord would have sought his death. Severus wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore miraculously turned up dead. Unless, of course, he had something else in mind, presumably worse than death. After what he had just heard, he wasn't opposed to it. He was supposed to be the leader of the light, but these potions would see him sentenced to Azkaban for life itself let alone for all else he'd done during his extended lifetime.
The list was quite extensive. Longer than his name, which would be irritating for the scribe and prosecutors and defendants to call out every time. "Good," Severus sneered, eyes glittering coldly.
"Now what did you mean about the potion?" Harry asked, his attitude changing abruptly, as excitement sprung up from nowhere.
Voldemort actually glanced at Severus in curiosity, the desire to know himself most prominent.
"It appears the potion works at full capacity for those who have Black blood…no matter how far back in the family line." Severus explained haughtily. "Even a single drop six generations ago is enough to give someone full control over Metamorphmagus abilities by the potion,"
"Are you saying we need Tonks blood to harness the potion?" he definitely wouldn't volunteer his own, Voldemort had already done that thank you very much. "Which means technically me and Voldemort could take it since we share the same blood?" and same protection and same soul – even if his was only a shard – but nobody would ever know that.
"Yes, but those who don't have a speck of Black blood only have partial abilities," Severus explained, he might not sound excited but Severus was exuding excitement.
"Most pureblood's are inner related," Fenrir grunted out, as always listening to everything, but only giving his opinion on the rare occasion.
"Very true," Harry said wryly, "Who would have thought the inner breeding was a good thing?"
"Depending on how far back it works," Voldemort pointed out astutely.
"It's definitely something to investigate," Harry replied, "Who did you give the potion to anyway?"
"Ardella Carrow, she is related to the Black's six generations back through her mother, Carina Black a cousin of the main line," Severus informed them, she was quite an unsightly girl, poor thing looked more like her father than should be possible. She'd very quickly volunteered to test it for him, just for the chance to look 'pretty' without having to go through magical procedures which were terribly painful so most people did not go through with it.
"Wait I thought there were only two Carrow's?" Harry asked, how brow furrowing, honestly there were too many people to keep track off.
"She supports the dark but is not an active participant, her mother threw her out over it, she's staying with her father," Severus explained, "She was here during the lock down," her mother had kept her maiden name despite marrying a wizard with a better name, but their marriage ended quite quickly after he realized the brother would always be uncomfortably in the way. Honestly, their relationship was bordering on incest, and actually was if you believed the rumours. So, it was no surprise that the father had demanded a paternity test done on his daughter.
"And her father is?" Harry asked curiously.
"Antony Dolohov, Antonin Dolohov's son," Severus informed him, Antonin had lost his wife at childbirth, nine months after he married her. He'd never remarried, and came to Britain with his son and Antonin was said to be one of the Dark Lord's first Death Eaters. Which was hardly surprising considering how magical Russia had been back then. It was sort of the reversed with those in power killing anyone remotely opposing them. They didn't care who got hurt in the process, and Antonin's new wife was one of those. Antonin now believed those who were in power were corrupt, especially the likes of Dumbledore.
"What age was his son when he was sentenced to Azkaban?" Harry asked unimpressed.
"Fourteen, he lived with his maternal aunt in Russia until his father's breakout and made his way directly here," It was Voldemort surprisingly who answered.
"Which makes him twenty-eight years of age, hell of a chunk of his kids life to miss," Harry conceded, especially considering he'd lost his wife and he could imagine what the wizard heard with the company of only Dementors. Although he could imagine how many children, he had left orphans or without both their parents, how many people he'd tortured and killed. The lines were sort of blurring, he guessed when someone was passionate about something they lost sight of the bad things. He sincerely hoped that didn't happen to him.
Fenrir grunted and stood up, his immense presence felt, before he lumbered out of the room without a word.
Obviously, he wasn't one for small talk while they waited on Lucius Malfoy returning. Hopefully with good news, but Fudge was predictable so it should be good they hoped.
"My Lord…what do you plan on doing to Dumbledore?" Severus dared to ask, tensing slightly at his own audaciousness.
"Nothing," Voldemort informed him imperiously, "I've been advised that killing Dumbledore so soon would have an adverse effect of turning him into a martyr," making it clear who had given him that advice.
"That's true," Severus conceded, understanding the unspoken message all too clear. So soon, which meant he would be dealt with, Severus believed the moment he was sentenced to Azkaban he'd be taken care of. He rather hoped Dumbledore was made an example of, those potions…he deserved to suffer tortures of the damned.
"And it looks like Lucius had returned," Voldemort said deceptively, straightening up further, the wizard better have good news for him. Plucking the vial from Severus fingers, having every intention of destroying it, and killing Dumbledore so such a concoction could never be remade. He accepted the cork and replaced it inside, keeping the liquid from spilling out.
"Are you using the labs for anything?" Harry asked, remembering the fact he'd need to brew the strong calming draughts for Rodolphus.
"I have two cauldrons bubbling away but the rest of the stations are free," Severus replied, "Need any help?"
"I should be fine, I'm just making the extra strength calming draughts," Harry waved away the help, two cauldrons were all it would take and he could make them in sync.
"Ah," Realisation washed over Severus, remembering their discussion while they brewed more of the Metamorphmagus potion. "Was it as bad as we feared?" noticing Voldemort watching them suspiciously.
"Nah," Harry said shaking his head, making it clear there was nothing to worry about.
Voldemort was just about to open his mouth and demand an explanation when Lucius entered without knocking. "Well?" he questioned forcefully.
"I successfully talked him into it, he was already singing off on it and planning his transportation when I left, the others are remaining to keep an eye out." Lucius informed his Lord without pausing to take a breath. The others weren't Death Eaters but sympathisers, the Dark Lord had a lot of them, which was a good thing.
"Good," Voldemort stated in satisfaction very pleased to hear that.
R&R