The Heir Returns

Chapter 5

After his rash and, frankly, idiotic outburst a few days ago, Harry hadn't left the safety of his bedroom for fear of his life.

Who knew what Riddle would do to him if he saw him again. Would the man stuff veritaserum down his throat, then kill him once he got his answer? Shaking his mind, Harry expelled that thought. He was immune to veritaserum anyway. It was how Harry deceived the wizengamot in the first place. He had no clue how, but when he researched it initially, the text had said that individuals who excelled in their occlumency had this specific talent. Harry had no clue if that theory was true, but it was the only approach that made sense, so he stuck with it.

His musings were interrupted by a persistent tapping on his window. "Shriddy!" He yelled out, refusing to leave the cozy atmosphere of his bed.

The house-elf popped in a few seconds later, "Yes, Master Harry?" she asked.

"Could you check what's tapping on my window?"

"Of course, Master."

Harry made a sound when he called him master. It was such an outdated term he hated hearing it.

"It's an owl, Master Harry." She said, opening the window to let it in.

Harry raised an eyebrow while sitting up in his bed, wrapping the sheets tightly around him when January's biting coldness stung his bare arms. "Is that so?" he questioned, bringing his arms out once they warmed enough, "please hand me the letter, Shriddy. And can you have Adelaide apparate here?"

"Yes, sir!" She replied, popping away to find Adelaide once she had handed him the letter.

Harry stared at the plain letter in his hand. It didn't say who it was from, nor the address. All that was recognizable was the wax seal which unmistakeably was the Slytherin coat of arms.

Harry groaned. Riddle. Seemingly, the man couldn't wait for Harry to divulge all of his deep dark secrets to him. Harry began to rethink his decision to go to Azkaban for the aspiring Dark Lord.

"Harry, why did you ask for me? I was in a very heated debate with Mulciber that I was winning, of course." Adelaide questioned, clearly miffed at being interrupted.

"I got another letter from Riddle."

"Another one?!" She whisper-yelled, "damn, he must be obsessed with you or something. He can't even wait a week."

He scoffed, "As if. I'm not even that interesting. He only cares to know why I went to bloody prison for him."

Adelaide stared at him disbelievingly, "You underestimate yourself, dear Harrykins."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I'm wonderful. Tell me something I don't know, Rosier." He opened the letter carefully, pulling out the piece of parchment stuffed inside. The letter read;

Mr. Potter,

I suggest we meet in a neutral setting today. Perhaps The Leaky Cauldron, around 7 pm? I wish to get an answer to my question and, in turn, make you an offer that you won't be able to reject.

Also, refrain from bringing any affiliates as this will be a private conversation.

Sincerely, LV

"What does he mean by 'offer you can't refuse?'" Adelaide wondered aloud.

"I guess I'll just have to attend to find out."

"Thank god, I was scared you were going to refuse and put an end to Tomarry," She sighed in relief, much to the confusion of Harry.

"Tomarry?" He questioned, "what the bloody hell does that mean?"

"Oh, you sweet naive soul, It's your ship name. Tom-arry. Tom and Harry!" Adelaide exclaimed excitedly, "I know, I'm such a genius. No need to say anything, Har."

Harry blinked repeatedly at her, worried for her sanity. "Dear lord, is Azkaban finally affecting you?"

She smacked his arm good-naturedly, "Shut up!"

Harry chuckled, Adelaide following not too soon after. Their laughs filled the room before Harry sobered, "Wait. What time is it?"

"Uh," Adelaide replied very helpfully, casting a tempus charm. The bright orange letters illuminated the otherwise dark room.

"6:29?!" He yelped, jumping off the bed, quickly running towards his closet, "What the fuck do I wear?"

The Rosier witch quickly pushed him aside, striding into the walk-in closet to choose his outfit. "Well, you obviously can't show up in dress robes. It would attract too much attention when you're in a dingy pub such as The Leaky Cauldron."

She quickly scanned his meagre outfit choices. He hadn't had much time to shop for clothes. The first few weeks of breaking out had been hectic, as he and the other escaped convicts hadn't been sane.

Then came Shriddy. She got them a mind healer, who Harry confounded instantly. Doctor Grey was a huge help. She was incredibly kind and gave practical advice.

After that, Harry had written to Voldemort and spent the next few days anticipating the meet-up, so excuse him for not having enough time to go shopping.

"Here you go," Adelaide told him, shoving a pile of clothes at him.

"That was quick." He stated while walking towards the washroom.

"Never underestimate a Rosier's capabilities, Harrykins. We're indispensable in times of emergency."

"Duly noted." He shouted from beyond the bathroom door.

After changing to the clothes Adelaide had picked for him, Harry noted that the witch had not held back. The outfit looked impeccably put together, yet Harry wasn't sure."

"What do you think?" He asked, twirling. He was wearing a regular muggle black button-down shirt, with the first two buttons open, as the button-down was weirdly tight.

He also wore regular black trousers, making him feel like he was going to a funeral.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked, pulling on the robes she had also picked out. They were navy blue, and they looked rugged enough that he passed as someone that frequented a place such as The Leaky.

"Of course, you look great, Har. The outfit is elegant yet also casual enough that you'll fit right in."

He smiled, "Thank you, but I should leave now. Knowing Riddle, he would arrive earlier than the designated arrival time."

"That's very likely," She replied, smirking. Before adding, "And just so you know, I want all the gossip once you come back."

He raised his hands, "I could never." Those were his last words to Adelaide before he quickly placed a glamour on himself and apparated out of Peverell Manor with a wand he had nicked from an unsuspecting individual in Knockturn Alley.

AN: Hey! Since I have finally decided on an ending for this fic, expect longer chapters that are more frequently posted.