Shattered Images

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Harry Potter.

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Harry trailed his fingers along the cold marble wall as he walked down the darkened corridor. A thin snake curled itself around his upper arm, relishing his body heat.

"Where are we going, master?" the snake hissed.

"Father has called me to a meeting," Harry replied in parseltongue, "I believe he has another mission for me."

Harry had been able to talk to snakes since his blood adoption when he was five. Now, ten years later, some of his favorite companions were his father's snake, Nagini, and now Arsinoe, whom he had received for his 15th birthday.

The walnut doors of the reception room opened smoothly as the dark-haired boy entered with practiced grace. Harry crossed the room to where his father stood and raised his eyes to meet crimson. Lord Voldemort's son was the only person not required to bow before him, as he was seen almost as an equal.

"Father," came the respectful greeting.

"Harry," the charming man nodded in reply.

Harry glanced around the grandiose room before returning his gaze to his father, "I assume you have an assignment for me?"

"Your assumption is not incorrect, I have need of an order member to be eliminated."

Harry's green eyes sparked with interest before his hard-earned occlumency shields slid into place.

"Who's the target?"

"A man named Benji Fenwick. Here are the coordinates," Riddle passed a piece of parchment covered in the distinct handwriting of Albus Dumbledore. "Fidelius charm, Dumbledore's the secret keeper. Lucius went through great lengths to acquire this."

"Hmmm pretty important guy, huh?"

"Obviously," Tom drawled in a manner befitting his ancestry, "Honestly one would think you didn't receive 15 years of intense tutoring."

Harry rolled his eyes before scanning the parchment in his hand then flexed his fingers, effectively singeing the paper with a burst of wandless flame. "Any specific requirements?"

"Best to refrain from the unforgivable – any dark spell, really – no need to alert the aurors prematurely."

Harry hummed in agreement before turning to go gather his weapons and dueling robes.

Harry had been completing assassinations for his father since he turned 14, never once failing, except on one or two occasions. Contrasting what the "light" spread as propaganda, Harry's father never killed without good reason, and never intentionally harmed children. Magical children especially were meant to be cherished – it was a waste of magic to murder a child before they'd had a chance to come into their majority, and so the dark refrained from doing so.

As he strapped on his multiple belts and holsters for knives and other weapons, Harry went over his plan of action. He had been completing more and more order member assassinations over the past few weeks – his father must be planning something which required a dismantled order - and had a pretty good idea of what the most efficient course of action would be.

Striding out the front doors, mask firmly in place and black cloak swishing around him, Harry disapparated to the location his father had given him.