A Snake Named Voldemort

Chapter 5

"But...but Harry! Why on Earth would you want to stay here? It'll be so boring! Mum and Dad were excited to see you."

"I have to agree, Harry," Hermione piped up. "Do you really want to spend the whole break in a practically empty castle? I don't see what's keeping you here."

Harry shrugged, buying time to put together his excuse he had only half come up with. He made a point to glance around, as if looking for any signs they were being overhead. Taking the hint, Hermione threw up a privacy shield.

Harry put on a suitably worried expression. "I overheard Dumbledore and Snape talking about how Voldemort has been suspiciously absent the last few weeks."

Hermione and Ron frowned. "What do you mean "absent," Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, but apparently no one's seen him, not even the Death Eaters. It's like he vanished or something."

"I think that's just rubbish. A Dark Lord just doesn't disappear," Ron scoffed, taking a bite of toast, a manifestation of his nervous eating habit, Harry knew.

"Exactly," Harry agreed. "Voldemort's planning something; I know it. That's why I think I should stay here."

"Uh, I still don't get it, mate."

Harry sighed. "I'm staying here in case Voldemort's plans involve me."

His two friends were silent while they mused over Harry's logic.

"Harry," Hermione finally said hesitantly, but Harry just shook his head.

"No, I've made up my mind. I don't want to put anyone else in more danger than is necessary."

:Playing the saviour card, are we?: Voldemort butted in. Harry fought not to react either in a scowl or a chuckle, trying to keep his expression appropriate for his conversation with his friends.

"Hogwarts is the safest place for me to be right now. Besides," he smiled, trying to put his friends at ease. "It will give me lots of time to work on my winter assignments and do some research. I've put off studying more advanced magic for far too long, deluding myself to believing Voldemort would play nice and use only school level spells."

A certain snake hissed out something that sounded suspiciously like "in your dreams." Harry ignored it.

Both Hermione and Ron recognised the stubborn, set look in Harry's face and slowly, reluctantly, nodded.

"Well, Harry if you do change your mind, Mum will always love to have you. Christmas will be boring without you, now," Ron pouted, sipping his pumpkin juice forlornly.

"I'm sure it will be fine, Ron, what with the twins and all."

Ron's face paled. "Don't remind me! I just know I'm going to end up as an experiment for their new pranks. If I come back as a toad, you know what happened and I am going to blame you entirely because you weren't there to stop them."

"Like I could!" Harry laughed. Hermione dropped the privacy charm and from there on they finished breakfast with lighthearted conversation. Harry couldn't help but feel a little guilty that he was withholding truths from his friends, if not outright lying to them. But when he reminded himself he was doing all this for their benefit that he could push those feelings to the back of his mind. Guilt was probably an emotion that was going to be with him until he could get Voldemort sorted out, and there was not much he could do about it at is.

In truth he was actually looking forward to being alone at Hogwarts with only a Dark Lord disguised as a snake for company. Sure, he had Voldemort around his neck nearly 24/7, but that didn't mean he had time to actually talk with him. Between school work, Quidditch, and his friends Harry never had time for a heartfelt discussion. There were many things he wanted to ask, things only Voldemort himself could answer.

Or perhaps the reason he didn't mind staying here with Voldemort as his main source of company was because Harry might have started to consider his parents' murderer as a sort of...friend. Or perhaps "friend" was too strong of a word—he certainly wasn't planning on coming up with secret handshakes with him—but there was definitely a sense of camaraderie to their relationship now.

And here Harry thought his life couldn't be any more messed up.

Harry dispelled anymore thoughts and followed his friends to first period.

:So, Voldemort,: Harry asked later that day as he sat at his desk in the DADA classroom, waiting for class to start. :How does Hogwarts education compare to your time?:

From his desk, Snape looked up with an odd look on his face.

:Why do you want to know?: Voldemort said, irritated.

:I'm curious. Am I learning the same things you did?:

:For the most part,: the snake grudgingly replied. :Obviously you are learning some things that were not known back in my time.:

Harry chuckled. :Yeah, back in your time. You're really old, right?:

Voldemort recoiled, indignant. :Potter, I am not old,: he spat, the word sounding like a curse.

:But aren't you, what, one hundred?:

Voldemort hissed sharply, drawing more than a few startled glances, including Snape's. The man actually looked quite pale...er, paler than normal.

:Potter, I will kill you one day, and I will enjoy it immensely.:

Harry pretended to pout. :You wouldn't really do that to me. I mean, I did give you my blood for your resurrection ritual. Doesn't that count as something?:

:What part of "blood of the enemy unwillingly given" don't you understand?: Voldemort drawled, far from amused. Snape continued to stare, the quill in his hand frozen over his parchment, a black ink stain slowly growing on the paper where the quill tip hovered over.

:Oh, yeah, I forgot. Hey, it's five past and Snape still hasn't started class. That's never happened before...:

Voldemort subtly glanced at the dark-haired man in the front of the room, and saw that he was staring at where the Boy-Who-Lived sat, expression frozen. Voldemort turned back to Harry.

:...You've been using our conversation to bother the traitor. You've been using me...!:

:Brilliant, wasn't it? Hey look, he's still staring.:

Voldemort looked back and saw that, yes, Snape was still looking at them.

:You know, Potter, I may actually approve of your tactics. If you join me I might make you a strategist.:

:Not on your dreams, Voldie,: Harry said cheerfully, ignoring Voldemort's usual death threats and giving Snape a break by shutting his mouth and looking attentive.

He had to admit, though, that had been dreadfully fun.