Harry Potter and His Shadows

Chapter 12: Grimmauld Place

Harry woke the next day, feeling much calmer. Silky darkness soothed him, and he reached out to find Cherié in wolf form stretched across his legs. Gently he stroked the fur and smiled at the content he felt through their bond. Speaking of bonds, he reached out across the horcrux link to Marvolo. He was still asleep, so he pushed feelings of happiness and affection down the link, waiting for him to wake up. Amusement and happiness echoed back, and Harry smiled, getting up to dress, ready to face the day.

Voldemort woke up and smiled when he felt Harry through the link. Look at him, smiling. Harry really had fixed him. He frowned, annoyed as always when thinking about just how much he had lost his way. And his mind. He stretched, getting out of bed and dressing, before walking down the halls to the meeting room. The large converted room was dark exposed stone, with a raise platform holding a single chair, for him to sit on. A long wooden table surrounded by chairs stretched the length of the hall, and he walked past his many seated followers to the front of the hall. "Dolohov, I expect you have the report on the dementors?" Antonin nodded, standing to say his piece. It was half an hour of details, basically explaining that the Dementors were willing to work with him under certain conditions later disclosed. Bored, he raised his hand, hiding a frown when Dolohov flinched. Had he really terrified them that much? "That's enough Dolohov, good job. Be seated, we have other things to discuss." Antonin did so, wide eyed and thankful. "Lucius, Bellatrix, have you completed the plans for the attacks?" Lucius stood to talk but was interrupted by Bellatrix. "The plans have been finalised My Lord. Please...can I kill the boy?" Lucius frowned, but Marvolo's face thundered. His death Eaters leaned back, those in the outer circle even whimpering in fear. "What, about announcing Harry as my ally, did you not understand Bellatrix. Was his living here for three months not evidence enough that the boy is now within our fold?" She lowered her head, her dark nest of hair covering her face. "I'm sorry master, please forgive me!" He grimaced at her plea. She was a powerful pureblood witch, not a slave or whore. The deference, the unhealthy devotion she showed him was just wrong! How was he only now seeing this? He leaned back, nodding at Lucius to speak. "Thank you, My Lord. The plans are set to go, and the groups have been informed of what to do, and prepared for if the order appears at the house. I took the liberty of leading the attack on Diagon myself, My Lord." Marvolo nodded, it was better that Bellatrix was kept away from Harry. Besides, her taste for blood would send a much clearer message with the muggles. The filth would pay for how they treated magical kind. For hurting Harry. "Very good Lucius, well done." Lucius blinked, surprised at the praise from him. "Thank you, My Lord." He retook his seat and fell silent. Voldemort stood, addressing the entire hall. "We will be pushing forwards our attack on the light. We have strayed from our true path, but no more! No longer shall Dumbledore twist the truth and kill the freedom of magic. No more shall the ministry persecute the powerful! No longer shall muggles poison our traditions, our ways of life! We fight for change, for a better world! The fight starts now!" His followers stood from their chairs, cheering and shouting. He retook his seat, basking in the excitement of his followers. It had been too long.

Harry slowly walked down the halls of Grimmauld Place. He'd never been here before, or at least not that he could remember, and he soaked in the dark energy amassed from generations of spell casting. It was heady, and he could understand how so many pureblood families clung to their traditions. The power in this house alone. He came up to the third floor, stretching out his magic to determine that no one else was on this floor. He released his power, shadows growing and writhing in each and every corner. Cherié solidified into a shadowy mass, a silhouette of his master, walking off to explore the house on his own. Harry walked into an empty room, bare shelves lining the walls. It had large windows, the only ones in the house, and he lay in a patch of sun that had managed to struggle through his shadows' darkness. He spread himself out between each shadow, feeling the house through them. Every creak of a floorboard, every gust of wind, every mite of dust on stone. Every part of him felt like it was being pulled in a million directions, alive and squirming. He understood how such a sensation could drive someone crazy, but he's become used to it. It was comforting. Sometimes he was tempted to just let himself be torn apart by his beloved shadows, to become a part of their swirling, inky, blackness.... Perhaps he had already gone mad, and just not noticed. He had been rather preoccupied lately. Suddenly, a magical disturbance alerted him to a presence appearing directly behind him. He started to pull the pieces of his soul back, collecting himself enough to sit up and turn to see an astonished old house elf. "Half-blood Harry Potter is being a shadow mage!" Harry pulled back the rest of himself, taking a second to become reoriented with his surroundings. He knew this house elf didn't he? "You must be Kreacher?" Sirius had mentioned the rather grumpy house elf. "I is Kreacher, yes master!" Harry raised an eyebrow, confused. "Master?" Kreacher nodded, his ears flapping about and hitting his face. He was less excitable than Dobby, which was a relief. "Master Sirius is dead, so Kreacher had no master. Only three. Only three worthy of the House of Black, yes. Three only three." The elf had begun murmuring to himself, rocking on his feet. "Kreacher!" It looked up, frowning. "Yes, Mistress Black, Malfoy boy or Master. You master! Kreacher chooses young shadow mage, pride of the Noble House of Black!" Harry was shocked. Sirius must have named Harry as his heir to become Kreachers master. But that meant... He was Lord Black. He smiled. Harry Potter-Black. He frowned. Tears started to form in his eyes, and a single drop fell onto the dusty floor before he wiped his eyes and stood. He was sorry for what he did, and he would always be sorry, but there was no changing it now. "Very well Kreacher, I will be your master. But you cannot tell anyone what I am! The others in here are light, you know what they would do to my kind." Kreacher nodded solemnly, his face more grave than usual. "Yes, Kreacher will protect young master, Kreacher will tell no-one!" Harry smiled, and looked up to see Cherié walk back in. I thought you were my master! Harry laughed, reaching out to caress the shadows face. Always. Cherié practically purred, before melting back into Harry's normal shadow. Harry turned back to Kreacher, who had watched the exchange with wide eyes. "Is there anything else Kreacher?" Harry asked kindly, looking down at the old elf. He looked nervous, and Harry frowned. What was wrong with the elf? "Kreacher was told to never tell, Kreacher always listened to master, always, Kreacher is a good elf!" Harry knelt down, placing his hands on the elf's bony little shoulders. "Kreacher. You are a good elf. But I am your master now, and if you think there is something I should know, then you need to tell me." Kreature was silent for a moment, twisting the potato sack he was wearing in his clenched fists. "You is right, Kreacher must tell." With that, Kreacher took Harry by the hand, leading him down the stairs to the second floor, and down to the very last bedroom. He'd tried to get in their yesterday but it had been locked. Squinting, he could just make out the faint initials on the door. R.A.B. "Young master Regulus." Sirius's brother. Kreacher unlocked the door and walked in, gesturing for Harry to follow. As he went to step in, a door creaked and he looked over to see the twins looking at him. He blinked, frowning as they stepped out and walked towards him, looking from him to the now unlocked bedroom. They looked at each other for a second, as is having a silent conversation, before looking back at Harry. "Look Harry- mate you- know that- we support- you always? No matter- what?" The two of them looked pointedly at the door and Harry realised this was more than just Sirius. George and Fred knew that something else was going on with him. And they still wanted to support him. Guilt twisted in his stomach, but a small, warm blossom of hope fluttered in his chest. Would the twins accept what he'd done? He nodded, swallowing down the lump that had formed in his throat. "Thanks guys. That really means a lot." They smiled and nodded, throwing an arm around the others shoulders. "No problem, we're gonna go grab some breakfast. Ya coming?" Harry nodded, smiling back if only slightly. "Yeah, I'll just be a minute." They shrugged, walking down the stairs to the kitchen. He turned back around walking through into the untouched bedroom. He coughed, the thick layer of dust rising through the air. Looking around he saw Kreacher kneeling by a draw in the bedside table. "Kreacher? What's going on?" He walked over, sitting on the neatly laid bed. Kreacher really hadn't let anyone in here had he? He sighed and looked at the sad elf, seeing a beautiful locket resting in his hands. Frowning he reached out to touch the locket, drawing back when he realised why it seemed so familiar. It felt just like Tom. It was a Horcrux! He looked at Kreacher, confused. "Kreature, how do you have this?" The elf frowned, it's eyes sad. "Master Regulus promised to help Dark Lord hide it, but young master got scared. He gave locket to Kreacher, to destroy. Tried and tried, but Kreacher could not do it, Kreacher could not destroy master's locket." Harry frowned, closing his fist around the locket and holding it over his heart. He could almost feel a heartbeat inside it, but knew better than to open the locket. Quickly he decided to put the locket around his neck, tucked under his shirt. "Thank you Kreacher. Don't worry, I'll take care of it." The sullen elf nodded, disapparating without a word.

Harry sighed, at least now he would have something else for Marvolo. He left the room, locking it in parceltongue to keep Kreacher happy. He walked down the stairs, pausing at the kitchen door. The twins were sitting at the far end of the table, heads bent as they talked between themselves. Hermione, Ron and Ginny were smiling and chatting loudly, a stark contrast to the grim-faced adults. Molly looked up from the stove, a large smile on her face. "Harry! Good morning dear, come on in and take a seat." Harry nodded, walking past the group of adults at the end of the table, and ignoring his friends, who were gesturing for him to sit with them. He nodded at the twins as he sat down by them. "Thank you Mrs.Weasley." He said as she placed a bowl of porridge in front of him. "How many times have I told you, Harry dear, you can call me Molly." He simply nodded, not willing to play to her. He swirled his spoon through the porridge, watching the patterns left behind. Eat. He frowned, ignoring him. You need to eat! No! I'm not hungry! Frustration bled through their bond before it went completely silent. Panic and anxiety spread though his veins, his heart beating a hundred miles an hour. He hates when Cherié did this, just cut him off. Shakily he lifted the spoon to his mouth, eating the porridge, it was bland, but not too bad, and he quickly finished the bowl, desperate for his shadow to come back. This had happened a few times, one day they'd been arguing and Cherié had left. That was the first time Harry had a panic attack, and Cherié had promised not to leave again. But, once realising just how affected Harry was, Cherié had started using it as motivation. Always for Harry's own well-being but... He still didn't like it. Perhaps this dependence on his shadow was unhealthy. Maybe Harry really was crazy. But as long as Cherié was around, it didn't really matter. Harry just didn't want to be alone again. He was drawn from his thoughts by Mad-eye. "Alright lads, listen up. You'll be going to Diagon for your supplies today, we'll be flying you to the station at the end of the week, so ya need to be ready. You keep your ears clear and your eyes sharp, ya understand me? Ginny, Hermione and Ron all nodded, listening eagerly whilst the twins just scoffed and rolled their eyes. Harry leant back, listening.  Mad eye seemed more paranoid than usual, and that was saying something. Moody continued to talk about evasive manouvers and spells, which Harry ignored in favour of looking around the kitchen. As he did so, he spotted Mundungus Fletcher in the other room, rifling through a cabinet. Furious, he stood, ignoring the group which had fallen silent, and shouted, "Kreacher!" The immediately appeared, spotting Fletcher and dragging him into the kitchen by his ear. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Harry's face hardened, and he nodded at the house elf, who dropped the thief at his feet, landing face first on the kitchen tiles. Harry knelt down, grabbing the man's collar and pointing his wand to Fletcher's face. "You're going to put back everything you've taken, and if I find a single thing out of place you will regret it! Do you understand?" All of this had been said in a deadly whisper, and Mundungus nodded shakily. Dropping him again, Harry stood, looking at Kreacher. "Follow him and make sure he does as he's supposed to. Then if you wouldn't mind, could you check the house to see if anything else is missing?" The elf nodded, clicking his fingers, and the thief disappeared with him. Harry sighed, sitting again, running a hand through his hair in stress. Cherié! Please come back! A slight movement in the shadows caught his eye, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he felt Cherié send waves of calm through the bond. I'm sorry. Harry nodded, before quickly looking up to see everyone watching him. "Kreature listens to you?" He turned to see the pink haired lady look confused, Tonks was her name. "Yeah. Sirius... Apparently he left everything to me. Lord black, yay!" The sentence trailed of, guilt causing the words to catch in his throat. Awkward silence filled the room, pity in everyone's eyes. Merlin he hated them.