Feb 3
Tom was out of patience.
Most all of the guests were polite if not friendly. Edward, Bella and Rosalie had solved their issues by going on an extended tourist trip of England and Scotland. Now that Jasper had the muting amulet he had relaxed and was just as fun to be around as Alice.
Jacob though was impossible. He was snapping and snarling and pushing his weight around. He was keeping Nessie upset and angry which had Hari upset. Not to mention he was dominating Seth and Leah until they were quiet and nearly whimpering under the strain of their Alpha's disapproval. You could almost see phantom wolves on their back, bellies bared superimposed over the teens.
The Cullens were in Black's study discussing moving to England – jobs, politics, prejudices, etc. Jacob was taking advantage of having the adults minus Tom out of the immediate area. He tended to ignore the magicals as not worth his respect and it was grating on Tom hard.
"You aren't a kid anymore Seth. You need to quit goofing off and act like an adult. I can't believe you just toss all your dignity away – paintball wars, that degrading game Fetch not to mention the way you three shriek and act the fool on that idiotic bus. I'm done tolerating these childish antics. Grow up."
Tom crossed the room where the young alpha was ripping into Seth for some imagined wrong doing and grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt and jerked him off balance. "Come with me, little alpha." He snarled.
Jacob twisted and used his heavier weight to stop their progress. "Let go, wizard!" He swiped at the older man knocking Tom backward several steps.
Furious, Tom hit him with a high power parsel stunner. Jacob dropped to the floor unconscious.
"Jacob!" Nessie cried out as Seth and Leah growled at Tom.
"Tom?" Hari had leaped to her feet when Tom had suddenly started across the room with red eyes. She had known that Jacob had finally crossed one of Tom's internal lines of acceptable behavior.
"I'm done tolerating his asinine behavior." Tom hissed red eyes flaring with fury. "Everyone is cowering back, letting him think he rules the roost in order to avoid a fight. Well, he needs to learn just how down the chain he actually is. And as I seem to have the most experience in teaching that particular lesson, I shall teach it to this young upstart."
With a flick of his wand he levitated Jacob through the doorway and down into the basement dueling room.
"Riddle what are you going to do?" Sirius asked sharply as they all hurried out of the study after the irate dark lord. Exceptional vampire hearing had taken in the confrontation and alerted Sirius and Remus.
Tom threw up several high power wards on top of the excellent safety wards already there. He moved back across the room and paused to look up at the worried gathering in the observation window.
"Don't worry, Renesmee I won't kill your bonded but I do intend to teach him manners."
Renesmee was pale and shaking. She clung to Hari. She knew who Tom was. Hari had shared the horror stories of when he was Voldemort. "Please! Please, he'll behave! I'll talk to him again."
"You have done nothing but talk to him and chastise him. It isn't working. He brushes you off because he is an arrogant male chauvinist who sees you as a fragile female he must pacify and protect." Tom flicked his wand.
Jacob came awake with a growl as he transformed and leaped at the wizard that dared to knock him out. He hit Tom like a bludger knocking Tom to the floor. He snarled and snapped at him viciously. His teeth caught Tom's arm ripping the flesh.
"Tom!" Hari screamed, her magic welling up to the surface and starting to stream outward only to hit the wards. She screamed in fear. If Jacob killed her Tom, she'd rip the wolf into tiny pieces!
Tom flung a Flipendo at the wolf and Jacob was flung back hard to crash into the far wall. Tom jumped to his feet. A hissed spell stopped the bleeding from the long gash. Jacob gained his feet with a shake of his large head. He snarled at the wizard and attacked again. Tom hit him with a cutting curse and a bludgeoning hex knocking the wolf back on his side. He hit him with several more dark, vicious spells leaving the wolf bleeding and whining in pain. A reducto broke his arm above the elbow. Then Tom sent legano compresso and strands of magic wrapped around him squeezing tighter and tighter until he let out an agonizing howl of pain as his ribs gave and broke.
Tom ended the curse and hissed, "crucio". He watched dispassionately as the wolf twisted and jerked, howling with pain.
Nessie was screaming at Tom to stop.
Finally, he ended the curse. "Change," he snapped out coldly.
Jacob lay there panting in agony like he had never felt before. At the snapped out order from one clearly superior, he felt himself changing without hesitation. He cried out as broken bones protested. He lay there staring at the wizard in fear.
Tom strode over and gazed down at him without sympathy. "I am the most feared, most vicious Dark Lord in the last four hundred years. People fear me so much they refuse to even speak my name in case it draws my attention to them. It will not be long before I am ruling all of magical Britain. You are nothing but an arrogant child who thinks way too highly of himself. Understand that the only thing I care more about than ruling is my Hari. You are currently making her very unhappy which means you are on my shit list. If I can ride that idiotic bus and be amused at my Hari's behavior than you can ride it with some small modicum of decorum. Straighten out your attitude problem, Jacob Black or our next talk will make this one seem pleasant."
Tom turned and stalked out of the room leaving the young shifter laying on the floor panting and twitching in fear and pain.
"Jacob!" Nessie darted past Tom with a terrified glare and into the room dropping to her knees beside Jacob. "Jacob," she kept repeating as she cried and helped him to his feet. Jacob was shaking and pale. His entire body was in agony. His nerves felt like they were on fire and his broken bones throbbed. Never had he hurt like this. Not even in the few battles he had with the vampires had his injuries hurt like this!
Tom reached the others and eyed the Cullens who were looking solemn and the shifters that looked furious at the beating he'd just given their alpha yet uncertain as to what to do about it before shifting his attention to Hari. "Mad at me?"
"No. I kept saying he'd get his ass whooped one day." She said shaking her head.
Tom drew her into his embrace. He looked at Sirius. "I apologize for losing my temper in your home."
Sirius shook his head. "I don't agree with the method but he needed the lesson. We'll heal him up in a little while."
Leah and Seth were staring at Tom with a mix of shocked horror, respect and anger at torturing their Alpha.
Tom settled his red eyed gaze on Leah. "You need to let go of your attitude as well. Perhaps your life has been hard and not what you wished it to be, but these people are going out of their way to help you and you are being ungrateful and self-pitying. Grow up and quit whining and instead work on finding a solution." He paused and took a deep breath. Exhaling, he looked down at Hari. "I have to go. I need to get updates on the maneuvers within the ministry and Wizengamot. I also have to firm up some alliances and take up my seat if I am going to ensure that I will win the upcoming elections once Fudge is voted out."
Hari nodded in understanding. And get away from teenage angst.
Yes. His mental voice was full of disgust. He loved Hari but her friends were so young and immature.
She stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Go on then. I think Carlisle and Esme are wanting to go look at estates."
Tom eyed her a moment before nodding. "Be careful. Dumbledore is out there and still hunting for you."
"We'll be careful."
Tom looked at Sirius and Remus then nodded and turned to stride out of the house.
FORKS
"The legislation to introduce muggleborn and raised into magical society earlier will be introduced during the next Wizengamot meeting. We will have Potter's thirteen votes and hopefully Black's seven which will give us a clear majority." Tom told his followers that were on the Wizengamot and active in the ministry.
"We need to begin preparing for the early indoctrination. We will need the schools ready for an influx of young children who know nothing about our world. Teachers need to be prepared to educate them on our history, our day to day lives, modes of transportation, traditions, beliefs. We won't focus on Dark beliefs. We will begin with introducing them to the neutral parts of the magical world. As they grow older we can weave in our ideas."
On and on the meeting went as the Death Eaters and Voldemort worked out the details of what a magical child just entering their world would need to know in order to feel a part of it; in order to feel as if they belonged with wizards not muggles.
"Send Ackerley and Roulat a copy of the early indoctrination legislation. Make sure we have someone in the Ministry that will inform us as soon as a muggle born or raised is identified so we can make sure that they are being brought in as young as possible. Find out how many there are under eleven now so we can decide how many more teachers need to be hired. Get the lesson plans fleshed out. Meeting adjourned," Tom finally said.
Feb 4
Edward Ackerley and Ceville Roulat received an advance copy of the Early Introduction Bill. With a politely worded request to review the measure and to set aside political and personal bias and vote based on the value on the measure.
The measure is hereby introduced to the Wizengamot to introduce muggleborn and muggle-raised magical children and their parents to the magical world at the first incidence of accidental magic.
Far too often children are made to feel different, wrong...freakish by parents and siblings that have no frame of reference for the incidents happening in their home. Muggles are encouraged to believe that magic is not real. How then are they to react when their small child suddenly appears in a different room or a favorite toy levitates across the room to them or the teasing older sibling suddenly can't speak for several minutes?
If the child is lucky to have loving, kind parents the incidents are just treated as odd and abnormal and kept secret which still makes the child feel isolated...abnormal. At worst, the Muggle family tries to stomp the freakish behavior out with harsh beatings and hateful words.
These children come into our society at eleven having been indoctrinated for years already that their magic is abnormal, freakish...undesirable. That it is something to be ashamed of; something to hide from everyone.
This mental and emotional abuse has gone on long enough. Children are a gift. Magic is a gift. A magical child should be filled with the wonder of magic not feel ashamed at being different.
We have agreed to elementary schools for our children. We should bring in the muggleborn and raised as young children. Let them learn the joy of magic. Teach them to embrace this wonderful side of their being. Show their parents that there is nothing abnormal or shameful or wrong with their children.
A simple magical contract will keep the family from telling others. The same contract they sign when their children go to Hogwarts.
I propose bringing the children in to the elementary schools so they can learn with other magical children of our world, our history, our culture.
Show them they belong with us.
Stop the hemorrhage of muggleborn and muggle-raised returning to the muggle world on graduation and turning their backs on their magical heritage.
Root out the basis of the resentment that magically raised have against muggle raised: that they don't know our ways and try to make us fit their muggle viewpoint.
Let us enrich our society by the simple act of informing them a few years earlier than we do now. Let them feel like they belong instead of feeling like unwanted intruders.
The book of Muggleborn already exists to tell the Ministry and Hogwarts when accidental magic blooms in a new magical child. Establish a small team to go to these young wizards and witches and fill them with awe at what they are. Deliver the pamphlets that are now delivered to their parents with their Hogwarts letter.
Children too young to be in school can attend a half-day school to learn control of their magic and begin to understand our hidden world. They will be read magical children's books, be taught wizarding ways and learn of the different magical beings that exist.
Elementary age children can be offered a new opportunity at a unique Elementary and be transferred from their current school to the elementary school established for their district just as they are now transferred to Hogwarts. They will learn to write with quills; learn how our society is structured; learn about mail owls and house elves. They will be introduced to magical transportation and money.
In essence they will be transformed from muggles who can do magic to young witches and wizards.
We need to stop ignoring the precious resource that children are and instead encourage them to grow and flourish and remain in the magical world.
They scoured the Measure looking for anything subtle and underhanded. They found nothing. No hidden harm to the muggleborn or raised. No Dark indoctrination. When they took the Measure on its value and didn't automatically dismiss it because a Dark wizard wrote it they had to admit that it was a good Measure that would benefit the magical society on a whole.
Feb 5
Chief Witch Longbottom called the session into order. The first session since Dumbledore had shown his true colors and fled.
The aurors hadn't been able to track him down. They had even spoke to his old friend Mad-eye Moody only to discover that the recent discoveries had caused a breach in that relationship as well. Moody had no idea where he was but was quite certain that he was tracking Potter down.
"Any new business?" The Chief Witch called out.
Tom stood from where he had taken a seat beside Lucius. "Thomas Riddle, Madame claiming the Slytherin seat." He held out his documents to the court page who took them with a wide-eyed look at him before hurrying over to the recorder.
Murmurs filled the chamber as people eyed him with surprise and a bit of fear especially in the Light bloc. The Slytherin seat had been empty for most of recent history. The Gaunts too inbred and insular to care about politics if they even remembered they had a seat to occupy. People had forgotten who the descendents of Slytherin were.
Lady Pepperfoot tested the documents and nodded. "Thomas Riddle, Earl of Westmoor, Lord of Slytherin is acknowledged."
Tom inclined his head graciously and moved to sit in the Slytherin seat that had been vacant for over two hundred years. He couldn't deny the ebullient feeling that rose within as he settled into his ancestor's seat. One step closer to winning without massive bloodshed. He had the Dark block and the heavy politicking he had been doing this past year had gained him several of the Neutral votes and even one or two of the more open minded Light votes thanks to the bi-lateral cooperation on the legislation Hari had introduced. When he spoke in agreement with her goals it was seen as more plausible with the recent events as they were. His open-mindedness was looked upon warily since he was a Dark wizard until it became known that he was raised on the continent which was known for being more tolerant.
Then Mr. Tessron stood up. "Lady Potter would like to introduce a bill that would expand on the Elementary schools. She would like to bring muggleborn and raised into the wizarding world sooner."
Mr. Tessron duplicated and disseminated the bill. "Lady Potter would like to keep children from feeling like freaks. Her word, Lords and Ladies. Those of us raised in the magical world have a very poor understanding of how magical children are treated in muggle households. We have no idea how the child feels when odd things happen and there is no explanation for it. We can't begin to understand the fear and uncertainty that it engenders in both the muggle family members and the magical child themselves.
Accidental magic in muggle households makes the one responsible feel different, freakish. The incidents isolate them at best and provokes violent physical reactions from the muggles at worst. Lady Potter has related to me many occasions where her relatives called her a freak, unnatural, unholy. Her uncle was determined..." he glanced down at his notes and read, "...determined to stomp the freakishness out of her."
He paused and allowed the gasps of horror and murmurs of shocked disbelief and threats of retribution to run their course. "Her sincere desire is to keep other children from suffering her fate. Let us inform the families of what is happening. Help them understand the gift their child has received. The children could attend the elementary schools. The same secrecy measures used for children attending Hogwarts would be used."
He sat and waited while the members read and studied the bill.
"How would the children get to the schools, Mr. Tessron? These elementary schools are day schools unlike Hogwarts."
"There are schools in each district. We could provide a portkey for each child tied to their specific magical signature."
"And why should we want muggleborn and raised in our world sooner than necessary?" Victor Vance sneered. "All they want to do is introduce Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and Halloween candy to our children. They denigrate our traditions and want to replace them with muggle ones."
"The way things are now of course they do." Lord Slytherin spoke up surprising several members. "But, if we get them when they are five instead of eleven then we influence their beliefs. The day school teachers read them magical fairy tales and teach about the mysteries of Magic. We supplant Santa Claus with Merlin and Morgana and the Hallows. We fill their heads with the rich history of the magical world. Unicorns and mermaids and nifflers. We get to them before the muggle traditions are ingrained into their minds."
"We make them feel like witches and wizards who happen to live in muggle homes not muggles who happen to be able to do magic." Lord Black added. "We make their parents understand right away that their children are special and magic is real instead of letting them flounder for years worrying about what is wrong with their children."
"And does Lady Potter intend to indoctrinate them into Light or Dark Arts?" Lady McDougal asked curiously.
Mr. Tessron stood. "Understand that Lady Potter was not raised in either set of beliefs. She is of the opinion that Magic is inherently neutral. Light and Dark are both necessary for balance in the world just as summer and winter; day and night are both needed for life to flourish. Good and Evil are within the wielder regardless of the affinity of their magic. She wishes for all magical children to be raised to be compassionate and just without the bigotry and hate that exists on both sides at the moment."
Lady McDougal stared at him for several minutes before leaning back in her seat. "Lady Potter is perhaps wiser than most of us. I shall support this bill."
A murmur swept the room.
Madame Longbottom called for a vote. The bill passed 45:17.
Feb 7
"How is progress going on getting muggleborn into our world sooner?" Tom asked as he stroked his thumb over the back of Hari's hand. She had deserted Grimmauld the evening of Jacob Black's beat down leaving her godfathers to deal with the aftermath.
They were in his audience chamber. He had gathered the Death Eaters that were working on contacting the muggleborn and getting them into the magical world as well as those that were connected to the elementary schools. All in all there were nearly thirty in attendance. He had already noted not all were happy with Hari's place at his side.
"The teams have been formed that will go out and speak with them and their families. They have listed all those who are too young to receive a Hogwarts invitation and have started visiting and offering a place in our schools. There are currently sixty-three between the ages of four and ten."
"Out of twelve visits so far seven have accepted our offer without persuasion." Norris Helmsley added dragging his disgusted gaze away from the halfblood Light witch at his lord's side. He couldn't believe that his lord had actually bred the filthy bitch. He still remembered the shock and ill feeling when he had overheard them arguing. Arguing! With the dark lord! It was probably her influence that had them dealing with muggles and their spawn.
"You have issue with me, Helmsley?" Hari asked neutrally.
Tom sighed internally. She never did take being sneered at well and as the pregnancy progressed she was getting moody. Very moody. The healer said it was normal. Her body producing hormones to keep the baby healthy affected her moods. He was to deal with it until they leveled off in a few more weeks.
Helmsley glanced at his lord. "No, Lady Potter." He spat her name out.
"Oh, I think you do. I think its eating you up that I'm sitting up here next to your lord. I think our relationship doesn't sit well with you at all." Hari stroked Isthus who was coiling around her arm slowly hissing out pithy comments that reflected his mistress' mood. He kept making small feints toward the assembled Death Eaters that left them wondering what had the Potter witch upset.
He couldn't take it; couldn't take her smug tone. "You're a filthy halfblood light witch! You don't deserve to be near him much less be touched by him. It's sickening that we're now bringing in the muggleborn filth instead of wiping them out."
Hari's wand flashed out. "Crucio!" She snarled.
Helmsley fell to the floor screaming.
Feeling a bit better, Hari ended the curse. "Sooner or later you are all going to realize I am not the mealy little light witch you think I am."
"You'll never be more than the dark lord's whore," Helmsley unwisely spat out as he panted against the pain of the cruciatus.
Hari's eyes turned red. "Avada Kedavra," she hissed. Green light flashed out and struck Helmsley in the chest. She looked about the shocked room. "That's three people who have died for calling me a whore. Anyone else wish to call me one?"
"No, my lady," they all murmured, stunned that Potter had cast the torture curse and the killing curse so easily.
Tom reached out and tugged her back into her chair.
"Good," he murmured. "Perhaps you are all beginning to learn. Hari is not just my current bed warmer as I have heard it bandied about. She is my equal. My heart. She is here to stay."
Gasps filtered through the assembled at his declaration. The Dark Lord was in love with Potter?
Even Hari darted a surprised look at him for admitting it in front of his followers. Her mood shifted as joy filled her. He had just told his followers he loved her!
"Now perhaps we can continue the meeting." He ordered as he absently vanished Helmsley's body.
"Two more teachers per district have been hired. They have all been briefed on what needs to be imparted to the incoming children." Marcos Patil bravely spoke up looking a bit pale.
"Of the five parents that had to be persuaded to let their children attend our schools how many were harming their children?" Hari asked.
"Three had to have modifications made to keep them from harming their children." Rasene Ziquele replied.
Tom frowned at that. "We need to get the orphanages going and expand the adoption procedures. I hate having to leave innocent children in abusive environments."
"We will get them pushed through as quickly as possible, my lord. In the meantime, behavior modifications will be implemented."
Tom sighed. He knew they couldn't rush the issues. They needed ammunition to use in the Wizengamot. As they pulled the muggleborn and raised out of the muggle world they would document the abuse both physical and verbal. They would need a strong case to get magical orphanages passed. "Dismissed."