Death's Gift - Chapter Twenty-Five
Dealing with the Dark
Harry didn't get any sleep. Every time he closed his eyes a different memory of his abusive years with the Dursleys would come to mind, he hated it. Harry's tossed and turned, eventually giving up and getting out of bed, pulling out a book and starting to read it. By the time morning came Harry was exhausted, though he shook off his grogginess by taking a nice cold shower. When he emerged he got dressed his his typical clothes but packed some dueling robes in a pouch that he'd magically expanded. He threw some dueling boots in there too, along with two, well secured, potions. Today was the day that he was planning to get his revenge on the Dursleys. Harry still wasn't sure if he wanted to go through with what he had planned, but Tom kept reassuring him that he would feel better after it was done. Harry put the pouch in his pocket and grabbed his wand holster from the desk, securing it to his right arm and placing his wand into it. He looked out the window at the still rising sun. Harry sighed, was he really doing this? He shook his head, no, he shouldn't be doubting himself. Taking a deep breath Harry stepped out of his bedroom, walking downstairs to make some breakfast.
A bit after Harry had finished eating Remus came down and started to make some coffee.
"You're up early cub." The werewolf noted.
Harry nodded, "Couldn't get much sleep."
"Are you that exited to go and see your friend?" Remus asked, raising his eyebrows up and down.
Harry looked at him from over the Daily Prophet which he had started to skim, "Whatever you're thinking is wrong."
Remus rolled his eyes, "Anything interesting?"
Harry dropped the paper, "Nope. Just more bogus articles by Rita Skeeter."
"What are they about? Every article has some truth to it."
"Some new book by Gildory Lockheart."
"Oh, he has a new book out?" Remus asked, intrigued, "What's it called?"
Harry looked at the werewolf as if he was crazy, "You know he's just a giant fraud right?"
Remus raised an eyebrow, "How do you know that?"
Harry shrugged, "I just do."
Remus laughed and ruffled Harry's hair, grabbing the paper. He picked up his mug of coffee and started to read, but a few pages in he choked.
"Remus?! Are you ok?!" Harry asked immediately.
Remus set his mug down and coughed a few times for smiling, "Yeah, yeah I'm good. Sorry, this just took me by surprise."
"What did?" Harry asked.
Remus pointed to and article in the Prophet and Harry's jaw dropped.
"Quirinus Quirrell, Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher for the Past two Years as well as Muggle Studies Teacher Since 1981 Retires"
"Quirrell's retiring?!" Harry exclaimed, how had he missed it before?
"Seems so, it makes me wonder why." Remus muttered the end.
Harry bit his lip, just then the doorbell rang.
"That must be Luna and Xenophilius." Remus said.
The two of them left the kitchen and made their way towards the front door to answer it. When Remus opened it he smiled at the two Lovegoods that stood before them.
"Good morning Xeno, Luna." The werewolf greeted.
"Good morning Remus." Xenophillius returned.
"You ready to go Harry?" Remus asked his son.
"Yup." Harry replied with a nod of his head.
"Okay, I'll let Sirius know that Xeno already came to pick you up when he comes down."
"If he ever decideds to get up." Harry joked.
Remus smiled and waved as Harry walked down the street with the Lovegoods. When they got to the alley way Harry turned to Luna.
"Thanks again for covering for me."
Luna smiled, "Of course! I'll do whatever I can to help you and your ally."
Harry told himself not to be surprised, but he couldn't help it, he started laughing.
"What's so funny?" The Ravenclaw asked.
harry shook his head, "Nothing, you just never cease to amaze me Luna."
"Are we ever going to hear of this mysterious ally?" Xenophillius asked.
"It's very possible." Luna replied, getting a raised eyebrow from Harry, she beamed at him, "You don't want to be late!"
The two of them apperated away and Harry walked further into the alley, pulling out his third blue potion from his pouch, drinking it. Once he was fully grown again he called for Kreacher.
"What does young Master need Kreacher for?" The elf asked as soon as it appeared.
"Could you take me to the same place as last time?" Harry asked.
Kreacher nodded and grabbed Harry's leg, teleporting them right outside the ward of Riddle manor.
"Thanks Kreacher." Harry told the elf before it popped away.
"Why do you thank it?" A voice asked from behind him.
Harry looked over his shoulder at where the dark lord stood, he smiled slightly, "I thank Kreacher because he's my friend."
Tom looked at him skeptically, "That creature is your friend?"
"Yes, he is. Just because Kreacher is a house elf doesn't mean he can't also be my friend."
Tom still didn't seem to be quite sold on the subject, but he let it go, changing the subject completely, "How did this morning go? Sirius and Remus do not expect anything?"
Harry shook his head, fully turning around, "Nope. Luna and Xeno are really good at covering for you and not asking questions. Though, speaking of this morning, since when is Quirell retiring?"
"While he is a adequate Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, you will be having a better one this year."
Harry raised an eyebrow. Tom smirked and help up a paper in his left hand, "I figured it would be better to be in Hogwarts myself."
Harry gapped, "You're going to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher?! How did that even happen?!"
Tom's smirk widened, "Pollyjuice slipped by Dumbledore in your fourth year, so I have been working with Severus to combine that with a Glamour. Quirell recommended me to Dumbledore as an ex-student he'd personally taught. Edit a select few memories of some and you have an excellent reputation behind your false name and appearance."
Harry was silent for a moment before sighing, "I want to say that Dumbledore will know that whatever name and appearance your going by is fake, but he hired Lockheart and Crouch so..."
Tom chuckled, "I will be going under the name of Nicolas Vanidestine. I've apparently been stationed in Europe for the past two years."
"Is there any particular reason you want to be at the school? You being there yourself is really risky."
"I must start steering those who will join me in the future towards the dark arts. Perhaps I will even gain more if I slowly integrate them into their Defense Against the Dark Arts classes."
"But why do you have to be there yourself?"
Tom scoffed, "You talk as if you do not want me there."
Harry dramatically faked a look of pain, "Woe is me, I'll have to deal with your constant lectures in person now."
"Ah yes, and all of the detentions with me you will have to endure since you never listen in class." Tom replied, playing along.
"I already know everything so why should I have to listen?" Harry defended himself.
"You won't know everything this time around." Tom told him, a new smirk on his face, Harry wasn't sure weather to be curious or anxious.
"I really want to say 'I doubt it' but you've looked through my whole mind at this point so..." Harry trailed off.
Tom chuckled, "Say it anyway."
Harry looked at him, "I thought I was supposed to think through things." He teased, using Tom's own words against him.
Tom paused, "There are certain times." he said with a wave of his hand, walking up towards the manor.
Harry rolled his eyes, and followed Tom up to the Manor. When they didn't take the turn to get to the meeting hall, which Harry knew that there was a meeting in session, he was confused.
"Don't you have a meeting to go to?" Harry asked.
"You will need the potion to get rid of the Trace first." Tom told him.
Harry fell silent again, him and Tom walking into a different room than last time. Harry looked around in awe at the potions lab. There were different caldrons lined up on a really long table that had different potions brewing in them, some were magically scooping the potion out into vials, and the smells in the room all counteracted with each other,but for some reason it wasn't displeasing. Tom walked up to one of the potions and magically filled up a vial, he then turned around towards Harry who was still looking around the room.
"You act as if you've never seen a potions lab." Tom told him.
Harry snapped out of his gaze, "Oh- I haven't, at least, not anything like this."
Tom raised an eyebrow, "You're thirty-seven and you were an Auror, how have you not seen a potions lab like this?"
Harry scratched the back of his head, "I didn't really work with the potions, it was more of my partner doing it. Well, until I was promoted but I wasn't alive long enough to really work that job so..." He trailed off.
Voldemort hummed in understanding and walked up to Harry, handing him the vial, "This will get rid of the Trace. It will wear out every fifty days so make sure that you know when that is."
Harry nodded and grabbed the vial, unplugging the cork, one sniff and he pulled his nose away, gagging.
"What is that?!" He asked, greatly repulsed by the smell, "It's worse than a skelly-grow."
Tom smirked, amused, "I never said it was going to be pleasant."
Harry rolled his eyes and plugged his nose, slowly brining the vial closer, just when he was about to drink it he pulled it away, "Nope, nope, I can't do this, it's too disgusting."
"If you do not drink it then how do you expect to be able to use magic today?" Tom asked.
Harry glared at him then looked at the bottle in anticipation, he internally groaned. Taking a deep breath Harry quickly drank the contents of the vial and put the empty container on a table next to him, already coughing at the foul taste.
"That. Was. Horrible." Harry stated through coughs.
Tom merely shrugged, "What did you expect? Pumpkin juice?" Using Madam Promphry's famous line.
Harry rolled his eyes and conjured up a glass of water, drinking the whole thing to get the taste out of his mouth, getting rid of the left over cup.
"Should I put my old glamour back on before we go into the meeting?" Harry asked.
Tom was silent for a moment before speaking, "It is only the inner circle present, Bella and Lucius already know you have joined my side, the others do not. I believe their reactions would be amusing if they found out that my ally was Harrison Potter-Black of all people."
"You wouldn't be trying to hold the fact over me that I said I'd never join you multiple times and yet here we are?" Harry asked.
Tom smirked slightly, "Perhaps a little bit of that too."
Harry rolled his eyes and sighed, "If it's just the inner circle then I don't see why not."
Tom briefly lost his emotionless mask as a wave of surprise went across his face, though it was merely a split second before his face fell back to being as emotionless as always. Though Harry had caught it.
"Then you do not need your glamour." He decided.
Harry walked out of the potions lab with Tom, the two of them making their was to the gathering hall where the inner circle was waiting. As soon as they entered Tom conjured up the smaller throne like chair for Harry as he'd done previously. The Death Eaters stared at Harry, no doubt recognizing him, but their faces were laced with confusion, making Harry smirk. Tom must've noticed the looks because he spoke up.
"You would do well to stop staring unless you would like to be cursed."
Harry shook his head, "It's not like I mind, I've been getting them my whole life."
Tom looked at Harry skeptically, though he kept to his word by cursing Dolohov who kept staring at Harry, trying to hide that he was. Harry just sighed and tried to ignore it, after all, Tom would be Tom. The man in question sighed after he lifted the curse off of Dolohov.
"You are all here because you are my most loyal, my most trusted." Bellatrix beamed at the words, "As you all know I have acquired a new ally," Tom motioned towards Harry, "And he has a certain task that we will be joining him on."
"My lord?" Bellatrix asked.
"Yes Bella?"
"Excuse my curiosity, but who is this ally?"
Tom looked over at Harry and raised an eyebrow, Harry decided to raise one back.
'You were the one who didn't mind them knowing.' Tom told him through his mind link.
'I know.'
Tom rolled his eyes and Harry smiled, he turned towards Bellatrix, "I'm surprised you don't recognize me, after all, you were there when the big bad dark lord over here forced me to join his side by threatening me with endless torture."
"If I remember correctly you were the one thanking me for forcing you to join me."
Harry chocked on air "When did I ever thank you? I only remember you making me say that I agree with you on select things."
Tom shrugged, "You never do really agree with me at the beginning."
Harry scoffed.
"Who are you to speak like that to the dark lord?!" Bellatrix challenged Harry.
"Bella, be quite." Tom hissed at her.
Bellatrix reeled back quickly, a hurt expression on her face.
"Well, I guess it's time to introduce myself," Harry said, standing up, "Harrison James Potter-Black, I assume you know the name."
Shock went around the room, Snape obviously being the most surprising out of them all.
"But you can't possibly be Harrison, he's twelve, he goes to Hogwarts, I teach him, he's in the Order."
"Who did you think that the potion to remove the Trace was for?" Harry asked, "You helped Tom brew it."
"Must you call me my filthy muggle father's name in front of my Death Eaters?" Tom asked.
Harry turned around, "Yes, I must."
Tom rolled his eyes.
"When did this happen?" Barty asked.
"The night of our attack on Paris." Lucius told him.
Harry nodded, "Yup, Lucius and Bellatrix were both there so I was surprised that you two didn't realize it was me sooner. I don't look that different."
"You're thirty-seven right now." Tom pointed out.
"Yes, and how did that happen? You're merely a third year." Snape said.
"A glamour to make me look older."
If Snape was skeptical he didn't show it, instead he quieted down, Harry was sure that he'd be pulled into the man's office as soon as he got to Hogwarts.
"I don't believe I must tell you that this is meant to be kept secret?" Tom asked them, "If I get any word that it got out that Harry has joined my side then I will find the one responsible and they will be punished accordingly."
The Death Eaters nodded and muttered a "Yes my lord". Tom seemed satisfied by this since he nodded his head.
"Now that the formalities are out of the way, back to the task at hand..."