Harry arrived back in the Reception Room at Le Fay Castle instantly locating his father who had been just about the throw Floo powder in the fireplace. The Dark Lord was not looking at all pleased with Harry or Lucius. Harry knew that Voldemort must have found him gone and figured out that Harry had run off to his lover’s mansion making the Dark Lord furious.
‘Father,’ Harry said.
‘I take it you were with Lucius,’ the Dark Lord said.
‘Yes,’ Harry glared hotly at his father who looked absolutely furious. ‘Look father we have to talk about my relationship with Lucius.’
‘Indeed we do,’ agreed the Dark Lord coolly.
‘Look I don’t love Lucius but he is not just going to stop being a part of my life. He is the father of my child and even if he wasn’t I wouldn’t just stop f – seeing him because you said so!’ Harry finished glaring at the older man.
‘I could just remove Lucius from the situation,’ Voldemort replies softly.
Harry felt a burst of fear and horror at the idea of losing his lover. Harry didn’t think he could deal with losing Lucius after everything that had happened. The betrayals Harry had suffered. The murder Harry had inflicted on others. Lucius was the only thing that had remained constant throughout everything but Harry knew it was an empty bluff.
‘You wouldn’t do that!’ Harry said before he could stop himself. ‘You need Lucius too much!’ Harry said trying to think more rationally, taking a deep breath. ‘Never mind you’d lose your followers trust if you killed Lucius.
‘And just because I don’t love Lucius does not mean I want him gone!’ Harry said before taking a deep breath. ‘I don’t know what I feel for Lucius,’ Harry admitted softly for the first time, ‘but I do care for him – a lot which scares me,’ Harry stopped.
The way that Voldemort was looking at Harry as though the Dark Lord could see right through Harry to his very soul. As though he could see the feelings that Harry wasn’t ready to admit – was afraid to admit. The feelings that Harry wondered if he’d ever be ready to admit.
‘You care about Lucius,’ the Dark Lord prompted.
‘I’ve never really had anyone to care for me growing up,’ Harry admitted not going into his crappy childhood. ‘The only people I’ve ever given a truly trusted were bloody traitors the whole time only interested in my money and turning me into a bloody weapon for the so called Light!’ Harry ranted finishing with a sneer at the mention of the Light which was mirrored by his father.
‘I understand,’ admitted Harry’s father. ‘I had similar reserves about James when he first displayed his feelings towards me. Your Bearer was not the first Death Eater who had attempted to seduce me,’ the Dark Lord explained causing Harry to grimace at idea of his father being with anyone, ‘but they were Slytherins who only saw the benefits and power that would come with sharing my bed. Thus, it always ended the same with them feeling the full power of Lord Voldemort.’
‘And you hurt,’ Harry said quietly.
Harry ignored the cold look in Voldemort’s eyes which told Harry that the Death Eaters would be lucky if they were just tortured. Harry was more concerned with the fact that his father had admitted to have being hurt by false lovers. It showed the humanity that Harry’s father rarely expressed although Harry knew existed under the inhuman mask.
The Dark Lord sneered, ‘do not be ludicrous. I simply did not want any fool believing they could whore themselves into my favour.’
The Dark claimed that was the reason why he had begun refusing relationships with his Death Eaters but Harry didn’t believe him. The Dark Lord may be believed to be heartless but Harry had seen him confront his dad. The Dark Lord protected himself by cutting him off from everyone that could potentially hurt him again until James had somehow broken through all those walls.
‘By the time James came into the picture I had stopped having to deal with the complications that relationships brought,’ The Dark Lord once again claimed
Again Harry didn’t buy it but he did not say as much to his father. Harry was sure that the Dark Lord would claim he had practically gone celibate for connivance until the end of time because to do otherwise would seem weak and the Dark Lord was not weak! Equally Harry would never believe him because he had seen glimpses of the man behind the mantle of the Dark Lord that James had somehow broken through.
‘But James was persistent and a Gryffindor. He wanted nothing out of the relationship other than his own enjoyment,’ the Dark Lord said causing Harry to grimace once again. ‘Thus, when I finally gave into him the Christmas after he graduated it was James who wanted it kept secret; not out of shame but out of pride! He didn’t want anyone believing he was being given preferential treatment because he and I were sharing a bed.’
‘So that’s why no one knew?’ questioned Harry. ‘Lucius, Severus, Barty and Narcissa were all shocked by the fact that you and Dad were married.’
‘Partially,’ the Dark Lord agreed, ‘as our relationship progressed beyond sex into courting and marriage I feared giving Dumbledore potential leverage.’
Harry understood what Harry’s father was not saying. James had done the impossible and made the Dark Lord fall in love with him which scared the man who had lived so long without anyone he truly cared about. The Dark Lord knew that his enemy would have no problems with using James against him which he ultimately did.
‘Which he did,’ Harry said quietly.
Dumbledore had kidnapped the Dark Lord’s husband and son to turn them against the Dark Lord. All in an attempt to bring his enemy to his knees which had worked too well. As well as sending the Dark Lord down a dark path which ultimately destroyed him.
‘When did you get married?’ asked Harry hopefully.
Harry’s father seemed to be in a sharing mood which made Harry hope that his father would tell him more about his Dad. Harry had never realised until now that out of all the people who claimed to be friends with his “Mum” and Dad few of them had told him much more than how like his parents Harry was. He knew that James was a trouble-maker, he had been enemies with Severus and he had made good use of the Peverell Invisibility Cloak.
‘The Summer of 1979,’ The Dark Lord admitted.
Harry quickly did the mental maths which was something he had always been good at. James would have had to be pregnant for eleven months with him as he was born at the end of July then he would have had to be conceived in August. James and Harry‘s father couldn’t have been married long when James fell pregnant.
‘What was it like?’ asked Harry.
‘It was only a small wedding two witnesses whom were Obliviated afterwards as Dorea and Charlus were already dead,’ admitted the Dark Lord.
‘Did Dad mind?’ asked Harry as his father looked regretful.
The Dark Lord’s eyes darkened, ‘James claimed he didn’t mind but I know he wanted his friends there and something a little bit more extravert especially with the fact we could not have a proper honeymoon as I could not just leave the war. I always planned once the war was over and Dumbledore had been defeated to renew our vows and have a larger celebration,’ the Dark Lord admitted.
‘But thanks to Dumbledore that would never be,’ Harry said bitterly.
Voldemort didn’t say anything in response to Harry’s comment but his eyes flashed with fury and promised revenge on the wizard who had taken his husband and unborn child from him before he had even knew about Harry’s existence. Dumbledore was probably the one man whom Harry would feel no remorse for when he died due to Harry’s involvement with the Dark side. Harry was sure he would celebrate the old man’s Death even if Harry knew he should not celebrate anyone death.
‘So,’ said Harry to break the awkward silence that had descended. ‘When are we going to Gringotts?’
‘Our meeting with Ironfury is in fifteen minutes,’ the Dark Lord replied.
‘Should I wear a glamour?’ asked Harry. ‘Tom will be sure to report my presence to Dumbledore.’
‘Do you know how to create glamours?’ questioned the older wizard.
Harry nodded and began to apply the same glamour he had used with Lucius previously. It was only a basic glamour spell that Lucius had taught him although they were not taught in Hogwarts until sixth year to prevent younger years doing stupid things to their hair. All Harry had done was change his night black hair to light red but it had worked before so hopefully it would work again.
Harry’s father looked impassive, ‘you have not changed a lot.’
Harry shrugged, ‘it worked before when I was with Lucius.’
‘That was likely because no Light minded wizard would believe that the Boy Who Lived,’ the Dark Lord sneered the name, ‘would willing associate with Lucius Malfoy!’
Harry nodded as Voldemort took his wand out of his robes. Harry could feel his father’s magic wash over him like a warm water after a cold day of Quidditch training in the rain. It felt of family and his own magic latched onto it like it had been starved of comfort all this time.
Then it was gone and Harry was brought back to reality. His father was staring at him with the strangest look Harry had ever seen the dark wizard wear. Harry could still feel his magic calling out to his father’s.
‘What was that?’ demanded Harry.
‘Family magic,’ the Dark Lord admitted. ‘Had Dumbledore not taken you from me there would have been no problem as your magic would have been properly exposed to mine but it should settle down soon enough.’
Voldemort turned away from his son towards the Fire Place. The Dark Lord then took a pinch of green Floo powder from the handsome black china jar sitting on the mantle. Voldemort then threw the pinch of Floo powder into the Fire Place.
‘Diagon Alley,’ the Dark Lord called out clearly.
Harry too took another pinch of Floo Powder from the pot on the mantle place this time following his father to Diagon Alley rather than sneaking off to his lover’s house. Harry sped through the Floo network the speed and flickering ages make him feel dizzy and queasy once again. Flying out of the Floo Harry immediately clutched to the closest surface and once again dry heaved onto the floor.
Harry had not feeling the hand balancing him until he had stopped dry heaving. Voldemort led him to a seat where he saw Tom the barkeeper hovering around with a glass of water in his hands. Harry gratefully took the glass of water sipping it carefully trying desperately to settle his stomach.
‘I’m okay,’ Harry smiled weakly eventually.
The Dark Lord’s eyes gave Harry a piercing look but they knew they could not keep the goblin waiting so he nodded offering Harry a hand. Harry gratefully took the helping hand to get up as he still wasn’t feeling a hundred percent. The two of them walked down the street to Gringotts where they were greeted by a teller.
‘I have a meeting with Manager Ironfury,’ Voldemort spoke calmly.
‘Fouldrinker, take these wizards to Manager Ironfury’s office,’ the teller ordered.
A goblin who was almost as tall as Harry although Harry was small for a human Fouldrinker was very tall for a goblin. The goblin had night black hair, silvery grey skin and strange dark purple eyes. The goblin ignored them and just expected them to follow him through the marble corridors into the golden elevator up to Ironfury’s office where Fouldrinker left them.
The goblin who greeted them had iron grey eyes, dark grey hair which had seemed to have once been black and greyish skin. The goblin was smaller than any goblin Harry had ever met. He wore a tight black suit which did not seem to suit him as though he was not used to wearing civilian clothes.
‘Lord Slytherin, Heir Slytherin,’ greeted the goblin politely.
Ironfury did not seem surprised to see a supposedly dead Dark Lord nor the Boy Who Lived in his office. Certainly the goblin did not comment on it for which Harry was glad. Harry knew, of course, that the goblins did not get involved in human affairs if didn’t have to.
‘Manager Ironfury,’ greeted the Dark Lord.
‘Manager Ironfury,’ Harry followed.
‘I would like to see my bank statements for the past fourteen years,’ requested the Dark Lord.
Harry could tell that his father was worried about the state of his vaults. After all Dumbledore had stolen from Harry so the Dark Lord feared he had done the same to his own vaults by declaring himself Harry’s magical guardian. Voldemort wanted to make sure that Dumbledore hadn’t managed to do the same to his vaults as well.
Manager Ironfury passed Lord Slytherin a stack of parchments. The Dark Lord inspected them carefully. Before he finally placed them down apparently content with the information he had found on them.
‘Thank you, Manager Ironfury, for maintaining my vaults during my absence,’ the Dark Lord said.
Ironfury nodded expressionlessly, ‘I should inform you that the Lord Dumbledore attempted to appoint himself regent of your vaults in 1981. He showed evidence that the Wizengamot had appointed him Magical Guardian to your Heir.
‘But as I your vaults showed that you were still alive. Since there wasn’t any evidence that you were physically or mentally unable to take care of Heir Slytherin. Nor had there ever been a trial finding you guilty of any crime I could not be compelled to pass your vaults over to your Heir and his magic guardian,’ Ironfury said carefully.
The Dark Lord smirked, ‘I thank you for carrying out you duties and adhering to magical law.’
‘Now I would like to request to see my family tree,’ requested the Dark Lord.
Ironfury came back with a large tapestry folded up carefully which the Dark Lord carefully unfolded. It was huge stretching back almost two thousand years to when their first ancestor appeared with magic. It took up more than the table so it was laid so only the bottom could be seen as the Dark Lord located an ideal place to edit the family tree.
‘The tapestry does seem a little worn after all these years,’ the Dark Lord said. ‘I would request your Family Tree refinishing services.’
Harry knew that the so called refinishing services were what would appear on the accounts should someone – Dumbledore – manage to convince the Wizengamot to view their accounts. The Dark Lord doubted that that would happen if their plan worked but it was better to be safe. They did not want Dumbledore to be able to prove that the father of the Boy Who Lived was in actual fact Lord Voldemort.
The Dark Lord inspected the Family Tree for an ideal place to edit it. The man was apparently satisfied with what he found. Harry, meanwhile, was more concerned with the newest entry of the Family Tree.
There was his name – Hadrian Slytherin – and his year of birth 1980 threaded in fine royal blue. A dotted silver line connected his name with the name Lucius Malfoy written in black thread. Coming from them was a black line.
Male Slytherin
1996
There was something irreversible about those three words. More real than the healers’ appointments. More certain than the hissed confessions of his father’s familiar. More absolute than the test results.
‘How did they know?’ asked Harry suddenly.
‘The Family Tapestry was created by the goblins with Family and Blood Magic in the tenth century when it became popular for wealthy Pure Blood families to create and show off their prestige,’ sneered Ironfury. ‘It is powerful magic which can detect official Bondings as well as unofficial unions producing a child. As you can see it can detect the child’s gender before any healer’s spell can detect as much.’
‘How?’ asked Harry.
The goblin smiled a feral smile baring his teeth, ‘that is a goblin’s secret.’
‘Other families have since copied the idea,’ Lord Slytherin added, ‘when they realised how useful the Family Tapestry was for keeping track of their members and descendants. Different families have kept the Tapestry in different locations. The more arrogant and prideful have displayed their pedigree in their reception room or at least a version of it.
‘The Slytherins, meanwhile, keep the Tapestry secret stashed away in their vaults to stop meddling which was beneficial when my great, great, great grandfather Ahearn Gaunt managed to gamble away all the Gaunt money. I am only glad that he nor his descendants until myself did not meet the conditions that the Slytherin, Peverell or Le Fay Lordships required to claim,’ Lord Slytherin admitted.
‘Why did they have the conditions on them?’ questioned Harry.
‘Some Houses do,’ replied Lord Slytherin. ‘In order to keep their House true to their original values. Lord Serapion Slytherin or Serapion the Slithery as he was known before he was granted a Lordship by the King of his age valued intelligence, preservation, determination, ambition and the ability to achieve their goals.’
‘Sounds like Slytherin motto,’ Harry said.
‘Indeed,’ agreed the Dark Lord. ‘Salazar was after all a Lord of the Slytherin House so he chose to teach those who had those qualities whether they displayed it openly or not! Thankfully, it meant that the vaults have been untouched for two hundred years unlike the Gaunt Vaults.’
‘And the Le Fay House?’ asked Harry.
‘Morgan Le Fay the founder of the Le Fay House was a powerful witch who did not tolerate weakness,’ Lord Slytherin explained. ‘She made it a condition on her House that any claimant had to have higher than normal magic levels. Thanks, to the Gaunts frequent inbreeding they barely were accepted into Hogwarts. Certainly they did not have the power to claim the Le Fay Lordship.’
Harry grimaced at the thought of inbreeding which apparently his father agreed to the statement. The Dark Lord nodded sharply a sneer marring his handsome face. Clearly the Dark Lord liked the idea of inbreeding as much as Harry did.
‘Unfortunately,’ drawled the Dark Lord, ‘inbreeding is an all too common practice in the Wizarding World between cousins. A pathetic attempt to keep the blood pure and any money in the family. In recent years it has led to an increase of Squibs and decrease of Wizarding power levels amongst the higher echelons of Wizarding society.
‘I should be glad that my mother fell for an ignorant Muggle which brought new blood to my line rejuvenating the magic in my line. If not I’d be lucky to be much more than a Squib,’ the Dark Lord admitted with some distaste.
‘I shall of course deal with the inbreeding problem in due course,’ the Dark Lord finished.
‘It’s about time someone did,’ grunted Ironfury.
‘And the Peverell family?’ questioned Harry.
‘The family ring must work for them,’ The Dark Lord said but would not further explain that statement. ‘I would like to see the Lagunov and Norden branches of the Slytherin family,’ requested Lord Slytherin turning away from Harry.
Harry tore his gaze away from his unborn child’s surprising presence on the family tree so that he could find the lines which his father was talking about. Harry traced the names up the tree past his and Lucius’ names. Harry then followed his name to his parents – Thomas Slytherin and James Potter finding his grandparents name the Muggle Tom Riddle and Merope Gaunt.
Harry was surprised to find that he had a great uncle – Morfin Gaunt who had only died two years ago. All the time at the Dursleys he had family who never knew he existed thanks to Dumbledore. The familiar bubbling of rage enter Harry’s stomach as he clenched his hands into angry fists.
‘Morfin would not have taken you,’ Harry’s father said seeing where Harry was looking, ‘even if he was not in prison for the killing of a Muggle.’
Harry didn’t say anything as he looked up past his grandparents to his great grandparents; Marvolo Gaunt and Ulrica Norden. Locating the first branch of the main Slytherin family that his father wanted to take a look at. However, Harry could not locate any other branches of the line.
Then there was his great, great grandparents Maxim and Meline Gaunt – cousins. Harry grimaced seeing that the two of them were first cousins. Worse both Maxim’s parents – Cato and Elvina Gaunt – and Meline’s parents – Nero and Elvia Gaunt – were first cousins. Harry could see what his father meant that the Gaunt were repeatedly inbred.
It was his great, great, great grandfather – Cato’s sisters whom his father was interested in. Romula Gaunt had married Ignatius Lagunov who had one son. Rhea Gaunt meanwhile had married a man called Ingmar Norden and they had three daughters and a son.
‘Place a drop of blood on the names of the Slytherin line whose line you want to be included on the Slytherin family tapestry,’ instructed Ironfury.
The Dark Lord pricked his finger on a ritual knife that the goblin handed him. Lord Slytherin let a drop fall on the names of Romula and Rhea Gaunt. Harry watched as names appear replacing the number of children the daughters of the line had.
Ignatius and Romula’s one son was Igor Lagunov who married Nadia Gregorovich. Igor had no children. Thus, the line ended with the Lagunov couple when they died. Igor in 1953 and Nadia in 1980 which meant that they would be the right age to have a son born in 1926.
On the other hand Ingmar Gaunt and Rhea Gaunt had four children, eight grandchildren including Ulrica who married Marvolo once again displaying the prominent inbreeding in the Gaunt line, several great grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren so far. Several of whom were still alive. Inserting themselves into a line with so many relatives would be impossible.
‘Am I still correct in my knowledge that Igor is the last of the Lagunov line?’ Lord Slytherin questioned.
‘Indeed you are,’ agreed Ironfury. ‘Currently the Lagunov brewery is collecting gold for the Lagunov vaults. If it is your wish you could acquire the brewery for little money.’
‘Indeed I do,’ the Dark Lord said. ‘I would like you to add in a son for Igor and Nadia – Foma Salazar Lagunov named for his famous ancestor,’ requested Lord Slytherin.
‘Is that normal?’ asked Harry curiously.
‘The first son is usually named for his father or Sire, the second his bearer or grandfather,’ Tom explained. ‘James knew that I disliked my name for much of my life so did not name you for me or your grandfather,’ Tom sneered at the thought of his Muggle father. ‘He also knew that I felt only disgust for my inbred, Blood supremacist relatives who could barely be counted for as wizards so did not name you for my grandfather.
‘Thus, he named you for my ancestor who I named myself after when I was able to change my name upon claiming my Lordships at seventeen years old,’ Lord Slytherin explained. ‘Officially, James and Evans,’ the Dark Lord’s voice turned cool and deadly, ‘would have named you Salazar to hide his affair but honour the sire. I do not like casting doubt on James’ character but anything else but a simple affair producing a child will be too convoluted for the ignorant masses to understand.’
‘And without the late Lord Potter alive to provide evidence it would be unlikely the DMLE would be able to prosecute Lord Dumbledore for kidnapping,’ contributed Ironfury.
Tom nodded sadly, ‘include Foma lover James Charlus Potter and their son Hadrian Salazar Potter. And put Tom Marvolo Riddle who was the last of the Gaunt line and unmarried date of death as the thirty-first of October 1981 so a new Head of House has finally been located after years of trying to locate an heir.’
The goblin tapped the Family Tapestry carefully. Harry watched as James’ name disappeared from beside Foma Slytherin’s name not leaving any evidence that it had been there as Harry, Lucius and their child faded from sight. Then James’ name reappeared connected via a dotted silver line to Foma Luganov their son Hadrian Potter appearing underneath which was connected to Lucius by the same dotted silver line. The familiar black line coming down from them now proclaimed a male Potter due to be born in 1996.
‘Would you like those editions repeated on all your family trees?’ questioned the goblin.
‘Indeed,’ Lord Slytherin agreed. ‘As well as on my Heir’s family trees I would like his father changed to Foma Salazar Lagunov.’
‘I will shall contact the manager of your Heir’s vaults about changing the family tree,’ assured the goblin.
‘I request Foma Lagunov’s full documentation and back story,’ requested Lord Slytherin.
‘They will be ready presently,’ the goblin said coolly. ‘Now what school did Tόmas go to?’
‘Durmstrang where he got top grades in Battle Magic, Spellcasting, Spellcrafting, Potions, Runes, Blood Magic, Death Magic and Dark Magic,’ instructed Tom, ‘although leave the final three off the official transcripts for now.’
‘Foma has worked for the family brewery since he graduated from Durmstrang,’ continued Harry’s father. ‘In April of 1979 Foma came to Britain to try and promote business in Britain but was forced back to Russia in September as his mother’s health began to fail. He returned briefly in June of 1980 after his mother’s burial but did not stay long.’
About ten minutes later Ironfury informed them that Harry’s father new backstory had completed. “Fomas Lagunov” officially proved his inheritance to the goblins claiming his vaults. As well as, regency over Harry’s vaults until the time Harry came of age in just over two years’ time.
Author’s Note:
This is more of a filler chapter but hopefully next chapter Dumbledore and Voldemort will have their first confrontation after Voldemort’s return.