Reposted: November 28, 2021
Last edited: May 9, 2022 (just one line)
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Summary: Harry is in this chapter. So are other people.
"And one of them decided its arse wasn't good enough and blew it off!" Harry groaned, waving his arms around haphazardly.
It was two weeks into the first term. He was sitting in Remus' office telling Remus of all the horrible (not really) things that have transpired so far.
"Well, they aren't called Blast-Ended Skrewts for nothing," Remus pointed out.
"I suppose it's better than Butt Poppers," Harry muttered.
"Butt popp...? Tom was right. You are terrible at naming things."
"What about your parents?" Harry shot back. "They literally named you Wolfy McWerewolf."
"They did, didn't they?" Remus grumbled ruefully. "James and Sirius used to tease me about it all the time."
"And Sirius is the Dog Star. His Animagus form is a dog." Harry rubbed his face with his hands. "Anyone else with coincidental names?"
"Dumbledore has 'dumb' in his name."
"Perfect." Harry went silent for a moment, leg bouncing restlessly. "I heard you took Neville Longbottom to get a new wand. What was that all about?"
"I recognized the wand he had been using as his father's," Remus told him.
"Wait. You mean he's been using a wand that wasn't right for him?" Harry said. "But the wand chooses the wizard."
"His grandmother gave it to him. I do not know why, but what's important is that he has a better wand."
Thanks to Remus' sharp eyes, Neville was doing much better. He didn't ask Hermione for help as much as he used to, and even Potions, a subject he struggled with, couldn't completely dampen his spirits.
"Better late than never," Harry remarked, fiddling with his own wand. Ollivander had said it shared the same wand core as Voldemort's— phoenix feather. Interestingly enough, when Tom had gone to purchase a new wand, he ended up getting it, too. The only difference was the wand was made of ebony instead of yew.
If Ollivander had known who Tom was, and he most likely did, he hadn't said anything. One, because Sirius made him take a Vow to not share their visit to anyone in any form. And two, this was Ollivander; he seemed to have unworldly knowledge on everyone.
"The elves have finally found the wizard from the Quidditch Cup," Remus announced.
"Oh?" Harry perked up. "Who was it?"
"Barty Crouch Jr."
"But he's dead."
"Obviously not. It's just as we suspected. He did it on Voldemort's orders."
Harry made a small noise of confusion. "I'm guessing Sirius and Tom are going to check it out?"
"You would be correct. They should mirror-call tonight, so better have your Invisibility Cloak with you." Remus looked up to see it wrapped around Harry so only his head was visible. "I can see I didn't need to remind you of that."
"Nope. Hey, has Sirius made a visit yet?" He peered at Remus more closely. "Your clothes look as neat as ever. No sign of bite marks or glamours to hide them. I take that as a no."
"Haven't you got anything better to do than invade in my personal space?" Remus asked, leaning away. It was a bit disconcerting to have a floating head mere inches from his face.
"Well, I could be invading Tom's personal space," Harry mumbled, staring at the floor mutinously. "But he's not here."
"Go and irritate someone else. Like Severus."
Harry's eyes lit up. "Great idea! I'll see you later, Moony."
Remus gulped. Only he would forget that Harry was the kind of person that would do just that. "No, I was joking!" he protested as Harry jumped up, stuffing his cloak back into his bag. "Don't actually bother Severus. I— aaand you're gone and I'm dead."
He prayed the potions master wouldn't be too harsh on him.
"Care to explain why Professor Snape is in a mood?" Tracey asked as Harry sat down.
"Remus told me to bother him," Harry said, smiling at her innocently.
Tracey's gaze slid past him to look at a very embarrassed Remus and very irritated Severus and back to Harry. "Right."
"That explains why Gryffindor is down by five points," Draco said, snickering.
"He'll be deducting more if Granger keeps going on about spew," Pansy groaned.
The Slytherins collectively winced. Apparently, the reason for Hermione not eating at the Welcoming Feast was because she had learned that house-elves had been making the food. House-elves that didn't get paid or were given sick leave. She had badgered Ron into joining her pursuit for justice of the elves. At one point, she had even approached Harry, asking if he could tell the Slytherins. He did, but he made no real effort to persuade them.
Harry asked Dobby about the daily lives of house-elves to verify her words. Some of what she said was reasonable enough: They were unpaid, some were abused, and they did not get sick leave. What she did not seem to realize was elves needed to be bonded to a wizard or witch to survive.
"She's going to drive everyone barmy if she keeps going on like this," Harry predicted.
Tom's eyes swept around the foggy landscape, alert for any sign of movement as he moved forward. Sirius was in the lead as Padfoot, using his heightened senses to their advantage.
"This place reeks," Tom murmured, mostly to himself. Padfoot swished his tail in agreement.
A jet of red light shot toward them.
"Look out!" Tom shouted.
Sirius ducked just in time. The light hit a tree a little way behind them.
Tom whirled around, sending a spell in the general direction of the Stunner. Through the fog, he only just made out the figure as it moved back. "Barty Crouch Jr.?" he said.
"Ah, it was you that sent those damn elves," the other wizard said. "My Lord had gotten rather irritated with their constant interfering."
Sirius, who had turned back into his human self, cast a silent Stunner Barty's way. Barty dodged it and the fight was on. He was good, Tom would concede, good enough to hold off two opponents at once.
They were so preoccupied with Barty they didn't notice the second person come up behind them.
A thump made Tom whirl around to see Sirius unconscious. Barty used his distraction to his advantage and promptly Stunned him as well.
"About time you showed up," he said gruffly.
"Stop talking and bring them inside. Our Lord is waiting," the other person snapped.
They levitated Sirius and Tom and headed toward the house.
"Rennervate."
Tom's eyes snapped open and he tried to sit up, only to realize he was bound. Beside him, Sirius was already up, also bound.
'If it isn't my little Horcrux,' a high-pitched voice hissed.
Tom felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. There was only one person he could associate the voice to: Lord Voldemort. He looked up and had to choke back a shocked yell.
If he thought Voldemort sounded different, it was nothing compared to how he looked. Huddled in black cloth, a small creature that looked like a crouching child stared back with slitted red eyes.
"Bellatrix?" Sirius croaked, staring not at the child-like creature but the tall woman beside him.
"My dear cousin," she sneered back, wand clutched in hand.
Bellatrix... Sirius had briefly spoken of her when talking about the family tree. After Voldemort's downfall, she had all but vanished, somehow managing to evade capture. No one even got a glimpse of her, and eventually the Aurors stopped looking for her, declaring her deceased.
Tom nearly jumped as something large slid pass him. It was a snake, about twelve feet in length. It paused, flicking its tongue in confusion.
'Master?' it hissed, gazing at Tom confusedly.
'Come, Nagini,' Voldemort murmured.
Nagini stared at Tom for a few more seconds before obeying, moving forward until she was on the opposite side of Bellatrix.
At an unseen signal from Voldemort, Bellatrix grabbed Tom and dragged him forward. She paused for a fraction of a second as his magic wafted over her. It was very familiar... She dismissed her thoughts and stepped back.
Tom had grunted at the rough treatment but refused to show any other sign of weakness. He forced himself to meet Voldemort's gaze.
Voldemort gazed back at his younger self, eyes narrowed. "How?" he demanded.
Tom's mind whirled. What was he supposed to say? That Dumbledore had done something completely horrendous and manipulated him into what he was looking at? That Harry Potter, the boy who Voldemort had gone after, was actually his soulmate? Would Voldemort even believe him? A Horcrux made a person unstable, never mind five of them.
Apparently he had been silent for too long, for Voldemort let out an irritated hiss. Suddenly, he was tearing into Tom's mind with surprising strength, eliciting a cry of pain from the teen.
Memories flashed by as if in a film: finding out about the soul bond... Dumbledore adding compulsions... Tom making his first Horcrux... showing Harry his memories... regaining a full body... him and Harry kissing in front of the fountain...
And then he was back in the house, panting heavily as he laid on the floor. He barely had any energy to sit up. He flinched at the cold laugh from above.
"How sweet," he sneered.
"What did you see, my Lord?" Bellatrix questioned. "And who is this boy?" And why was he magic so eerily similar to Voldemort's? There was only one reasonable explanation she could think of, but it seemed so far-fetched.
"One of my Horcruxes have gotten free," Voldemort said.
Bellatrix's eyes widened. Apparently, the explanation wasn't so far-fetched after all. "And?" There had to be another reason why her Lord looked so shocked.
Voldemort continued to stare at Tom's limp form, lip curled in disgust. "Harry Potter, the savior of the wizarding world, is my soulmate." The word was spat like poison.
Bellatrix and Barty, however, gasped. Even Nagini recoiled in shock.
"My Lord?" Barty spoke tentatively. "If that is true, then what of Potter?"
"I have no need for a soulmate," Voldemort snarled. "Kill Black, but leave my... Horcrux alive. I could make use of him in the future."
"No!" Sirius yelled. "Bellatrix, Barty, you know how sacred soul bonds are. You don't want to interfere, do you? Not like Dumbledore did?"
The Death Eaters exchanged mystified glances. Not like Dumbledore did? Sirius didn't actually mean that. No, they may hate Dumbledore, but he would never actually... Although, Sirius was very adamant, and he had been considered a blood traitor for many years for turning his back on his family's values.
"What are you waiting for?" Voldemort shrieked. "Kill him!"
Barty looked between his Lord and Sirius, then at Bellatrix as if silently begging her for an answer.
The witch stared down at Tom, who was struggling to get up but falling back down with a low groan.
Voldemort couldn't believe the audacity of his most trusted Death Eaters. "You will pay for your insolence. I am your master!"
Bellatrix looked at Barty again. This time, there was a determination in both of their stances.
"No," she said in a clear voice. "Not anymore." She turned to face Voldemort, wand raised.
A blinding flash of green light illuminated the room.