A few weeks had passed since the incident, and Harry was feeling a lot more in control of the political situation. He had been working hard with his followers, particularly in Britain, to help overturn a bill that was being proposed by Dumbledore which involved the restriction of libraries holding books for Dark magic. The Wizengamot was very divided over the issue, as it often was these days. Many feared Dark magic and were concerned with the rise of Dark, and so supported the bill, but also many moderates and some Lights were arguing for the rights to possess such books, that often have been in family libraries for centuries. It was a tricky political battle, but they were making sure progress to win over some of the moderates.
A short meeting was being held the morning before the annual Ministry Ball, to assign small tasks for the evening and to establish where they stood as a group. The attendees were sat in a lounge area, being served tea and coffee to keep them awake and alert, all facing Harry as he sat for a moment with his drink, contemplating.
"I want you split into your divisions, I think" he finally announced, looking for the approval of his followers. "Of course, first and foremost I do want you all to have an enjoyable time this evening; it is a well-earned down time, and I most certainly do not want you feeling that you have to work all night. It is easier, then, if we split the responsibility. Small groups only should send small messages to other small groups who will be present at the ball. The falcon division, Matté do we have your attention?"
"Yes, my Lord," responded the man with a small bow of the head.
"Good, good. The falcon division, being best associated with European politics, will continue to encourage the idea of a united fight for a united magic. There are many Light supremacists still around in Europe and I want you to focus on changing that, and removing sympathy towards those groups."
"Understood, my Lord."
"Do we have Mayberry of the panther division?" Harry asked into the room once again.
"Here, my Lord," the woman responded.
"Your focus is to be again on public opinion, make your ties with public sector workers. They're having a rough time themselves by the hands of the Wizengamot, with wage cuts in favour of putting the money into bribing the goblins. He wants them to put up with the rules that the Minister is setting out for them in the coming years, and so the public sector is once again an ignored victim. Use this against them, talk about how much we respect public sector workers, and how disappointed we are that we even have to bribe the goblins, and how the use of bribery must be an indication of how unfair the rules for the goblins are going to be. Quickly revise your knowledge of the different jobs within the sector, and tackle the importance of what they work on specifically. If we play it well, we can get quite a bit of support from the moderates who just want a better wage for themselves."
"Yes, my lord," Mayberry bowed her head.
"The viper division, Lin?"
"Ready to receive instruction, my Lord," Harry's ex-tutor responded, a hint of mirth in his eyes from the formalities.
"You know what you have to do. Your people will be specifically tackling Dumbledore's bill and finding out just why people support it, and contradict their beliefs if necessary."
"Yes, my Lord."
"And we must all remember where we stand as an organisation. In the subject of Voldemort, I ask that you avoid this topic with the guests of the ball, as it is a tricky line to tread, but if unavoidable we will not openly oppose him, nor will we openly accept his methods. Our main priorities are the rights of dark creatures and dark wizards alike, around the globe, and fighting for the equality and balance of magic. We are opposed to the dominance of light, and opposed to the totalitarianism of some dark leaders globally. We want isolation from muggles in order to protect our own, and we want respect for all living beings.
"Are there any objections, my friends?" Harry finally called out, signalling the end of the meeting.
"A united fight for a united magic!" his followers called back to him.
Good. They would all have the rest of the day now to prepare for the ball itself.
The room was wide and professional. While there were a couple of people dancing by the musicians, most of the present attendees were roaming the room and finding others of interest to speak to. Hanging from the tall ceiling were rectangular Ministry banners, and this made up the decoration, for the most part. As Harry strode into the room, many of the scattered guests acknowledged him with a nod, some of his followers also already present.
While his followers had the task of schmoozing the less imposing guests, Harry had goals of higher prestige. He was planning to win over the higher government officials, and potentially attack the Light themselves. Many of his own followers would be affected if the bill on possession of dark books was allowed to pass, and he certainly did not want his organisation to be associated with illegal activities from it. He had a personal obligation to block it from being passed.
Balls were largely considered to be tedious affairs once one was integrated in the world of politics. As a younger man, Harry had attended a couple of balls, and thoroughly enjoyed the dancing and the socialising with his friends. As an adult, however, he did not have the time to dance as much as he would have liked to. He had instructed his followers to have an enjoyable time, but he himself had very little time off his work. There was too much for him to be doing, and while his followers needed time to rest, he was happy to make his work his life. And so tonight, he would be dealing with the arduous task of conversing with pompous politicians, while trying not to let his brain dry out from boredom.
He caught the eye of Lord Malfoy, and headed towards the man.
"Lord Potter," Malfoy greeted with a handshake. "You are looking rather dashing this evening."
"You flatter me, Lord Malfoy, I look the same as I would usually," Harry responded with a charming smile. "Have you been well?"
Harry knew Lord Malfoy well from his political exploits, as the man often sided with Harry against Dumbledore. He had obvious Dark sympathies, and Harry had been trying to convince him to join his own organisation. The late Lord Malfoy had been more moderate, but his son, Abraxas, was already establishing his own political footprint. With the return of Voldemort, however, Harry strongly suspected that Malfoy's allegiances were strongly towards the other Dark Lord. He had no way of confirming it, as Voldemort's followers had been wearing masks every time he had seen them, but Lord Malfoy had been in the same Hogwarts year as Lord Voldemort, and so it was unlikely that the two would have avoided each other.
With his targets in mind, Harry made his way around the room talking with a variety of politicians, putting all of his effort into subtly swaying their views. He had had much success, many of the moderate Lights quickly wishing to defend liberty, as Harry explained how authoritarian it would be to censor an adult's personal education in the form of banned books. Politicians who had had muggle upbringings were especially on board with this idea, as it had been far more common in muggle history to see the control of a nation through censorship of publications and press, and they certainly did not want to see the same happen in the wizarding world. Dumbledore would have no chance with both the Dark and the Light fighting against him.
"I never thought that I would be agreeing so strongly with a Dark Lord such as yourself, Lord Potter" one of the lighter politicians laughed as they concluded their discussion.
"And you see that's the ridiculous thing, isn't it?" Harry pushed, pleased with his success with such a staunch Light supporter. "In British politics, there's such a divide between the Dark and the Light, when really we want many of the same things. I certainly only argue for the rights of my people, in the same way that you would want to fight for the rights of yours if you had any less freedom than you have. Magic, as an entity, is one with both Light and Dark, and so we really ought to be bringing this into our politics."
"Lord Potter," a familiar elderly voice greeted, as Dumbledore approached the pair, the Minister of Magic by his side. "I do hope you're not trying to turn one of my own against me?" He joked, the twinkle present in his eyes.
"Ah, Dumbledore, I would never dare do such a thing!" Harry laughed as he turned to greet both men. "But you and I both know, there is no honour in politics."
"You would make a good politician, Lord Potter," the Minister commented. "It always astounds me how you choose not to pursue a professional career in it."
"I truly am flattered, Minister, but I am a politician in my own sense. I find it far more effective to not be bound by party beliefs, and having to spend hours on subjects that I do not care for, such as economics." He pulled a face. "I am content to spend my days focusing on fighting for what I believe in. Political activism is far more entertaining for me."
"I must confess I am glad that you have such feelings," laughed Dumbledore. "I am having a hard-enough time with your fiery opposition to my current bill; I don't know if my greying beard could handle such aggression on a daily basis."
"The aggression, though, surely is because of me fighting very specific battles, and thus is more damaging to the colour of your beard."
"Indeed, indeed, you may be right," the greying man conceded. "On the topic of such matters, Lord Potter, I would appreciate it if we could make use of the private rooms available. I would like to have a good discussion over the issue of my bill, if you please."
"A grand idea; I beg your pardon" he said by means of farewell to the other two men in his company, and grabbed himself a champagne as he followed Dumbledore outside of the main ballroom.
They entered a small chamber, much like the one he had pulled Lord Voldemort into, with a plain fireplace and two comfortable looking armchairs. Harry and Dumbledore both sat down, and Harry took a sip of his champagne. He would let the older man speak first, seeing as he was the one to invite Harry in here.
"Lord Potter," Dumbledore started.
"Do call me Harry," he quickly interrupted. "We are already well acquainted, after all."
"Indeed," agreed Dumbeldore, "then you must call me Albus. Harry, you're a good man. I know you are, for the way you fought in the last wizarding war. I would not have allied myself with you if I did not see any good in you."
Harry nodded, urging the man to continue.
"It is with this in mind, Harry, that I plead with you to reconsider your opposition to my bill. I wholeheartedly believe that if this bill passes, the whole of wizarding Britain will be safer, including your own dark wizards. Surely you can see how possession of dark texts is putting lives at risk?"
"Actually, Albus," Harry contradicted calmly, "I am afraid I do not see your way of thinking on this matter. I fail to understand how censorship based on a prejudice does any good to any member of society."
Dumbledore frowned at this response. "Some of the Dark magic in these books are a threat to humanity itself, Harry. Rituals to torture, curses to mentally impair the strongest of minds, calling upon the most unstable of forces for greed and a hunger for power... these are not books that we should be allowing in the homes of average witches and wizards."
"But I fail to see how you would police this, Albus. The aurors are already strained from the recent cuts that have been made to their force, and you want to waste their time on, what, raiding innocent people's homes?"
"They are not innocent people, though, are they Harry?"
"They are innocent until proven guilty! Some of these books have been with families for centuries, it's a part of their history, of our history. Innocent people could be penalised for keeping hold of a book that they do not even recognise as Dark, just because their ancestors held it and passed it down. Which families are going to be affected by these raids? They're going to disproportionately hit traditionally Dark families who may well have no Dark artefacts or books in their home, just because of some blind fear towards an affinity that they cannot help. Do you not see how oppressive this bill is, Albus? Do you not fight for the oppressed, or is that only the oppressed who have your approval, the muggles and their magical relatives?"
"Dark wizards are hardly oppressed, Harry," Dumbledore responded almost as a scold. "They are powerful, far too powerful, and will hurt anybody who comes in their way, just as Grindelwald did."
"I don't know who you think you're trying to convince, Albus. I am a dark wizard, I'm a Dark Lord for Merlin's sake! It is my responsibility by the laws of magic to protect the witches and wizards under me, and this bill is a direct threat to their freedoms."
"You do not have to be Dark, Harry. Please, if you would only see the Light and you would understand that Dark magic is for twisted souls, for selfish and greedy men, that you are not. You are a good man, and you belong on the Light. You do not have to fight me."
"I confess myself disappointed in your arguments. I do have to be Dark, it is one of the rules of magic that one's magical affinity cannot be influenced or shaped. It is merely a different style of magic to what you're used to, and that scares you, especially with your experiences with Grindelwald, but I would have hoped that you were intelligent enough to see past that. All of your ideals are fuelled by misguided prejudice. I will not be backing down from my opposition to your bill."
"That is indeed a great shame," Dumbledore professed. "Still, it must be difficult now facing a competitor in the status of Dark Lord. I have noted that Lord Voldemort, or Tom Riddle as I still prefer to call him, has made his return to British society, only recently acknowledging himself as a Dark Lord to the public. I suspect there are only a few who will connect the two names together, however."
"He is a strong man, I have become acquainted with him. I actually think it a great relief to have another Lord to take some of the responsibility for Dark magic in Britain. Although," Harry joked, "he is of course quite new to the job."
"And so you condone his treatment of muggles? Unless you have not heard of it, these past months?" Dumbledore pressed, and Harry could tell that he had suddenly become quite concerned at Harry's apparently nonplussed attitude towards Voldemort. Perhaps he had expected a battle for dominance which would weaken the Dark.
Well, battle of dominance though it may be at times, it would far from weaken the cause.
"Albus, please, you know very well my stance on the treatment of muggles," chided Harry.
"My apologies, Harry, if I caused any offense. Of course, I am aware of your stance. But still, you must know that you will struggle to get Lord Voldemort to make a compromise on the issue," Dumbledore spoke slyly, urging Harry's curiosity to work with him.
"Is that so?" Harry responded evenly. "You know that I am famed for my power of persuasion, do you not?" he then teased.
"Voldemort's is a grudge that no length of fancy words will budge," Dumbledore assured. "You see, he was orphaned as a baby. He grew up in a muggle orphanage in London, and I suspect the children bullied him terribly. This poisoned his outlook and tolerance; he became cruel in response to them. Voldemort's direction is no more about political power than it is the natural desperation for revenge of a truly damaged child. I doubt it would take much to break him, with such built up hatred."
Harry sat stunned for a moment. Not at the information; he had suspected as much from the small flinch he had seen at the word 'freak'. This was clearly a very personal part of Voldemort's past, an element which very few knew of, perhaps only Voldemort and Dumbledore themselves knew of, and Dumbledore tossed the information to somebody who was, at least as far as Dumbledore knew, a near stranger to Voldemort.
"Albus, this is hardly professional. It is not your place to be revealing the secrets of another's past. That really is below the belt," Harry murmured, almost dangerously, though he knew that Dumbledore would not take the threat seriously.
"Well, what is it that you said?" Dumbledore paused a moment. "There is no honour in politics."
He merely smiled benignly as Harry sat, for once, speechless.
"Anyway, I fear we have reached an impasse. I see that you are quite intent on continuing your opposition to my bill, as much as I am disappointed to conclude so. Do enjoy the rest of your evening, Harry," Dumbledore said.
"I hope that you enjoy yours, too," responded Harry, though still a little affronted at the information that Dumbledore had just so willingly given to him.
While Voldemort could not say that he enjoyed balls, he could admit that he was certainly within his element. Socialising, playing politics and pandering to politicians, Voldemort was able to talk a fair few people around his finger. There were more than enough people swooning over him, too. He knew that he was dressed very attractively, in the height of pureblood fashion, and that he had his most charming smile on this evening especially for using his looks against others. Almost surprising him, though, was that he could have sworn he had caught Lord Potter checking him out more than once! Never mind that he only noticed because he was doing the same – he felt that somebody should have made a law already against dress trousers that hug a man's arse in such a way – it was completely improper, and he had thought the man would be more discreet than that. Though from what he had gathered, Lord Potter was something of a flirt. This behaviour, however, occurred entirely before he had left the ballroom with Professor Dumbledore. Once he had returned, Potter seemed far more intent on talking people's ears off about his political beliefs, and did not spare one glance towards Voldemort's arse.
He had become a lot more vicious in his attacks, too, Voldemort observed. He would often note the faster speech in the other man's passion, and a slight glow to his cheeks which indicated frustration. From his continued research into the political style of Potter, Voldemort observed some quite stark differences. Unlike his usual vulture mentality, where he would wait patiently for the debating partner to curse themselves with their own argument and then pick at the remains to ensure they had fully given up on their arguments, what he saw now was more a mixture of the Grim and a crow. The Grim would tear through the argument and the debater, actively doing the killing, and the crow would then wrap its claws around the debater's soul and replace it with new ideals.
It was fascinating to watch, though a struggle to keep a subtle eye on the happenings while also carrying out his own tasks of persuasion. It was a heated atmosphere at the Ministry Ball this year, and Voldemort felt that the presence of two Dark Lords certainly would be contributing to this.
Towards the end of the evening, when the attendees were all close to or in the process of deciding to leave, Lord Potter actually approached Voldemort. There was a charming expression masked on his face, but a hint of concern in his eyes.
"Good evening, Lord Voldemort," he greeted, extending his hand to shake.
"Good evening, Lord Potter. A pleasure to see you here," Voldemort responded, donning an equally charming smile.
"It is regretful that I have not previously been in a position to come and speak to you, though I assure you it would have been of great pleasure to me. But now that I am here, I would like to extend to you an invitation to join me for drinks once again, this evening. If you are in a position to leave now, I would find that to be most convenient."
Voldemort levelled Potter with a neutral stare, but he was immediately suspicious of this invitation. While he did not find Potter's company unpleasant, as much as he hated to admit it, he did not want to waste his time on more needless socialising, as the last invitation had resulted in.
"What could be so important, Lord Potter, for you to require my presence this evening? Could you not book a more informal appointment?" Voldemort enquired, curious by Potter's apparent urgency.
"It is a matter regarding the Light, and information that certain members seem intent on sharing. This information regards you in particular, and so I feel it important to inform you of the situation immediately so that you are in a position to respond to such an act."
"I see," Voldemort hummed. The drinks element to it, clearly, was more a façade, or an excuse to discuss more political topics. He supposed if the Light were getting stronger he would have to get used to working alongside Potter in such a way. No matter, he would still manage to climb his way above the other Dark Lord eventually. "Drinks would be a pleasure, Lord Potter. Please lead the way," Voldemort accepted politely, and accompanied Potter to the apparation points.
Where they arrived was the same room that the two wizards had drunk at the other night, and Voldemort was not sure how he felt about the associations he had with the surroundings. Instead of offering Voldemort a seat in this room, however, he led him through a pair of shuttered doors onto a wide covered balcony.
He could not help but be astonished by the view; there were looking out onto a grand display of mountains and valleys, only the snow atop the mountains and the ripples in the lakes being illuminated by the bright moon, and an incredibly clear view of the stars.
"We are currently in my Norway base," Lord Potter clarified, observing the small look of wonder that Voldemort allowed onto his expression. "By far my favourite. I spend a lot of time out here, overlooking the mountains. There are a great many magical creatures and plants out there too, if one cares to look. I regret not having explored it yet as well as I would like to. Perhaps one day you would like to accompany me on such an exploration!" Potter turned and grinned at Voldemort.
Voldemort merely smiled back politely, not daring to commit to such a thing, despite how tempting it was to give in to such a charming grin.
"But please take a seat," Potter offered as he turned to light the candles around. "What would you like to drink? The issues we have to discuss involve Dumbledore, so I warn you now, you may want something a bit stronger than wine this time."
"In which case I will take a beetle berry whiskey, if it is not too much trouble," Voldemort requested, his eyebrow quirking slightly. He had a feeling that he would not like what Potter had to say to him at all.
Once he had returned with the drinks, they both sat in silence for a moment to appreciate their liqueurs.
"Earlier tonight," Potter finally started, turning Voldemort's attention to him again, "Dumbledore took me to have a few words about the bill he is currently pushing for in the Wizengamot."
Voldemort nodded to show that he was listening.
"Terribly boring, I'm sure you'll agree, all that political nonsense. Dumbledore's strategy though," the man laughed, "the mad man, you won't believe it; he tried to convince me that Dark magic was evil! What a laugh!"
"I quite agree," Voldemort smirked in response. Dumbledore, for all his years senior to the two men, could be incredibly dense at times.
"I wish that's where it ended, though," Potter frowned slightly at this. "He then turned to personal attacks. You know as well as I do that these things a fairly common; as much as I wish it wasn't so, personal attacks are often used to try to undermine a certain ideology shared by the wizard under attack. Dumbledore chose the target of his attack as you." Potter paused, waiting for a response.
"I am perfectly immune to petty attacks in politics, I can assure you Lord Potter. I do not find myself affected by the opinions of others, least of all Dumbledore."
"Indeed, I thought as much," Potter agreed. "And I found it odd that he would choose you to attack in particular, seeing as you are hardly the face of the opposition to his bill, nor do you hold any position in the dark community above me, you being rather a lot younger than myself."
Voldemort frowned, but could not deny the truth in that statement, though it was hard to ignore the irritation that prickled him at hearing it said so casually.
"If it had been, I don't know, a reference to your temper, or general personality, I would not have considered the matter to be an issue. Dumbledore would be left alone for the time being. I have not heard of such information before, and so I infer that it has been your intention to keep it a closely guarded secret, and so I will give you my word that this information stays as secret to me as the discovery of your horcruxes."
He flinched internally at the reminder, but made no response otherwise to Potter having brought the issue up. He was already feeling a small amount of anxiety at what was to come.
"Dumbledore told me quite bluntly about your childhood."
His whole being froze at this. His childhood?
"He told me that you had been brought up in an orphanage with muggles, that they bullied you badly and that this is why you turned to the dark and turned against muggles. More to this, however, is that he described your rise to power as no more than the natural desperation for revenge of a truly damaged child."
Voldemort felt true fury, then. How dare Dumbledore say such things to his rival? How dare he make him look weak in front of another? How dare he compromise my image in the eyes of Lord Potter? Voldemort felt himself raging in his mind.
"You know, and I know, that this type of childhood is not a weakness, it is not something to be ashamed of. I am not here to ridicule you for that, nor am I here to talk about your past if you do not wish to. My concern is Dumbledore's complete willingness to throw this information about to use against you in the world of politics."
Reign it in, he told himself, do not let your fury cloud your judgement. You have learnt to control your emotions.
Voldemort took a much-needed sip of his whiskey, grateful for the strong drink. He could not do anything about the fact that Potter knew this, and knowing the other man's childhood Voldemort knew that he would not use it against him. The problem, as Potter had rightly stated, was Dumbledore.
"Thank you for disclosing this information with me," Voldemort finally responded, calmly, and Potter nodded. "It is indeed an issue that Dumbledore is so loose in his morals to spread such a thing about. In terms of actions, I will have my people keep a much closer eye on Dumbledore. I will know who he interacts with, when he interacts with them, and I will be the first to know if any rumour against the Dark comes from him. Unfortunately, there is not much to be done about Dumbledore's knowledge of this information. As the deputy Head teacher at Hogwarts at the time of my admission, he was the member of staff to inform me of my place in the school. He saw the orphanage, and he heard from the Matron how I was seen and how I acted in turn."
"How was it, then, that the Heir of Slytherin ended up in a muggle orphanage?" Potter asked, and Voldemort would have been infuriated if it were not for the earnest curiosity he saw in the other man's eyes.
"My father was a muggle, by the name of Riddle, and my mother, a Gaunt, whose family thought she was a squib. After my conception the muggle abandoned her, and she was left as scraps for Death to pick at. Her remaining strength took her to an orphanage in London, where she died in birth. Dumbledore theorises that I was conceived under the influence of a love potion, and is therefore convinced that I am incapable of love." Voldemort sneered. "Despite what Dumbledore thinks, I am not my past."
"And nor am I," Potter agreed.
They sat, again, in silence. As much as it irked him to know that Potter knew so much about him, had hold of so much information, he supposed it made some sense that the man knew about his childhood, how similar it had been to his own. And that was the weird thing. Voldemort had been determined to avoid this man until he knew for certain that he was strong enough to better him, and yet again and again they would fall into the same places; maybe that was because their childhood, too, had been in much the same place. It was an odd feeling too, to be able to empathise with somebody. When Lord Potter had spoken about his muggle relatives, it had resonated with him, knowing so well how it felt to be shunned for his magic. Further still, he felt that Potter may even had had it worse. Voldemort had only met his relatives long enough to shoot killing curses at them, and that was much later on, but as an infant he had never known family; he could not for the life of him imagine how it would feel to have family, who were supposed to love unconditionally, act so violently. He could not for the life of him work out why he would want to imagine such a thing. It was none of his business; he had his own life to run, his own past to escape. Why would he bother with anybody else's, let alone Lord Potter's?
"You still owe me for ruining my meeting with the vampires," Potter suddenly blurted out, interrupting Voldemort's thoughts.
"I owe you nothing, the way you've treated me," Voldemort snarled, affronted by such a statement.
"Hey, now!" Potter defended, raising his hands, one still clutching his drink. "I did nothing to deserve somebody snatching away a once in a lifetime opportunity to get on the side of vampires."
"I wonder why you brought it up if it's such a sore subject for you," Voldemort mocked, finishing his drinks.
"I brought it up because you owe me!" Potter exclaimed. "Do you realise how embarrassing it was to be so prepared and yet turned away as soon as I turned up?"
"I can imagine it was humiliating," Voldemort commented, "but I owe you nothing. You are acting like a petulant child."
Amusingly, Potter's response to this was close enough to a pout, which was hardly fitting for a Dark Lord.
"I'm getting another drink," the man stated as he left his chair. "Do you want one?"
"Not particularly," Voldemort dismissed. "I've seen how you are with the slightest consumption of alcohol and I really would rather avoid blurting all my secrets out to you. Come to think of it, I'd rather not hear yours all over again." He got up to leave.
"Oh." Potter said, surprised at this. "Yes I suppose that's fair. Let me take you to the apparation point at least."
Voldemort accepted this offer, and they walked together through the building. Once they had reached the point, he did not bother to glance back at Potter before he retrieved his wand to apparate away.
"Voldemort," Potter called, and he turned around. "We are not victims of muggles."
Voldemort was about to protest the issue being brought up again when he was interrupted.
"We are not victims of the Light's oppression against our magic. We are fighters. A united fight for a united magic!"
"I am not one of your idiotic followers, Potter," Voldemort said disdainfully. "You're not getting me to say that."
Potter only laughed, and whistled back off down the corridor as Voldemort left.