Harry stared up at the Dark Lord, a tight grip on his wand as his eyes narrowed. The taller man looked down at him, impassive except for the slight smirk gracing his features. Their magic rose up, filling the air until it was almost suffocating. Bellatrix and the inner circle watched on with glee. This was it. Finally their Lord would kill Potter and Dark Magic would rule the world. Voldemort raised his wand towards the younger wizard and opened his mouth to end it all. Harry tensed, ready for what was coming. "Evanesco." The blood covering him was washed away as Cherié walked back towards him. He took the Dark Lord's hand and was instantly pulled to the man's side, as had become normal over the last few days. He peered up and hissed to him in the language only they spoke. "She was asking for it, I swear. Even if my shadow hadn't reacted, I would have killed her." The woman in question was still lying in a heap on the floor, staring up at them with anger and confusion. "But my Lord he attacked me!"
His head whipped around from looking down at his horcrux to glare at the witch. "And why, Bellatrix, did he do that?" Dark as he was, Harry wasn't violent. In fact he seemed to quite strongly dislike it most of the time. Tom would never understand it, but as long as Harry was safe and on his side, it didn't matter. "What did she do, my soul?" It was a nickname he'd given after the third time Harry worried that he was using him for the horcrux. It was unsurprising, Voldemort couldn't expect Harry to completely trust him already, but addressing the issue could at least start to heal that trust. He was grateful enough that Harry was giving him this chance. "She called me your whore. Apparently you'll get bored of me soon, and be done with me once Dumbledore is dead." For a second, Voldemort was conflicted. He was still getting used to all these new emotions, but Harry was helping him identify them. He was glad that Harry didn't seem to believe Bella, but furious at what she dared to imply. He raised his wand, but was stopped by a hand gently squeezing his. "Your death eaters don't like me. You killing her for me isn't going to help that. They need to understand that I am on their side." Reluctantly, he relented. Harry was right, his followers were still loyal, but their faith in him had been shaken over the years. Everyday, he saw more and more of the damage his madness had caused. He needed to inspire his people again. "Rodolphus, Rabastan, take Bellatrix to the dungeons, she will stay there for the night." Bellatrix shrieked and struggled against the four arms that went to restrain her. "Get off of me! My Lord please, reconsider..." A raised hand silenced her, and she could be heard yelling as her husband and brother-in-law dragged her to her cell. He released Harry and walked over to the raised platform at the front of the hall where his Death Eaters had previously been dueling. "It would seem that your loyalty to me is not undying." Immediately a crescendo of protests and denials spread across the room, stopping only when he raised his wand. "Fulgur adducere." A bolt of lightning spiraled to the floor in the middle of the room, frightening it's inhabitants as they stepped back. "We have lost our way. Our intentions and plans for a new beginning became lost in the old war. Many of you still lat blame to Harry Potter. I became distracted, obsessed, which is exactly what Dumbledore, and his pathetic light-loving soldiers wanted. He will not win!" His voice was never raised, and yet the hall remained silent, entranced by his every word. This is what it had been like. Not just loyalty but true admiration. This is what he'd let go within his madness. "Harry Potter is not our enemy. The real enemy, our true enemy, always has and always will be Dumbledore. With their saviours help, we will destroy him, and take what is ours!" A loud cheer rose at that and he watched patiently until the ruckus died down. "All I require of you, is loyalty and trust. Does your Lord not deserve at least that?" His reply was loud declarations of loyalty and affirmations, and he allowed the smallest of smiles on his face. He was still uncomfortable showing any emotion to anyone, except for Harry of course. Harry Potter had always been the only one to evoke any true emotion from him. He stepped down, taking Harry's hand and leading him away from the shouting masses to his private chambers.
Looking around, Harry realised how familiar he had become with his new surroundings over the last few weeks. His things remained in the guest room, yet he hadn't even set foot in their since Sirius had died. Moving forward he collapsed on the bed, releasing a long sigh, before groaning in contentment as he stretched. Opening his eyes again, he saw a grinning Dark Lord staring at him. Rolling his eyes, he remained where he was as the man crawled over from the foot of the bed to meet him. He wrapped his arms around his neck, burying his face into the older wizards neck. The first night, the two had been too emotionally exhausted to take in their position, but the next night both he and Voldemort had been confounded by their ease with eachother. Who knew the Dark Lord liked to cuddle? "You're thinking too much." He grinned as he looked up at the enquiry. "I'm sorry, are my innovative thoughts disturbing you? Worried I'll take your top spot as super genius?" Voldemort mock glared at him, before smirking. "Hardly. It's just difficult to concentrate over the sound of those rusty gears." He head-butted the man's shoulder before resting his head on his chest. They fell silent again, comforted by the others presence. He hated to ruin the moment, but it couldn't be put off any longer. "I got a letter this morning." Immediately he felt Voldemort tense up underneath him. "Arthur Weasley is gonna collect me from the Dursleys in two days. I need to respond soon or they'll get suspicious." It was clear what he was actually saying. They'd agreed that Harry would return to Hogwarts, but it was still difficult to take the final step. Harry didn't want to return to the Dursleys again, and Tom didn't want him anywhere near Dumbledore. Harry felt Tom go to sit up, and quickly scrabbled to stop the man from standing. Straddling him, he pushed his hands against the man's chest, his weight preventing the man from leaving. "Don't do that. If you keep shutting off your emotions it's only going to be harder to understand them."
Tom sighed, resting his hands at Harry's waist, stroking his thumb over his hip-bone. Tom wasn't the only one that had been healing, Harry had been skin and bone when he'd got here, held together by scars and shadow magic. "Reply however you usually would. We can communicate through the link, but I'll be visiting you whenever you go to Hogsmeade. He watched Harry nod, as he shifted forward to rest his hands on Tom's shoulders. "Okay, and what did you need me to do? Just get information from the order?" He shook his head, pulling Harry down until they were face to face. "The other Horcruxes. It's likely Dumbledore knows about you, which means he knows about the rest. I need to collect them from where they are hidden, but I can't get one of them." He was silent for a minute, and could practically see the wheels turning in those green eyes. "What the hell! You put a horcrux in Hogwarts? Are you an idiot?" He huffed but didn't say anything. It had seemed poetic at the time. "It's a diadem, had belonged to Helena Ravenclaw. It's in a box with my initials, in a hidden room." He went to explain the come and go room to Harry but was interrupted. "You mean the room of requirement?" He frowned, had Harry already found it? "The Weasley Twins told me about it last year. The entrance in front of the tapestry right?" Blinking up at him, he nodded. Of course Harry had already found it, it was like trouble just sat down and waited for him. "Just ask it for a place to hide things. There's a surprising amount if things in there, so it might take a while for you to find it." Harry snorted and grinned. "I'm not surprised, it's a school full of teenagers. Merlin knows the things they needed to hide." Before Tom could reply, Cherié walked across the room, watching them for a few seconds before staring out the window. Harry frowned at him and, after a second, Tom caught on that they were talking. Not for the first time, he wished he could hear their conversations. He had access to Harry's thoughts, and could feel Cherié's emotions through the bond. That was how he'd know to check on Harry when he came across a very bruised and beaten Bellatrix. It was strange how different the two were, considering they were a part of eachother. Then again, Harry was a part of him, and they were almost opposites.
What the hell do you want? Someone's in a bad mood. Did I interrupt a moment? Harry sighed and watched a petulant Cherié stare out the window. No, Cherié I'm just talking to him about our return to Hogwarts. Good, the sooner we're back there the better. At this, Harry paused. Cherié was always complaining about Hogwarts, specifically the people there, so why was he suddenly so eager to go back. Cherié. Are you jealous of Tom? His question was followed by silence and he laughed. "Harry?" He turned his head to look at Tom, who was staring at the two, confused. "Sorry. Apparently Cherié is jealous of you." His shadow huffed and began to walk out of the room when Harry used his magic to summon him back. I'm sorry. I've not been spending as much time as you. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. You have to admit, it's been a strange few weeks. Yes, but that's no excuse to ignore me. Sighing, Harry took Cherié by the hand and pulled him towards he and Tom. Concentrating, he focused all his magic on the horcrux bond, and his link with Cherié envisioning a red line and a black line. Tying them together he fell forward, relying on Tom to catch him as he passed out.
Cherié was very confused. It felt like he had changed. This had only happened once before, when Harry had changed, as a baby. When he'd become a Horcrux. But this. This was different. He felt like the same person. He could still feel Harry. But there was someone else. There was a connection to another human. But it wasn't like Harry never like Harry. No bond could be replicated like the one that he had with his master. It was almost secondary... Harry, wake up. What did you do? He looked up at the sharp gasp, to see a shocked look on Voldemorts face. "Did you say something!" Frowning, Cherié stepped back as Harry stirred, suddenly no longer worried about Harry's closeness to the man. He closed his eyes and followed his bond to Harry finding a piece sectioned off. Following it he found himself next to another shadow, much less sentient than himself. Reaching forward he felt that it was Tom's. Harry linked us together. Confused, the human looked up at him. "You mean my shadow. So I can hear you?" He nodded and decided to fade himself back as Harry's shadow. This would take some getting use to.
Harry looked up squinting at the concerned look on Tom's face. "Sorry. I probably should have asked." He collapsed back against Tom's chest, exhausted by the use of magic. "It's fine, just a surprise." He fell silent again at the pure fatigue radiating from Harry's body. "So what now?" Harry rolled off of Tom, snuggling against his side. He wrapped his arm around the shadow mages shoulder, pulling him closer. Sighing Harry finally answered him. "Well, Cherié isn't jealous anymore at least. You'll be able to speak to him as well as me now. At least that way, if anything happens to me you'll know. But I still have to go back. I'll have the shadows watch Dumbledore, and I'll look for your tiara." He frowned, poking Harry. "It's a diadem." He didn't get a reply except for a mumbled "Whatever," before Harry fell asleep at his side. He frowned and leaned back until he was lying next to him. He didn't want Harry to return to Hogwarts, especially not near Dumbledore, but he had little choice left. Brows narrowed he began to fall into an uneasy sleep, thoughts whizzing through his brain at what he could do. Maybe there was someone at Hogwarts who could keep an eye on Harry.......