Chapter 16
Later that evening, Tom led Harry back to his room. He paused in the doorway for a second, then stepped inside. Harry was fidgeting nervously, glancing up at Tom then away again, over and over.
‘Do you have a question, Harry? Or shall we prepare for bed?’
’What rule?’ Harry asked, pointing at the bed.
‘What are the rules for bed?’ Tom paused, trying to think. ‘Everyone in my house sleeps in a bed, nobody is to sleep on the floor. Er, you should try to be in bed before… 11pm?’ Tom looked the small boy over. ‘10pm, maybe. Young children need lots of sleep. Maybe earlier… I should check with Lucius…’ Tom trailed off. ‘Let’s say 10pm for now.’ Tom’s expression turned serious. ‘If you have a nightmare, you can ask for help. Clap your hands twice to call for an elf. If the elf can’t help you, they can come and get me. Nightmares can get to the best of us, Harry. You must ask for help if you have one, alright?’
‘Rule?’ Harry asked nervously.
‘Yes, that’s a rule – ask for help if you have a nightmare.’
Harry nodded uncertainly, avoiding Tom’s eye. Tom mentally cursed – had the boy been having nightmares and nobody knew?
Harry was shuffling towards the closet, drawing Tom’s attention back. ‘What rule?’ he asked, pointing at the clothing laid out neatly in the large space.
‘Those clothes are for you, Harry. The clothing you were wearing when you arrived was in poor condition. In my house, everyone wears nice clothes. Nobody will be mad if you wear these clothes. Your name is on the door to this room, so everybody knows that the things inside the room are for you. Those clothes are just for you.’
Harry’s eyes glistened but he nodded stoically. He shuffled a few more steps, even more anxious. He stood in the doorway of the bathroom, and with shaking hands, signed, ‘What rule?’
Tom swallowed. This poor child. ‘You may use the toilet any time you need it, you do not need to ask permission. You should brush your teeth after breakfast and after dinner, to keep them clean and healthy.’ Tom stopped, taking a deep breath.
Harry pointed to the bathtub with a shaking hand. ‘Rule?’
Tom crouched down to Harry’s level. ‘Nobody may force you to take a bath. A bath is the best way to get clean, as cleaning charms can only do so much. But nobody may force you to bathe. You can ask for help if you need it, from an elf, or from me.’
Harry’s breath hitched and he glanced at Tom, still facing the bath. He pointed at Tom in question.
‘Yes, I will help you if you need it. This is my house, you are my guest, and it is my job to look after your wellbeing while you are here.’
Harry tapped his fingers to his lips, eyes shining with unshed tears. ‘Thank you.’
‘You are most welcome, Harry. Come now, brush your teeth and let’s get you ready for bed.’
Tom walked slowly down the hallway half an hour later, deep in troubled thought.
‘A knut for your thoughts, my Lord?’ asked Barty, watching him curiously.
‘Gather Lucius and Severus and meet me in my study as soon as you are ready.’ Tom answered absently, and Barty raised a brow. Whatever it was, his Lord seemed… wrong footed.
The three men gathered in the Dark Lord’s study, waiting expectantly. Tom was sitting behind his large desk, staring blankly towards the window.
After a long few minutes, Lucius politely cleared his throat, pulling Tom from his reverie.
‘Harry took me on a little tour of his room, asking the rules for everything. The bed, the closet, the bathroom, the bathtub. He has been here over a week, and only today have we learned that he has a way to communicate – and we can’t even use it!’ Tom ran a hand over his face in frustration. ‘That child has been lost, no doubt hoping desperately that he doesn’t break a rule he hasn’t been able to ask about, and now that he has a chance to find out, he is desperate to know.’
Severus grimaced. ‘He will ask about consequences and punishments soon. He may not know how to ask, given our poor understanding of sign language, but be prepared. He will want to know what happens if he makes an error.’
Tom sighed. ‘Do any of you know of a sign language tutor? Lucius, who was it who taught Draco?’
‘A half-blood, my Lord, who moved to care for her elderly parents. I do not know how to get in contact with her again, but I can ask around for someone else who might be suitable.’
‘Do, as soon as possible.’ Tom sighed. ‘We need to take action against the Light side. We have spent enough time theorising and considering. Those beasts left that boy to suffer. I will not sit back and bide my time any longer. That child is one of my own, a Dark child whom I am bound to protect. I will not shirk my duty any longer.’ Tom’s voice was hard as steel, eyes blazing.
‘Agreed, my Lord. I have an idea.’ Severus began. ‘Those fools know he is missing, but they have no idea if you are the one who has him, or if he was simply kidnapped by a muggle. Carrick’s retrieval of the boy left no trace, so they have no indication about what happened. I think a clear message ought to be sent.’ Severus paused, smirking. ‘A Pensieve memory, owled to their Headquarters so Dumbledore can’t hide it. A memory of you holding the Prophecy child.’
Tom’s own smirk grew. ‘Clever, Severus.’
‘We shall need to prepare a speech too, my Lord. Holding the boy won’t be enough – too easy to fake when there are no words spoken. A short speech to rub those bastards’ noses in their mistakes.’ Barty added with a sneer.