Prophecy Child

Harry woke to the sound of someone in his room. It wasn’t Tom or Lucius – they always knocked and said who it was before they came in. Nobody else usually came to get him in the morning. Maybe it was Carrick?

Harry sat up, squinting in the dark. Whoever it was, their glow looked wrong. Harry wanted to run and hide, but before he could move, something hit him in the chest, and he knew no more.

When he woke again, chest sore and head throbbing, he hurled himself into a corner and curled protectively around his knees.

There were a whole group of strangers, all staring at him.

Harry ducked his head, whole body shaking in fear.

‘It’s alright, sweetheart, you’re safe.’ Came a woman’s voice, far too sweet to be genuine. Aunt Petunia used that voice sometimes – it was real for Dudley, but it was a trap for Harry. That voice wasn’t to be trusted.

‘Look at me, darling.’ The sweet voice said.

Harry wasn’t Darling. He was Harry. Or Boy, or Freak, or Little Shit, or Ungrateful Thing. He wasn’t darling. She must mean someone else.

Harry glanced up very cautiously, looking for another child in the room.

‘There you are, my sweet little thing.’ cooed the voice. It belonged to a woman with long red hair.

Harry’s brow furrowed a little. She was using the trick voice, but she also called him Thing. Maybe she did mean him?

‘I’m your mummy, darling. I’ve missed you.’ said the woman.

A man crouched into Harry’s narrow field of vision, and he flinched, arms coming up to protect his head.

The man’s expression turned dark, then smoothed into a smile.

‘I’m your dad, Prongslet!’ he said, voice also too cheery and fake. He had crazy black hair a bit like Harry’s.

Harry wasn’t stupid enough to fall for that voice either. He stayed in his tight ball, back in the corner, and waited.

The man and woman both frowned at him, and Harry braced himself.

‘Come now, let’s give our young boy a little space. This is all rather new and confusing, I’d imagine.’ Came a slightly wheezy voice, but Harry could hear the clear tone of command. This man was to be obeyed. Sure enough, the man and woman moved back, going to sit on a nearby couch. Their bodies still turned and leaned towards him, but they were out of arm’s reach.

Harry looked over at the chin of the wheezy-voiced man. He was old – ancient, even. A long white beard and twinkling eyes. He looked a bit like Father Christmas, who visited Dudley sometimes.

The old man’s glow was wrong, though. He was trying to trick Harry. Maybe even trying to trick everyone. Tom said Harry’s gift was very special, so maybe nobody else could see the old man’s wrong glow and they didn’t know he wasn’t to be trusted?

‘Come and sit on the couch, my boy.’ said the old man, and Harry knew he wasn’t to be trusted, but he didn’t know what the old man might do if Harry made him mad. He went and sat on the couch.

‘Can you say hello to your parents?’ the old man prompted.

Harry glanced around, searching. He didn’t know who that was.

The crazy-haired man and red-haired woman both wilted, staring at Harry with sad eyes.

‘That’s us, Prongslet. I s’pose we haven’t seen much of you for a while. You were pretty small when you went to the safehouse.’

Harry had no idea what he meant. A safe house – Tom’s house? But these people hadn’t taken him there – Carrick had. He sat still, not sure what these people wanted from him. He hoped they would take him back to Tom’s house soon.

‘You must be tired, my boy. Little boys need their sleep, after all. Perhaps you might take him for a nap, Lily, and we shall have a cup of tea, just the adults?’

Harry thought the old man was trying to be careful in what he said, but it was very obvious that he just wanted Harry out of the way while they talked. Aunt Petunia usually locked him in his cupboard when she wanted to talk with other adults. Harry hoped the cupboard was clean here. Aunt Petunia’s was always dusty, and he wasn’t allowed to clean it.

The red-haired woman took Harry’s hand, giving him a sad look when he flinched, and led him upstairs to a room. It had bright red carpet and dark red curtains and a gold bedspread. Harry’s eyes hurt looking at the room.

The woman tugged him over by the bed and he hesitated before climbing up. Maybe this house had the same rules about sleeping in a bed? Harry tried to ask the rules, but the woman didn’t answer. She might not know the sign for rule – Harry had to teach Tom and Draco. He started trying to act it out, but the woman pushed him down till he was laying against the pillows. This bed was comfortable too, but Harry wasn’t tired. He certainly wasn’t going to have a nap in a strange house surrounded by strange people. There was no sign anywhere with his name on it – what if someone came in and was angry at him? How would people know he was allowed to sleep here?

He tried to sit up and ask, but the woman pushed him down again. ‘No, darling, it’s alright. Just time for a little rest. I’ll come back soon and check on you. Close your eyes, darling.’ The woman’s voice was gentle.

Harry struggled again, needing to know the answers to his questions, but the woman held him down. ‘No, sweetheart, it’s nap time.’ She said firmly. ‘We can play later.’

Harry had only just woken up before their conversation out in that other room – how could they possibly think he was tired already? He tried to lift his hands, but the woman pushed them down.

‘Stop resisting, darling.’ She said, voice leaning towards hard. ‘It’s time to sleep.’

Harry shook his head.

‘Oh, for Merlin’s – I don’t have time for this, sweetheart. The grownups are waiting for me so we can have a meeting. You need to go to sleep.’ The red-haired woman gave him a stern look, and Harry wilted, but he wasn’t sure what to do. Did she want him to just lay here till she came back? He could do that – he’d had plenty of…

Lily’s wand tucked back into its holster with a flick. She looked at her sleeping son with a small smile, then leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead. The spell should last an hour, maybe two. Enough time for their meeting, at least.

*** 

Severus was out of breath when he arrived at his Lord’s manor. He didn’t stop though, running up the wide path and shouting for an elf.

One appeared and grabbed his elbow – almost as if it had been expecting him. It apparated him to the Dark Lord’s study, and Severus took a second to catch his breath.

‘My Lord,’ he gasped. ‘I have just heard of a plan to kidnap the boy!’

‘They have already carried it out, Severus.’ Tom said, voice heavy. ‘Harry is gone. We are making a plan to find him.’

Severus stared. ‘But I only just heard…’ he faltered, mind racing.

‘He has kept things from you before, Severus. You know he thinks I Legilimise you sometimes. No doubt he kept this very quiet. It’s quite probable, in fact, that he was the only one involved in the plan. He used illegal magic to Imperius and Confound one of my people and use him to retrieve Harry.’

Severus’ mind raced, even as his posture loosened a fraction.

It hadn’t been his fault. Dumbledore hadn’t told anyone his plan. Severus’ cover wasn’t blown.

Tom gestured to an empty seat. ‘Help us plan, Severus. Do you have any information that might help?’

‘The Potter manor is in Bedfordshire, somewhere near Luton. They have wards there, although I’m sure they will have been tampered with to limit ‘Dark’ aspects. They may have taken the boy there. Or there are a number of Black family properties. Now that Lord Black is out of Azkaban, he could open any of the properties to them...’ Severus hesitated, thinking.

‘What is it, Severus?’ Tom probed.

‘I don’t think he’d be at a Black property. At least, nothing will have been reopened. I have spoken with Lord Black, and…’ Severus trailed off, looking at Tom. ‘He is very much changed by his imprisonment. He may be susceptible to influence from the Dark faction. He seems to… lack trust in Dumbledore.’

Tom gave him a nod. ‘Interesting. We shall revisit that later. First, we need to find Harry.’