Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
“They just irritate me so much sometimes,” Harry said as he buttoned the last button of his dress robes. They were green with floral patterns, red poppies supplied a pop of color. They were more akin to witch robes than wizard but his mother did love to dress him up.
“It’s like they think I’m stupid or something. Like I can’t make up my own mind about my own opinions. They are always forcing their views down my throat. Am I not allowed to be neutral?” Harry moved on to his hair, which despite all the potions he put in it to lessen to messiness, was still quite wild.
“I know, you have to ignore them though. I know you, you are intelligent and you can make up your own mind about your views,” Regulus said, stepping up behind Harry to straighten his robes. “You look lovely.”
Harry rolled his eyes at that, since he came back to the dorm after his encounter with James and Sirius Regulus had seemed less upset.
Regulus turned him around so they were facing each other.
“You know Harry,” he leaned in slightly, “I meant to say something to you. And I don’t think when I asked for you to come with me to the party you really understood. I really-“
“GUYS!” Barty bursted through the slytherin fourth year dorm doors, “we’ll be late if we don’t leave soon.”
He looked up, assessed the situation and their closeness to each other. Regulus’s hands on Harry’s robes, Harry’s face flushed, “oh… er- sorry if I interrupted something. I’d just rather not be late.”
Harry quickly composed himself, “it’s alright Barty, you’re right we best be going.”
Regulus looked like he wanted to say something, but he quickly shook his head and agreed, “right I’ll just grab my wand and we’ll be off.”
As they walked in Harry clocked James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter immediately. Remus and Peter weren’t in the slug club, they probably came as James and Sirius’s plus ones.
Regulus seemed to know exactly what he was thinking and took Harry by the arm escorting him to the opposite side of the room.
Everyone around them was dressed immaculately, perfume scented the air, and chatter filled the room.
He recognized a few people from his father inviting them over for dinner, but not many. Harry was so unaware of politics even the ones he recognized he couldn’t name.
He couldn’t tell why but deep in his bones he felt unsettled.
Like someone was watching him, or a premonition, like something bad was going to happen.
“Are you alright? You’re scowling,” Regulus asked.
“I’m alright, it’s fine.” Harry stared down at his feet.
“I’ll grab drinks, it’ll only take a second,” Regulus rubbed Harry’s arm, comforting him slightly, before walking off.
Barty had gone off somewhere leaving Harry on his own, with an odd feeling.
He itched his arm out of nerves, the pain of his nails on his skin slightly dulling the fear he had.
“Young Harry! So good to see you here!” Slughorn approached him, seemingly already tipsy. “I have a man here who would just love to meet you, the new minister of magic Mr. Tom Riddle.”
Slughorn grabbed Harry’s arm and began to drag him away despite his protests. “Sir, really, I have to wait for Regulus.”
“Oh don’t worry your pretty head it’ll only be a moment. Tom Riddle used to be my student you know, I taught him everything he knows. He just adored my class when he was in school,” Slughorn yapped about how close he and the minister were.
Harry couldn’t pay attention though, he just felt anxious as if they were approaching the heart of all the negative energy in the room.
“There you are professor, and just the student I was looking for. Mr. Potter, I’ve heard so much about you.”
Harry stopped in his tracks.
That voice.
That tall figure.
That dark slicked back hair.
That handsome face.
It was the man from his dreams, and nightmares.
“I have to go,” Harry took a step back, “Regulus must be waiting for me.”
“Oh pish posh dear boy, I’m sure young Mr. Black won’t mind if we steal you for just a moment. Minister Riddle has been asking about you!” Slughorn said, grabbing his arm again and shoving him in front of the dream man.
“This, as I was telling you about, is our little Mr. Harry Potter. He may be small but boy is he just bursting with talent. Younger brother to that boy over their,” Slughorn pointed at James, “who is gryffindor's quidditch captain. Adopted son to Euphemia and Fleamont Potter. He is so impressive, Top marks in every class. A sparkling gem in my collection.”
Harry avoided Minister Riddle's predatory gaze as Slughorn gushed about him.
Why was he here? Why was the minister going into his dreams?
Was he finally going to kill him in person, as he had in all those dreams.
“You know Slughorn,” the minister finally spoke, “I think someone’s calling you.”
Harry’s professor gave a confused look, “Tom my boy I didn’t hear a thing.”
The minister sent a scathing look Slughorn's way leading him to immediately cower. “Of course, you know old men and their bad hearing,” he took a swig of his wine before walking off.
They were alone now.
“Now Harry,” he pronounced each letter in Harry’s name precisely, “why don’t we have a conversation. Somewhere more secluded.”
Harry wanted to run away, he wanted to scream. Call out to Regulus for help, or even James.
He didn’t though, instead he followed. Paralyzed by fear and the man’s ferocious magic.
They entered a room, concealed from the rest of the party by curtains. The minister lifted his wand and casted a few nonverbal spells, privacy charms Harry imagined.
He turned to Harry after the charms were casted, they stared at each other for a moment.
Burgundy eyes met green.
In a second Harry was pinned against a wall a hand forcing his mouth open and a tasteless potion being poured down his throat.
He struggled against it but minister Riddle's entire body was pinning him to the wall.
“How do you feel?” The older man hissed into his ear.
“I’m scared,” Harry said it without even considering the words, like they were pulled directly from his brain before he could think of them.
“That’s good, you should be,” the minister dragged his hand over the side of Harry’s face settling it at his throat
“When you first encroached on my mind, on my dreams I didn’t recognize you,” the minister began as he threateningly stroked Harry’s neck. As if flaunting that at any moment he could snap it.
“But then I thought about it more. Potters have such a distinct look. You were all over the papers not too long ago. You wouldn’t remember that would you. Poor boy, parents killed by an evil dark lord, sat in their blood for days waiting for someone to find him.” His breath was hot against Harry’s cheek, “a tragic thing. Thrust upon a family you didn’t know. With that special special magic, so delicious. Then you were taken out of the spotlight, you live a quite life with your lovely parents, and lovely brother. How sweet” Harry felt the man’s hand clench, cutting off his airways for a brief moment causing him to desperately gasp for air.
“Who put you up to it, your parents? A light family sending their child out to do their dirty work?”
“N-no…” Harry choked out against his will, compelled by an outside force.
The minister scowled and his grip tightened, “hmm ministry officials then? My competitors attempting to gain my secrets?”
“No-“ Harry gasped, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
This seemed to make the minister more angry though, “how are you doing it then, ligimancy? a mind linking spell? I heard from Slughorn you were talented, so beyond your years.” The last line he said with a sarcastic twinge to his voice.
“No!” Harry began to feel the light headedness he recognized as being near unconsciousness. “I don’t know how this is happening. I’m not doing this, I thought-“ he sucked in air, “you were.”
The minister looked at him skeptically before sighing and finally releasing his throat.
Harry, subsequently, collapsed to the floor and began to gulp in air. Tears in his eyes he looked up at the man from his dream towering above him, “I’m not lying-“ he gasped, “I promise I’m telling the truth.” Tears leaked, he began to cry more than he had in years. Since he was a small child arguing with James.
“I know that,” the minister snapped glancing at the empty glass bottle he had poured down Harry’s throat. Vereserum, that was the only thing that would compel him to truth so effectively.
Harry did understand how the hat had ever even considered gryffindor, he was such a joke.
He looked up from the ground to see the minister towering over, looking down at him with brownish-red eyes.
He reached down towards Harry.
Harry flinched thinking he would grab back onto his sensitive throat, instead the minister’s callous yet soft hands cupped his face. He looked deeply into Harry’s eyes, Harry couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
Then the grip tightened, squeezing his cheeks in an uncomfortable manner. The minister leaned over towards Harry’s ear and whispered “you will tell no one about this conversation, or anything that has happened in this room, right?”
Harry nodded as much as he could in the man’s grip.
“Good boy,” the minister whispered, causing Harry to shudder. “Because if you do I’ll kill your sweet family, alright?”
“Okay,” Harry whispered back, eyes wide.
“Excellent,” the minister released his face and instead grabbed his shoulders forcing him to his feet. He turned from Harry and pulled out his wand. It caused immediate anxiety, but thankfully the spell was sent out towards the party.
Soon after the spell was sent out Corvus Lestrange, father to the recent graduates Radolphus Lestrange and Rabastan Lestrange walked into the room. He was a minister worker, Harry had been vaguely aware he was at the party.
Harry felt a sigh of relief, finally someone found him, someone to help him. That was quickly stifled as Corvus bowed to the minister.
They had a quiet conversation with each other but Harry distinctly heard the words ‘my lord’ come out of Corvus’s mouth in reference to the minister. It made him shiver, this whole thing seemed to go far beyond anything Harry understood. Regulus had mentioned his family was in some way involved, Harry was suddenly getting the sense that what James and Sirius had insisted about a new dark lord wasn’t so inaccurate.
The two men turned towards Harry, Corvus Lestrange was eyeing him with a sort of pity. “Give me your hand,” the minister demanded.
Harry eyed the man’s hand, he couldn’t just go along with everything this man was saying, it didn’t feel right. Harry would not follow directions blindly, “why?” He said defiantly, his voice still caked in fear.
The minister scoffed and Mr. Lestrange shivered at his defyance. Minister Riddle then grabbed Harry’s hand harshly.
Right, Harry swallowed, no matter how brave he acted he had no control over this situation.
“Will you, Harry Potter,” Corvus began and Harry realized what was happening, an unbreakable vow. He could run off but at that point the minister would just kill him anyway. His only choice was to do it. “Vow to not tell a single intelligent being, living, non-living, or other, what you have seen in your dreams associated with Tom Riddle?”
Harry stood silent for a minute before the minister squeezed his hand painfully tight, “I will.”
He then let go and Corvus quickly left the room.
The minister stopped Harry from following Lestrange, holding his shoulder for a moment. “This is not the end of our conversation. I will find out what is going on here, you will comply. If I find out you have in some way lied to me, or not told me the complete truth, your family is as good as dead.”
The minister then led him out of the curtains by the shoulder, putting on a clearly fake smile he let down the charms surrounding them.
He gave Harry a piercing look before walking off. Leaving Harry shocked and anxious.
A hand grabbed his shoulder, right where the minister had been touching him, causing Harry to jump.
“ Harry, where have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere, I have your drink.”
It was only Regulus, Harry signed in relief as Regulus looked him over. His eyes stopped on Harry’s beet red neck.
“Is there the start of a bruise on your neck?” Regulus ram his hand over Harry’s sensitive neck causing him to cower in pain.
“Nothing it’s nothing I’m okay” Harry couldn’t handle this, after all that happened today he really couldn’t. So to avoid questions he did the only sane thing to him. He walked away.
“no you aren't where were you?” Regulus began following behind him. “Where did that come from?” His pace quickened the more Regulus asked. He couldn’t talk, he couldn’t tell them anything.
“Sirius stop him!” Regulus yelled towards Sirius who was right outside of the room the party was being held in talking with Remus.
Sirius immediately clocked something was going on and grabbed Harry bringing him to a stop. Harry tried to struggle out of his grip, like he hadn’t done with the minister, but he couldn’t. Sirius wasn’t one of the best quidditch players on gryffindor for no reason.
“Let me go, I told you nothing happened.” Harry struggled harder.
Regulus finally came to a stop by his brother, “If nothing happened why are you trying to leave?”
“I don’t know, I’m just overwhelmed ok. Can you let me go back to the dorm now!” Harry spit out.
“What’s wrong? Why’s your neck red?” James asked, a worried look on his face as he glanced between his brother and Regulus.
“Nothing!” Harry retorted
“I went to grab us a drink and he completely disappeared for nearly a half hour, when he came back he looked all disheveled with that red mark.” Regulus said scowling.
James turned to Harry with big eyes, “is that true? Where were you?”
Harry couldn’t tell them, even without the threat on their lives he wouldn’t have. This was his problem.
He had felt the magic seeping off of the minister, he knew the minister probably had many pure blooded families in his pocket, there was nothing they could do to help him.
“Ugh! Please, just let me go!” Harry jerked out of Sirius’s grasp before cursing the three of them. “Sorry Reggie, have fun at the party. I’m going to bed.” Harry said, turning away and headed to his dorm.