Secrets of the Dark Lord
The air in the Hogwarts library was thick with the scent of parchment and ink as Harry and Draco sat hunched over a table in the farthest corner. Books piled high around them, some filled with crumbling pages and ancient scripts. The firelight from the nearby hearth flickered softly, casting shadows across the stone walls. It was late, well past curfew, but neither of them cared. They had work to do.
Harry flipped through another dusty tome, his fingers leaving faint trails in the dust that had gathered over the years. Beside him, Draco was deep into a book about the rise of dark magic in the 20th century, his brows furrowed in concentration.
They had been at this for hours, piecing together a timeline, looking for clues, trying to uncover the truth behind Voldemort’s rise to power. The more they read, the clearer it became that the story they had always been told wasn’t the full picture.
Finally, Draco let out a frustrated sigh, pushing the book away from him. “We’ve been at this for hours, Potter. Are we any closer to figuring this out?”
Harry didn’t look up from the page he was scanning. “It’s all here, Draco. It’s just... hidden beneath all the propaganda.”
Draco frowned, leaning back in his chair. “Propaganda?”
Harry closed his book and met Draco’s gaze. “Think about it. Everything we know about Voldemort comes from Dumbledore or people loyal to him. The Ministry, the Order... they all follow Dumbledore’s lead. But what if Dumbledore was controlling the narrative from the start?”
Draco’s eyes narrowed. “You’re saying Dumbledore deliberately painted Voldemort as a monster to maintain his own control?”
Harry nodded slowly. “What if Voldemort wasn’t trying to take over the world just for the sake of power? What if he was fighting against Dumbledore’s control over the wizarding world?”
Draco’s brow furrowed as the words sank in. It was hard to fathom; Voldemort had always been the villain in every story he’d ever heard. But the recent revelations about Dumbledore’s manipulation in Harry’s life made him question everything.
“What exactly are you suggesting, Potter?” Draco asked, his voice quieter now, as if the weight of the revelation was finally sinking in.
Harry took a deep breath. “I’m saying that everything Voldemort did—his rise to power, the Death Eaters, the war—it wasn’t just about ruling. It was about pushing back against Dumbledore’s manipulation.”
Draco’s mind raced. Could it be true? Could Voldemort—the Dark Lord—have been manipulated into becoming the monster he was portrayed to be?
“I always thought,” Draco began hesitantly, “that the Dark Lord wanted to reshape the world to his image, to rule it.”
Harry met his eyes, his expression serious. “That’s what we were told. But what if that wasn’t the real reason? What if he was trying to break free from Dumbledore’s control over everything? If Dumbledore could manipulate me—control me—then maybe he’s been doing that to Voldemort too. What if Voldemort was reacting to Dumbledore’s hold over the wizarding world?”
Draco’s stomach twisted as he listened. He had always been taught that Voldemort’s goal was to assert pureblood dominance, to establish his own reign of terror. But hearing this from Harry, who had experienced Dumbledore’s manipulation firsthand, was making him question everything.
Harry gestured toward the stack of books between them. “Look at the history of Voldemort. He wasn’t born a monster. He was Tom Riddle—an orphan, someone who was left alone in the Muggle world, angry and confused. Dumbledore was the first wizard he ever knew. But instead of guiding him or helping him find his way, Dumbledore kept secrets. He withheld knowledge. And by the time Riddle found out the truth about his heritage, he was already bitter and angry.”
Draco was silent for a moment, considering Harry’s words. He had never thought of it like that. Growing up in the Malfoy family, Voldemort had always been a figure of power and fear—someone to serve, to follow. But now, in the quiet of the library, with only Harry’s voice cutting through the stillness, Draco began to see things differently.
“So, you think that Dumbledore intentionally kept things from Riddle? That he pushed him toward becoming Voldemort?”
Harry nodded. “Exactly. What if Dumbledore saw the potential for Tom Riddle to become a threat and decided to create a villain he could control—someone who would allow him to maintain his grip on the wizarding world by being the ‘hero’ who fought against the Dark?”
Draco’s breath hitched as Harry’s words settled in. His mind raced with the implications. All his life, he had followed his family’s loyalty to Voldemort, believing in the Dark Lord’s cause. But what if that loyalty had been based on lies? What if Voldemort wasn’t the villain, but another victim of Dumbledore’s manipulation?
“So all of this... everything we know about the war, about the Dark Lord... it could have been orchestrated by Dumbledore?” Draco asked quietly.
Harry’s green eyes met his, filled with determination. “That’s what we’re trying to find out. If Dumbledore’s been pulling the strings this whole time, manipulating not just me but Voldemort too, then we need to know. We need to understand why Voldemort rose to power—because if he was fighting back against Dumbledore’s control, then everything changes.”
Draco leaned forward, his voice sharp. “But why? Why would Dumbledore manipulate Voldemort into becoming a villain? What’s in it for him?”
“Control,” Harry answered immediately. “Dumbledore has always been about control. He controls the Ministry, the Wizengamot, Hogwarts... everything. He’s the one everyone turns to, the one everyone sees as the beacon of light. But that kind of power—it needs an enemy. Someone to fight against. And who better to play that role than Voldemort?”
Draco’s mind was spinning. He had always known that Dumbledore held immense influence, but he had never considered that the man could be manipulating events on such a grand scale.
“So we’re researching Voldemort,” Draco said slowly, “to figure out the real reason he rose to power.”
Harry nodded. “Exactly. If Voldemort wasn’t just some power-hungry madman, but someone who was reacting to Dumbledore’s control... then that changes everything. It means the entire war, everything we’ve been told, is a lie.”
Draco’s heart pounded in his chest as he considered the implications. His family had fought for the Dark Lord, believing in his cause. But now... now he was starting to see that his family might have been nothing more than pawns in a larger game.
“Look at this,” Harry said, pulling a book toward him. “This journal talks about how Riddle was obsessed with learning about his past, about his family. He spent years trying to uncover his heritage, and when he finally did... Dumbledore was there, watching him, but never giving him the answers he needed.”
Draco frowned. “Dumbledore knew about Riddle’s connection to the Gaunts, didn’t he? But he didn’t tell him?”
Harry shook his head. “No. Dumbledore kept that from him, just like he kept my parentage from me. By the time Riddle found out who he really was—by the time he discovered his connection to Salazar Slytherin—he was already angry, bitter, and filled with hatred. Dumbledore let that happen. He could have guided him, helped him. But he didn’t.”
Draco’s mind raced. His family had always believed in the purity of their blood, in their connection to Slytherin’s legacy. But now, it seemed like Voldemort had been manipulated into embracing that heritage in the worst possible way.
“And then,” Harry continued, his voice low, “Voldemort started his rise to power. But instead of fighting for power for its own sake, what if he was fighting for freedom? Freedom from Dumbledore’s control?”
Draco’s breath hitched. He had always believed in the Dark Lord’s cause, but now he was starting to see that it had been built on a foundation of lies. Lies that Dumbledore had crafted from the very beginning.
“Potter,” Draco said quietly, “if what you’re saying is true, then... my family...”
Harry’s expression softened. “Your family was manipulated, just like everyone else. Voldemort used them, and Dumbledore used me. But we can change things. We still have time.”
Draco stared at the books around them, the weight of their discovery pressing down on him. Everything he had ever believed in was crumbling before his eyes. But now, with Harry by his side, he had a chance to fight back. To uncover the truth and take control of his own fate.
“We need to keep going,” Draco said, his voice resolute. “We need to learn everything we can about Voldemort’s past. If we’re going to bring down Dumbledore, we have to understand what really happened.”
Harry nodded, determination in his eyes. “Agreed. We’ll learn everything we can. And when the time is right... we’ll make our move.”
Draco leaned forward, determination settling in his gut. “We’ll have to be careful. My family... they’ll expect me to keep up my role, to continue playing the perfect Malfoy heir. But if we’re going to bring down Dumbledore, I’ll do whatever it takes.”