May 2, 1998
She walked slowly through the trees and undergrowth of the forest trying to stall what she always knew was going to happen someday. Despite the false confidence she tried her hardest to portray she knew they couldn’t beat him. That they were fighting a losing battle from the start (That she was part of the reason he wouldn’t lose.). Before she could finish the thought she heard voices alerting her that she was close to her destination.
“The little girl still hasn’t shown master” the insane voice of a woman cackled.
“She’ll be here.” a man replied in a cool voice.
“As a matter of fact she’s already here”. He says smugly, always so smug, whirling around eyes locked on a seemingly empty spot.
“Harriet I knew you would come.” The man, Voldemort says with a darkly amused tilt to his voice.
The girl slowly removes the invisibility cloak revealing herself. “You didn’t give me much of a choice.” The Girl-Who-Lived replied with more than a bit of bite in her tone
Harriet looked around, Voldemort was in a small dimly lit clearing with five of his death eaters around, all three Lestranges, Bellatrix being the woman who spoke before, Lucius Malfoy, Selwin.
“I’m here. You said you spare everyone.” She said in a more placid tone. Not because she was less angry but she figured that their was no reason to anger him unnecessarily.
“And I will.” He spoke leisurely as if they were just having a normal conversation and he hadn’t forced her to walk to what might as well have been her death, (except she knew she wouldn’t die, knew she would rather die than be in the situation she is in now).
She wondered what he was playing at, what he would take from her this time (there wasn’t much left of her to take)
“Leave, inform the good people that their dear hero surrendered,“ The death eater looked as if they wanted to protest leaving their lord alone, maybe they wanted to see the Girl-Who-Lived’s demise with their own eyes, but they left without protests after seeing their lord’s sharp look.
And just like that the Girl-Who-Lived and the Dark lord were alone. Harriet looked him over he was just as strikingly handsome as he was the last time she encountered him, tall, pale skin that strikingly contrasted with his dark hair, eyes the color of blood.
Those eyes had a victorious glint in them, he knows he’s won once and for all and she is helpless to go against him. She knows any act of defiance will only end up with the people she loves being hurt, knowing him it’ll probably happen in front of her just to hurt her even more. Still there is a urge to deny him that refuses to be quelled, she pushes that part down.
“You’ve finally recognized the futility of you fight, my soul.” His voice smooth and without any inflection that could give her a hint of what he’s planning. She elects to ignore his ‘endearment’.
“Everyone who fought for me will be let free without any punishment?” She asks, she doesn’t feel like responding to a question he already know the answer to. Not when he asks the question solely to gloat over her loss.
“I will keep my word Harriet Potter, all those who fought for the light will be unharmed so long as their chosen one surrenders herself to me, and they cease their pointless fighting.” His terms, her friends and allies the ones she’s willing to do anything for will be able to keep their lives if she only gives herself up. And so she does, she gives herself up to the monster in front of her.
“And will those be lives worth living?” She asked a part of her wanting to know if she’s just dooming them to lives as death eater playthings and indentured servants.
“It wasn’t apart of our deal to make sure they lived good lives now was it. But if you do one more thing for me I will ensure they will life’s similar to the ones they were living before if only they submit to my rule.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Does it matter if you are able to save those you care for from the pain my followers can unload onto them?” And he knows that she doesn’t truly have a choice. He knows that she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she chose not to help the people that look to her to be the hero, even if she didn’t want to be the hero and it was forced on her time and time again, no matter how much she lost.
“What do you want?” She asked his eyes became even more satisfied already. Seeing her give in to his demand. She couldn’t see very well due to the dim light but she could guess that his lips tilted upwards into a smirk, he was oozing pride and she shuddered to imagine of what she just agreed to.
He held out his hand and a small potion bottle materialized into it.
A spike of dread wormed its way into her heart, he wanted her to drink it? Knowing him it’s some kind of potion ot bind her even further into him, is he aiming to control her, make her unable to resist his will?
He stepped closer, he could obviously see ther unwillingness, could probably feel it as well, she herself felt a flash of amusement that didn’t belong to her in the back of her head. There was no doubt in her mind that he let her feel his amusement on purpose.
“What is it?” The skepticism in her voice easily heard.
“Draught of living death.” Again her stomach drops.
“You will drink this and I will then deposit you to a safe location I have prepared, after that I will return here to restore order. ‘ He lays his plan out. He must had had this planned in advance the idea of failure never occurring to him and that is just another hit to Harriet.
“And how long will I be in this ‘safe location’”
One of his dark eyebrows quirked up.”That’s for me to decide isn’t it . Now you will drink this, or you know the consequence.”” She swallowed roughly and took the bottle from him.
With a pounding heart she lifts the bottle to he mouth. She wonders if he’ll keep her asleep forever, tucked away safe from anyone he views as a threat. Unable to leave. She hopes not she hopes she an count oon the act that he will be to bored with a peacful rule that he needs someone to tell him no, an equal that is able to look iim in the eye without cowering of fawning ver him.
And she hopes that today isn;t the last day she would see her loved ones, she despairs over the fact she might never see the burrow again bustling with warmth and family, never having dinner in the great hall sourronded by those she cared about. Her heart felt a stabbing pain at the thought of her godson, she wouldn’t e able to see him grow up another orphan victim of war.
As she succumbs to the potion her last thoughts are of Ron, Hermione and red eyes.
June 16, 1998
At first Harriet had thought Voldemort would keep her asleep, probably not forever but for some time to prove that he could. But when she awoke a day later in a comfortable bed she tossed that idea out.
Then she had expected Voldemort to try and break her, but when she imagined it she thought it would be through torture, maybe he would hurt her friends instead. But she hadn’t expected he would do it by leaving her alone for a month by herself.
After she fell asleep he took her to the place where she is now, and she’s swore a unbreakable vow not to escape. The house she was left in was cozy and warm clearly fitted to her taste, she could almost make herself believe she chose to live here.
Her days are long and the kind of boring she used to long for. The first days she spent sulking her post life. The days after that was her exploring her new life she had turned every nook and cranny of the small cottage upside down finding everything there was to find about it there wasn’t much a small kitchen connected to a sitting room 2 bedrooms, she had claimed the larger one, and a decent bathroom. After ransacking the place she branched outward and what the cottage lacked in size it made up for with it’s grounds. A nice garden surrounded the house the wards around the house extended pretty far, and she took several long morning runs around the barrier to test for holes or weaknesses she knew wouldnt be there.
Once she felt as though she had seen everything to be seen though she fell into a routine. And now a month later she started a vegetable garden behind the house, there was a notebook in the pantry that she learned she can request things from she’s learned that it just won’t give her some things she wants, she wonders idly if there if it is the house elf not fulfilling her request or if Voldemort himself sees it.
Even with her garden and her morning runs, isolation has taken the toll on her. Maybe Voldemort's grand plan to break her was to simply let loneliness drive her insane.
That’s why when she hears the sound of someone aparatting right outside of the front door she felt more excitement than fear. And wasn’t that already insane her being excited to see the man who ruined her life in more ways than she can count. Still this is the first time she has seen anyone in over a month so even if it is her mortal enemy atleast it’s someone.
She waits while he walks to the door, idly noting that was able to apparate through the wards. She sees the door knob twist and the icy claws gripping her heart seems to tighten.
The first sight of him makes her release the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
“I was beginning to think you would leave me here to rot.” Harriet says, it doesn’t come out as harshly as she wanted it to a tremor in her voice made her sound more afraid than angry.
“Careful, mine own, there’s still time for that.” He was just as beautiful as the last time she saw him, with full dark hair, pale skin and imposing height, only his red eyes served as a warning for the monster he was under the striking visage. She can’t help think that those dark words don’t belong in the mouth of a man so beautiful. No those words belonged to the monster he truly was the one he was first resurrected as.
“Now will we be able to speak peacefully, or shall I give you more time to cool off?” He asked walking into her small cottage. She bristles at his audacity. He locks her away for over a month by herself only to waltz in demanding complacency. Does he actually expect her to just allow it?
“I would answer wisely girl, I’m the only one who can tell you about your dear friends.” He says, thee threat falling naturally off his tongue. Harriet narrowed her eyes but stayed silent the was no need to piss off the only person she could talk to.
”Peaefully” She grits out
”Good” he say and he looks at her up and down seemingly taking stock of how she change since heals saw her. Harriet wondered morbidly if he liked what he saw. The month at the cottage has even good to her she knows. Her body has filled back out after her previous months of near starvation. Her hair has returned to the unruly curls now that she was able to wash and care for it regularly.
Whether he found her changes pleasant or not he doesn’t comment, choosing to walk into the small living room and sit on the lone armchair.
“Most off your loved ones chose to submit to my rule.” He began eyes following her as she sat on the couch, not liking standing while he sat. “Except for one, can you guess who?” He asked red eyes boring into her. Her breath caught. No.
“Andromeda Black refuses to stand for my rules, she's even willing to lose her grandson over it.” Awful images of her own mother standing over her tear through her mind. Anyone who doesn’t accept his rules dies, she knows that. Her sacrifice only bought so much.
“What will happen to teddy?” She asked “What will happen to my godson if his grandmother is excommunicated?”
“Well with both of his parent’s dead and you, unavailable. The boy is up for grabs Fenrir Greyback has already asked to take in Remus Lupin’s son. I'm inclined to agree” thee breath she was holding was forcefully expelled fro her and she knew her horror was clear on her face because Voldemort had that dakly amuse look o him and Harriet knew he was taking joy from her pain.
“Please” she begged her voice breaking “Please you can’t give him to Greyback.”
“Oh?” He chuckled, raising a dark eyebrow. “Why can’t I?”
”Why would ever allow a child to suffer as we have. forced into the care of thos who woul hurt them. I will never allow my godson to be left on a doorstep unloved and not knowing who he is.”
”What do you mean by that.” He asked interrupting anything Les she had to say amusement meltingly curiosity.
”By what?”
“Left on a doorstep what did you mean by that.” He asked. She shook her head why does hee care?
“It doesn’t matter” Harriet brushes off the question and she can tell. It annoyed him. Voldemort stood and for a moment she feared she annoyed him and he would leave but he walks over to instead.
His hand gripped her chin and he forced he t make eye contact with him. “ tell me what you meant and I won’t give the boy to Greyback”
”Dumble done left me on the Dursley’s doorstep after you killed my parents.” She can help tacking on the at the end.
“Thank you for your honesty.” And that’s all he says. He walks out the door not taking a single look back at her, she sits there too unmoving only the telltale sound of apparition breaking her concentration.
The next morning she woke up to the sound of a knock at the front door. When she looks down there’s a basket a soft gasp broke from her lips when a tiny hand moves over the blanket away to reaveal a baby she crouches down to find any sign of Voldemort left behind the only the left was a note ‘I keep my word’ the only thing written on it