Chapter 16
“Alright Tom. I’ve changed your diapers, I’ve fed you, and I’ve helped put you to sleep. Time to spill everything you know.”
Tom Forger blinked up at her.
“And why should I do that?” His thoughts, usually so tightly controlled behind Occlumency, were as clear as day to her today.
“What is Dumbledore’s endgame?” Anya asked.
“An interesting question.” Tom said. “I wish I knew all of the details. But I will tell you everything I know.”
He paused.
“It is a difficult story to tell.” He admitted. “Where should I begin?”
“Let’s start with the beginning.” Anya said. “Why did you kill Harry’s parents?”
“That is very far from the beginning.” Tom said, a little bit gruffly. “The parents themselves are inconsequential. It was Harry himself that I was interested in.”
“Harry?” Anya asked, a little surprised. “Why?”
“A prophecy.” Tom explained. “A prophecy that was delivered to Dumbledore by the Great Seer, Sybill Trelawney. In it, she describes a boy that will destroy me, completely and utterly.”
Anya’s eyes fell on Bond and wondered whether or not this Sybill Trelawney was as great of an oracle as her dog. But that was neither here nor there.
“So you went to their home to kill a baby.” Anya said. “And you think you’re the good guy in this situation?”
“You have seen Dumbledore.” Voldemort said, his voice firm. “You know what he is capable of. Everything I have done, I have done to stop him.”
“To stop him from doing… what exactly?”
“From destroying our world.”
Anya gave a small start and stared down at him.
“I thought you said you didn’t know what his plans were.”
“I do not.” Voldemort said. “Nothing specific. But that is indeed his dream. To destroy the barriers between the muggle and magical worlds.”
Anya pursed her lips.
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“He would have you think so.” Tom answered. “When muggles were aware that magic existed, they actively hunted us and sought to destroy us. Any hint of magical talent led to our kind being hunted down and destroyed. It is why we developed our parallel society. But those like Dumbledore believe that that should be all left in the past. We should expose ourselves and our secrets to the world, and use our talents for the good of all.”
Again, Anya had to grudgingly admit there was nothing that sounded wrong about any of that.
“The problem.” Tom went on. “Is that this idealistic naivete. Nothing has changed. If were ever exposed to the muggle public we would be destroyed. Most wizards do not grasp the scope of the muggle population… they outnumber us a hundred million to one. Our only true weapon against them is secrecy.”
“But Dumbledore thinks it can work?”
“Whether it works or not is inconsequential to him. He has spent an entire lifetime weakening the barriers between our worlds. He will see it done, no matter the consequences.”
It was no different than the conflict between Westalis and Ostania, Anya thought unhappily. There were no true good guys or bad guys. Everyone had their own agenda. She didn’t trust Voldemort to begin with, but now she understood that she couldn’t trust Dumbledore either.
“I did everything in my power to stop him.” Voldemort said. “But in the end I failed. In the fourteen years since I lost my powers, Dumbledore has done nothing but entrench his powers. An entire generation of wizards believe that he can do absolutely no wrong. Even Harry Potter himself.”
She kept the conversation in mind as she sat up that night, watching the street from her window. More than a handful of wizards were walking by, clearly observing their home on Privet Drive. She could tell they were wizards by their dress: many tended to stick out as being rather out of fashion, with large top hats coupled with canes and bright yellow coats. Her father, although he said nothing to her about it, seemed to agree. He had been memorizing faces and patterns, trying to pinpoint a target to single out and catch.
One of the women, who due to her lack of skill with Occlumency Anya was able to read perfectly well, was a young woman named Nymphadora Tonks. She seemed to have the ability to alter her appearance at will and took on a variety of different personas in order to spy on the Forgers. She was, however, so overconfident in her abilities to conceal herself that she didn’t realize that her Father was onto her. For about a week the two watched each other very closely… until Tonks fell completely in love with him and started wondering what the purpose for all of this was, and distanced herself from the family.
“These seem to be normal people.” Anya noted, as she caught sight of a poorly dressed Arthur Weasley hurrying along the street, pretending not to be watching their house.
“Of course.” Voldemort said. “Did you think Dumbledore clues in his allies onto his true nature? No. These people believe they are doing good by doing his bidding. They would gladly die for him.”
“They’re good people then.” Anya said, a little bit unhappily, as she thought about how jealous Nymphadora Tonks was of her Mother.
“There are no good or bad people.” Voldemort said, a little impatiently. “Only weak and powerful ones. The powerful use the weak in their games of control.”
“Which am I?” Anya asked. “Powerful? Or weak?”
Tom giggled, throwing his pudgy little arms in the air. Anya rolled her eyes and handed him his bottle of milk.
It certainly was a poor period in her relationship with Harry. She had to pretend as if her family still didn’t know about wizards, and that her Mother hadn’t given birth to Lord Voldemort. It had led to a lot of stilted, awkward exchanges between them. So many, in fact, that she was becoming concerned that he was beginning to become interested in another girl.
“This is all your fault.” She told Voldemort, as she tried pouring her feelings into a letter without actually telling Harry was wrong. Tom giggled again, kicking his feet in the air.
“If love is so great.” He said. “Why does it hurt so much?”
Anya cast him an exasperated look.
“Have you ever been in love?”
“Never.” Voldemort said. He sounded proud of the fact. “All I need is power.”
“And milk.” Anya said. “And the love and care of your family.”
“Pah.” Voldemort said, trying to spit. It came out as a kind of drool. “Love? You do not love me.”
“Of course I do, you’re my little brother.”
“I am older than your parents, girl, and will destroy your entire family once I am a man grown. Your Mother will grovel at my feet, and I-“
“Will this be before or after you kill Harry?” She asked, interrupting him.
“Before.” He said, immediately. “Your Mother needs to be dealt with.”
“Why?”
His eyes narrowed. “She’s dangerous.”
“What?” She giggled. “Are you scared she’ll ground you? Stop you from getting the boys back together to throw rocks at people’s windows?”
“You mock me.” Voldemort said. “But yours will be among the bodies.”
She poked his forehead affectionately.
“Now how exactly are you going to do that?”
“First.” Tom said. “I will grow into an adult.”
“If it wasn’t for us you would have been killed by Dumbledore’s people already.”
Tom ignored her. “I will attend Hogwarts as an eleven year old. I will utilize my vast resources to build up my army to undo the subversion that Dumbledore has inflicted upon the youth-“
“When he knows perfectly well who you are?”
“He will be dead by then.” Tom said dismissively. “I will send your Mother after him.”
“Your evil plan is to ask mommy for help?”
“She isn’t my Mother.” Voldemort said.
“She gave birth to you!”
‘Through a dark ritual, yes.” Voldemort said. “She means nothing to me.”
“What purpose did this Dark Ritual serve?” Anya asked.
“By being born to your Mother… I have bypassed the natural barriers that Lily Potter gave to her son when she sacrificed herself to protect him. Since you and I are Brother and sister, and he is your lover, I will be able to penetrate this barriers.”
“Would that work even though I’m adopted?”
There was a very awkward silence.
“Repeat yourself.”
“Don’t tell me.” Anya said, unable to keep the grin from enveloping her entire face. “You didn’t realize I’m not related by blood to either of my parents?”
Voldemort was completely silent. His mind had seemingly shut down.
“It seems like your eighteen year long plan was a wash from the word go.” Anya said, unable to hide her amusement. “Do you want some more milk, Tom?”
…
Arthur Weasley gripped his robes as the elevator descended into the depths of the Ministry of Magic. Although he was the head of a department, he rarely had reason to be summoned directly into the Minister of Magic’s office.
Stick to Dumbledore’s plan and everything will be alright.
He greeted Dolores Umbridge, Fudge’s secretary cordially, and was shown into his office. He was taken aback to see Barty Crouch in the room as well when he entered.
“Considering the subject matter, I thought his input would be invaluable.” Fudge told him, as Arthur sat down.
More like you wanted an excuse to help rebuild Crouch’s reputation with the public. Arthur thought to himself grimly.
“Be up front with me, Arthur.” Fudge said. He was standing, pacing back and forth behind his rather large desk. “Is it true?”
Arthur let out a breath of air.
“It is.” Arthur said. “Harry Potter broke off his relationship with Anya Forger in order to pursue a relationship with my daughter Ginny. In retaliation, Anya Forger informed her parents that Harry Potter is a wizard. Her Father is involved in muggle intelligence: if his reports to the government are believed, it may be impossible for us to continue to hide that we exist to the muggle world.”
“We should never allowed that brat into our world.” Barty snapped, his voice ice cold.
“Now, now, Barty.” Fudge said, a little bit apprehensively. “Her situation was unusual to begin with… she realized that Harry Potter was a wizard on her own, and told no one for several years. I was personally convinced she would take the secret to her grave. But I suppose the pain from the end of her relationship must have driven her to lash out… in the worst possible way.”
“This is why.” Barty Crouch hissed. “Muggles should have no place in our society.”
“I agree.” Fudge said quietly. “But that is neither here nor there. I met her several times and thought she was just lovely. I could tell that Harry liked her as well. Doubtless he too felt that she wouldn’t betray his trust in this way.”
He looked at Arthur. “What does Dumbledore think?”
“Dumbledore’s recommendation.” Arthur said. “Is for trained Oblivators from the Ministry to enter the home and wipe the minds of all the residents. He thinks that everything from the past year or so should be completely removed for the parents, but Anya should be stripped of all of her knowledge of Harry Potter entirely.”
“Hm.” Fudge said. “Perhaps that is a little bit unreasonable. If she truly revealed the secret in the heat of the moment, perhaps…”
“It is not unreasonable.” Crouch growled. “You’re being too soft on them, Cornelius.”
Fudge sighed.
“You’re right, you’re right.” He said. “Dolores?”
Umbridge popped her head in through the door.
“Yes, Minister?” She simpered.
“Please send a team of Oblivators to eliminate the memories of the entire Forger family.” Fudge said.
“At once, sir.”
The door closed.
“This is a matter of the utmost secrecy.” Fudge said, patting his head with a handkerchief. “None of this leaves this room. Do you understand me?”
Arthur nodded. A part of him felt a little bit guilty for what had he had to do to Anya, but he knew it was for the best.