Chapter 35
Harry was not fine.
Keeping this secret also took a toll on him and the minute he saw all his friends squished into their usual compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Harry wanted to blurt everything out to them. Especially when Draco and Blaise stood up to give him a big hug and Pansy moved over to give him enough room to sit down.
This was going to be fine.
Remus was also in on the plan and Harry’s dad sent him a letter after Sirius gave Harry his two way mirror. Remus also had a job to do. Try to get Riddle to talk to him too. Although Voldemort was obviously trying to get Harry on his own to do… something, Remus was tasked to also try and get information out of him, since he’s a werewolf and Voldemort tried to get werewolves on his side during the first wizard war. Sirius was awfully uncomfortable with this plan but Remus reassured him that it was to finish what they started all those years ago.
Harry was kind of thrilled to be doing something so important. He may have ended the first war when he was an unassuming toddler but now he was a mature teenager, he could be much more useful. He now had a wand of his own and knew enough spells to get himself out of a tricky situation.
His mum and dad had debriefed him at the Platform before he went on the train, making sure he was comfortable. Harry was getting tired of reminding them that he was happy to help and he wanted to defeat these evil men more that anyone. Padfoot, as usual, was an emotional wreck whenever Harry left for school and Peter had too, as usual, be his emotional support human.
Now Harry was back in his dorm after stuffing his face full of food from the welcome back feast. He and Remus were both eyeing Riddle and Dumbledore closely during the feast but they both seemed normally the same. Harry and his dorm mates were now huddled together on the soft white rug as they told each other scary stories. Harry still felt that tight feeling he had felt during dinner while Draco looked fondly at the silver bracelet around his wrist that Daphne had apparently sent him for Christmas. Harry reprimanded himself and tried to shake the feeling away. It was easier when Blaise kept teasing Draco during the feast that he and Daphne were going to make a bunch of babies and name them all starting with ‘D’.
“Since it’s the only thing you two have in common.” Blaise had laughed.
Harry hated that he was so uncomfortable with his best friend being happy and probably in love. Though the thought that Draco is in love with Daphne Greengrass left him when the blond started talking about her tits.
“She sent me a picture with the present.” Draco giggled. He rummaged through his trunk and satisfyingly pulled out a white envelope.
“You have a tit pic?” Crabbe practically drooled.
Draco wiggled his eyebrows in agreement.
“Ooo.” Goyle cackled. “Show us, show us.”
“This doesn’t feel right.” Blaise frowned. “How would you like it if Daphne was passing ‘round pictures of your dick, hmm?”
“I’d be alright with it. I mean,” Draco smirked, gesturing crudely to his crotch, “he’s gotten impressively large over the holidays.”
Harry blushed visually and tried not to imagine what Draco meant by ‘impressively large’. The boy was always very confident with himself and was probably exaggerating. Or maybe he wasn’t…
“She’s got a nice pair.” Goyle licked his lips, passing the polaroid to his cousin.
“Have you touched them, Malfoy?” Crabbe asked.
Draco laughed. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Obviously, that’s why I asked.”
“Well that is for me to know and for you to never know.” Draco grabbed the picture out of Crabbe’s grippy hands and passed it to Blaise who looked rather eager.
“Don’t be a fucking prick.” growled Crabbe .
“Don’t perv over my girlfriend.”
“Then don’t show us a picture of her tits!”
“At least keep your opinions to yourself.” Draco scowled.
“I expected a twelve year old girls boobs to be smaller.” Blaise commented, Draco looked rather proud at that opinion. Harry was sitting next to Blaise and finally got the courage to look at the image. Since it was a taken by a magic camera, one of Daphne’s hand were grazing a pink nipple, then the hand moved to her side to show a perfect angle of both her breasts. It was a strange picture to send to the boyfriend she’s only been dating for less than a month but who was Harry to judge a young couple. She was also only twelve, not that that seemed to stop her either.
Draco rather pleasingly took the polaroid out of Blaise’s hands and looked at it again, smirking slightly.
“You gonna marry her then?” Harry joked.
Draco snorted. “Doubt it. If she wasn’t so fit I’d dump her after the first snog.”
“She’s not that fit.” dared Blaise.
“Ooo Zabini, find someone good enough for your liking then?” Goyle wiggled his eyebrows.
“No,” Blaise rolled his eyes, “I have eyes, therefore I have opinions, therefore I have seen that there are prettier girls than Daphne Greengrass at Hogwarts.”
Draco snorted again. “Oh please, name one.”
“Pansy’s not…ugly.” Blaise blushed.
Everyone, even Harry, whooped at their friend. It wasn't a secret that Blaise had a crush on Pansy, especially after the events between Draco and Pansy at the start of the school year. Harry was proud that Blaise was finally starting to say it aloud.
“Parkinson’s not a bad kisser, mind.” Draco said with a wink.
“And she has a good personality and gets along with all your friends who will support you if you start dating her.” Harry commented. Not everything was about body image.
“She hasn’t even grown tits yet!” Goyle laughed. Making a gesture with his hands as to how big he thinks Pansy’s are. “I bet a Galleon that Vincent has bigger ones than her.”
Crabbe howled with laughter and took off his night shirt. He was the biggest boy in the group and had noticeable coverage on his chest.
“Look at this chest fat, Malfoy, maybe you should go after Crabby here.” Blaise joked, poking Crabbe’s chest.
“Hmmm yes, Crabbe, harder, harder.” Draco feign moaned. He threw his head back and dramatically arched his back.
Harry laughed along with his friends. If he was going to be distracted this year by saving the world (again), he might as well get as much fun as he can get.
——
The first class the third year Slytherins had was Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Riddle. Harry was tense the entire time, so much that Tracey had to roughly massage the knots from his shoulder when they returned to the common room. Harry tried to find anything that transcribed Riddle as Voldemort. Maybe Voldemort had taken polyjuice potion to look like an attractive older man, or maybe he was using the Imperius Curse on the actual Riddle but was mind controlling him from somewhere else, or maybe Voldemort… no, Harry was out of ideas.
Harry made sure to stay in after class so to ask his Professor when they could start their private lessons.
“We can start this evening, if you like?” Riddle suggested.
“Yeah- yeah, we can do that.” Harry agreed.
“Perfect,” Riddle clapped his hands together, “so meet me in this classroom at 6:30pm and bring your wand and walking shoes.”
“Sounds great, sir.” Harry dipped his head in goodbye and walked with his friends to Herbology.
“Everything good?” Draco asked in concern.
“Oh, yeah, yeah, just asking a question about vampire clans.” Harry lied quickly.
Blaise came up between Harry and Draco and linked elbows. “I think the Malfoy’s are secretly vampires.”
“Excuse you!” Draco gasped.
“What?” Blaise laughed while Harry giggled. “They’re pale as hell, they live in a dark mansion in the middle of bloody nowhere, and at every formal event the three of them walk around dressed in a frilly monstrosity.”
“Agreed.” Pansy joined in. “Plus, they have this immortal beauty to them, don’t you think?”
“What?” Draco asked incredulously.
Pansy rolled her eyes. “Don’t let this get through your thick skull but you all have this perfect face. I can’t explain it but you all look so etherial all the time that it makes everyone else look like commoners.”
Draco shrugged. “I like the sound of that.”
“Dray, baby!” A voice squealed from behind them.
“Oh Salazar.” Draco grumbled under his breathe as his overexcited girlfriend skipped towards them. They were currently outside trying to step over all the mud on their way to Herbology. It had rained quite heavily the night before and now their shoes must pay the price.
“I was waiting for you so we could have breakfast together this morning but I couldn’t find you.” She pouted, pulling on Draco’s robes.
“I was busy this morning, Daph.” Draco rolled his eyes.
“Well now that I know where you are, we can have lunch together.” She looked up at Draco with big doe eyes and Harry had to look away when Draco put a finger and his thumb under her chin so he could kiss her.
Crabbe and Goyle snickered when it got deeper but the shout of Professor Sprout made them all jump.
“That woman needs to mind her own business.” Draco growled.
Daphne giggled and pecked Draco’s lips one last time before running towards her group of friends who were waiting for her under the shelter of the castle.
“You two look cosy.” Pansy sighed in disappointment. Harry saw Blaise look at her sadly.
“Well don’t get too cosy.” Goyle teased. “We have to share a dorm with you remember?”
“And we haven’t even learnt the silencing charm so you two’ll have to wait till fifth year.” Harry told him.
Draco rolled his eyes. “Mates, you forget the thousands upon thousands of cupboards around this castle we can use.”
“My family members did that and they got caught most times by Filch.” Harry warned, remembering the many stories Sirius told him of his late night rendezvous in his early years.
“If I do get caught by Filch, I have my father who will fire him for interfering with my personal space.”
“Your father can’t fire someone for giving you detention.” Tracey reasoned.
Draco raised an eyebrow. “Watch me.”
After eating an unappealing dinner with Daphne practically on Draco’s lap spoon feeding him, Harry decided it was time to see Riddle.
He didn’t say goodbye to his friends, who were all distracted, and patted his pocket so Remus understood he had the two way mirror and was going along with the plan. Professor Riddle had left supper earlier so Harry guessed he was in his office as planed.
On his way there, he got out his two way mirror and called for his dad.
“Dad, you there?” He whispered loudly.
No answer.
Harry sighed impatiently and tried again when his mothers joyful face filled the screen.
“Hi darling, you going in?” She whispered back.
Harry nodded. “Yeah…erm…I- I’m not sure what to do…erm.”
“Relax, dear, are you too nervous? You don’t have to do it if you’re uncomfortable.” She reassured him, Harry relaxed at his mums voice and started walking slower so he could take deeper and slower breathes.
“No,” he said shakily. “I want to do this.”
“Okay, my love, your father and I will be right here, be safe.”
“Aren’t I always?” Harry joked.
His mum snorted. “Have you met you?”
“I don’t look for danger, mum, danger seems to find me!”
“Good luck, Harry.” She said in a final tone. “Love you.”
“Love you too.” He muttered.
Putting the mirror in his pocket, Harry knocked lightly on the large door and took a step back, silently hoping no one answered the door so he could go to sleep. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be going for him and Riddle opened the door with a too large grin.
“Welcome back, Mr Potter, I was just putting the kettle on.” Riddle said, opening the door wider for Harry to go in.
“In your…classroom?” Harry questioned suspiciously.
Riddle chuckled. “You must be mad if you think I don’t keep a kettle and a stash of teabags in my office at all times.”
Harry must be awfully mad then because if he predicted one thing, it wouldn’t be that Voldemort liked to drink tea. Riddle chuckled again and went into his office, returning a few moments later with two mugs of steaming English breakfast. Harry nodded in thanks but put the cup down without taking a sip.
“How have you been since I last saw you, Harry?” Professor Riddle asked whilst taking a seat on the edge of a desk.
“Same old.” Harry croaked.
“Very nice, please take a seat.” He gestured to the chair in front of the desk he was sitting on but Harry chose a different one two tables down.
Riddle only chuckled.
“Umm… sir?” Harry started. “Why’d you ask me to bring walking shoes if I’m going to be sitting down?”
“In a minute, Harry, you’ll see.” Riddle told him calmly. Harry did not feel calm and clutches the mirror in his hand for comfort. “Do you remember us discussing Dark Spells, like the Unforgivables, in our extra class with your friends?”
“Yes, sir.” Harry confirmed.
Riddle smiled. “Well, I believe it is time you learn how to cast one.”
Harry’s eyes widened. “I can’t do that, Professor Riddle, I- I don’t think that’s allowed here.”
“I’m the the teacher therefore I decide wether my students should learn them.” Riddle shrugged.
“I’m not comfortable with that.” Harry told him.
Riddle tutted and shook his head in disappointment. Harry tried not to feel guilty for letting his teacher down by replacing that handsome face with the bold noseless one. To try and change the teachers mood so Harry didn’t die a painful death, he thinks of something quickly.
“I want to learn how to make a Horcrux, sir!”
“A Horcrux?” Riddle breathes in shock.
Harry scratches his head. “Er…you don’t have too, but I feel like it would be handy to know if- if it ever comes in handy.”
“Do you want to be immortal too, Harry?” Riddle asks slowly, looking very engaged.
Harry ignored the ‘too’ but shrugged. “I read somewhere that only the most powerful wizards can make them and since I’ve been told in first year of my… power, I think I should at least know how to make a Horcrux.”
Riddle seemed very pleased with this. Harry made sure to add that only the most powerful wizards could make a Horcrux so Voldemort’s ego inflates. If Riddle thinks that Harry thinks he’s powerful and strong, then maybe he’ll trust him. It’s a sketchy plan but isn’t this whole thing uncertain?
“I love your ambitions, Harry, a very Slytherin trait.” Riddle praised.
“Thanks.” replied Harry.
“Have you ever thought of making your own Horcrux?” Riddle asks lightly.
“I guess. That’s why I’m asking.”
Riddle hummed. “And when do you think it’ll come in, what did you say: in handy?”
“In case someone tries to kill me.” Harry shrugs.
“Has someone tried to kill you before?”
“Voldemort tried, obviously.” He pointed to his scar with a ‘duh’ expression.
Riddle narrowed his eyes and leaned forward to look closer at the scar. “He definitely failed, didn’t he?”
“Well I’m here, aren’t I?”
“That you are, Mr Potter.”
Harry gulped loudly at his strident voice and tried to remain calm, remembering that his parents were literally in his pocket probably listening to this conversation too.
“So, sir, are you gonna teach me how to make a Horcrux or what?” Harry laughed awkwardly. It was ironic that he chose this one spell to practice since he himself was a Horcrux for the man about to teach him how to make one.
After Riddle gave him a brief outline of a Horcrux and what they’re used for: an object which a dark wizard or witch has hidden a piece of their soul to become immortal. Used only by the most powerful dark wizards since they use a large amount of power to conjure. Riddle looked very proud of himself whilst he explained the power and all, and Harry felt as if he was getting closer to their plan.
“Now Harry,” Riddle clapped his hands together, “what object would you make a Horcrux from?”
Harry fought not to say a human. “A paperclip.”
“Why a paperclip?” Riddle frowned.
“Because then no one would find it therefore that piece of my soul will always be intact and I’ll be immortal forever.” Harry explained.
“That’s- that’s very smart.” Riddle muttered.
“Yeah,” Harry smiled, “if I didn’t want someone to find my Horcrux I wouldn’t want to make it obvious so someone could find it and easily destroy it, you know?”
“Very smart thinking indeed.” Riddle murmured again.
“So…” Harry started, “do you know anyone who’s made a Horcrux, sir?”
Riddle tipped his head to the side to glance at Harry. “Why is that important to the lesson?”
“Uhm-“ Harry coughed, “because if I want to learn then I would want my teacher to have… personal experience?”
“Understandable.” Riddle said. “It is much harder to make a Horcrux from only the instructions in a book.”
Harry shivered. “I can imag- imagine, sir.”
“I see we understand each other very much, Harry.” Riddle smirked. “It’s been a while since I’ve met someone so indistinguishable to me.”
Harry could only nod, too scared to do anything else.
This appealed too Riddle and he continued. He explained that to create a Horcrux, the wizard must commit the act of murder, the supreme act of evil as a means to tear the soul. A spell that Riddle had to find in a book was then to be performed after the murder, making the wizards soul tampered to earth, making them unable to die.
Riddle practically jumped in excitement when Harry asked what book the spell was in and he rushed into his office to quickly return with a very large, old, and dark looking book. Harry could feel the dark magic seeping from it and his hands, on reflex, reached up to touch it.
“Isn’t it marvellous, Harry?” Riddle asked, staring at Harry for his reaction.
“Yeah.” Harry breathed. His fingertips lightly skimmed over the cover and the purple bumps sticking up.
“This is the only book in the world that gives explicit instructions on how to make a Horcrux.” Riddle explained eagerly.
“How’d you get it?” Harry asked curiously. “This would be hard to find among… darker wizards.”
“I stole it from the Hogwarts library actually, when I was a student here.” He chuckled good heartedly at the memory. “Dumbledore had them all removed once he couldn’t find this one, the paranoid man.”
“It’s a very old book.” Harry commented.
“Indeed it is.” Riddle hummed. “It was written in the medieval ages by Owle Bullock, one of the darkest wizards of the age.”
“Does it have things about necromancy too?” Harry lightly questioned.
“You are surprising me tonight, Harry Potter.” Riddle mused. “I never would’ve guessed you’d be interested in necromancy as well as making a Horcrux.”
“M’just curious.” Harry muttered, trying to act like he was just an innocent school boy.
“I personally wouldn’t try to raise the dead, necromancy is just a curse used create inferi. They’re just puppets to do a wizards bidding, some people try anyway and are always disappointed by the end result.” sighed Riddle. “They are just mindless creatures with no soul nor intelligence.”
“Why do people create them then?” Harry gasped.
Riddle shrugged then smiled. “A question for another lesson, Harry.”
Harry knew when he was dismissed and he stood from his desk with an eager smile. This lesson was actually really successful!
“Thank you, sir, for teaching me this stuff.” He said timidly. “I thought it would be weird to ask anyone, but you seem to understand-“
“Say no more.” Riddle smiled fondly. “I was just like you, Harry. Curious about the dark arts and too scared to ask my teacher, and one of the main reasons I became a professor here was to help students like you, who had the same ambitions as I did. It is a pleasure to watch you grow into such a powerful dark wizard.”
Harry stiffened at being called a dark wizard but the rest of the speech was really sweet. He waved goodbye before walking back to his common room.
He then remembered the mirror in his pants and took it out to see nothing.
“Mum? Dad?” Harry whispered, worried that Riddle or anyone could hear him.
“Can anyone hear me?” He tried again.
Nothing.
Harry rolled his eyes. If he had to do his part of the plan, then his parents had to do there’s.