Conversations
Tom stood open mouthed, taking in the grand entry way they stood in. The floor was rich black marble shot through with intermittent swirls of silver, the walls were rich gray, the windows and fixtures a polished silver, and the big thick curtains framing the windows the deep green so often associated with the House. Behind them sat grand double doors and before them was a grand stair case made of the same marble, with a green runner with silver stitching going up the center.
“Welcome to Slytherin Manor.” Came a silky voice, everyone looked to see a ghost at the top of the grand stair case. It was a slim girl with long blond hair and green eyes, she was surprisingly well colored for a ghost, shaded more humanly like the Founders were.
Tom stepped to the front of the group with Harry close by, “Hello, I’m Tom Marvolo Riddle. The Heir to Slytherin House.”
The girl tilted her head, “I am Lea Vipera Gryffindor-Slytherin, the daughter of Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor. I’m pleased to meet you, I was beginning to wonder if father would ever find an heir he liked enough to give them the Manor.”
“Your Salazar and Godric’s daughter?” Tom choked, “I didn’t even know they were together.”
Lea smiled, “Most people didn’t know they were together. They kept it quiet.” She looked behind him to the group and her eyes settled on Harry, “You carry Hogwarts’ crest and power. Are you Headmaster?”
“Not at the moment but we are working to rectify that.” Harry said.
Lea cocked her head, “Sounds like quite a story.”
Tom nodded, “One that we are all not caught up on. Is there somewhere we could do that?”
Lea looked to him and smiled, “Yes, I will give you the grand tour later. Right now we can go to the dining room. I would like to hear this as well.”
“Of course.” Harry said. The group followed Lea up the stairs and down a hall to a grand dining room. The room was done in, of course, Slytherin colors but the dining table was made of a deep dark wood. In almost a predetermined order, Tom sat at the head of the table and Harry sat to his right with Luna and the twins next to him, Sirius and Remus sat on Tom’s left and Lea hovered over the third chair in a cross-legged sit. Dobby slid under the table and sat against Harry’s legs.
Tom looked to his right, “Harry you’re the one who essentially put this gathering in motion. Why don’t you start?” Nagini slithered from Tom’s shoulder and went to curl around Harry’s hands lightly where they sat on the table.
“Alright.” Harry said, rubbing his fingers over Nagini’s scales in amusement. He began with the previous night’s training, where he underwent two Crucios and three Blood Boilers interspaced with beatings. That had everyone at the table tense and looking murderous, Nagini was rubbing her head along Harry’s hand in an attempt at comfort. Trying to ignore the reactions Harry glossed over his struggle to the seventh floor and his request for a room he hadn’t been sure actually existed outside of rumors. He told them about passing out and waking to Hogwart’s voice in his head and eventually finding out he could hear the Founders. He blushed he explained his slight mental break and the Founders ghost manifestations as a result. This confused the twins and the adults at the table.
“You said they told you that only heirs and apparently you could hear them…..” Fred said.
“But we heard them just fine.” George finished.
“And we could definitely hear them.” Remus said, that got nods from Sirius and Tom.
“That’s their ghost forms.” Lea said easily, she disappeared but continued talking, “When a ghost is just a consciousness we retain more power. Thus the power for my Fathers and Godmothers to not be able to be heard by any but their own descendants. It’s a defense mechanisms for powerful ghosts.” Her ghost form reappeared, “When in our ghost forms we use up the extra power by letting others see and hear us. I assume my parents and godmothers took on their ghost forms for Harry’s and eventually his friend’s benefits.” She looked directly to Tom, “You will be able to hear my father regardless if he has his form or not.” Luna sat simply nodding as if this was an explanation she’d already heard.
Harry looked around to check that everyone got the explanation and nodded before continuing. He told them about Dobby coming to heal him, then telling the Founders his story before falling asleep. He looked to Tom then, “I assume Lord Slytherin came to you while I was asleep.”
Tom nodded, “Yes, Lord Slytherin came to me when he detected me trying to send you another vision.” Harry narrowed his eyes a bit at Tom who grimaced, “He asked me what my intentions were for trying to contact you and my overall goals. He seemed pleased then made me reabsorb all of my horcruxes but one, giving me back my sanity and my form.”
“We did wonder about that.” Fred began.
“Harry said you….”
“Came out looking…..”
“Very snake like…..”
“In the face department.” Fred finished.
Tom glared at Harry who raised an eyebrow, “What? You did snake-face.” The twins laughed and Tom glared harder, “You look better now?” Harry offered, Tom blushed and looked away.
“Anyway.” Tom said, moving on and trying to ignore the snickers from Harry’s side of the table, “Lord Slytherin told me of what was going on in the school and I agreed to help take over and get rid of Dumbledore.”
Harry nodded and took over again, “I woke up this morning and talked a bit with the Founders. We went over the plan, I showed them the map, and then mounted a rescue for the twins. The rest of the evening was watching movements and making sure the Founders knew how to use the map so they could use it when they are spying for us.”
“You showed the Founders our map?” Sirius choked.
Harry looked to the two canines, suddenly worried, “Um….yes?”
“And they weren’t angry?” Remus asked, “We did map their supposedly unplottable castle.”
Harry brightened, “Oh, no they weren’t mad. They thought it was great and they want to know how you made it, so be prepared for questions when all this is over. Even Hogwarts herself liked it, she kept moving her staircases to watch them move on the map.”
“Really?” Sirius asked, perking up, Harry nodded.
“You made sure to say the password before they examined it right?” Remus asked, still nervous.
Harry laughed, “If you’re worried about the defense mechanism I showed it to them. They wanted to know how it was kept safe. Padfoot even flirted with Rowena.”
Sirius paled as Remus glared at him, the twins burst into a fit of laughter, Luna had a small smile on her face, and Tom and Lea were confused. “I can’t believe you!” Remus growled.
“Remy you know I can’t control my map counterpart!” Sirius said his eyes pleading for understanding.
“Your map counterpart is you at sixteen! I can’t believe you thought you had enough game then get a Founder! Especially since you were already mated to me!” Remus snapped, he looked to Harry, “What else did he do?”
Harry looked uncertainly between them, but the force of Remus’ gaze won out over Sirius’ wide eyes. “Um, well Hogwarts wanted to see if the map would acknowledge her. Padfoot complemented her on her secret passages.”
Remus slapped Sirius in the back of his head, “I can’t believe you sexually harassed a Castle!” the twins laughed even harder.
With the laughter and the scolding in the background, Nagini was looking up at Harry, *Are you okay hatchling?*
Tom’s gaze snapped to Harry at the question. Harry’s eyes were filled with worry as he watched the two canines yell at each other and he was biting his lip, Tom could practically feel the guilt rolling off of him. He let out a hiss that was loud and harsh enough to silence the room. He ignored the others and focused on Harry who was looking at him with wide eyes, “It’s not your fault that Sirius is so much of a playboy that Remus has to scold him. So stop feeling guilty. And stop worrying, if they survived like this, this long then I doubt one more argument will end them.”
Harry’s eyes were even wider now and glistening with unshed tears, the Hogwarts pendent flashed and Harry and Nagini disappeared. Tom stood in alarm but Lea held up a hand, “Relax. Hogwarts moved them to the Master’s chambers. They are safe.”
Tom glared at the stricken canines, “What the hell was that?!” they both flinched, “He doesn’t need that right now! Especially if you intend to tell him who you really are to him!” he looked to Lea, “Can you take me to them?” Lea nodded and floated toward the door.
“Please don’t tell him.” Remus begged, “We want to be able to tell him.”
Tom’s eyes flashed red, “I will tell him whatever he needs to know to acknowledge that it’s not his fault.” He swept from the room.
Remus laid his head on the table, “What’s the world coming to when the most sane, reasonable one of us is the Dark Lord.” He muttered, he looked up at Sirius through his eyelashes, “I’m sorry Siri, I don’t know what came over me. I got used to your flirting with others a long time ago.”
Sirius smiled sadly at him, “Its fine Rem, I’m sure it’s just the stress. And I did flirt with a Castle, which is new.”
“What did....”
“he mean when….”
“he said who you…..”
“really are to him?” the twins asked.
Sirius sighed and rubbed Remus’ back, “Dumbledore has been playing with lives for a long time. Harry James Potter was actually born Harrison James Lupin-Black, Heir to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black.” The twins looked shocked and Luna had a sad smile on her face. “When he was a week old, Dumbledore took him from us. We went after him of course, but by the time we caught up he had woven false memories into James and Lily’s minds and gave a blood adoption potion to Harry. He locked our memories of him away with a layer of Oblivates. Remy remembered first, when his wolf scented Harry at the castle. The Remy broke my Oblivates.”
“So Prongslet….”
“Is actually Moonlet?”
“Or would it be Padlet?”
Remus and Sirius gave half-hearted chuckles, “Moonlet sounds better.” Sirius said.
“Even with our memory gone, we were only going to call him Prongslet until he had an animagus form.” Remus said, “We’d nickname him in the tradition of the Maurders after that.”
“Luna?” the twins chorused, all four looked to the Ravenclaw who simply tilted her head.
“His first name will be Hellfire.” Luna said.
“First?” Sirius questioned.
“The Nargles seem sure there will be six.” Luna said, “One for each element.”
“Six?” Remus croaked, “No one has ever had six animal forms before. Even Merlin only had four.”
Luna shrugged, “The Nargles are adamant it’s six.” She glanced over at the chair Harry had been sitting in before looking back to the twins with a pained expression, “We didn’t even notice.”
The table fell into a pained silence.
Dark Lords are supposed to be confident, yet here Tom was fidgeting as he was led to the Master’s Chambers, which meant they were technically his, to see his familiar and a boy he previously wanted dead. “I didn’t know Hogwarts had power within the manor.” He said conversationally.
“She doesn’t.” Lea said, “It was the pendent. Traditionally, the Headmaster wore the pendent so that they would be connected to the school at all times, it also removes them to a safe place if they are at all compromised. I assume, after that story, Hogwarts herself is not safe for him, so she sent him here.”
“Ah.” Tom said, “Why the Master’s rooms though? I mean no disrespect but I kind of assumed they were mine since I’m the heir.”
Lea stopped where she floated and frowned at him, “You aren’t a couple?”
“No!” Tom spluttered, “Of course not.”
Lea grinned, “Sir doth protest too much.”
“We’re not a couple.” Tom growled, “Why are Slytherins suddenly all matchmakers?”
“Father has approved?!” Lea said brightly, “Excellent! There hasn’t been a wedding here since Father and Dads!”
“Wedding!” Tom choked.
“Of course!” Lea said, “It will be wonderful!” she floated onward, babbling about a wedding Tom was certain would never happen.
Finally they stopped at thick double doors that held the Slytherin-Gryffindor crest. “The Master suite.” Lea said with a flourish and a grin.
“Thank you.” Tom said, he shifted a bit, “Could you take the others to rooms they can stay in?”
Lead nodded, “They’ll be in the floor below. Just call for a house elf if you need anything. The head elf is Fang.” She vanished.
Tom took a deep breath and the Slytherin half of the crest flashed as he opened one door. He was slightly bewildered to find a small reception room and three more doors leading off of it. He opened one door to see a closet filled with antique robes and one new silver and black on that he remembered seeing on Harry. Looking into another he found a small old fashioned kitchen. The last led to a hallway, on one side was a door with the Slytherin crest that held, upon investigation, a huge study that had a separate potions lab and a spiral staircase that led up to a substantial library. Going back into the hall and over to the door with the Gryffindor crest he found much the same, with the spiral staircase leading to the same library and a dueling and mediation room.
He returned to the hall and saw the final door that held another combined crest, he opened it slowly and was completely unprepared for what he saw. Sure he somewhat expected to the bed, but not its massive size or its Slytherin-Gryffindor color scheme. He even expected the grand fire place and the seating area around it. What he did not expect was to see the boy-who-lived sitting on one of the couches with his knees drawn to his chest and his face buried in them with Nagini draped in her coils over his neck and head.
Nagini was stroking his back with her tail as she hissed soothingly to him. Harry was clearly crying, Tom let out a soft sigh that had Nagini looking up at him. Tom approached slowly and sat on the floor in front of Harry. “I thought I told you it wasn’t your fault and to stop worrying.”
Harry looked down at him from between his legs, “Is that an order my Lord?” he asked miserably.
“Yes.” Tom deadpanned.
Harry let out a watery laugh, “Sorry Tom. I don’t follow orders.”
“Surprise, surprise.” Tom huffed rolling his eyes, “Orders or not, I’m right.”
Harry frowned, “Partially. Don’t get cocky.”
“How could petty fighting possibly be your fault?” Tom hissed.
“Moony gets his Wolfsbane potion sent to him by Snape.” Harry said, “Last time I failed, Dumbledore had Snape alter the potion so to make Remus irritable after the full moon so their fighting could drive them apart.” Tom opened his mouth and Harry narrowed his eyes, “No, it wasn’t an empty threat. They made me watch him make the changes so I would try harder next time. He gave it directly to Moony’s owl when he was done. I have also seen Padfoot flirt before and Moony never reacts like he just did. So I know that was not normal.” He was still crying but he held his glare, “I may be young but I lost my naivety several years back.”
Tom held up his hands in a placating gesture, “Alright. Will you at least acknowledge that you should never have been put in that situation? This is Dumbledore’s fault for being an abusive, manipulative prat.”
Harry studied him for a second before nodding, “Logically, yes, I realize that. Logic has no place with feelings though. If I had been able to through the Imperius just four minutes faster I would have made enough progress to let Moony have untainted Wolfsbane. That feeling that I should have been able to throw it off to protect Remus will not go away for something as logical as logic itself.”
Tom smirked, “I can accept that.”
Harry wiped his eyes, “Did you really come after me just for that?”
Tom blushed and looked away, “That’s ridiculous. You’re just in my rooms.”
Harry blinked and looked around, “Sorry. Hogwarts moved me. I didn’t care where I was once she said I was safe.”
Just then Dobby popped in with a tray of tea and jammy dodgers, “Dobby has Master Harry’s feel better foods.”
Tom chuckled and motioned to the table, “You can put it there Dobby.”
“Yes Master Marvolo.” Dobby said bowing, he put the tray down and disappeared.
Tom frowned and looked to Harry, “He knows me?”
Harry blushed red and carefully took Nagini off of his head before sliding his feet down to the floor, “Um, yes.”
Tom raised an eyebrow and moved from the floor to the couch next to Harry, “How?”
Harry chewed on his lip hesitantly, “Well, from your diary self.”
“You have my diary? How? I gave it to Lucius.” Tom said.
Harry looked up at him, “Gave it to Lucius to what? Because he pretty much ruined my second year by giving it to Ginny.”
“He what!” Tom growled, “He was supposed to keep it safe!” he grabbed Harry’s arm, “Where is it? What happened?”
“Woah, woah.” Harry said, “Calm down.” He shook Tom off, “It’s safe. Breathe.”
Tom focused on letting out a breath and released Harry, “What happened?” he asked, calmer this time.
“Lucius slipped it to Ginny before second year.” Harry said, “That idiotic bint wrote in it and continued even after your younger self started writing back. You started controlling her and opened the Chamber of Secrets again. You used her to release the basilisk which started going after students.”
Tom looked horrified, “How many did it kill?”
Harry raised an eyebrow at him, “It didn’t. Luckily no one looked directly at it and only ended up petrified instead of dead. You were the one to send the basilisk out. Why are you worried about the body count exactly?”
Tom winced, “The diary was the first horcurx I made, from the first killing curse I ever threw. It was the piece of me that was mad with power at my first bit of truly ‘dark’ magic. I gave it to Lucius so that it would be safe but that it couldn’t gain power to cause trouble. I didn’t want any of my horcruxes killing. They are functional enough to make choices on their own.” Harry nodded, “So what happened after?”
Harry grimaced, “I had to kill the basilisk.”
*What?!* Nagini practically screeched.
Harry bowed his head, *I didn’t want to. The poor thing wasn’t at fault. But the diary held it in a thrall. It wouldn’t listen to me, no matter how much I tried to reason with it. I couldn’t let it continue petrifying students until it finally got lucky and killed.*
*Hatchling, while I regret that you had had to kill an Ancient, I was more surprised you managed the feat.* Nagini said, *Among our own, basilisks are only easier to kill than hydras.*
“This isn’t on you either.” Tom reassured, “It’s on Lucius. Something I will be making sure he pays for tomorrow. Now, what else happened? You said my diary was safe but it seems like it had gone on a proper rampage.”
Harry nodded, “Yes, it was draining the life from Ginny in attempt to regain a body. I was simply going to stab it with a basilisk fang,” Tom winced, “but I had already begun to suspect something was amiss in my second year, even if I didn’t know exactly what. I cast a containment bubble around your diary, effectively cutting you off from Ginny’s life energy. Then copied the actual book part of your diary so I could stab it and make it look like I had gotten rid of you.”
“Why would you need my diary for the suspicion that something was wrong?” Tom asked.
Harry blushed, “At first it was for advice. After your diary calmed down you would talk to me and we got to know one another. You helped me uncover the deceit and eventually he told me that he was a horcrux. He suggested trying to ask you for protection if I could ever get my friends and family out from under Dumbledore’s thumb. I didn’t think you would give up killing me without reason, so I was going to give you your diary back and a few things I took from Dumbledore.” Harry looked up at Tom uncertainly, “When you said Lord Slytherin had you reabsorb your horcruxes I kind of thought you would remember.”
Tom shook his head, stunned, “I haven’t checked over the horcrux memories. Most of them were in safe spaces, so it’s just one long memory of nothing.” He tilted his head, “You were really going to ask for safety with me? Even with Dumbledore’s treatment and whatever you were going to give me I was still trying to kill you.”
Harry smiled, “I told you I got to know you, well your sixteen year old self, when I was writing back and forth with your diary. He told me a lot about your original plans and the Knights of Walpurgis. I saw the correlation between that and your more manic plans of late. I agreed with most of your views even if I didn’t agree with your methods of getting them across to people. I figured I could offer and at the very least hope for protection for my little family, even if you still wanted me dead.” Tom was still staring at him with wide eyes, “I was fairly certain that what I was going to give you would buy them protection. I can still give them to you if you want. I don’t really have any use for them.”
Tom shook himself again and cleared his throat, “That’s not necessary. I’ve already agreed to help.”
Harry rolled his eyes, “I really don’t have use for them. You could probably use them more than I can.” He took his shrunken trunk and accioed something from deep within it. He pulled the flat silver box from the trunk and gave it to Tom, “Here.”
Taking the box carefully Tom opened it slowly and almost choked when he saw the contents. There was his diary, the Gaunt ring, a basilisk egg, and the Sorcerer’s Stone in a clear bag that was held within a containment bubble. “Where did you get these?” Tom stuttered.
“Other than your diary, I took these from Dumbledore. He would leave me to sustained spells in his office, sometimes I would walk around to stave off the pain. If I found something I thought would convince you, I took it and put it in here. The ring felt kind of like the diary, so I figured it was a horcux. Dumbledore must have done something to the poor egg, but it warms up a bit when it’s held. I figure you might know of a way to fix it or at least have a use for it. And the stone it in an enchanted bag, but I figured you could get past the curses.” Harry said with a grin.
“These are amazing.” Tom said reverently.
“Glad you like them. I wasn’t sure if I chose the right ones.” Harry said, leaning forward to get a jammy dodger. He tilted his head to the tea pot, “Tea?” Tom nodded and Harry poured.
They spent the rest of the evening, talking and getting to know on another. After their tea and cookies, they moved to the bed where they sat and talked like teenage girls. Tom spoke about his plans and how the takeover of Hogwarts changed them. Harry offered his suggestions and new ideas. Harry talked about his friends and Tom agreed he would like to get to know them. Harry agreed to appear before the Death Eaters when Tom offered him the position of his equal. They fell asleep talking over plans for tomorrow and Nagini watched with amusement as they gravitated toward each other in sleep.
*Yes, a good Queen for the King.* she hissed happily.