![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
batsutousaiTitle: Abandon
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
batsutousai
Beta:magickmaker17
Pairings: Harry/Tom(Voldemort), Seamus/Blaise, Ginevra/Theodore, post-Ron/Hermione
Warnings: This will have slash(Guys on guys, ppl.) , Dumbledore bashing, Ron bashing
Disclaim Her: The Phantom of the Opera is AWESOME!! (Non sequiturs are fun, no?)
Key:
Mind-speak
:Parseltongue:
--------------------------------------------------
Chapter 32
----------------------------------------------------
All sound in the dark room froze as the two new figures stepped in and the Death Eaters fell to their knees.
The taller of the two, Lord Voldemort, was a true terror. It wasn’t so much respect that made the Death Eaters keep their gaze on anything but him. It was fear…and the fact that he was ugly as hell.
The shorter figure, Harry Potter, held himself with a seemingly out-of-place air of superiority. Bellatrix, Wormtail, Rodolphus, and Antonin hadn’t been believed when they’d said Harry Potter had joined the Dark Side, but no one had a choice but to believe the insane tale any longer.
Harry fell into place at Voldemort’s right and frowned at the group of people. :Quite a lot you’ve got here, Tom,: he offered in Parseltongue, just to unnerve the Death Eaters.
:You’re learning.:
:Stuff it.:
“Stand up,” Voldemort ordered, smirking when he saw how quickly the order was followed.
:You should start handing out chocolate frogs to the first one to be back on their feet,: Harry commented in an off-handed manner.
Voldemort turned to stare at his lover. :Tell me you’re joking.:
:Only somewhat.:
:Great Merlin. Harry, just shut up,: the Dark Lord complained before turning back to the assembled Death Eaters, many of which appeared to be doing their best to cover sniggers.
:I’ll bet you most of them are hiding smiles behind their masks,: Harry teased. :’Cause you looked like a gaping fish for a brief moment there.:
:Do I need to punish you?: Voldemort hissed warningly.
:Come now, Tom. It could be worse. I could be calling you ‘Voldie’ in English.:
:Don’t even consider it,: Voldemort spat with a sharp look at the smirking teen before returning his attention to the Death Eaters. “Do you find something funny, Wormtail?”
“Not at all, my Lord,” the balding man offered in a wavering tone. “I just wished to inform you that Nagini insisted on coming, lest she eat me, Lord.”
“Very good.” Voldemort nodded. :Nagini!:
:You two make a cute couple,: the snake hissed, sliding into the circle from between Walden Macnair and Augustus Rookwood.
:Oh, thank you, Nagini. I think you’ve embarrassed Tom, though,: Harry offered in the silence.
:Never did take much.:
Harry sniggered into his hand, glancing up briefly to catch sight of the furious scarlet eyes flashing between himself and the reptile. The Death Eaters just seemed confused.
You and I will be having a nice, long chat later.
Oh, goodie!
“As many of you have probably already heard,” Voldemort started with a slightly annoyed tone, sending Nagini and Harry in to gales of serpentine laughter, which the Dark Lord ignored. “Harry Potter has decided to join us and turn the tide against Dumbledore.”
:Dumb Old Whore!:
Voldemort settled a hand over Harry’s mouth and scowled at him. “Enough.”
Okay, okay. Nerves are taken care of. I’ll be good now, Harry promised seriously.
Voldemort stared into the emerald eyes for a long moment before nodding and letting him go. :You too, Nagini,: he added, giving the serpent a chilling look.
:Alright, Tom.: Nagini sighed, curling around Harry’s legs.
:You’re going to trip me,: Harry muttered.
:I’ll move before then...:
Voldemort sighed mentally and blocked the conversation out. “Mr Potter will be my second in command and head of the Death Eaters In-Training. When he tells you to do something, you do it. I don’t care if he tells you to turn your wand on yourself and say 'Avada Kedavra,' you do it.”
“I won’t, just for the record,” Harry cut in before returning to his discussion with Nagini.
Voldemort scowled.
“My Lord?” one of the Death Eaters murmured respectfully.
“Yes, Severus?”
Harry’s head shot up and he turned his gaze to his Potions professor.
“Who are the Death Eaters In-Training?”
“A very good question, my friend,” Voldemort hissed soothingly, making a motion with his hand at Lucius, who stood at another set of doors, opposite the ones Harry and Voldemort had entered through.
Lucius opened one of the two doors, admitting a long line of heavily cloaked figures who all came to stand in the centre of the circle of Death Eaters.
“Take off your hoods,” Harry ordered, as Voldemort mentally told him what to do.
The hoods of the fourteen figures fell back revealing the members of the group. Fred, George, and Ginevra Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Seamus Finnigan, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Mandy Brocklehurst, Lisa Turpin, Morag MacDougal, and Millicent Bulstrode. Each were watching Harry and doing their damnedest to keep from looking at the Dark Lord at his side.
If Harry was surprised at the choices of some of his classmates, he didn’t show it. Instead, he took a step forward and glanced down the line, once again doing as Voldemort told him to, though changing it some to match his own thoughts, “Let me make this clear now. Once you have joined us, it is for life. If you are found as a spy or doing any other such action by choice, you will quickly find yourself dead.
“Although you will not be receiving the Dark Mark, you are still bound to both myself and Voldemort and you will obey our word. And, although you need not answer to the Death Eaters, you may wish to heed any words from them, as they are far more experienced than any of you. If they tell you you are doing something seriously wrong, I’d listen to them. Of course, I also expect the full-fledged Death Eaters to give out some pointers and not lead any of the Death Eaters In-Training astray.” Harry glanced around the circle, easily finding and holding Bellatrix’s wild gaze behind her mask.
“Faced with these rules,” Harry continued, returning his gaze to the group before him. “Do you still wish to join the ranks of the Death Eaters?”
“You’re giving us a choice?” Lisa, a seventh year Ravenclaw, asked disbelievingly.
“Ever heard of Memory Charms?” Theodore shot back coldly.
“Theodore! Lisa!” Harry shot silencing looks at the both of them. “Yes, Lisa, you get a choice. Everyone is given one. If you decide to just become a supporter, we still prefer knowing who you are. You don’t need to join us to be of help to us,” he replied gently.
“What exactly will you require of us?” Mandy, a Ravenclaw in Harry’s year, enquired in an even voice.
Harry turned to look at Voldemort, who was watching everything dispassionately. :Aren’t they told anything before they’re sent in here?:
: I normally just let them learn as they go. If they muck it up, they die,: was the emotionless reply.
:Figures,: Harry muttered, turning back to the group with a thin smile. “I will mostly require information, where you can get it, and whatever you are best suited for, which we will find out later. The jackarse behind me will probably do what he can get away with and kill you if you muck it up.”
The room fell in to a chilling silence as Voldemort strode forward and spun Harry so he was facing him. :Any normal Death Eater would get killed for that.:
:I am not a normal Death Eater. I am your lover and your second-in-command. If I feel like being pissy and insulting you because I dislike the way you run things, I will. You knew this when you put me in charge of them! Why are you angry now?: Harry hissed back sharply.
:I will not have you insulting me in front of–:
:I already have, Tom. Now, what are you planning on doing about it? Turning me over your knee and spanking me?:
Voldemort’s lipless mouth turned up at the corners in a cold smile. :That, my dear Harry, is very tempting.:
:I’ll bet.: Harry blew a lock of hair from his eyes and smirked as it hit the Dark Lord’s flat nose. :Are you done arguing with me?:
:No, but this isn’t the place for this, and Gin looks ready to murder me. We shall have a long chat about this later.:
:Oh, and then you’ll turn me over your knee and spank me!: Harry rolled his eyes as Voldemort fought down laughter. :The only thing I promised was not calling you ‘Voldie’ in English, remember? You can’t really lose your temper at me for doing something you hadn’t forbidden.:
Voldemort let out a helpless sigh. :Damn your Slytherin side. Very well, proceed. But, no more name-calling.:
:Yes, Tom,: Harry muttered, rolling his eyes and turning back to the fourteen young men and women once again. “Have I grown another head, now?” he asked upon seeing the disbelieving stares.
“I think it’s more that your head’s still attached, mate,” Fred murmured. George nodded next to him.
Harry smirked. “I wouldn’t suggest insulting Lord Voldemort within his hearing range. I think I’m the only one who would survive.”
:Definitely,: Voldemort added. The others in the room seemed to have an idea as to what he was saying, as they all shuddered.
Harry shrugged helplessly and offered his group a wry smile. “Well?”
“Like I’m backing out after falling so deep into the fold,” Ginny muttered darkly. The other thirteen nodded in agreement, obviously relieved she’d spoken instead of them.
“Brilliant!” Harry turned to the Dark Lord and held out a hand, cocking an eyebrow at the man.
“Did you need something?” Voldemort asked coldly, as if he was still angry at Harry for calling him a name.
“Yes, Voldemort. I was hoping you might give me those necklaces you’ve got hidden in the inside pocket of your robe,” the green-eyed teen replied matter-of-factly.
Voldemort scowled and handed them over.
“Thank you.” He turned back to the group, most of which were hiding grins. “Right. Once you put this necklace on, it can only ever be seen by one who bears the Dark Mark upon them or wears a necklace akin to it. If I or Lord Voldemort need you for any reason, the pendant will burn. Your best bet is to come and find me in the school, though, once we’ve left it, you’ll probably be best off concentrating on the burn and apparating to wherever it tells you to go. Understood?”
“Harry, what about us?” George asked.
“Chances are, you two will only be called for major meetings, which probably won’t be while school is in session. If you have information, send it through Gin and she’ll get it to us,” Harry decided. The twins and Ginny nodded. “Good. Gin, you’re first.”
Harry called each member of the Death Eaters In-Training up and put the new necklace on them. Once done, he handed what was left of the jewellery back to the Dark Lord.
Take them out to the formal dining room, Voldemort ordered Harry as his eyes searched out Severus’ form. “Severus, go with the Death Eaters In-Training.”
Severus nodded as Harry motioned to Draco. “Your house. Lead the way to the formal dining room.” Draco gave a sharp nod and took lead of the group. Harry fell back with Severus, who was taking up the rear, and waited until they’d left the meeting room behind them before he spoke to his professor.
“It’s not that he doesn’t trust you.”
“I know. It’s Albus and his sneaky ways.” Severus pulled his mask off his face with a tired sigh. “I’m impressed with how you handled yourself.”
Harry smiled. “Thank you, sir. It was nerve-wracking.”
“I’ll bet,” Fred offered.
“How’d you get him to keep from killing you?” George added. Everyone looked on curiously.
Harry shrugged. “I pointed out that he didn’t tell me I couldn’t call him a jackarse in front of everyone. He only said I couldn’t call him ‘Voldie’.”
The group laughed and even Severus managed to crack a smile. “Harry does keep his promises,” Seamus pointed out.
“Here we are,” Draco said, opening the door to the dining room.
“There you all are!” Hermione scowled at everyone. “What have you all been up to? A Death Eater meeting?”
Harry cocked an eyebrow at her. “And if we were?”
Everyone except Harry and Severus winced when Hermione opened her mouth again, as if expecting her to yell. Instead, she sighed and said. “Just don’t leave me alone with Narcissa again. She’s mental.”
Everyone laughed again while Draco attempted to look insulted for his mother, but failed miserably, and took seats around the table. “Did you get any baby things, at least?” Harry wanted to know.
Hermione nodded, smiling. “They’re in my trunk. How’d your meeting go?” she added, glancing around at the sea of faces.
“Harry called the Dark Lord a jackarse,” Fred reported.
“And didn’t get his head blown off,” George added.
“Harry!” Hermione frowned at him.
The green-eyed wizard sat back in his chair with a pout. “Not you too. He already yelled at me–“
“That didn’t look like yelling,” Theodore offered helpfully.
“Ted, if you don’t shut up I’ll make you,” Harry warned sharply.
“Whoa, whoa!” Draco held up his hands as both Ginny and Hermione leaned forward to join the argument. “It’s Christmas. Stop tearing at each other’s throats, please.”
“It’s not that big a deal, anyway,” Pansy chimed in. “So Harry called the Dark Lord a jackarse. He calls him loads of things. Why is this so different?”
“Because it was in a room full of Death Eaters,” a voice offered from the doorway to the room. Everyone but Hermione and Harry stood quickly and bowed to Voldemort as he strode into the room, eyes on Harry. “And you, Mr Potter, should know better.”
Harry leaned back in his chair and offered the Dark Lord a sweet smile. “But I don’t. I never learned manners, remember?”
Voldemort winced and sighed. “Point made. Everyone, sit,” he added firmly as he took the open seat next to Harry.
“Do you want me to leave?” Hermione asked, rising slowly.
“No, stay.” The Dark Lord glanced at her. “We need to discuss the Hogwarts dilemma right now and I’m sure you can help without being one of mine.” Harry poked the man’s arm and narrowed his eyes at him. “Very well, ours. Please don’t poke me again, Harry. Gin, if you kick me again, I may just have to strangle you.”
The two traded grins as everyone else around the table tried to cover their laughter.
“Dumbledore,” Voldemort said sharply. Everyone silenced and returned their attention to him. “Dumbledore has always been a problem for the darker side of this war. The Light rallies behind him without fail.”
“That’s not always true, though,” Hermione murmured.
Harry nodded thoughtfully. “After your rebirth. Two years ago, he was discredited for believing me.”
“It’s almost too bad we can’t have a repeat…” Millicent sighed.
“No.” Harry’s eyes blazed as he looked around the table. “The last thing I want is a repeat of that year.”
“He was a right bastard,” Ginny agreed, offering Harry a slight smile.
“And I lost Sirius,” Harry added in a small voice.
Voldemort sighed and decided his reputation was already shot with this group before pulling Harry into a hug. He threw a few glares at the few people who were staring in shock.
“What we need is a way to discredit him again,” Blaise murmured.
“Tried pranking him yet?” Mandy suggested dryly.
“It’s not that easy! Nothing fazes the man!” Seamus shot back angrily.
“We have a prank we’re working on, but it’s slow going,” Blaise added, scowling at the Ravenclaw.
“Like what?” Lisa hissed.
“Like sneaking Voldemort in some back way,” Harry said softly, his voice carrying around the table effortlessly. “If you all continue arguing, I will put you in separate corners and treat you like four-year-olds.” Everyone glanced over at where he still had his head resting on the Dark Lord’s shoulder, frowning at everyone at the table. “Please act like mature witches and wizards, here. You were not picked for your childish behaviour. You were picked for your maturity. Once you’re in the fold, you will be in the fold for life. Hermione is the only one at this table who should be picking fights. She is does not bear any sort of Mark, so she does not answer to us. If I have to tell you to stop fighting again, it will not be pleasant. Am I clear?”
A chorus of “Yes”es followed this statement and everyone glanced away in embarrassment.
Harry pulled away from his lover’s embrace with a sigh and stood. “Everyone, stand up. Hermione, Professor Snape, you’re both fine.”
The group of Death Eaters In-Training all stood. The three Ravenclaws – Morag, Lisa, and Mandy –, Vincent, Gregory, and Millicent had all taken up residence on one side of the table, with Severus at the very end, next to Hermione, who was seated at the foot. There was a gap of one chair between the Ravenclaws and the Slytherins and another gap of one chair between the Ravenclaws and the Dark Lord, who sat at the head of the table with Harry. Ginny, Theodore, Blaise, Seamus, Pansy, Draco, Fred, and George had spread out on the other side of the table.
“Good. Now, everyone step back from the table. I’m going to give you seating arrangements and you’re going to learn to get along.” Harry glared as the Death Eaters In-Training stepped back, scowling or looking mildly upset. “Blaise, you’re sitting here, next to me. George, you’re next to him, then Mandy. Theodore, you will sit next to Mandy. Gregory, you will sit next to Theodore. Then I want an empty chair. Morag, you will sit next to the empty chair and, Draco, you will sit next to Morag at the end,” Harry ordered, nodding as they all moved to their new seats. No one looked happy so far.
Put Gin next to me. I don’t trust her by herself, Voldemort warned.
Of course. Harry glanced at the people left. “Lisa, I want you sitting next to Professor Snape at the end. Professor, will you kindly promise not to bite?”
“Of course I won’t bite anyone,” Severus assured the young Ravenclaw witch eyeing him.
“Sit, Lisa,” Harry ordered firmly, nodding as she did so. “Pansy, you will be next to Lisa. Fred, you will sit next to Pansy. And, if you complain about you being on the other end of the table from George, I’ll hex you. Now sit. Millicent, you will sit next to Fred. Seamus, next to Millicent, please. Empty seat. Then, Vincent. Gin, you will be next to Voldemort so he can smack you if you misbehave.”
“Lovely,” Ginny muttered, taking her new seat and glaring at the Dark Lord, who merely smirked in reply.
“Knock it off,” Harry warned his sister and lover, shooting them both dark looks. “Fred!” He narrowed his eyes at a suddenly guilty twin. “You are nineteen years old; if you start playing around at meetings, you’ll start losing body parts. I’d love to have a better way to tell you two apart.”
Silence filled the room as Harry glanced around the table with a frown. At last, he nodded and, much to everyone’s surprise, went and sat between Gregory and Morag.
“Uhm, Harry?” Draco leaned around the Ravenclaw boy next to him, giving the raven-haired wizard a strange look.
“I’ve spread you all apart to get you to work together,” Harry replied with a weary sigh. “Seeing as how I’m not doing much better than yourselves, I might as well join the crowd.” He leaned forward and glanced around the table. “Look at the person to your right and your left. Now look at the person across from you, too. I don’t care if you’re in different Houses, you will have to learn to lean on one another or stand alone.
“If, say, I were to get stuck in a room of opponents with only Morag here on my side, the last thing I want to do is be arguing over whose fault it is. If I were stuck in that same position with Gin, we’d turn back-to-back and start tossing hexes at our opponents so we could get out alive. All blame will be left for later.
“I’m not saying I want you all to become the best of friends with your new neighbour, I’m just saying that you’ve got to learn to work together. You are now a team, but, as you are a team who must deceive a whole school, I don’t care if you feel like lashing out at one another in the hallway. School and meetings like this are two very different things. At school, you may argue about whatever you feel like arguing about. But, Merlin help you if you start another argument in a meeting!
“We are not enemies in here, people! We are comrades. We are on the same damn side! If you have an issue with another member of this table, that issue will be left outside the door. George, if I see that wand out again without permission, I will snap it.” Emerald-green eyes, as well as most of the table, swivelled to look at the redhead who had, apparently, been attempting to levitate a biscuit off of the tray on the mantle.
“I’m thinking we might break for a snack,” Severus suggested gently.
“Yes, very well.” Harry groaned, letting his head hit the table with a loud ‘thunk’.
In a rush of sound and air, all of the Death Eaters In-Training, plus Hermione, were attacking the trays of food which the house-elves had left.
Voldemort came over and took Gregory’s seat with a sigh. “You look exhausted.”
Harry offered his lover a tired smile. “It’s my fault for waiting up until midnight. I’ll live.”
The Dark Lord brushed a stray lock of hair out of Harry’s face gently. “I should have waited until tomorrow to call the meeting. Christmas is always such a trying day.”
“No. I would have lost sleep over it, anyway. I’m fine.”
“Hardly.” Ginny set a plate of small sandwiches and a cup of tea down in front of her newest brother, taking Morag’s seat. “Perhaps you should just go back to bed, big brother. I know you want to make plans, but I don’t think anything is going to get done in Malfoy Manor. Too many people are scared to be here. For that matter–” Ginny gave the Dark Lord a fleeting smile, “–people are terrified of having you in the room, Tom.”
Voldemort sighed. “I’d noticed. Of course, they seem to forget that rather quickly when everyone finds an argument they like.”
“What would you two suggest, then?” Harry muttered into his tea, which he was attempting to sip while keeping his head on the table.
Ginny took the tea cup from him and sat it back down. “First, I’d suggest you sit up before drinking your tea.” Harry shot her a dirty glare. “Tell them the teachers who are on our side. Explain the rumours. Give them a way to get into contact with you quickly if they need to tell you something. Let the inter-House issues sort themselves out.”
Harry groaned and banged his head against the table twice before Voldemort forced him to stop by cradling him against his chest again. “Enough. I won’t have you rattling your brains on the furniture, Harry.”
“Yes, Voldie,” Harry muttered, rolling his eyes. He gave a shout as the Dark Lord’s hands started tickling his sides with abandon. “Mercy! Mercy! Stop!” he cried through his laughter.
Voldemort ended the tickling and hugged the teen tightly against his chest. “What did I tell you about calling me that?”
Harry giggled and closed his eyes peacefully. “Not to.”
Voldemort sighed and pressed a quick kiss to Harry’s scar. “Eat. You’ll feel better.”
Harry gave him an impish smile as he reached for a sandwich.
“I can read your mind, you know.”
Harry scowled and decided to just eat the sandwich.
Ginny laughed at the two wizards. “I’ll leave Harry in your capable hands, then, my Lord,” she offered Voldemort a flourishing bow before returning to the food trays.
:Tom?:
:Yes?:
:Can I make Gin my second?:
:She’ll only be second among the Death Eaters In-Training.:
:I know. Just like Lucius is only your second to the Death Eaters.: Harry sighed, offering the man he was resting against a sandwich, which Voldemort took. :But, it would be nice for them to have someone to deal with that’s not me, and she has a good reason for hanging around me a lot.:
:And you trust her.:
:There is that. And the fact that she’s a sixth year. She’ll still be at Hogwarts come next year. And, as she’s my sister, I’ll be able to visit her whenever.:
:That’s assuming your cover is broken by then.:
:It will be,: Harry said firmly. :I won’t keep her and Ted apart next year. He should be allowed to visit her if he wants.:
:True…: The Dark Lord glanced up at where everyone was finishing eating. :Back to work, my dear one.:
:I’m starting to see why you like using the Cruciatus Curse on people.:
Voldemort let out a bark of chilling laughter as he stood. :I’m not surprised,: he remarked before glancing up at the group of teenagers who were watching him in horror. :Think I’ve scared them?:
:Depends. Have any of them wet their pants yet?:
Voldemort gave Harry an amused look and shook his head before looking back at the others. “Well. Get back to your seats.”
There was a scramble to keep from being the last in one’s assigned seat as the Dark Lord took a leisurely stroll around the table to get himself some food.
Harry smiled at Voldemort’s back and shook his head, amused. “How does he do that?”
“Practice,” Gregory offered from beside him.
“Must be,” Harry agreed before glancing around the table, ignoring the serpent-like man getting food with ease. “Right. I’ll run you by the basics and we’ll go from there later. We’ve told you that there’s a big plot going on to tumble Dumbledore. The thing you don’t know is how you can be of help.” Harry paused to take a sip of tea. “When you get on the train at the end of the break, I want you to start spreading rumours.”
“Rumours?” Lisa rolled her eyes.
Harry gave her a piercing look. “Yes.”
Lisa gave a shout as Voldemort leaned over her. “I’m still here, Miss Turpin.”
“Stop.” Harry gave the Dark Lord a dangerous look and pointed to the empty seat at the head of the table. “Go sit.”
Voldemort waggled his finger at the Gryffindor. “Be polite to your elders.”
“Hypocrite,” Harry shot back, smiling.
“Elders and betters, then,” The Dark Lord decided, returning to his seat.
Harry rolled his eyes and nodded to Hermione, who looked desperate to talk. “Herm, you have the table, as it were.”
Hermione smiled. “Drink your tea, Harry,” she ordered, which Harry did with a quick grin. “The rumours we want to spread are the truth. However, as the rumour mill of Hogwarts is so fast and quick, we’re hoping to have these truths spread so quickly that Dumbledore can’t trace them back to their source. The more ‘leaks’, shall we say, the harder it will be to trace.”
“What are these rumours, then?” Mandy asked, leaning forward.
“Three things,” Ginny picked up the conversation easily while Harry just sat back and let his friends have a go. “One, that we have Death Eaters teaching at Hogwarts.”
“But, everyone knows Professor Snape’s a Death Eater!” Millicent called out before shooting the professor an apologetic look.
“They don’t all know that Professor Brutùs is an extremely high-ranking Death Eater, though,” Draco offered. “In fact, we probably wouldn’t even know if Theodore hadn’t heard it from his father who let it slip on accident. Harry’s the one who verified it.”
Seventeen pairs of eyes turned to the dozing teen who smiled at them all tiredly. “Who do you think got me to switch sides? Not Voldemort, that’s for sure.”
“I’m still here, you know,” said Dark Lord called from his place at the head of the table, scowling.
“I’m well aware of that, thank you,” Harry replied, closing his eyes again.
“Another rumour to spread,” Theodore slid in quickly. “Is that the Dark Lord is winning. It’ll unnerve Dumbledore, at the very least.”
“And, last but not least, that Harry’s faith in Dumbledore is wavering,” Blaise finished.
“Ouch…” Morag murmured. “That’s a blow to one’s mind if I’ve ever seen one.”
“Too bad for him it’s true.” Harry forced himself to sit back up and look around the table again. “If you need to get information to me or Voldemort, I’d suggest coming directly to me, if you can find me. If not, Professors Brutùs and Snape are always willing to hand out detentions. And, if you don’t feel like serving a detention and you see her, Gin’s my girlfriend and second. Talk to her.”
“Wait, since when?!” Ginny gaped at Harry in surprise.
“Voldemort and I decided on it as of about five minutes ago.”
“Define ‘second’,” Fred said dangerously.
Harry rolled his eyes at the twin. “For Merlin’s sake, Fred, cool it. You’re almost as bad as Ron.” Fred blanched. “Gin being my second merely means that she’s got a bit of power over you. If she says that you need to start spreading some new rumour, you listen to her, just as you would to me. However, unlike myself, she has no control over the older Death Eaters. The second of that group, Lucius Malfoy, does not have the right to boss you around anymore than Wormtail does, so don’t let him.”
“Not that Wormtail would try and order anyone around,” Hermione muttered.
Harry grinned. “According to Nagini, he’s getting quite the blown-up head, of late.”
“What?! Why didn’t I hear about this?” Voldemort growled, glaring down the table at Harry.
The raven-haired teen smiled. “You were too busy trying to tell everyone that they had to listen to me. Nagini was telling me all sorts of interesting things.”
“And I trust you’re not planning on repeating them aloud, are you?” Voldemort replied, scarlet eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Not now, no. Maybe later when you’re not around.”
“Harry…”
“I’m teasing. Geeze.” Harry rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air helplessly, getting slips of laughter from around the table.
“Any new information will be handed out as it comes to light, as will any other parts we want you to play,” Voldemort cut in sharply, ending the sprinkled laughter. “Harry will also probably be searching you out in school to see what you’d be most useful for.”
“If you’re good at potions, for instance, I’m sending you to Professor Snape for when he might need help. If you’re good at duelling, I’ll set up times with Professor Brutùs where you can work on your skills. If you’ve got a good handle on the rumour mill,” He nodded to Lisa and Pansy. “I’ll be turning to you for the latest that’s going around and, perhaps, a few new rumours to spread. If you’ve got loads of friends, I’m asking you now to try and sway them to our cause. The more people we have in the school, the better. Best yet if we can start gathering the younger years, though we won’t be handing out the necklaces to anymore people under the age of seventeen, for many fairly obvious reasons.”
Harry glanced around the sea of serious faces and nodded firmly. “Meeting adjourned. I hope to see everyone on the train.”
“Severus, remain here,” Voldemort ordered over the sounds of chairs moving. The Death Eater nodded and rose to walk over to Harry while Ginny grabbed the Dark Lord’s attention.
“Take this. I have a feeling you’ll need to remain up for a while yet,” Severus suggested, holding out a bottle of potion.
Harry smiled and took the potion. “Thank you, sir. You’re a life saver.” He downed the Pepper-Up Potion in one gulp and stood, stretching. “I never knew this would be so much work. Geeze.”
“It will get better,” Hermione offered, resting a hand on his shoulder. “It probably won’t be so bad when we don’t have adults or myself in here, anyway. They want to deal with you, not Tom or Professor Snape or me.”
Harry patted her hand gently. “If we’d thought you’d make a good Death Eater, you’d be in the group, Herm.”
“I know. I wouldn’t, though. And I’m pregnant; I’m more of a liability right now than anything else.”
“You’re fine,” Harry assured her. “Which reminds me. Tom and I were wondering what Dumbledore had in mind for you when the baby is born. You can’t very well remain in the dorm.”
“No. I’m getting my own room in the Tower.”
“You’re never going to get any sleep!” Harry cried, horrified.
“Harry, it’ll be fine, I assure you.” Hermione sighed. “It’s due near the end of school, though, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“That’s right before your N.E.W.T.s,” Draco murmured, having joined them with Pansy, Blaise, and Seamus.
“You’re a good student, Miss Granger, but I doubt even you could pull off no sleep, baby care, and your N.E.W.T.s all at once,” Severus pointed out gently.
“Which is why I’m petitioning to share her room with her,” Ginny announced as she led her brothers, Theodore, and a restored Tom over.
“Ginny, no!” Hermione shook her head.
“Yes,” all of the students chorused.
“And you’ll be getting lots of help caring for the poor thing, too,” Seamus declared. “Because there’s no way we’re forcing you to care for the child on your own.”
“If you need a reprieve, I’m sure when can take it for a night in our room,” Harry added softly. “It is Ron’s child, and he needs to share some of the weight. If Neville and Dean don’t like it, they can sleep on the couch downstairs or room with some of the younger boys.”
“Hell, Millie and I wouldn’t mind taking the dear for a night, really,” Pansy offered. “Millie’s got a baby sister who she cares for while she’s at home. She’d probably feel overjoyed to be helping out.”
Hermione glanced around the crowd tearfully before burying her face in Harry’s chest with a quiet “Thank you”.
“Why don’t you all head over to the sitting room. Severus and I need to discuss some things,” Tom suggested.
Harry nodded to Draco who took the lead. “Come on, Herm. You can cry on me more when we’re sitting down,” he said gently to the girl in his arms.
Hermione looked up and laughed, wiping at her tears. “Oh, gods, Harry. What would I do without you?”
Harry grinned. “Well, you wouldn’t be friends with Ron, that’s for sure.”
Hermione let out a bright shot of laughter as they followed the rest of their group into the sitting room. “How true!”
Once everyone was seated, the twins leaned forward to frown at Harry. “So, Harry, mate–”
“–why is it that our sister–”
“–the lovely Ginevra Weasley–“
“–has a lovely ring–“
“–which looks like a picture we saw once of the Potter crest–“
“–on her left hand?”
Harry sat back and smirked at the two while Draco, Hermione, Theodore, and Ginny laughed. “First off, she’s dating Ted, not me, so you can get that lovely idea out of your heads.”
“That’s what we thought,” Fred and George chorused.
“The ring was her Christmas gift.”
Harry watched in amusement as the twins made motions with their hands telling him to continue with that line of thought.
“Oh, really.” Ginny shot the raven-haired teen a dirty look. “He made me his sister. I’m only wearing it on my left ring finger to annoy the hell out of Ron.”
“That…actually...”
“…makes sense…”
The room filled with laughter as the twins shook their heads, smiling.
“Right.” Harry leaned forward, serious again quite suddenly. “Fred, George, you two still go to Order meetings?”
“The ones we can make.” Fred nodded.
“There are times that the store is too busy to leave it.”
“Hire some clerks,” Draco suggested like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“We have a large bit of money, Mr Malfoy, but we don’t have enough money to hire more than the two other clerks we have, and they’re our friends, so they work for cheap,” Fred shot back.
“I will pay for two more. I need you two to attend as many Order meetings as you can to give us what information Snape can’t,” Harry slid in soothingly.
“You have that much?” George asked in shock. Fred didn’t look much better.
“I have the three Potter family vaults, whatever you two have been sending me from the Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, plus the Black family vault. I can make another vault that you two can get to for paying the clerks later today.”
“Geeze, Harry…”
“Oh, and Gin, I need to get you a key to the main vault,” Harry added. “As my sister, you have just as much right to that vault as I do.”
“With that much cash, why don’t you dress properly?” Pansy demanded.
Harry shrugged. “I have no fashion sense, or so I’m told.”
“We’re taking you out to Diagon Alley before the holiday’s over,” Draco decided firmly. “You too, Gin. And Hermione.”
Hermione poked Harry’s side when he groaned. “It’s your fault, you know. You’re the one who fell in with Slytherins.”
Harry gave her an annoyed look. “You’re the one who followed.”
“Do you hear me complaining?”
Harry groaned again as everyone laughed.
---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
A/N: No, I’m not doing the shopping trip. Use your imagination.
~Batsutousai ^.^x
Abandon & Reclaim Series:
Abandon the Prequel: Sixth Year
Abandon Chapters:
01 || 02 || 03 || 04 || 05 || 06 || 07 || 08 || 09 || 10
11 || 12 || 13 || 14 || 15 || 16 || 17 || 18 || 19 || 20
21 || 22 || 23 || 24 || 25 || 26 || 27 || 28 || 29 || 30
31 ||32 || 33 || 34 || 35 || 36 || 37 || 38 || 39 || 40
41 || 42 || 43 || 44 || 45 || 46 || 47
Reclaim Chapters:
One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six || Seven || Eight || Nine || Ten
Eleven || Twelve || Thirteen || Fourteen || Fifteen
Epilogue
Side Stories:
Ginevra Weasley & Theodore Nott
Minerva McGonagall || Minerva McGonagall (again)
Author:
batsutousaiBeta:
magickmaker17Pairings: Harry/Tom(Voldemort), Seamus/Blaise, Ginevra/Theodore, post-Ron/Hermione
Warnings: This will have slash(Guys on guys, ppl.) , Dumbledore bashing, Ron bashing
Disclaim Her: The Phantom of the Opera is AWESOME!! (Non sequiturs are fun, no?)
Key:
Mind-speak
:Parseltongue:
Chapter 32
----------------------------------------------------
All sound in the dark room froze as the two new figures stepped in and the Death Eaters fell to their knees.
The taller of the two, Lord Voldemort, was a true terror. It wasn’t so much respect that made the Death Eaters keep their gaze on anything but him. It was fear…and the fact that he was ugly as hell.
The shorter figure, Harry Potter, held himself with a seemingly out-of-place air of superiority. Bellatrix, Wormtail, Rodolphus, and Antonin hadn’t been believed when they’d said Harry Potter had joined the Dark Side, but no one had a choice but to believe the insane tale any longer.
Harry fell into place at Voldemort’s right and frowned at the group of people. :Quite a lot you’ve got here, Tom,: he offered in Parseltongue, just to unnerve the Death Eaters.
:You’re learning.:
:Stuff it.:
“Stand up,” Voldemort ordered, smirking when he saw how quickly the order was followed.
:You should start handing out chocolate frogs to the first one to be back on their feet,: Harry commented in an off-handed manner.
Voldemort turned to stare at his lover. :Tell me you’re joking.:
:Only somewhat.:
:Great Merlin. Harry, just shut up,: the Dark Lord complained before turning back to the assembled Death Eaters, many of which appeared to be doing their best to cover sniggers.
:I’ll bet you most of them are hiding smiles behind their masks,: Harry teased. :’Cause you looked like a gaping fish for a brief moment there.:
:Do I need to punish you?: Voldemort hissed warningly.
:Come now, Tom. It could be worse. I could be calling you ‘Voldie’ in English.:
:Don’t even consider it,: Voldemort spat with a sharp look at the smirking teen before returning his attention to the Death Eaters. “Do you find something funny, Wormtail?”
“Not at all, my Lord,” the balding man offered in a wavering tone. “I just wished to inform you that Nagini insisted on coming, lest she eat me, Lord.”
“Very good.” Voldemort nodded. :Nagini!:
:You two make a cute couple,: the snake hissed, sliding into the circle from between Walden Macnair and Augustus Rookwood.
:Oh, thank you, Nagini. I think you’ve embarrassed Tom, though,: Harry offered in the silence.
:Never did take much.:
Harry sniggered into his hand, glancing up briefly to catch sight of the furious scarlet eyes flashing between himself and the reptile. The Death Eaters just seemed confused.
You and I will be having a nice, long chat later.
Oh, goodie!
“As many of you have probably already heard,” Voldemort started with a slightly annoyed tone, sending Nagini and Harry in to gales of serpentine laughter, which the Dark Lord ignored. “Harry Potter has decided to join us and turn the tide against Dumbledore.”
:Dumb Old Whore!:
Voldemort settled a hand over Harry’s mouth and scowled at him. “Enough.”
Okay, okay. Nerves are taken care of. I’ll be good now, Harry promised seriously.
Voldemort stared into the emerald eyes for a long moment before nodding and letting him go. :You too, Nagini,: he added, giving the serpent a chilling look.
:Alright, Tom.: Nagini sighed, curling around Harry’s legs.
:You’re going to trip me,: Harry muttered.
:I’ll move before then...:
Voldemort sighed mentally and blocked the conversation out. “Mr Potter will be my second in command and head of the Death Eaters In-Training. When he tells you to do something, you do it. I don’t care if he tells you to turn your wand on yourself and say 'Avada Kedavra,' you do it.”
“I won’t, just for the record,” Harry cut in before returning to his discussion with Nagini.
Voldemort scowled.
“My Lord?” one of the Death Eaters murmured respectfully.
“Yes, Severus?”
Harry’s head shot up and he turned his gaze to his Potions professor.
“Who are the Death Eaters In-Training?”
“A very good question, my friend,” Voldemort hissed soothingly, making a motion with his hand at Lucius, who stood at another set of doors, opposite the ones Harry and Voldemort had entered through.
Lucius opened one of the two doors, admitting a long line of heavily cloaked figures who all came to stand in the centre of the circle of Death Eaters.
“Take off your hoods,” Harry ordered, as Voldemort mentally told him what to do.
The hoods of the fourteen figures fell back revealing the members of the group. Fred, George, and Ginevra Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Seamus Finnigan, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Mandy Brocklehurst, Lisa Turpin, Morag MacDougal, and Millicent Bulstrode. Each were watching Harry and doing their damnedest to keep from looking at the Dark Lord at his side.
If Harry was surprised at the choices of some of his classmates, he didn’t show it. Instead, he took a step forward and glanced down the line, once again doing as Voldemort told him to, though changing it some to match his own thoughts, “Let me make this clear now. Once you have joined us, it is for life. If you are found as a spy or doing any other such action by choice, you will quickly find yourself dead.
“Although you will not be receiving the Dark Mark, you are still bound to both myself and Voldemort and you will obey our word. And, although you need not answer to the Death Eaters, you may wish to heed any words from them, as they are far more experienced than any of you. If they tell you you are doing something seriously wrong, I’d listen to them. Of course, I also expect the full-fledged Death Eaters to give out some pointers and not lead any of the Death Eaters In-Training astray.” Harry glanced around the circle, easily finding and holding Bellatrix’s wild gaze behind her mask.
“Faced with these rules,” Harry continued, returning his gaze to the group before him. “Do you still wish to join the ranks of the Death Eaters?”
“You’re giving us a choice?” Lisa, a seventh year Ravenclaw, asked disbelievingly.
“Ever heard of Memory Charms?” Theodore shot back coldly.
“Theodore! Lisa!” Harry shot silencing looks at the both of them. “Yes, Lisa, you get a choice. Everyone is given one. If you decide to just become a supporter, we still prefer knowing who you are. You don’t need to join us to be of help to us,” he replied gently.
“What exactly will you require of us?” Mandy, a Ravenclaw in Harry’s year, enquired in an even voice.
Harry turned to look at Voldemort, who was watching everything dispassionately. :Aren’t they told anything before they’re sent in here?:
: I normally just let them learn as they go. If they muck it up, they die,: was the emotionless reply.
:Figures,: Harry muttered, turning back to the group with a thin smile. “I will mostly require information, where you can get it, and whatever you are best suited for, which we will find out later. The jackarse behind me will probably do what he can get away with and kill you if you muck it up.”
The room fell in to a chilling silence as Voldemort strode forward and spun Harry so he was facing him. :Any normal Death Eater would get killed for that.:
:I am not a normal Death Eater. I am your lover and your second-in-command. If I feel like being pissy and insulting you because I dislike the way you run things, I will. You knew this when you put me in charge of them! Why are you angry now?: Harry hissed back sharply.
:I will not have you insulting me in front of–:
:I already have, Tom. Now, what are you planning on doing about it? Turning me over your knee and spanking me?:
Voldemort’s lipless mouth turned up at the corners in a cold smile. :That, my dear Harry, is very tempting.:
:I’ll bet.: Harry blew a lock of hair from his eyes and smirked as it hit the Dark Lord’s flat nose. :Are you done arguing with me?:
:No, but this isn’t the place for this, and Gin looks ready to murder me. We shall have a long chat about this later.:
:Oh, and then you’ll turn me over your knee and spank me!: Harry rolled his eyes as Voldemort fought down laughter. :The only thing I promised was not calling you ‘Voldie’ in English, remember? You can’t really lose your temper at me for doing something you hadn’t forbidden.:
Voldemort let out a helpless sigh. :Damn your Slytherin side. Very well, proceed. But, no more name-calling.:
:Yes, Tom,: Harry muttered, rolling his eyes and turning back to the fourteen young men and women once again. “Have I grown another head, now?” he asked upon seeing the disbelieving stares.
“I think it’s more that your head’s still attached, mate,” Fred murmured. George nodded next to him.
Harry smirked. “I wouldn’t suggest insulting Lord Voldemort within his hearing range. I think I’m the only one who would survive.”
:Definitely,: Voldemort added. The others in the room seemed to have an idea as to what he was saying, as they all shuddered.
Harry shrugged helplessly and offered his group a wry smile. “Well?”
“Like I’m backing out after falling so deep into the fold,” Ginny muttered darkly. The other thirteen nodded in agreement, obviously relieved she’d spoken instead of them.
“Brilliant!” Harry turned to the Dark Lord and held out a hand, cocking an eyebrow at the man.
“Did you need something?” Voldemort asked coldly, as if he was still angry at Harry for calling him a name.
“Yes, Voldemort. I was hoping you might give me those necklaces you’ve got hidden in the inside pocket of your robe,” the green-eyed teen replied matter-of-factly.
Voldemort scowled and handed them over.
“Thank you.” He turned back to the group, most of which were hiding grins. “Right. Once you put this necklace on, it can only ever be seen by one who bears the Dark Mark upon them or wears a necklace akin to it. If I or Lord Voldemort need you for any reason, the pendant will burn. Your best bet is to come and find me in the school, though, once we’ve left it, you’ll probably be best off concentrating on the burn and apparating to wherever it tells you to go. Understood?”
“Harry, what about us?” George asked.
“Chances are, you two will only be called for major meetings, which probably won’t be while school is in session. If you have information, send it through Gin and she’ll get it to us,” Harry decided. The twins and Ginny nodded. “Good. Gin, you’re first.”
Harry called each member of the Death Eaters In-Training up and put the new necklace on them. Once done, he handed what was left of the jewellery back to the Dark Lord.
Take them out to the formal dining room, Voldemort ordered Harry as his eyes searched out Severus’ form. “Severus, go with the Death Eaters In-Training.”
Severus nodded as Harry motioned to Draco. “Your house. Lead the way to the formal dining room.” Draco gave a sharp nod and took lead of the group. Harry fell back with Severus, who was taking up the rear, and waited until they’d left the meeting room behind them before he spoke to his professor.
“It’s not that he doesn’t trust you.”
“I know. It’s Albus and his sneaky ways.” Severus pulled his mask off his face with a tired sigh. “I’m impressed with how you handled yourself.”
Harry smiled. “Thank you, sir. It was nerve-wracking.”
“I’ll bet,” Fred offered.
“How’d you get him to keep from killing you?” George added. Everyone looked on curiously.
Harry shrugged. “I pointed out that he didn’t tell me I couldn’t call him a jackarse in front of everyone. He only said I couldn’t call him ‘Voldie’.”
The group laughed and even Severus managed to crack a smile. “Harry does keep his promises,” Seamus pointed out.
“Here we are,” Draco said, opening the door to the dining room.
“There you all are!” Hermione scowled at everyone. “What have you all been up to? A Death Eater meeting?”
Harry cocked an eyebrow at her. “And if we were?”
Everyone except Harry and Severus winced when Hermione opened her mouth again, as if expecting her to yell. Instead, she sighed and said. “Just don’t leave me alone with Narcissa again. She’s mental.”
Everyone laughed again while Draco attempted to look insulted for his mother, but failed miserably, and took seats around the table. “Did you get any baby things, at least?” Harry wanted to know.
Hermione nodded, smiling. “They’re in my trunk. How’d your meeting go?” she added, glancing around at the sea of faces.
“Harry called the Dark Lord a jackarse,” Fred reported.
“And didn’t get his head blown off,” George added.
“Harry!” Hermione frowned at him.
The green-eyed wizard sat back in his chair with a pout. “Not you too. He already yelled at me–“
“That didn’t look like yelling,” Theodore offered helpfully.
“Ted, if you don’t shut up I’ll make you,” Harry warned sharply.
“Whoa, whoa!” Draco held up his hands as both Ginny and Hermione leaned forward to join the argument. “It’s Christmas. Stop tearing at each other’s throats, please.”
“It’s not that big a deal, anyway,” Pansy chimed in. “So Harry called the Dark Lord a jackarse. He calls him loads of things. Why is this so different?”
“Because it was in a room full of Death Eaters,” a voice offered from the doorway to the room. Everyone but Hermione and Harry stood quickly and bowed to Voldemort as he strode into the room, eyes on Harry. “And you, Mr Potter, should know better.”
Harry leaned back in his chair and offered the Dark Lord a sweet smile. “But I don’t. I never learned manners, remember?”
Voldemort winced and sighed. “Point made. Everyone, sit,” he added firmly as he took the open seat next to Harry.
“Do you want me to leave?” Hermione asked, rising slowly.
“No, stay.” The Dark Lord glanced at her. “We need to discuss the Hogwarts dilemma right now and I’m sure you can help without being one of mine.” Harry poked the man’s arm and narrowed his eyes at him. “Very well, ours. Please don’t poke me again, Harry. Gin, if you kick me again, I may just have to strangle you.”
The two traded grins as everyone else around the table tried to cover their laughter.
“Dumbledore,” Voldemort said sharply. Everyone silenced and returned their attention to him. “Dumbledore has always been a problem for the darker side of this war. The Light rallies behind him without fail.”
“That’s not always true, though,” Hermione murmured.
Harry nodded thoughtfully. “After your rebirth. Two years ago, he was discredited for believing me.”
“It’s almost too bad we can’t have a repeat…” Millicent sighed.
“No.” Harry’s eyes blazed as he looked around the table. “The last thing I want is a repeat of that year.”
“He was a right bastard,” Ginny agreed, offering Harry a slight smile.
“And I lost Sirius,” Harry added in a small voice.
Voldemort sighed and decided his reputation was already shot with this group before pulling Harry into a hug. He threw a few glares at the few people who were staring in shock.
“What we need is a way to discredit him again,” Blaise murmured.
“Tried pranking him yet?” Mandy suggested dryly.
“It’s not that easy! Nothing fazes the man!” Seamus shot back angrily.
“We have a prank we’re working on, but it’s slow going,” Blaise added, scowling at the Ravenclaw.
“Like what?” Lisa hissed.
“Like sneaking Voldemort in some back way,” Harry said softly, his voice carrying around the table effortlessly. “If you all continue arguing, I will put you in separate corners and treat you like four-year-olds.” Everyone glanced over at where he still had his head resting on the Dark Lord’s shoulder, frowning at everyone at the table. “Please act like mature witches and wizards, here. You were not picked for your childish behaviour. You were picked for your maturity. Once you’re in the fold, you will be in the fold for life. Hermione is the only one at this table who should be picking fights. She is does not bear any sort of Mark, so she does not answer to us. If I have to tell you to stop fighting again, it will not be pleasant. Am I clear?”
A chorus of “Yes”es followed this statement and everyone glanced away in embarrassment.
Harry pulled away from his lover’s embrace with a sigh and stood. “Everyone, stand up. Hermione, Professor Snape, you’re both fine.”
The group of Death Eaters In-Training all stood. The three Ravenclaws – Morag, Lisa, and Mandy –, Vincent, Gregory, and Millicent had all taken up residence on one side of the table, with Severus at the very end, next to Hermione, who was seated at the foot. There was a gap of one chair between the Ravenclaws and the Slytherins and another gap of one chair between the Ravenclaws and the Dark Lord, who sat at the head of the table with Harry. Ginny, Theodore, Blaise, Seamus, Pansy, Draco, Fred, and George had spread out on the other side of the table.
“Good. Now, everyone step back from the table. I’m going to give you seating arrangements and you’re going to learn to get along.” Harry glared as the Death Eaters In-Training stepped back, scowling or looking mildly upset. “Blaise, you’re sitting here, next to me. George, you’re next to him, then Mandy. Theodore, you will sit next to Mandy. Gregory, you will sit next to Theodore. Then I want an empty chair. Morag, you will sit next to the empty chair and, Draco, you will sit next to Morag at the end,” Harry ordered, nodding as they all moved to their new seats. No one looked happy so far.
Put Gin next to me. I don’t trust her by herself, Voldemort warned.
Of course. Harry glanced at the people left. “Lisa, I want you sitting next to Professor Snape at the end. Professor, will you kindly promise not to bite?”
“Of course I won’t bite anyone,” Severus assured the young Ravenclaw witch eyeing him.
“Sit, Lisa,” Harry ordered firmly, nodding as she did so. “Pansy, you will be next to Lisa. Fred, you will sit next to Pansy. And, if you complain about you being on the other end of the table from George, I’ll hex you. Now sit. Millicent, you will sit next to Fred. Seamus, next to Millicent, please. Empty seat. Then, Vincent. Gin, you will be next to Voldemort so he can smack you if you misbehave.”
“Lovely,” Ginny muttered, taking her new seat and glaring at the Dark Lord, who merely smirked in reply.
“Knock it off,” Harry warned his sister and lover, shooting them both dark looks. “Fred!” He narrowed his eyes at a suddenly guilty twin. “You are nineteen years old; if you start playing around at meetings, you’ll start losing body parts. I’d love to have a better way to tell you two apart.”
Silence filled the room as Harry glanced around the table with a frown. At last, he nodded and, much to everyone’s surprise, went and sat between Gregory and Morag.
“Uhm, Harry?” Draco leaned around the Ravenclaw boy next to him, giving the raven-haired wizard a strange look.
“I’ve spread you all apart to get you to work together,” Harry replied with a weary sigh. “Seeing as how I’m not doing much better than yourselves, I might as well join the crowd.” He leaned forward and glanced around the table. “Look at the person to your right and your left. Now look at the person across from you, too. I don’t care if you’re in different Houses, you will have to learn to lean on one another or stand alone.
“If, say, I were to get stuck in a room of opponents with only Morag here on my side, the last thing I want to do is be arguing over whose fault it is. If I were stuck in that same position with Gin, we’d turn back-to-back and start tossing hexes at our opponents so we could get out alive. All blame will be left for later.
“I’m not saying I want you all to become the best of friends with your new neighbour, I’m just saying that you’ve got to learn to work together. You are now a team, but, as you are a team who must deceive a whole school, I don’t care if you feel like lashing out at one another in the hallway. School and meetings like this are two very different things. At school, you may argue about whatever you feel like arguing about. But, Merlin help you if you start another argument in a meeting!
“We are not enemies in here, people! We are comrades. We are on the same damn side! If you have an issue with another member of this table, that issue will be left outside the door. George, if I see that wand out again without permission, I will snap it.” Emerald-green eyes, as well as most of the table, swivelled to look at the redhead who had, apparently, been attempting to levitate a biscuit off of the tray on the mantle.
“I’m thinking we might break for a snack,” Severus suggested gently.
“Yes, very well.” Harry groaned, letting his head hit the table with a loud ‘thunk’.
In a rush of sound and air, all of the Death Eaters In-Training, plus Hermione, were attacking the trays of food which the house-elves had left.
Voldemort came over and took Gregory’s seat with a sigh. “You look exhausted.”
Harry offered his lover a tired smile. “It’s my fault for waiting up until midnight. I’ll live.”
The Dark Lord brushed a stray lock of hair out of Harry’s face gently. “I should have waited until tomorrow to call the meeting. Christmas is always such a trying day.”
“No. I would have lost sleep over it, anyway. I’m fine.”
“Hardly.” Ginny set a plate of small sandwiches and a cup of tea down in front of her newest brother, taking Morag’s seat. “Perhaps you should just go back to bed, big brother. I know you want to make plans, but I don’t think anything is going to get done in Malfoy Manor. Too many people are scared to be here. For that matter–” Ginny gave the Dark Lord a fleeting smile, “–people are terrified of having you in the room, Tom.”
Voldemort sighed. “I’d noticed. Of course, they seem to forget that rather quickly when everyone finds an argument they like.”
“What would you two suggest, then?” Harry muttered into his tea, which he was attempting to sip while keeping his head on the table.
Ginny took the tea cup from him and sat it back down. “First, I’d suggest you sit up before drinking your tea.” Harry shot her a dirty glare. “Tell them the teachers who are on our side. Explain the rumours. Give them a way to get into contact with you quickly if they need to tell you something. Let the inter-House issues sort themselves out.”
Harry groaned and banged his head against the table twice before Voldemort forced him to stop by cradling him against his chest again. “Enough. I won’t have you rattling your brains on the furniture, Harry.”
“Yes, Voldie,” Harry muttered, rolling his eyes. He gave a shout as the Dark Lord’s hands started tickling his sides with abandon. “Mercy! Mercy! Stop!” he cried through his laughter.
Voldemort ended the tickling and hugged the teen tightly against his chest. “What did I tell you about calling me that?”
Harry giggled and closed his eyes peacefully. “Not to.”
Voldemort sighed and pressed a quick kiss to Harry’s scar. “Eat. You’ll feel better.”
Harry gave him an impish smile as he reached for a sandwich.
“I can read your mind, you know.”
Harry scowled and decided to just eat the sandwich.
Ginny laughed at the two wizards. “I’ll leave Harry in your capable hands, then, my Lord,” she offered Voldemort a flourishing bow before returning to the food trays.
:Tom?:
:Yes?:
:Can I make Gin my second?:
:She’ll only be second among the Death Eaters In-Training.:
:I know. Just like Lucius is only your second to the Death Eaters.: Harry sighed, offering the man he was resting against a sandwich, which Voldemort took. :But, it would be nice for them to have someone to deal with that’s not me, and she has a good reason for hanging around me a lot.:
:And you trust her.:
:There is that. And the fact that she’s a sixth year. She’ll still be at Hogwarts come next year. And, as she’s my sister, I’ll be able to visit her whenever.:
:That’s assuming your cover is broken by then.:
:It will be,: Harry said firmly. :I won’t keep her and Ted apart next year. He should be allowed to visit her if he wants.:
:True…: The Dark Lord glanced up at where everyone was finishing eating. :Back to work, my dear one.:
:I’m starting to see why you like using the Cruciatus Curse on people.:
Voldemort let out a bark of chilling laughter as he stood. :I’m not surprised,: he remarked before glancing up at the group of teenagers who were watching him in horror. :Think I’ve scared them?:
:Depends. Have any of them wet their pants yet?:
Voldemort gave Harry an amused look and shook his head before looking back at the others. “Well. Get back to your seats.”
There was a scramble to keep from being the last in one’s assigned seat as the Dark Lord took a leisurely stroll around the table to get himself some food.
Harry smiled at Voldemort’s back and shook his head, amused. “How does he do that?”
“Practice,” Gregory offered from beside him.
“Must be,” Harry agreed before glancing around the table, ignoring the serpent-like man getting food with ease. “Right. I’ll run you by the basics and we’ll go from there later. We’ve told you that there’s a big plot going on to tumble Dumbledore. The thing you don’t know is how you can be of help.” Harry paused to take a sip of tea. “When you get on the train at the end of the break, I want you to start spreading rumours.”
“Rumours?” Lisa rolled her eyes.
Harry gave her a piercing look. “Yes.”
Lisa gave a shout as Voldemort leaned over her. “I’m still here, Miss Turpin.”
“Stop.” Harry gave the Dark Lord a dangerous look and pointed to the empty seat at the head of the table. “Go sit.”
Voldemort waggled his finger at the Gryffindor. “Be polite to your elders.”
“Hypocrite,” Harry shot back, smiling.
“Elders and betters, then,” The Dark Lord decided, returning to his seat.
Harry rolled his eyes and nodded to Hermione, who looked desperate to talk. “Herm, you have the table, as it were.”
Hermione smiled. “Drink your tea, Harry,” she ordered, which Harry did with a quick grin. “The rumours we want to spread are the truth. However, as the rumour mill of Hogwarts is so fast and quick, we’re hoping to have these truths spread so quickly that Dumbledore can’t trace them back to their source. The more ‘leaks’, shall we say, the harder it will be to trace.”
“What are these rumours, then?” Mandy asked, leaning forward.
“Three things,” Ginny picked up the conversation easily while Harry just sat back and let his friends have a go. “One, that we have Death Eaters teaching at Hogwarts.”
“But, everyone knows Professor Snape’s a Death Eater!” Millicent called out before shooting the professor an apologetic look.
“They don’t all know that Professor Brutùs is an extremely high-ranking Death Eater, though,” Draco offered. “In fact, we probably wouldn’t even know if Theodore hadn’t heard it from his father who let it slip on accident. Harry’s the one who verified it.”
Seventeen pairs of eyes turned to the dozing teen who smiled at them all tiredly. “Who do you think got me to switch sides? Not Voldemort, that’s for sure.”
“I’m still here, you know,” said Dark Lord called from his place at the head of the table, scowling.
“I’m well aware of that, thank you,” Harry replied, closing his eyes again.
“Another rumour to spread,” Theodore slid in quickly. “Is that the Dark Lord is winning. It’ll unnerve Dumbledore, at the very least.”
“And, last but not least, that Harry’s faith in Dumbledore is wavering,” Blaise finished.
“Ouch…” Morag murmured. “That’s a blow to one’s mind if I’ve ever seen one.”
“Too bad for him it’s true.” Harry forced himself to sit back up and look around the table again. “If you need to get information to me or Voldemort, I’d suggest coming directly to me, if you can find me. If not, Professors Brutùs and Snape are always willing to hand out detentions. And, if you don’t feel like serving a detention and you see her, Gin’s my girlfriend and second. Talk to her.”
“Wait, since when?!” Ginny gaped at Harry in surprise.
“Voldemort and I decided on it as of about five minutes ago.”
“Define ‘second’,” Fred said dangerously.
Harry rolled his eyes at the twin. “For Merlin’s sake, Fred, cool it. You’re almost as bad as Ron.” Fred blanched. “Gin being my second merely means that she’s got a bit of power over you. If she says that you need to start spreading some new rumour, you listen to her, just as you would to me. However, unlike myself, she has no control over the older Death Eaters. The second of that group, Lucius Malfoy, does not have the right to boss you around anymore than Wormtail does, so don’t let him.”
“Not that Wormtail would try and order anyone around,” Hermione muttered.
Harry grinned. “According to Nagini, he’s getting quite the blown-up head, of late.”
“What?! Why didn’t I hear about this?” Voldemort growled, glaring down the table at Harry.
The raven-haired teen smiled. “You were too busy trying to tell everyone that they had to listen to me. Nagini was telling me all sorts of interesting things.”
“And I trust you’re not planning on repeating them aloud, are you?” Voldemort replied, scarlet eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Not now, no. Maybe later when you’re not around.”
“Harry…”
“I’m teasing. Geeze.” Harry rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air helplessly, getting slips of laughter from around the table.
“Any new information will be handed out as it comes to light, as will any other parts we want you to play,” Voldemort cut in sharply, ending the sprinkled laughter. “Harry will also probably be searching you out in school to see what you’d be most useful for.”
“If you’re good at potions, for instance, I’m sending you to Professor Snape for when he might need help. If you’re good at duelling, I’ll set up times with Professor Brutùs where you can work on your skills. If you’ve got a good handle on the rumour mill,” He nodded to Lisa and Pansy. “I’ll be turning to you for the latest that’s going around and, perhaps, a few new rumours to spread. If you’ve got loads of friends, I’m asking you now to try and sway them to our cause. The more people we have in the school, the better. Best yet if we can start gathering the younger years, though we won’t be handing out the necklaces to anymore people under the age of seventeen, for many fairly obvious reasons.”
Harry glanced around the sea of serious faces and nodded firmly. “Meeting adjourned. I hope to see everyone on the train.”
“Severus, remain here,” Voldemort ordered over the sounds of chairs moving. The Death Eater nodded and rose to walk over to Harry while Ginny grabbed the Dark Lord’s attention.
“Take this. I have a feeling you’ll need to remain up for a while yet,” Severus suggested, holding out a bottle of potion.
Harry smiled and took the potion. “Thank you, sir. You’re a life saver.” He downed the Pepper-Up Potion in one gulp and stood, stretching. “I never knew this would be so much work. Geeze.”
“It will get better,” Hermione offered, resting a hand on his shoulder. “It probably won’t be so bad when we don’t have adults or myself in here, anyway. They want to deal with you, not Tom or Professor Snape or me.”
Harry patted her hand gently. “If we’d thought you’d make a good Death Eater, you’d be in the group, Herm.”
“I know. I wouldn’t, though. And I’m pregnant; I’m more of a liability right now than anything else.”
“You’re fine,” Harry assured her. “Which reminds me. Tom and I were wondering what Dumbledore had in mind for you when the baby is born. You can’t very well remain in the dorm.”
“No. I’m getting my own room in the Tower.”
“You’re never going to get any sleep!” Harry cried, horrified.
“Harry, it’ll be fine, I assure you.” Hermione sighed. “It’s due near the end of school, though, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“That’s right before your N.E.W.T.s,” Draco murmured, having joined them with Pansy, Blaise, and Seamus.
“You’re a good student, Miss Granger, but I doubt even you could pull off no sleep, baby care, and your N.E.W.T.s all at once,” Severus pointed out gently.
“Which is why I’m petitioning to share her room with her,” Ginny announced as she led her brothers, Theodore, and a restored Tom over.
“Ginny, no!” Hermione shook her head.
“Yes,” all of the students chorused.
“And you’ll be getting lots of help caring for the poor thing, too,” Seamus declared. “Because there’s no way we’re forcing you to care for the child on your own.”
“If you need a reprieve, I’m sure when can take it for a night in our room,” Harry added softly. “It is Ron’s child, and he needs to share some of the weight. If Neville and Dean don’t like it, they can sleep on the couch downstairs or room with some of the younger boys.”
“Hell, Millie and I wouldn’t mind taking the dear for a night, really,” Pansy offered. “Millie’s got a baby sister who she cares for while she’s at home. She’d probably feel overjoyed to be helping out.”
Hermione glanced around the crowd tearfully before burying her face in Harry’s chest with a quiet “Thank you”.
“Why don’t you all head over to the sitting room. Severus and I need to discuss some things,” Tom suggested.
Harry nodded to Draco who took the lead. “Come on, Herm. You can cry on me more when we’re sitting down,” he said gently to the girl in his arms.
Hermione looked up and laughed, wiping at her tears. “Oh, gods, Harry. What would I do without you?”
Harry grinned. “Well, you wouldn’t be friends with Ron, that’s for sure.”
Hermione let out a bright shot of laughter as they followed the rest of their group into the sitting room. “How true!”
Once everyone was seated, the twins leaned forward to frown at Harry. “So, Harry, mate–”
“–why is it that our sister–”
“–the lovely Ginevra Weasley–“
“–has a lovely ring–“
“–which looks like a picture we saw once of the Potter crest–“
“–on her left hand?”
Harry sat back and smirked at the two while Draco, Hermione, Theodore, and Ginny laughed. “First off, she’s dating Ted, not me, so you can get that lovely idea out of your heads.”
“That’s what we thought,” Fred and George chorused.
“The ring was her Christmas gift.”
Harry watched in amusement as the twins made motions with their hands telling him to continue with that line of thought.
“Oh, really.” Ginny shot the raven-haired teen a dirty look. “He made me his sister. I’m only wearing it on my left ring finger to annoy the hell out of Ron.”
“That…actually...”
“…makes sense…”
The room filled with laughter as the twins shook their heads, smiling.
“Right.” Harry leaned forward, serious again quite suddenly. “Fred, George, you two still go to Order meetings?”
“The ones we can make.” Fred nodded.
“There are times that the store is too busy to leave it.”
“Hire some clerks,” Draco suggested like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“We have a large bit of money, Mr Malfoy, but we don’t have enough money to hire more than the two other clerks we have, and they’re our friends, so they work for cheap,” Fred shot back.
“I will pay for two more. I need you two to attend as many Order meetings as you can to give us what information Snape can’t,” Harry slid in soothingly.
“You have that much?” George asked in shock. Fred didn’t look much better.
“I have the three Potter family vaults, whatever you two have been sending me from the Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, plus the Black family vault. I can make another vault that you two can get to for paying the clerks later today.”
“Geeze, Harry…”
“Oh, and Gin, I need to get you a key to the main vault,” Harry added. “As my sister, you have just as much right to that vault as I do.”
“With that much cash, why don’t you dress properly?” Pansy demanded.
Harry shrugged. “I have no fashion sense, or so I’m told.”
“We’re taking you out to Diagon Alley before the holiday’s over,” Draco decided firmly. “You too, Gin. And Hermione.”
Hermione poked Harry’s side when he groaned. “It’s your fault, you know. You’re the one who fell in with Slytherins.”
Harry gave her an annoyed look. “You’re the one who followed.”
“Do you hear me complaining?”
Harry groaned again as everyone laughed.
---------------------------------------------------
A/N: No, I’m not doing the shopping trip. Use your imagination.
~Batsutousai ^.^x
Abandon the Prequel: Sixth Year
Abandon Chapters:
01 || 02 || 03 || 04 || 05 || 06 || 07 || 08 || 09 || 10
11 || 12 || 13 || 14 || 15 || 16 || 17 || 18 || 19 || 20
21 || 22 || 23 || 24 || 25 || 26 || 27 || 28 || 29 || 30
31 ||
41 || 42 || 43 || 44 || 45 || 46 || 47
Reclaim Chapters:
One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six || Seven || Eight || Nine || Ten
Eleven || Twelve || Thirteen || Fourteen || Fifteen
Epilogue
Side Stories:
Ginevra Weasley & Theodore Nott
Minerva McGonagall || Minerva McGonagall (again)
.
