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Harry Potter and the Breeding Darkness	By : Danyealle Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Voldemort Views: 297669 -:- Recommendations : 54 -:- Currently Reading : 184
Disclaimer: I am not J. K. Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter. This is a work of fanfiction and no profit is being made. It is a for-fun endeavor and no infringement is intended.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
This chapter is written by: Aya Macchiato

Beta done by tannne and Danyealle-sama

Again, I remind everyone that the amazing Aya Macchiato has given me permission to continue this story for her. This is another of the chapters that she already had done. All I've done with this one is some basic beta work, nothing more, it's as she wrote it!

Link to the first story...

http://hp.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600095391

-Danyealle

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Chapter 9

The following evening was an intermediate training session at the manor. It was also the night that Harry and Tom had decided to move forward with a plan regarding one particular new recruit.

It was nearing the end of the two hour long training session when Voldemort called out to one of the gathered Death Eaters. "Krum!" he said in his high pitched voice that he only really used when in his Voldemort appearance or when he was really, really angry.

The young Bulgarian tensed and turned instantly to face the front of the room. Harry, as Evan, stood to the side and watched. It was obvious that the man was instantly tense at having the Dark Lord singling him out.

"Yes, my Lord?" Krum said, standing at attention.

"Stay afterwards, I have a special assignment for you."

"Yes, of course, my Lord," Krum said, bowing low and waiting a moment until it was clear that was all Voldemort had to say before returning to the mock duel he had been participating in.

Ten minutes later the hall cleared out and everyone but Voldemort, Harry, and Krum had left. Voldemort stood from his throne-like chair at the head of the room where he often sat to observe. Harry came over and walked beside him as they began to make their way towards the doorway. Harry nodded his head at Krum to indicate that he should follow and the young man quickly trailed behind them. They left the ballroom, went down the hall, and entered a sitting room.

Voldemort took a seat towards one side of the room and appeared to relax and wait. Krum looked at him with mild confusion and expectation for a moment. Voldemort motioned towards 'Evan Harris' as if to silently instruct Krum to defer to the other man. Krum instantly turned his attention on Harry, waiting expectantly.

"You may sit here," Harry said, indicating a stuffed armchair towards the center of the room, opposite another empty chair, and half a room away from where Voldemort was currently seated. Krum sat down stiffly. He held himself still and with perfect posture but Harry could feel the nervous energy rolling off the man. Harry began to slowly orbit around the chair, waiting a moment before continuing.

"You are about to learn of a tremendous secret," Harry began. "One that must not, under any circumstances, go beyond this room. Is that understood?"

Krum's eyes flickered to the side to look at the Dark Lord but quickly refocused on 'Harris'. "Yes, sir," he said with a determined nod.

"Good. I'll go fetch our guest, then." Harry turned and left the room, Krum watching him go with curiosity and confusion barely contained on his features.

Harry walked out the room, across the hall and into another room without even pausing. Once inside, he slipped the ring off his finger, slid it into his pocket, removed his outer robes and put on an extra pair he had left waiting for him in the room. He quickly fastened them closed in the front and pulled the large hood over his head so that it shadowed his face before turning then his way back out the room, pausing for the briefest of moments at the door. This would be the first time since Snape that he would be revealing himself as Harry Potter to a Death Eater.

He opened the door and took a few confident strides inside the room. Krum's eyes locked on him with carefully concealed curiosity. Harry went over and sat in the chair opposite Krum before slowly lowered his hood. He saw the instant that Krum realized who he was and had to fight hard not to laugh at the Bulgarian seeker's startled reaction.

"Potter!" Krum exclaimed in shock. His head darted between Harry and the Dark Lord then back again, clearly bewildered. A quick glance from Harry to Voldemort, still sitting casually to the back of the room, showed Harry that the man was visibly amused but hiding it admirably well.

"Vhat... vhat are you doing here?" Krum asked Harry after a brief battle in his brain as he attempted to figure out what to say. "I thought..." Krum's voice trailed off as he looked over at the still smirking, Dark Lord again.

"The Dark Lord and I have settled out differences," Harry said casually.

"Settled?" Krum echoed incredulously as he, once again, looked to the Dark Lord for some sort of confirmation. Clearly, the Dark Lord wasn't trying to hex the living shit out of Harry so the two weren't on 'instant kill' standings any longer. And Harris had said he was going to go fetch their 'guest'.

"Yes, settled." Harry said with an amused smile. "I'm a Dark Wizard, Viktor. The Dark is where I belong. He and I are both unwitting victims of Albus Dumbledore's underhanded manipulations and we came to the realization that it was far more beneficial if we cooperated in our efforts to bring down Dumbledore rather than wasting time, and energy, fighting each other."

"You are a Dark Vizard!" Krum exclaimed, still, clearly overwhelmed by the whole encounter.

Harry rolled his eyes, slowly switching from amusement to impatience. "Yes. Shall we move forward?"

Krum's jaw snapped shut and his eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance at Harry's tone. Finally, he nodded for Harry to continue.

"Alright then. During the coming school year, I intend to try and woo some more of Hogwarts students to the Dark. Right now the only ones who practice the Dark Arts en mass are the Slytherins. The majority of the rest of the houses all easily fall in line with Dumbledore's Light Magic propaganda and dogma. This is compounded by the fact that many of these student's parents are alumni of Hogwarts, also under Dumbledore's reign. None of them have really even been exposed to any unbiased concepts of magic affiliation and I hope to broaden some of the student body's horizons. In secret, of course." Harry smirked.

Krum nodded slowly, starting to wonder what any of this had to do with him.

"One of the students who's 'horizons' I hope to broaden is Hermione Granger," Harry continued, and Krum's eyes widened. "Hermione is probably my biggest potential threat as far as being found out and exposed to the faculty is concerned. She's bright, observant, and she's close to me. She's also nosy and doesn't know how to respect other people's boundaries or personal privacy. Such a clever girl can be either a boon or a great hindrance to my efforts this year. If I don't take an active approach with her and try to continue what I did last year, I know that Hermione will be watching me like a hawk then she'll quickly begin to realize that something big is going on with me. If she starts digging into things that she shouldn't, it could cause me some serious troubles.”

"My hope is that I can actually bring her into the fold, to some extent. Not all the way, of course. She's not ready to even consider the idea of siding with Voldemort. She's put too much of her belief into the authority system of the school for too long. All these years she's been hearing nothing but 'Dumbledore is good and great and amazing' as well as the Dark Lord is an evil, murdering, psychopath who wants to massacre all the muggles and muggleborns. Obviously, Hermione isn't going to easily accept that all she's been told is wrong, or at least seriously skewed and biased. I hope to introduce the counter ideas to her, one at a time, until a time when she might actually be ready to be a bit more open minded about the whole Death Eater thing."

Harry paused and saw Krum looking thoughtful and slowly nodding his head.

"Obviously," Harry continued, "it benefits both of us if Hermione comes to be a bit less close-minded about the Dark Arts. I'm going to be working on her from my end but I was hoping you could also try to work on her from your side as well."

"Vhat makes you tink dat I could influence her views?" Krum asked, looking skeptical.

Harry rolled his eyes. "She writes me letters, Viktor. Maybe you couldn't tell, but she's absolutely smitten with you. You're about the only thing she's written about all summer. She usually writes about what books she's read, what new things she's learned or seen. She went to bloody Greece this summer and hardly even mentioned it in her letters. Hell, she practically sounded like a girl. It was... well, honestly, it was amusing. In any case, she absolutely fancies you. Trust me, you can influence her views."

Krum's eyes were wide and Harry could actually see the faintest pink coloring the other boy's cheeks. Harry grinned.

"So, are you willing to assist me in this? It isn't an order from the Dark Lord or a duty as a Death Eater. This is a personal favor to me."

Krum blinked, looking confused again and he glanced over at Voldemort, who was still sitting to the side of the room, looking very bored. Krum looked back at Harry and raised a single brow.

"I mean, honestly, think about it... Hermione wouldn't exactly appreciate it if she learned you were doing something like this on the Dark Lord's orders, would she?" Harry said rolling his eyes as if it were obvious. "If she did ever discover that you were trying to meld her views because of something the Dark Lord ordered you to do, she'd start to wonder if the whole relationship was just an act, a manipulation. And we both know that's not the case. I'm actually fairly sure you really do care about her, and I know she cares about you, so I don't want to go ruining this for you. Still, for me, it would be a lot more convenient if I had another person whittling away at her preconceived notions about Light and Dark. So, if you're willing to work with me on this, I think we can all benefit. What do you say?"

"I..." Krum began to say but his voice died a bit and his brow furrowed as he apparently took a moment to think on it. He glanced hesitantly at the Dark Lord, who was now examining his long pale finger nails on his long thin fingers, looking to the entire world, extraordinarily bored. Krum looked back at Harry and sighed.

"She is very important to me," Krum said hesitantly and Harry nodded giving the older boy an encouraging gesture to continue. "Dis vell help to protect her, yes?"

"It certainly won't be a good boon to her health and well-being if she's causing me trouble. If she's on our side, she won't be causing me trouble. So, yes, it will help protect her if we can get her to open her mind a bit on the subject. I also imagine it will help you a lot as far as being in a relationship with her is concerned. I mean, you're a Death Eater. Having a Light Witch for a girlfriend is going to cause some difficulties in the relationship department."

Krum gave a slightly defeated sigh and bowed his head while nodding it slightly. "Yes, dis has been troubling me for quite some time..."

"I imagine," Harry said with a mild grin.

"I vas even more vorried zince she iz so close to you. I thought... vell, you know. You are zhe Boy-Who-Lived. I had assumed dat you vere on Dumbledore's side. I vill admit that knowing you and I are on zhe same side is reassuring. Perhaps it is not so hopeless..."

"So you'll help? I mean, really, I'm just asking you to do what you probably would have been trying to do anyway; opening her mind. Showing her the other side of the argument. Hermione is a very clever girl. If she sees that there is more to an issue than she's been shown, she'll want to learn as much about it as possible. I think if we approach this properly, it won't be too hard to get her questioning Dumbledore's dogma."

Krum nodded his head slowly and finally looked back up. "Okay. Yes, I vill help. Vhat should we do first?"

It was August 2nd and Harry was sitting in a rather comfortable chair opposite the Minister for Magic in a quaint little restaurant, in a magical village about 40 miles south of London. Fudge was unaware of it, of course, but Tom, in yet another random glamor, was sitting several tables away, seemingly reading a book and occasionally sipping his tea. In reality, he was listening in and maintaining privacy charms over them.

The pair had already had lunch and conversation had centered a lot on Harry's interview with the Prophet and all of the political repercussions that had come from it. Even in the very short span of time that had passed since that day, there were already several higher up Ministry officials and members of the Wizengamot working on a few bills that would start rewriting how the Ministry would handle magical children and orphans. Harry was definitely pleased and the Minister seemed secretly thrilled since it was such a popular issue among the magical populace at the moment. He was getting a mountain of good press for supporting it and having had such public ties to Harry Potter that summer. Harry had heard from Lucius' reports that Fudge was so far up in the polls right now that the election would be a cake-walk for the man to win.

Anything that made you look pro-children was almost always a win with the public. The purebloods liked it because it was clearly a step towards controlling the muggleborn population. Even the more middle-class members of magical society liked it because it was pro-children and pro-family. Protecting our wizarding youth and all that. It was great political publicity for Fudge and he was eager to back it as well as be publicly supporting the Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry even told Fudge that the next time he did an interview with the Prophet he would make sure to mention how grateful he was that Fudge had been so helpful and supportive.

Their meal was quickly eaten and gone and the conversation moved onto other topics. Harry mentioned that he still hadn't gotten his Hogwarts letter even though they were usually sent out in mid-July so Fudge went on to grumble about how Dumbledore still hadn't found a Defense teacher Also, that he was getting hounded on several fronts to take a more active role in the issue, and being so supportive in his response to both Harry's plight as well as those of the wizards who's stories Harry had forwarded to the Prophet and the Ministry from all the people who had written him after the article was published.

Harry silently smirked as he took the easy opening he had been looking for. The discussion and topics he wanted to broach during this meeting were of an admittedly sensitive nature but Harry had it all planned out, exactly how he was going to approach the topic. Yet he knew that a little added motivation would help and had come prepared. He glanced over at Tom and caught his eye. He nodded subtly and Tom nodded back. He withdrew his wand discreetly and cast a tripping jinx on the waitress who was walking directly behind the Minister at that moment. The women went falling to the ground along with the tray of food and drinks she was carrying. The Minister jumped to his feet at the startling ruckus and turned to look at the scene. As he was distracted, Harry quickly reached across the table then poured the contents of a tiny potion vial into the Minister's tea.

The whole distraction only lasted a minute while the girl quickly began to clean up the mess and spell away the spills. She was blushing with embarrassment the whole while and spent several seconds apologizing profusely to the Minister for disrupting his meal, asking if she had gotten anything on him.

While annoyed, the Minister was rather kind and reassuring to the girl then the whole thing finally settled down. Harry and the Minister sat at the table for a quiet moment, recovering from the disruption.

"Now... where were we?" Fudge asked, giving Harry his best fake-calm politician's smile as he reached down and took a drink from his tea. Harry smiled inwardly as the man drank his tainted tea. The potion, which Severus had actually brewed for them, was odorless and fairly mild, in general. What it did was make a person more susceptible to suggested ideas. Nothing quite as extreme as mind control but as long as that person would normally, within reason, be able to consider such ideas, they would easily believe them, and be utterly convinced of their truth. Which was really all Harry needed.

He began to talk about a number of things about Hogwarts, its staff and curriculum, that Harry had been finding lacking lately, as well as his own forays into independent study over the summer and the previous year to prepare for the tournament.

Fudge asked Harry how that was going since he had mentioned in their last tea that he was studying Runes and Arithmancy over the summer and transferring into those classes in the fall. Harry told him that it was going great and he had been enjoying it a lot. He'd had a couple private tutors who came to the manor he was staying at that summer and they'd all been brilliant.

"In addition to all that, I've been doing a lot of study on magical history lately," Harry began after setting down his drink. "Not just the sort of history that's actually covered in school because, honestly, that's basically a worthless class. I'd say that Binns' Magical History class has been more detrimental than most others at the school have. History is important. If you don't know about past mistakes, how can you make sure you don't repeat them? What value is there in a mistake being made if no one learns from it? You know? But no one studies history at Hogwarts anymore. Binns' class is so boring and covers the most worthless aspects of history that the majority of the student body uses it as nap time. I would be willing to bet that hardly anyone who comes out of Hogwarts actually goes all the way to NEWTs History. And if they do take the class, I doubt they pass the test. He makes the prospect of studying history so horrifying that no one even considers delving deeper into it, and what he does cover is just an incredibly vague overview of the least useful bits.”

"But, anyway, I ended up delving into some ancient magical history in my search to better understand what led up to the last war. Dark Lords and the whole argument over blood. I wanted to understand that stuff because it's had such a huge impact on my life, and yet I was totally ignorant of it because of my muggle upbringing.”

"However, there's this whole ancient magical knowledge that has practically been lost to everyone. The truth about what a Dark Lord really is. For the last few years, I just assumed it was a title that You-Know-Who gave himself, sort of an ego thing, you know? Or it was an 'I'm a really powerful dark wizard so I'm going to call myself a Dark Lord' sort of deal. I didn't realize that Dark Lord meant something. That it's a real title, bestowed upon a chosen individual by Magic itself. Something you have to earn and prove yourself worthy for."

Harry paused at Fudge's widened eyes. "See? You didn't even know, did you? No one really realizes these things anymore because we've lost track of our history. But what I found really interesting is that while there's a Dark Lord, there's also a Light Lord. Two different Lords of Magic, each chosen and given a task. It's their job to keep magic balanced and to protect and safeguard all of the witches, wizards, and creatures who fall under their designated affinity. The Dark Lord is supposed to fight for the Dark Wizards and the Dark magical creatures while the Light Lord is supposed to do the same for the Light witches, wizards and creatures. Although, more often than not, the Magical Lords have just ended up using their position and influence to try and gain more power for themselves.”

"But it goes even deeper. Because they're designated by Magic, all people and creatures with a light or dark affinity are naturally drawn towards their respective lord. Those with a dark magical affinity are drawn to the Dark Lord. They feel compelled to serve him. To respect and revere him. That's how he managed to get all of those really powerful and influential wizards who would normally never stoop to kiss the robes of another wizard, to follow him. Magic compelled them to do so."

"You really think so?" Fudge said in a quiet and somewhat stunned voice.

"I'm sure of it. All of my research confirms it. But this all lead me to another realization... a sinister realization."

Fudge's eyes widened and he leaned in close, clearly intrigued and interested in what Harry had to say.

"It's the same for Light Wizards. When a person has a light magical affinity, they feel compelled to respect, follow, and submit to the Light Lord. You know that You-Know-Who was the Dark Lord but do you realize who the Light Lord is?"

The Minister shook his head slowly, but Harry could see the cogs turning behind the man's eyes as he began to suspect.

"Albus Dumbledore," Harry said in a hard low tone. "Dumbledore is the Light Lord of Magic."

Fudge's lips parted slightly and Harry could see the amalgam of different emotions as they played out on the older man's face. But he could also see the Fudge believed him completely. That the Minister was completely willing to accept this, even without additional proof. One of the wonderful effects of that lovely little potion.

"So this brings me back to my point on the quality of education at Hogwarts," Harry said after he'd given the Minister a minute to think. "Do you realize that Hogwarts is the only one of the magical schools in Europe and Asia that has a 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' class? The others have 'Magical Defense', 'Defense against Hostile Magic' and 'Defense' but Hogwarts is the only one that specifies that it's defending against 'Dark' Magic. Defending against dark creatures and dark spells. But light creatures can be dangerous too. And there are loads of Light magic spells that can be used offensively too. And countless Neutral magical spells are offensive and require defending against. We even cover those things but the class is still called Defense Against the Dark Arts. It's to progress the stigma that Dark Magic is our enemy. That Dark Magic is the evil and we all need to fear it.”

"The truth of the matter is that Dark does not equal evil and Light does not equal good. Everything is gray in reality and one's magical affinity does not necessarily dictate their actions or their moral standing.”

"Hogwarts is the only magical school that teaches only Neutral and Light magic. Beauxbatons teaches the theory to all magical affinities but only covers practical study of Neutral Magic, leaving the teaching of a Light or Dark affinity to the parents since it's generally considered a family choice or tradition. Durmstrang actually teaches all affinities, offering classes in Light, Dark, and Neutral Magic, although the Light and Dark courses are electives, not mandatory. Mandatory are the defense courses that cover defending against all offensive magic's and creatures. This trend continues in all of the other magical schools I've researched.”

"But Hogwarts villainies Dark Magic while teaching Light spells without even telling the students that they're practicing spells of that affinity. The Light magic is intermingled with the Neutral Magic without even warning the students. And it's mandatory to learn them! Mandatory as part of the curriculum to practice these spells. Practicing Light Magic affects a person's affinity, no matter what, especially when they're young and their magical core is just developing. The more students practice Light affinity spells, the more likely they are to gain a Light affinity. The stronger their affinity towards the Light is, the more magic will compel them to feel loyal and respectful of the Light Lord. Do you see what I'm getting at here?"

The sudden dawning horror on Fudge's face was almost comical but Harry held his expression serious. "Dumbledore has slowly been shifting the curriculum of Hogwarts more and more towards the Light while totally eradicating all traces of Dark for decades. After the last war, everyone was terrified of the idea of a Dark Lord so they were eager to acquiesce to any suggestions of eradicating Dark anything from the schools and for the Ministry to openly support Light Magic while denouncing Dark Magic, despite our valued traditions and the old beliefs of magical equality and balance. People were terrified so they over-compensated. Because of that, there is now a serious imbalance in the magical composition of Great Britain. The Light has grown disproportionately strong, and the one person who is truly going to benefit from all of it, is the Light Lord.”

"Magical Lords live even longer lives than regular wizards. A Dark Lord from the 1300's, called Lord Moristan, lived to see 280! Dumbledore may seem 'old' at over 150 but he could still have a long time to go before he kicks the bucket. He's been biding his time. Slowly setting it up so that he'll have generations of wizards in Britain with Light affinities to follow him into whatever he wants. Willing to do anything he tells them, without question. Most of these people see him as near god-like. People practically worship the man and everyone respects him because he's bloody Dumbledore.”

"What happens if he decides to take his 'greater good' to Europe and beyond? He already has all that power with his position in the International Wizard's Confederation. But what happens when that's not enough for him anymore? He could start a wizarding war, claiming to cleanse the rest of the magical world of the Dark's evil taint. The man just wants power and control. He's dangerous! And allowing the education at Hogwarts to remain so biased and one-sided is only going to keep producing his own, personal army of pure Light Wizards, all willing to throw their lives away for their Master."

"Good Merlin, I never realized..." Fudge gasped in quiet horror. "I never thought it went so far... that he... oh my..."

"Did you know that Merlin was a magical Lord?" Harry asked, seeing an opening.

Fudge's head jerked up and he looked confused for a moment. It was quite a jump in topics. "He... what?"

"Merlin. He was one of the first wizards that Magic deemed a Lord."

"Oh... that's... interesting," Fudge said, slowly, still obviously confused as to what this had to do with what they'd just been talking about.

"No, what's interesting is that Merlin was a Dark Lord."

Fudge's jaw dropped. "What? Where on earth did you hear such a preposterous –"

"It's true! And honestly, there are a lot of things to back it up, not just the ancient books I've read. It's recorded history that Merlin was a Cambion. His father was an Incubus! A demon, Minister Fudge. A demon. His mother was a mortal human muggle but his father was a Dark Creature. He was a Dark Wizard and the first Dark Lord, designated by Magic itself to watch over the other Dark Wizards and the Dark Creatures. The first Light Lord was Morgan le Fey, the daughter of a human and an elven Fey, a Light Creature. You see, this is why I say that remembering our history is so important! People forget these important details, losing sight of what's really true, and what is just biased propaganda leaving them open to be manipulated by people like Dumbledore.”

"Dumbledore has been fighting for so long to push the idea that all things Dark are evil and yet everyone respects Merlin. Everyone realizes what a great and powerful wizard he was. Our neglect of our history has allowed us to forget what he really was. That he was a Dark Wizard. Allowing ourselves to forget these truths has only made it that much easier for Dumbledore to push his ideals upon the masses and gain power. To do it while everyone thinks he's fighting for them, and for their sakes, to protect the good in the world. All he's really doing is gaining power for himself. For his goals. He's devious in that he can do all these horrible things and no one realizes it. Those that do see some of what he's really doing behind the scenes are so loyal to him that they're willing to turn a blind eye and claim that he must have his reasons. Dumbledore is dangerous." Harry finished in a quiet hiss.

Fudge's eyes were unfocused as he stared down at the table between them. He was slowly nodding his head with that same horrified look on his face. "He is... but... but what can we do? Something must be done!" Fudge said with an almost desperate tone.

Harry thought it was almost comical that the Minister of Britain's Wizarding World was apparently relying on the advice of a fifteen year old boy but kept his amusement to himself and pressed on quickly. "We need to start trying to counteract some of the damage he's doing at Hogwarts. Power over the youth is power over the future. That's his plan, I'm sure of it. He's already got several generations of students behind him but we can at least try and counteract some of what he's done to the current one. Start some educational reforms. Force some of the more neutral Dark Magics back into the curriculum like it's supposed to be, to balance out the Light Magic being taught. If students are practicing both Light and Dark spells, the two will cancel each other out and keep their affinities neutral so that they can't feel compelled by magic to choose a side. Only their free will can dictate that."

"Teach the Dark Arts in the school? The public would never go for that!" Fudge gasped.

"Then don't tell them that's what's going on," Harry said, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "You think they'd approve if they realized that Dumbledore has been forcing the Light Arts down their children's throats without any parental consent? Really powerful Light Magic can be just as addictive as the Dark stuff."

"But how could we get any Dark Magic in the school at all?" Fudge asked, bewildered.

"You said it yourself that Dumbledore has been having trouble getting a teacher for the DADA position this year, right? Well, pass a magical decree stating that the Ministry can assign someone for the position since Dumbledore has failed to fill the post. Get someone you approve of in there. Someone who won't push Dumbledore's Light Lord propaganda. Then start an educational review. Get someone whose impartial from the Ministry to come in and check on the quality of education Britain's magical youth is receiving. Binns' isn't even remotely acceptable as a teacher. He needs to be sacked and a real, living, history instructor brought in. Trelawney is a fraud and she's made Divination a joke subject. Muggle Studies is taught by a pureblood wizard who doesn't know a damn thing about muggles. I mean, most wizards, even those who've taken muggle studies, don't even realize that muggles have gone to the moon, or what a nuclear bomb even is. It's pathetic. And those are just the first few things that come to mind. I'm sure a legitimate educational inquisition could turn up all sorts of dishonest things that Dumbledore has pushed through under the noses of the magical public."

Fudge was nodding his head rather vigorously now. "Your right. Absolutely right! We must put a stop to all of this, and as soon as possible! You're idea about placing someone with the proper ideas in the Defense Professor position is a good one. Of course, we'll have to figure out who..."

"I may have a suggestion on that front, actually..." Harry said, as a small grin managed to creep onto his lips.

"Oh?"

"Yes. I think I've got just the man. You know how I mentioned I've had some private tutors this summer? Well this man has years of experience as a private defense tutor and he's even a dueling champion. He's a brilliant teacher."

Fudge perked up with an obvious interest and Harry had to fight to keep the feral smile from his face that so desperately wanted to appear that. This was just too easy.

Tom and Harry both agreed that that couldn't possibly have gone any better than it had. That evening, Voldemort told Thor, Barty, and Lucius to stay after the training session. He and 'Evan' informed Thorfinn that the Minister would likely be contacting him with a job offer as soon as he was officially able to move forward on pushing his own personal selection into the role of Defense Professor for Hogwarts. Lucius was instructed that, if the Minister asked him his opinion on a choice for the Defense position, since Lucius was not only a frequent adviser to the Minister, but he was also on the Hogwarts Board of Governors, that he was to recommend and praise Thorfinn Rowle then put forth his own recommendation that Rowle be selected for the position.

Thor seemed slightly stunned at first, at the prospect of teaching all seven years worth of Hogwarts students, but was also clearly a bit proud that he had been selected by the Dark Lord to do something that he knew Voldemort considered important.

Lucius was dismissed and Barty was told to prepare notes from his experience having taught Defense at Hogwarts the previous year so he could meet with Thor to help the man prepare for the task. Barty was also instructed to complete a list of any and all students that he remembered who he thought had a dark affinity, a list of all students he thought might be open-minded enough to willingly accept learning Dark Magic, and a list of which students would likely pose the most trouble. He offered Barty use of his Pensieve if he had trouble remembering certain names or individuals.

They arranged a time in the next few days for Barty to come to make use of it, and then scheduled a meeting for when Barty and Thor would meet to discuss the defense job.

Finally, everyone was dismissed, leaving only Harry and Voldemort, Nagini, Hedwig, and the house elves, in the manor. Harry and Voldemort retired to the study. Voldemort reverted to his normal appearance and Nagini slithered in, quickly coming to relax across Harry's lap as the younger wizard sprawled himself sideways across a lounger that had been added to the room some weeks earlier. He had a book in his lap and he read it while aimlessly scratching the scales directly behind Nagini's head with his fingers.

After some time he felt Tom's gaze on him and he glanced up at the elder wizard with a curious look. Tom was watching him. His red eyes were locked on him intently and a small smirk curled the corners of his lips.

"Something up?" Harry asked, setting the book down.

Tom shook his head, smiling a bit before relaxing in his chair. "Just watching you. You sometimes make rather amusing facial expressions when you read."

Harry blinked and felt his cheeks grow a tad bit warm before he squashed the ridiculous response. He would not be embarrassed by something like that.

"Um... okay," Harry said, ducking his head and feeling rather stupid and awkward. Tom chuckled.

Severus Snape had just returned to the castle after a grueling session of training at the Dark Lord's manor. He made his way through the castle, down into the dungeons and quickly made his way into his personal quarters, intent on calling it a night. He was exhausted. The Dark Lord had high expectations for those Death Eaters who had been placed in the 'Advanced' group, which, of course, included Severus, so the sessions were long and strenuous, often lasting four hours and almost always left him sore and exhausted afterwards.

He entered his quarters, flicked his wand to light his fireplace and sat down heavily into a wing-backed chair several feet in front of it. He let his head fall against the back of the chair, and his eyes were just about closed when the fire in front of him suddenly flashed green. In it appeared the head of the last man he wanted to deal with at that moment.

"Ah, Severus! The wards alerted me that you had returned. Good, good. I hope this isn't a bad time but I would really appreciate it if you would join me in my office." the head of Albus Dumbledore spoke with a genial smile.

Severus grimaced and flinched subtly when he tried to sit back up in his chair as the soreness of his side suddenly reminded him of the training dummy's stinging hex that had caught him off guard an hour earlier. He glared down at the fire, utterly despising the smiling old man in it, only barely refraining from snapping at the man right out and refusing Dumbledore's request. He didn't, of course. He was a professional.

He heaved an annoyed sigh and pushed himself to his feet. "Of course, Albus. I'll be there in a few minutes." Severus said evenly.

Dumbledore's face in the fire smiled and his eyes twinkled merrily. "Ah good. Good. See you in just a few minutes."

Severus' lip curled in distaste but he didn't say anything further and instead strode out of his door and began to make the trek up the far-too-numerous stairs to the seventh floor where the Headmaster's Office was located.

When he got to the gargoyle, he spoke the password, Mars Bars then climbed the ascending spiral stairs before pulling open the large brass door handle and entering the headmaster's office.

"You wanted to discuss something with me?" Severus asked in a flat, bored voice.

"Ah yes. Thank you for making the journey all the way up here, dear boy. I realize that it's quite late, but I have something rather important that I wish to discuss with you. Please, have a seat."

Snape gave a curt nod and fluidly came around the chair sitting opposite Dumbledore's desk and sat down.

Dumbledore sat up in his chair and steepled his hands together on his desk, waiting a moment before piercing Severus with his bright blue eyes and speaking. "You just returned from a summons? You don't look well, my boy. Were you cursed?" Dumbledore finished with a deeply concerned look to his eyes.

"I did just return from a summons but the Dark Lord did not curse me."

"Then what happened?"

"The Dark Lord has begun training sessions for his small group of followers. He fears that far too many of them became fat and lazy during his absence so he's insisted that we come to participate in mock duels to sharpen our skills."

Dumbledore frowned deeply and looked down at his desk, with a thoughtful, calculating expression. Slowly he nodded his head and refocused on Severus.

"I have a few matters to discuss with you. First, has the Dark Lord spoken to you at all in regards to the prophecy?"

"No, he has not. It hasn't come up even once in any of my meetings with him." Severus easily gave the answer that the Dark Lord had told him to use should this topic come up.

Dumbledore frowned slightly but seemed to accept it.

"Alright. Please let me know right away if that changes. Aside from that matter, I need you to tell me everything that you have learned thus far about the man named Evan Harris."

Severus blinked, but made no other outward display of his surprise. He wasn't sure why Dumbledore was choosing now to suddenly display an interest in the Dark Lord's apprentice but that wouldn't really change much. He had been told by the Dark Lord that he could answer any of Dumbledore's questions regarding Harris without much hesitation. The truth of the matter was that he hadn't really had much exposure to the man yet, so that wasn't much to tell.

"I don't know much," Severus began. "He seems young. Perhaps somewhere around twenty yet surprisingly talented for his age. He is a remarkably skilled dueler..." he hesitated, wondering if he should mention the duel he had witnessed the other night. "During the training session one of the Death Eaters was idiotic enough to insult Harris and insinuate that we had seen nothing of his skill, so why should any of us follow his lead. After he was thoroughly cursed as punishment for his insolence, the Dark Lord took Harris to the head of the hall and the two dueled as a demonstration of the younger man's skills."

Dumbledore's eyes widened and his back straightened with interest. "Go on."

Severus paused, briefly remembering the incredible duel he had witnessed the previous week. He still questioned whether he had really seen what he had seen. He had to admit, while before he had only been mildly curious as to why the Dark Lord had decided to take on an apprentice, after witnessing the duel, he was deeply intrigued. The young man was powerful, skilled, and could go head-to-head with the Dark Lord.

"It was a very impressive demonstration. I would have to admit that he's probably one of the more talented duelers I have ever witnessed in person, aside from the Dark Lord himself. He managed to dodge, block, or counter every spell the Dark Lord sent his way, and sent some undeniably powerful curses back. None connected, of course. In fact, in the end, neither had been hit even once. It was obvious that the two were very familiar with each others dueling style and read each others moves as soon as they were cast, if not before. I would estimate that the Dark Lord has been personally training him for some time now."

Dumbledore's brow furrowed and he nodded his head slowly.

"That is most concerning. Having such a powerful unknown factor suddenly introduced..." Dumbledore said in a quiet thoughtful voice. He looked back up at Severus. "What can you tell me of him and Voldemort's interactions. Does Voldemort seem to treat him... differently?"

Severus frowned, unsure what Dumbledore might be getting at. "He treats him with a level of respect I don't often see," he paused, letting his mind go over the times he had seen Harris and the Dark Lord speaking, interacting during the training sessions, and the meetings that he had attended that Harris had also been to. Most of Severus' meetings with the Dark Lord were private ones; he and the Dark Lord alone while he gave his reports on Dumbledore and the Order. However, he had attended a few group meetings and Harris was always there.

"I suppose I have noticed a few things that seemed a bit odd," Severus said, finally.

"Oh?"

"The Dark Lord seems to ask Harris to do things more often than ordering him. There is still no question that the task is expected to be done. However, it's the tone of voice and the way the request is made that seems somewhat... out of character, for the Dark Lord."

Again, Dumbledore's face took on a pensive, thoughtful expression as he nodded his head, taking in the Potion Master's words.

"And nothing else?" Dumbledore asked.

"Nothing specific that I have noticed. I have had only minimal exposure to the man. As you know, most of my interactions with the Dark Lord have been private meetings with only him and me."

"Yes, yes, of course." Dumbledore said.

Severus looked, long and hard, at the aging wizard sitting across from him, trying to work out in his mind what this might be about. Finally he decided to simply ask. "May I inquire as to why you ask about him? Is there something about Harris that I should know? That I should watch for?"

Dumbledore looked contemplative for a moment. "Yes, I suppose you should know. But first, I have one more question."

"Alright."

"What does Voldemort look like, right now?"

Severus frowned, confused by the question. "The same as he did at the end of the last war."

"Not young? Not human?" Dumbledore asked.

Severus blinked at that. "Human? No. His skin is pale white with a scaled texture to it. His head is bald, his features reptilian. Eyes red and slitted. Same as before."

"Hmm..." Dumbledore made a humming noise in the back of his throat.

"Why do you ask?"

"I believe that Lord Voldemort has found a way to restore his human features. Either at will for perhaps for designated periods of time. I did not sense any glamors but he could have been using more complex means than the standard and they are much harder to detect without using specialized spells. I did not have the opportunity to check..."

"Are you saying that you encountered the Dark Lord?" Severus blanched.

"I did. It was a very brief encounter, and quite unexpected, on both our parts. I wouldn't exactly describe it as a pleasant visit but we did briefly speak on a few things. I came upon Voldemort, although I would be far more inclined to call him by his old name, Tom, seeing as that was how he looked while he and Mr. Harris were rather passionately engaged with each other."

It took Severus several long moments before he could even begin to wrap his mind around what the mad old wizard had just said. "I'm sorry... what?"

"They were kissing." Dumbledore said simply with a small calm grin.

"They..." Severus' voice faltered. "Are you sure it was the Dark Lord?"

"Oh, I'm quite sure. I would recognize him anywhere. I was his teacher for seven years, after all and we did have quite a discussion after he and his companion had noticed I was there."

"And where, exactly, did you happen to just stumble upon them?" Severus asked, still feeling utterly dumbstruck.

"I believed I had identified the location of Voldemort's manor and went to investigate. It is under heavy wards and, even though I am sure it is there, I cannot see it, or have any access to it. It would take a tremendous effort to break down the wards, and a very large group to amount an assault. But, none the less, I'm at least sure of its location. I was investigating the area when I happened to stumble upon Tom and Evan Harris sharing a rather heated embrace. After they had discovered me there, I insisted upon introductions and Tom introduced Mr. Harris as his partner. Not his apprentice."

Severus' jaw was actually hanging open a bit and if he had any idea how utterly stunned he looked, he would have been horrified.

Dumbledore chuckled. "I must admit, I had a similar reaction."

Severus snapped his jaws shut and scowled. He had no idea what to make of this latest revelation. Should he even tell the Dark Lord that Dumbledore had told him? Would the Dark Lord be angry if Severus knew about his personal affairs in such a way?

Severus realized that he had never heard of his Lord ever taking any of the Death Eaters to bed even though, over the years in the last war, there were many who were more than willing, and several who actually had the gall to come right out and make the offer. He had to admit that some portion of his mind simply saw the Dark Lord as asexual. He had trouble imagining anyone being intimate in any way with a man who looked the way the Dark Lord did, anyway. He exuded raw, undeniable power, and that power was highly attractive but, physically, the Dark Lord was a bit too terrifying to look at to imagine being intimate with him. Although if what Dumbledore said was true, his Lord apparently possessed the ability to look human as well.

But... Harris? Evan Harris was his Lord's... lover?

This put a whole new perspective on things.

The looks they shared. The subtle smirks he had seen his Lord send the other man. Harris always showed the Dark Lord an acceptable level of deference in front of the Death Eaters but he never bowed as low, or showed nearly the amount of reverence that was normal and yet he was never cursed for it or reprimanded in any way. The Dark Lord gave him far more leeway than anyone else. Severus had assumed it was because of the high position the young man held, but perhaps it was actually this?

Lovers?

The mere idea made his whole body feel mildly ill. It was nearly impossible for him to imagine his Lord even being capable of being intimate. There was no doubt that his Lord would not be a gentle caring lover. It simply wasn't the way the man worked. It almost felt blasphemous to imagine the man as capable of being loving.

A shudder ran down his spine. It was just too much to contemplate right now. He would definitely be watching their interactions more closely from now on...

"Was there anything else you needed, Albus?" Severus asked, as he finally managed to pull himself out of his thoughts.

"No, I suppose there wasn't anything else. I would appreciate it if you would try to learn as much about this Harris person as possible though."

"Yes, of course."

"Good, good. Well thank you, Severus. I know you must be tired and eager to get to bed."

"Yes, I am."

"Good night."

Severus gave a curt nod in return, stood up from the chair and left. Despite his physical exhaustion, he wondered if he'd truly be able to sleep tonight after such a shocking revelation.

"Hey Tom?" Harry called out lightly. The two of them were in the study again, the following day. Harry was sitting cross-legged on the lounge, hunched over a small stack of parchment in his lap, each page was marked with the Gringotts' emblem at the top-center. Tom was sitting in his wing-backed chair behind his desk, going over several reports from his Death Eaters.

"Yes, Harry?" Tom replied, somewhat distractedly.

"You know how I got that full account statement from Gringotts the day after my birthday?"

"Yes?"

"Well, I've been looking through it and, well, I own a lot of property."

Tom looked up, his brows mildly furrowed. "So?"

"A couple of them look promising."

"Promi...?" Tom cut himself off, catching on instantly. "You mean for headquarters?" he asked, somewhat surprised by the suggestion.

"Yeah. Apparently there's some huge castle in Ireland that's unplottable, and so heavily warded I'll have to speak with my account manager to gain access to an object, a special ward keystone, from the family vault if I want to access the house and get keyed into the protections there. It requires Potter blood to activate it for the first time and switch control of the wards over to me. Then I'll be able to do it without the keystone and make adjustments from there. Anyway, from the description in the papers, it sounds huge. It's got multiple wings and is on some huge plot of land with gardens. I think it's worth looking into at least."

Tom looked thoughtful for a moment, slowly nodding his head. "Dumbledore certainly wouldn't be expecting it."

"And no one even knows about this place anymore. Not really. Apparently, it's sat empty for about forty years. By the looks of it my grandfather on the Potter side grew up there, but once his parents died and he got married, he moved out, leaving it empty. So the last Potter that actually lived in it was Charlus Potter."

Tom made a slightly amused sound in his throat, causing Harry to look up curiously. "What?"

"Nothing really. I went to school with him."

Harry blinked. "Who? Charlus Potter?"

Tom rolled his eyes. "Yes, Charlus Potter. He was four years ahead of me. He was Head Boy when I was a fourth year."

Harry stared blankly at Tom for a long minute before smiling and shaking his head. "It is oddly easy for me to forget just how old you are sometimes."

"Fortunately, it is just as easy for me to disregard how young you are," Tom replied with an arched brow and a smirk. "Now back to this house... Are you really sure you're willing to do this? If we did end up using it, it would become our primary headquarters and when we are successful in taking Azkaban, those who we break out will be residing there most likely full-time."

Harry shrugged. "I'm fine with that. By the description the place is way too large for me to consider ever living in it alone. I apparently own plenty of other places; a couple cottages, a beach house, and of course what's left of the house in Godric's Hollow is still mine."

Tom continued to look thoughtful and slowly nodded his head. "It's certainly worth investigating. We can pay Gringotts a visit this week and go from there."

On the morning of August 7th Harry's Hogwarts letter was included with his morning post from Mixey. Harry and Tom had already known that their plan had been successful. Thor had been contacted by Fudge, asking if he would be willing and able to fill the position should the Ministry be forced to fill the post since Dumbledore had still failed to do so. Thor had readily agreed. The day after that Educational Decree #22 was passed at the Ministry stating 'In the event of the current Headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person.' And of by the end of the day, that person was Thorfinn Rowle. That had been yesterday. Thor, having been prepared for this, was able to get his textbook list to the Headmaster right away, and thus the letters had finally gone out.

Harry opened his letter and Tom watched as surprise washed across the younger wizard's face and across their link.

"What is it?" Tom asked, setting down the morning Prophet and focusing on Harry more fully.

"I've been made prefect," Harry said in a stunned tone. It was the last thing he had been expecting. His grades had improved tremendously during his fourth year, and his extracurricular activities had all stayed beyond his professors' notice, so he had actually appeared to be rather well behaved that year, if not rather anti-social for a good portion of it.

Despite the fact that he clearly seemed well behaved and studious to McGonagall, Harry was surprised that Dumbledore would approve of him having been made prefect since it gave Harry freedoms and extra responsibilities that he wouldn't expect Dumbledore to want him to have.

"Prefect?" Tom echoed with only mild surprise. "Well that's interesting. It may make things both easier and more complicated for you."

"How so?" Harry asked, setting the letter down for a moment.

"Easier, in that your nightly rounds will often have you in the halls beyond curfew, making it easier for you to sneak out. Complicated in that you will have added responsibilities to attend to outside of your normal studies. Do you intend to resume your place on the Quidditch team?"

Harry groaned and sat back in his chair with a frustrated huff. "I don't honestly want to, really, but it would look seriously suspicious if I dropped it."

"True," Tom said, nodding his head.

Harry picked the letter back up and continued on reading. "It says here that I have to come into the school on August 20th to take placement exams with Professors Babbling and Vector for my Ancient Runes and Arithmancy classes. Depending on how I place, I will either be placed into the first section with the third years, or in the second section with the forth years."

"Hmm..." Tom hummed, frowning lightly. "I was expecting as much, but obviously this could pose a problem."

Harry nodded. "Yes. Once I'm there, Dumbledore will try his hardest to keep me somewhere he deems 'safe'. He won't easily let me come back here." Harry looked back down at the page and twisted up his face as he read on. "It also says that no matter which sections I get into, first or second, that the classes will conflict with a few of my normal fifth year classes. McGonagall says that unless I can get approved for a time-turner with the Ministry, I won't be able to take the classes at all."

"I doubt that will be difficult. Even without having Fudge securely lodged in your back pocket, either Lucius or Rookwood could easily guarantee you approval for a student-issue time-turner."

"True, but it would still be better if Lucius wasn't connected to my approval in anyway," Harry said dismissively, as he flipped to the second page and began to read his book list. "Rookwood isn't suspected as a Death Eater but there is no reason for him to lend any aid to Harry Potter since I shouldn't have any way of knowing any Unspeakables."

"Of course," Tom said obviously. "I'll send Mixey to the Ministry to collect the application papers for a student time-turner this afternoon. Once they're submitted, all we have to do is draw the attention of the correct individuals and I imagine approval will be quick in coming."

Harry nodded his head distractedly while taking a bite of toast and flipping to the last page with his school supply list. It was basically the same as usual. The list of potions ingredients was far more extensive this year but it was his OWLs year, so he would expect nothing less. "I'll write a letter back to McGonagall telling her I'm filling out the application and expect approval. I think I may ask her if it would be possible to do the placement tests at a more neutral location. Do you think it would look bad if I tried to make any demands about being promised that I would be allowed to leave afterwards?"

"Hmm..." Tom hummed in thought. "It may not be wise to show an excessive amount of distrust in Dumbledore to McGonagall. I'm quite sure that her loyalty to the man is absolute. Perhaps something a little more subtle will be in order. We'll have to handle it delicately. I was thinking though..." Tom trailed off and Harry felt some hesitancy over the link, which was a rare emotion for him to sense from the Dark Lord.

"You were thinking...?" Harry asked.

"While I am most certainly unwilling to give up a solid two weeks, I was thinking that perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea if you agreed to stay at the Order's headquarters for the last few days of your holidays."

Harry blinked, then scowled down at the table in front of him, and then gave a resigned sigh. "You're right. It's an incredible opportunity and it would be stupid to pass it up. The chance to fully explore the Order's headquarters, as well as the potential for spying on them..." Harry trailed off and sighed again.

"Exactly," Tom said curtly. "Perhaps it could be a bargaining chip. You promise Dumbledore that you will stay at this 'secret location' of his but that you want to return to your 'friend's' house for a few days first. Then write and agree on the time for him to meet you somewhere neutral, perhaps the Leaky Cauldron, and then allow him to take you to the Order's Headquarters."

Harry was nodding thoughtfully. "Alright. It sounds like a decent enough plan. I just have to make sure I don't have too much trouble getting away from the man after my placement exams. I'll write McGonagall back agreeing to come and take them. I think I'll still ask for somewhere more neutral though. I can always use the excuse that coming all the way to Hogwarts may prove a bit too difficult."

"Where ever you have to go for the test, I can accompany you," Tom added as he picked up his tea and took a sip. Harry blinked at him, clearly a bit surprised and confused by this. "You aren't old enough to legally Apparate yet," Tom continued on in explanation, "and the only legal Portkeys are distributed by the Ministry and can be traced. Obviously you wouldn't be using a legal portkey. Therefore you would need someone who could side-along Apparate you. That would be me. As Nick, of course."

"But what if Dumbledore is there? What if he realizes who you are?"

"He didn't realize who you were when we had the misfortune of running into him in Little Hangleton. I'm quite confident in the power my glamor rings. You already know that they disguise magical signatures as well as physical appearances."

Harry blew out a slow breath before shrugging and giving Tom a hesitant grin. "Alright. We'll give it a shot. I'd rather have you there with me anyway." He admitted with a sheepish grin. Tom smirked back, reached over and threaded his fingers in Harry's silken raven locks, pulling Harry in closer and pressing their lips together.

He pulled back slowly and the two shared a moment, staring into each other eyes before they refocused on their breakfasts.

Later that day Barty and Thor were scheduled to arrive in the manor to continue making additional plans for Thor's Defense class curriculum Harry and Tom were going to be part of it to add in their own opinions on what overall goals they wanted to accomplish with his infiltration of the school. This meeting was also to be important in that it was when Thor was going to learn the truth about Harry's identity.

Barty arrived first followed, almost instantly, by Thor. The pair made their way through the halls towards the conference room on the first floor where Voldemort and Harry, currently glamored as Evan, were already waiting for them.

Upon entering the room, Barty and Thor each bowed to the Dark Lord and waited until they were instructed to sit, before they each took seats at the table, opposite 'Evan' and Voldemort.

Voldemort only let a moment of silence pass before he spoke. "Today, Thorfinn, you'll be learning an extremely sensitive piece of information. What will be revealed to you today must not go beyond this room under any circumstances. Aside from yourself, Barty is the only other of my Death Eaters who is fully privy to this information. Severus is partially aware of it but he is not aware entirely of what you are about to learn."

Thor's face was kept stoic but Harry could see the man's jaw clench slightly and, for the briefest of moments, his eyes darted to the side to look towards Barty and then 'Evan' before instantly turning back to focus on the Dark Lord. "I will not disappoint you, my Lord," Thor said with the utmost sincerity.

"Last year, before my full resurrection when I was still in a rather vulnerable state, I was approached by the most unexpected of individuals. This individual had become aware of my current status and my eminent return. Then, surprisingly enough, offered his assistance and loyalty to me. If it were not for this person's efforts, my return would not have been as complete or smooth as it was." Voldemort paused for a moment before continuing. "This individual was Harry Potter."

Thor's face only betrayed the smallest hint of his extreme shock at this statement. Considering how the man usually managed to maintain a completely stoic facade, the reaction he gave was significant. "Harry Potter, my lord?" Thor asked as if he weren't sure he had truly heard correctly.

"Yes, Potter. The one and only Boy-Who-Lived. It was with his blood that my body was restored. It was with his magical assistance that I was able to regain my full power and my preferred form. Despite popular misconception, Harry Potter has become a very powerful, intelligent, and very Dark Wizard. His affinity is as Dark as is possible in one so young. As Dark as my own was at his age. The boy has sworn his total loyalty to me and he has my complete trust."

At that final statement, Thor's facade completely broke and he openly gaped. The Dark Lord did not trust anyone.

"He has proven himself to me, time and again, so he has my full confidences," Voldemort continued, ignoring Thor's reaction. "I have been personally training him and he and I have been formulating plans for what tasks he shall attempt to accomplish during the school year. During the latter half of the previous school year, Barty was Potter's primary contact within the school. In fact, Barty was the first person that Harry approached in his efforts to seek me out. Now that you will be teaching at the school, you will be expected to work with Potter, in secret of course, in achieving his tasks. He will help you with yours as well, obviously. As you know, Severus Snape, the Potions Master, is one of my Death Eaters. Dumbledore is under the impression that Snape is a spy working for him. It would be best if you and Severus had minimal contact in the school since it would be best if you were not outwardly identified as one of my followers. Therefore, your primary contact within the school will in fact be, Harry Potter."

By this point Thor had managed to get his expression mostly under control but his eyes were still a bit wide with shock. He nodded his head, slightly distractedly as he spoke, "Yes, my Lord."

"There is still one more thing," Voldemort began in a light voice, calling Thor's full attention back to him. "Have you been reading the Prophet this summer?"

"To some extent," Thor said, nodding hesitantly.

"But you've seen the articles about Potter? That he turned up missing?"

"Yes," Thor confirmed with a curt nod.

"In his interview with the Prophet he told the reporter that he was staying with a friend. The truth is that he has been staying here."

Again, Thor's eyes betrayed his surprise while the rest of him remained stoic.

Voldemort smirked slightly before turning to the young wizard sitting beside him. "Evan, if you would?" Voldemort said lightly.

Harry bowed his head slightly before smirking across the table at Thor and making a show of raising his hands. Reaching his right hand to his left and slowly sliding off the ring on his left index finger. The moment it completely left him, his appearance began to shimmer and melt away.

Where once there had sat an early 20-something man with long dirty-blond hair and blue eyes, there now sat a rather mature looking 15-year old with medium length raven-colored hair that had been slicked back at the top, easily displaying the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead, and the ends reaching down to the base of his neck in the back. His face featured his oh-so-memorable bright killing curse green eyes framed in thin, circular, black-wire spectacles, and a rather devilish smirk.

"Hey, Thor," Harry said playfully. "Surprise!"

"Y-you're... Harry bloody Potter!" Thor gasped, all attempts at maintaining his stoic mask, once again, completely lost. Harry just grinned wider. Thor's head darted over to Barty, who was also clearly amused, and not the least bit surprised by all this. "You knew?"

"Of course," Barty said with an unapologetic shrug.

Thor looked back at Harry, still gaping, and Harry could see the cogs suddenly turning behind his eyes. "The duel! That was you! And... good Merlin! You said you'd been training under the Dark Lord for four months and self taught before that. But you're only... what, fifteen?"

Harry snickered and shrugged. "Just turned fifteen last week, actually."

Thor gaped, utterly dumbfounded.

"He did win the Tri-Wizard Tournament at fourteen," Barty added in, also openly smirking at this point.

Thor's gaze darted between the other three people in the room for a moment before he sat back into his chair and just looked stunned for a long, silent, moment. He finally composed himself and shook the shock from his shoulders. He gave a determined nod then refocused on the Dark Lord and Harry. "What do you need of me?"

A.N.- I've enlisted my beta's help, the most amazing and wonderful Tenchi, to help me beta these so I can get onto writing faster! So more updates soon and I'll be starting my chapter as fast as I can.

-Danyealle
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Harry Potter and the Breeding Darkness