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The Black Heir	By : gpsassi Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Voldemort Views: 42492 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created and owned by JK
Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books,
Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being
made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

AN: Thanks for the lovely reviews! They just make me want to write more
and more.

As for Sirius doing something stupid or something happening to him�
well, I can�t tell you, it would ruin the suspense. : )

As for Orion/Lezander and Orion/Draco, you�ll just have to wait and see.
: )

Now, things will start getting more interesting but some mysteries won�t
be resolved until much much later. And there�s going to be a lot of drama and
angst, terrible things might happen, but it will just make it more interesting.

Kirril, your review was hilarious� �Eagle with a black feather�, it just
made me laugh so hard. I admit that Blackwing isn�t very original but I
couldn�t think of anything else, I couldn�t get any inspiration. Perhaps in
time something else might come to my mind and I might change it.

Enjoy!

Chapter 14 � The Dark Lord returns

Orion and the other Hydras were sitting in their first class of Human
Transformation. It was the class that had taken the place of Blood Rituals and
they would still be taking Dark Spell Creation. Healing Arts and Astronomy had
been added to their core subjects and Orion wondered how they were expected to
have time to learn everything with so many classes. And he also had his private
lessons in Occlumency with Master Selvans. He doubted he would have the time to
able to eat or sleep much during this year.

�Welcome to Human Transformation,� started saying the old white-bearded
wizard, �I�m Master Isidore Golmirn. You�ll be having this class for the next
two years and you�ll be happy to know that some of the things you learned in
Blood Rituals will be useful for this class. In Blood Rituals you were taught
how to modify your body using the blood of the creature whose characteristics
you wanted to have. In this class you�ll learn how to do it without the need of
blood or a ritual. Indeed, spells can be used to transform parts of our bodies
into the part of an animal or magical creature for a certain period of time.
Usually the effects of these spell are of a shorter duration than if you had
used a Blood Ritual but it has the benefit that you can do the spell at any
time, without having to collect the blood, and it�s much quicker since you
don�t have to go through a ritual.�

He gave a small pause and continued, �Think of a situation in which you
might need to breathe underwater; there�s a spell that can be cast that will
temporarily give you gills. Consider that perhaps you�re running away from an
opponent; you can use a spell that will transform your lower body into that of
a horse. There might also be the time when you�ll need to have night vision;
you can use a spell to turn your eyes into those of an owl. These are some
examples of the usefulness of human transformation. Human transformation spells
are used to change only a part of your body. To completely change into another
animal you have to learn how to become an animagus. Those of you who are
interested can start to learn this in your fourth year with me. Now, to learn
the spells you first have to imagine the part of the body you want to change
and the characteristics of the animal that you want to imitate. You�ll need to
meditate for a long time and eventually you�ll be able to slowly transform the
body part you desire. After much practice you�ll be able to say the spell and
instantly change your body. Let�s turn to page��

Orion and his friends animatedly left the classroom and went to the
Great Hall to have dinner. Orion watched the other students and immediately saw
that the student body was more excited than usual. Many small groups were
formed that whispered amongst themselves and he felt a certain energy in the
air, like if everyone was anxiously waiting for something to occur. He
understood what was happening. Most of them had relatives or close family friends
that were Death Eaters or unmarked supporters. He guessed that word had spread
amongst the dark purebloods of the reappearance of the Dark Mark and thus all
the children were speculating about it and waiting for news of the Dark Lord�s
return. He turned to watch his friends and saw that Lezander wore a concerned
expression; Calypso sat with confidence and a newfound determination in her
eyes; Evander was happily yapping unconcernedly; Viktor sat with a resolved and
serious expression, which was quite unusual for him; and even Kara seemed less
giggly than usual. Orion sighed, they were all going to be affected by the Dark
Lord�s return and the incoming war. He only hoped his friends and their
families would survive unscathed. The war was going to be vicious and he
couldn�t help feeling dread when he thought that if the dark side didn�t win he
would lose all that he had come to love. He couldn�t imagine a world without
the marvels of the Dark Arts and the purity of its magic; without dark
purebloods and their ancient customs and unique culture; without the feeling of
belonging that always embraced him when he was amongst them.

Lezander leaned closer to him and whispered, �My father thanks you for
your warning about the Dark Lord�s return. He would like to meet you.�

Orion turned towards him in surprise, �Your father wants to meet me? The
Vampire Master of the Zraven Clan wants to meet me?� he said in disbelief and
awe.

Lezander warmly chuckled, �Indeed he does. I�ve told him much about
you,� he said looking intensely into Orion�s eyes.

Orion whispered urgently back, �You didn�t tell him about� you know�the
visions?�

Lezander shook his head and replied in earnest, �I would never break
your trust.�

Orion smiled at him, �Thank you. When would he like to meet me?�

Lezander grinned, �I think that at the end of the school year. Next
summer would be best, since I believe you will want to spend Christmas with
your father.�

Orion nodded, �Yes, thank you. Tell your father that I�m honored by his
request and that I happily accept.�

Lezander briefly squeezed his hand and nodded.

Calypso turned to them and asked, �What are you two whispering about?�

Lezander waved his hand dismissively and said, �Oh, the usual. The war,
the Dark Lord, the Death Eaters..�

Calypso soon turned excited and said, �Yes, these are very exciting
times we�re living. To witness the Dark Lord�s return is quite amazing. I never
thought the time would come so soon.�

Orion made a non-committal noise and Calypso turned to frown at him and
Orion explained himself, �I don�t know if I would call it exciting. I think a
better word for it is dangerous,� he sighed, �I understand that he�s our chance
to turn the tide in our favor but I can�t help feeling that we will suffer
greatly. Wars are no picnic. I�m just wary of what the cost will be.�

Calypso shook her head and said with determination, �Any cost is worth
paying if we win the war and gain our freedom.�

Orion replied softly, �Yes, I used to think that way but then I wondered
if I would be able to pay the cost of losing my friends or my father just to
win the war and I reached the conclusion that it wouldn�t be worth it. I
sometimes think I would rather have peace, even if it meant maintaining the
status quo, than risk those whom I love.�

Calypso fiercely grabbed his hand and said angrily, �You can�t think
like that Orion. We are all willing to risks our lives to create a better
future for our kind. You can�t think in such a defeatist way when the war
hasn�t even started. You must be strong.�

Orion nodded his head and replied, �I understand that, but would you be
willing to risk your father, Calypso?�

Calypso faltered but then replied with resolution, �Yes, I would. He
wants to fight for our cause and I respect it. I know he�ll be in
life-threatening situations, I know that I will perhaps,� she swallowed and
continued in a softer voice, �I know that I might lose him in the war, but he
fights for me and I�ll fight for him and we both fight for the dark wizarding
kind. I�m ready to give my life in order to win this war for us.�

Orion smiled at her and said, �I admire you greatly for that. You�re
stronger than me.�

Calypso shook her head, �No, I�m not. I know you, Orion. I know that
you�ll be great. It�s just that you think too much sometimes,� she gave a small
laugh, �You�re even more of an idealist than I am and I know that you�re ready
to fight for our convictions. I know that you�ll do everything in your power to
help our kind take over.�

Orion thought about that. Yes, he was convinced that a revolution was
needed and he wanted the dark wizards to defeat the light wizards in order to
be free and he was willing to give his life to see it happen. But he couldn�t
say that he was ready to face the possibility that his father might die, not
when he didn�t have the comfort of knowing that Sirius was willing to give his
life for the cause, a comfort that Calypso had regarding her own father. But
what she had said was very true, he couldn�t have such pessimist and defeatist
thoughts when the fighting hadn�t even started. He had to be strong and learn
to bear whatever losses he might suffer. He gently squeezed her hand and said,
�You�re right, of course. I�m willing to give my life to see us succeed and
I�ll learn to be strong and face whatever might come.�

Calypso smiled warmly and returned the squeeze, �You won�t be alone.
You�ll always have me. I�ll always fight alongside you.�

Lezander placed his hand above Orion�s which was squeezing Calypso�s and
added, �You also have me. I�ll help you any way I can, Orion.�

Calypso raised her eyebrows and asked, �But you�re a vampire. I thought
that you wouldn�t get involved.�

Lezander scowled at her and growled, �That doesn�t mean that I can�t
protect him.�

Calypso�s eyebrows shot to her hairline but she didn�t comment. She just
regarded Lezander and Orion with a small frown.

Orion merely replied back softly, �Thank you, both of you. I�ll always
protect you too. You�re as dear to me as my own father. You�re my family as
well.�

That night Orion lay on his bed gently petting a contently hissing
Sylvana with a grin on his face since he was thinking about Lezander and
Calypso. He hadn�t lied to them. He truly felt they were as close to him as
Sirius. He loved both of them dearly and it had lifted his heart when they had
both pledged to help him. Lezander�s reaction had also surprised him. His pale
blue eyes had glowed when he said he would protect Orion even though the
vampires didn�t expect to get involved. He wondered about his friend�s
protective feelings towards him. Lezander had always gently comforted him in
the aftermath of his visions and he was the only one with whom Orion had only
openly cried. He felt that he could truly be himself with Lezander. He felt
that he could be open about his emotions without being thought of as being weak.
He was so different from Tom. Tom could also be gentle but he rarely was, he
preferred to confront Orion and always got angry at him for being too
emotional. But Orion had to admit that that also helped him, since it made him
be stronger. And he had realized that Tom also cared for him in his own way.
Tom never said so but he could tell from the concerned looks he sometimes gave
him and the soft tone of voice he sometimes employed. Orion had to admit that
Tom was a puzzle and he found himself fascinated by him. He was very complex
and difficult to decipher. He scorned those who showed too much emotion and
considered love to be a weakness instead of a strength, but he wasn�t as
cold-hearted as he believed himself to be. He cared about the dark purebloods,
he cared about Orion�s safety and success, and he cared about the future of the
wizarding world. He was an idealist as well, a more ruthless idealist, but one
nonetheless. And Orion had to admit to himself that he had come to care deeply
about Tom as well. Which was quite funny considering he was just a portrait,
but well, it couldn�t be helped.

He was jolted out of his musings when all of a sudden he felt an intense
pain across his forehead. He gasped in pain and thought �Not again, please��
before he was plunged into darkness.

He was in a barely lit large room sitting in a throne-like chair that
was raised on a low platform. The air was suddenly full of swishing cloaks as
from every shadowy space wizards started to apparate. All of them were hooded
and wore a white mask that partially covered their faces. One by one, they
moved forward, slowly, cautiously, forming a semicircle around him. He stood
from his throne silently and waited for them. He could count around thirty
Death Eaters.

Then one of the Death Eaters fell to his knees, crawled towards him and
kissed the hem of his black robes. �Master . . . Master," he murmured.

The Death Eaters behind him did the same; each of them approaching him
on their knees and kissing his robes, before backing away and standing up,
forming a silent circle. Orion wanted to retch from that humiliating show of
subservience.

They left numerous gaps in the semicircle, as though waiting for more
people. He looked around at the hooded faces.

"Welcome, Death Eaters," he said quietly. "Twelve years.
. . twelve years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were
yesterday, we are still united under the Dark Mark, then. Or are we?"

No one dared to reply.

"I smell guilt," he said. "There is a stench of guilt
upon the air.� Orion felt the anger starting to rise in him.

A shiver ran around the half-circle.

"I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact - such
prompt appearances! And I ask myself, why did this band of wizards never come
to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?"

No one spoke. No one moved.

"And I answer myself," he whispered, "they must have
believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my
enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment. . . . And
then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again?
They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal
death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when
I was mightier than any wizard living? �.And I answer myself, perhaps they
believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord
Voldemort...� he said piercing with his eyes one of the Death Eaters that had a
crooked nose and long greasy black hair that could be seen under his hood,
�Perhaps they now pay allegiance to another . . . perhaps that champion of
commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?" Orion felt his
anger intensify and he felt the need to punish those you hadn�t believed he was
powerful enough to return.

At the mention of Dumbledore's name, the members of the circle stirred,
and some muttered and shook their heads.

He ignored them, "It is a disappointment to me ... I confess myself
disappointed. . . ."

One of the men suddenly flung himself forward, breaking the semicircle.
Trembling from head to foot, he collapsed at Voldemort's feet.

"Master!" he shrieked, "Master, forgive me! Forgive us
all!"

He began to laugh but felt cold fury. He raised his wand. "Crucio!"

The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked; and Orion wanted to
shout to make him stop torturing his own follower. But he knew he had to remain
quiet. He couldn�t afford to be detected. He swallowed his scream and continued
to silently observe what was happening.

He raised his wand. The tortured Death Eater lay flat upon the ground,
gasping.

"Get up, Wilkes," he said softly. "Stand up. You ask for
forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Twelve long years ... I want
twelve years' repayment before I forgive you.�

He approached a wizard to his right. "Lucius, my cunning
friend," he whispered, halting before him. "You helped me regain a
body. Though I wonder if you truly knew what the diary would do. Did you simply
dispose of it to get rid of the evidence of your past loyalty to me? Or did you
know that it would help me return?�

Diary? What diary? Thought Orion confused. Then he remembered the black
opened book besides the body of the Weasley girl. And he remembered how Lucius
had placed two books instead of one in her cauldron that day in Flourish &
Blotts. So that diary had helped Voldemort�s soul to obtain a body? But how?

"My Lord, I suspected that the diary would help you. I remember
when you gave it to me and told me that it was a key of your immortality. You
did me a great honor and I wanted to help you return," came Lucius
Malfoy's voice swiftly from beneath the hood.

�Ah, but only when the time was convenient for you. Why didn�t you use
it before if you truly wanted me back?� he said softly but Orion felt the
intense anger in him. He only hoped Lucius wouldn�t be punished as well. He
didn�t know if he could bare it. He had come to respect the older wizard and
thought that he had done much for their cause.

"My Lord, I have been working to influence the Ministry of Magic. I
was preparing the ground for your return-� said Lucius.

He interrupted him, �We�ll see about that.� He paused and said quietly,
�Then you haven�t renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a
respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of
Muggle-torture, I believe?�

Orion felt his heart drop. Muggle-torture? Lucius? No, why would they do
such a cruel and unnecessary thing?! Oh Merlin, they shouldn�t do it again!
Orion abruptly froze when he felt Voldemort�s mind give a mental jerk. Had
Voldemort felt him? He stayed as still as he could, clearing his mind of all
thoughts.

Lucius silently nodded.

And he continued saying, �You might have been working in infiltrating
the Ministry of Magic but you should have better directed your energies in
bringing me back sooner. You have disappointed me. Though you won�t be
punished�I expect more faithful service in the future.�

"Of course, my Lord, of course. . . . You are merciful, thank you.
..." replied Lucius.

He moved on, and stopped, staring at a space large enough for three
people that separated Lucius and the next man.

"The Lestranges should stand here," he said quietly. "But
they are entombed in Azkaban. They were faithful. They went to Azkaban rather
than renounce me. . . . When Azkaban is broken open, the Lestranges will be
honored beyond their dreams. The dementors will join us ... they are our
natural allies ... we will recall the banished giants ... I shall have all my
devoted servants returned to me, and an army of creatures whom all fear."

He walked on. Some of the Death Eaters he passed in silence, but he
paused before others and spoke to them.

"And here," he said moving on to the two largest hooded
figures, "we have Crabbe . . . you will do better this time, will you not,
Crabbe? And you, Goyle?"

They bowed clumsily, muttering dully.

"Yes, Master ..."

"We will, Master..."

"The same goes for you, Nott, Travers," he said quietly as he
walked past the two figures besides Goyle.

"My Lord, I prostrate myself before you, I am your most faithful
-" said Nott.

"That will do," he snapped.

He had reached the largest gap of all, and he stood surveying it as
though he could see people standing there.

"And here we have six missing Death Eaters . . . three dead in my service.
One, too cowardly to return ... he will pay. One, who I believe has left me
forever ... he will be killed, of course . . . and one who had always shown
great loyalty and still remains in Azkaban," he said quietly.

Orion mentally frowned. Who was he referring to? He could infer that the
one too cowardly to return must be Peter Pettigrew and his heart clenched when
he realized that the one that Voldemort believed had left him forever and thus
wanted to kill was Igor Karkaroff. But who was the one that was particularly
loyal and still remained in Azkaban?

He turned and faced the last Death Eater, �Ah, and here we have our
spy,� he said with a cold smile, �Though it makes me wonder for whom you have
been spying. I must confess I was quite surprised when I learned that
Dumbledore vouched for you in your trial. He said you had been spying for him
all along. And you have been working as his Potions Master all this time. Has
he already convinced you to spy for him again, is this why you have returned to
me, Severus?�

Orion mentally gasped. Severus Snape. Dumbledore must have indeed sent
him just like Voldemort suspects.

�My Lord, I have always remained loyal to you. I remained with
Dumbledore to gather information about him for when you returned. I was sure that-�
started saying Snape.

He felt great anger and raised his wand swiftly, �Crucio!�

Orion could even feel the intensity of the dark magic that Voldemort was
using to make the spell stronger than normal. Orion was in awe of his power, he
could feel Voldemort�s inner magic stirring and filling him and Orion
unwillingly relished in the feeling. It was so powerful, so desirable. Orion
felt it all around him and succumbed to the pleasurable feeling. It was so like
his own when he cast the killing curse. The same intensity, the same feeling.

Snape writhed on the floor and his body started convulsing violently. He
seemed to be trying to stifle his screams but after some more minutes he broke
and gave a horrible anguished scream that Orion was sure would haunt him in his
sleeps for many nights. That brought his mind back to what was happening and he
didn�t want to see this anymore. He wanted to escape from this terrible scene.

He stopped the curse but quickly said, �Legilimens!�

And Orion was plunged into Snape�s mind along with Voldemort. He could
see memories flashing by and was barely able to discern some.� flash of a young
Snape sitting in the library with a beautiful red-headed girl, looking at her
longingly�..a black haired woman hugging him as a boy and crying in a corner as
a man walked threateningly towards them with a belt in his hand��Snape kissing
Voldemort�s robes saying, �My Lord, I�ve heard a prophecy-��..Snape brewing
Veritaserum and planning on using it without being detected on Dumbledore�.
Snape spying on Dumbledore and thinking about his Lord�s return longingly�..
Then it suddenly stopped and Orion felt as he withdrew from Snape�s mind.

Orion could barely make sense of everything he had seen. He would have
to think about it later. He had to observe what else happened.

�You might be telling the truth. But tell me, does Dumbledore know about
my return? Has he gathered the Order of the Phoenix again?� he asked quietly.

Snape shakily rose from the floor and bowed his head, �No, my Lord. He
doesn�t suspect anything.�

�You will do well to never betray me again, Severus. My patience with
you is not infinite. You said you have been gathering information on the old
man, I hope for your sake that you were telling me the truth. I expect you to
give me a full report in the next gathering. You�ll resume your spying and
bring me all the information you can get on the members of the Order of the
Phoenix, even if they haven�t regrouped yet. I want to know what they have been
doing these past years.�

Snape bowed further and said, �Of course, my Lord, I�m yours to
command.�

He hissed, �Yes, and you�ll do well to remember it, Severus.�

Then, silence. The Death Eaters were quite motionless, the glittering
eyes in their masks fixed upon him. Then someone spoke.

"Master, we crave to know ... we beg you to tell us ... what
happened that Halloween night when we suffered your untimely loss?" said
Lucius reverently.

At that Orion focused to listen carefully. Yes, he was rather curious
about that himself.

He walked lazily over to stand next to his throne, so that the eyes of
the whole circle were upon him.

"You know, of course, that they have called Harry Potter my
downfall?" he said softly, "You all know that on the night I lost my
powers and my body, I tried to kill him. His mother died in the attempt to save
him and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen.
... I couldn�t kill him. I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. My curse was
deflected by the woman's foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon myself.�

Orion had to prevent himself from snorting loudly in Voldemort�s mind.
That was pure rubbish. Orion knew perfectly well that his mother�s sacrifice
had nothing to do with why he had survived the killing curse. Innumerable Dark
Arts books clearly stated that no love or sacrifice magic could stop the Avada
Kedavra curse and he was sure that Voldemort knew this as well. But he imagined
that Voldemort couldn�t admit this to his followers. He couldn�t admit that he
had no idea how Harry Potter had survived or that he might have powers that
Voldemort lacked or was unaware of.

He continued speaking, �Aaah . . . pain beyond pain, my friends; nothing
could have prepared me for it. I was ripped from my body, I was less than
spirit, less than the meanest ghost. . . but still, I was alive. What I was,
even I do not know... I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that
leads to immortality. You know my goal: to conquer death. And now, I was
tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked ... for I
had not been killed, though the curse should have done it. Nevertheless, I was
as powerless as the weakest creature alive, and without the means to help
myself... for I had no body, and every spell that might have helped me required
the use of a wand...But through the diary I was able to return. I won�t tell
you about its properties, it was just one of my experiments. But it worked and
it allowed me to obtain my current body.�

Orion mentally frowned. He hadn�t told them the truth. He hadn�t said
that he had attempted to gain the Sorcerer�s Stone or that it had been his
other soul that had gained a body using the diary. He guessed that Voldemort
didn�t even trust his own followers that much. He obviously wanted to keep
secret the information regarding his two soul pieces as they had been his key
to immortality. But what experiments was Voldemort talking about? And he said
there had been several�If the diary was just one of them, what were the others?
Had he gone through blood rituals? Had he cast some spells on him?

He continued, "But I want there to be no mistake in anybody's mind.
Harry Potter escaped death by a lucky chance, by his mother�s sacrifice, not
because of any powers he held himself. But I have learned that the boy ran away
from his muggle caretakers. That he is most probably dead since not even
Dumbledore has been able to find him. But nevertheless, we must be sure. One of
our priorities will be to find out if he�s still alive and to capture him if
that�s the case. He can�t be allowed to return to Dumbledore.�

�My Lord, if I may be so bold to inquire�What are your plans concerning
the boy if he�s alive and we capture him?� asked Snape.

He regarded Snape silently and then said quietly, �He�ll have to be
turned or killed. He�s the icon of the Light and as such could have the power
to rally them to him. If he is turned to our side then the Light will suffer a
great shock and will despair. If he doesn�t accept, then he�ll be swiftly
killed.�

Orion was surprised. What Voldemort had said was exactly what Tom had
answered when he had asked him the same question. But maybe it shouldn�t be so
surprising, it was after all quite the logical action to take. And it gave him
hope then, that Voldemort wouldn�t outright kill him if he ever found out the
truth and if he could prove that he really supported the Dark.

They kept on talking about their plans to conceal the Dark Lord�s return
and Voldemort listened to reports from Lucius and others that had done great
progress in infiltrating several Ministries of Magic. Voldemort also mentioned
that they wouldn�t attack Azkaban yet since he didn�t want to alert the light
wizards of his return, but that they would be starting negotiations with the
Dementors and would start planning for the attack, even if it would most surely
take place more than a year from now.

As they talked about their plans Orion got increasingly more exhausted
and had started drifting off, without able to pay much attention. He started
feeling his mind slipping and willingly gave himself to it.

He woke with a gasp and saw that he was once again laying on his bed
being hugged by Lezander. This is becoming a custom, Orion tiredly thought in
amusement. He craned his neck to look up at Lezander, who had his face inches
away from his.

Lezander said softly, �This has got to stop. You scream and writhe in
pain every time this happens.�

Orion whispered, �It�s manageable and besides it�s useful. I can get
better information-� he stopped and widened his eyes.

Lezander frowned at him, �You see the Dark Lord in your visions. That�s
how you knew in first year that something was about to happen and that�s how
you knew in second year that he had returned.�

Orion didn�t know what to reply but Lezander sighed and continued, �I
meant what I said during dinner. I want to help you, I want to protect you. I
could perhaps help you with this if you told me-�

Orion interrupted him and said sadly, �I can�t tell you, Lez. Nobody
else knows besides my father.�

Lezander looked desesperately into his eyes and said in a voice full of
emotion, �But you�re suffering. I lo- I care about you, Orion. I want to help
you. I would never betray you. I�m a vampire, I�m neutral. I don�t really care
on whose side you�re on. I only care about you.�

Orion wondered about Lezander�s tone of voice and about what he had been
about to say. But it warmed his heart hearing Lezander say such things. He
smiled warmly at him and replied, �I thank you, I care about you as well. But
it�s complicated. I�m truly on the Dark's side, but�� he didn�t know what to
say. Should he reveal his secret to Lezander? He trusted him and knew that he
was neutral and thus had no real reason to betray him, and nobody would be able
to look into his mind as well.

Lezander hugged him tighter and said softly, �Please trust me.�

Orion looked into those pale blue eyes that were looking into his with
an intense emotion he couldn�t decipher and he felt his heart clench. He felt
the need to be honest with him. To tell him about his problems and take comfort
in his arms. He swallowed nervously and said in a whisper, �I do see the Dark
Lord in my visions. It has only happened twice before but this time I saw much
more than I really wanted to-� he faltered and shivered when he remembered
Snape�s screams as he was held under the Cruciatus Curse. He closed his eyes
but could still see him writhing and convulsing in pain, his terrible shrieks
ringing in his ears. Orion let out a small sob and Lezander started stroking
his hair gently. Orion leaned towards the comforting touch. He continued in a
shaky voice, �I saw him torturing his Death Eaters. It was horrible, it was
cruel and unnecessary. But I knew how it would be like. I should have been
prepared.�

Lezander replied, �I don�t think many could stand to see that without
feeling something, Orion. It�s only natural that you feel it deeply. It must
have been awful.�

Orion gave him a small smile. Lezander always understood his feelings so
well.

Lezander asked in concern, �But why does it happen to you? Does the Dark
Lord do it on purpose to torment you? Does he know you?�

Orion coughed a laugh, �No, he doesn�t do it on purpose. He�s not even
aware of it. And I think he would torture me or kill me if he ever found out.�
Then he paused and made a decision that would change many things, �It happens
to me because I�m�I�m linked to him.�

Lezander frowned and asked, �What do you mean?�

Orion sighed warily. He couldn�t tell him everything, not yet. �I can�t
explain further. It�s for my sake as well as yours. I can only tell you that
this link allows me to access his mind sometimes. I don�t really know how it
works. But usually it comes with great pain at the beginning. And I fear�� he
faltered and another shiver ran through his body. He said in a low whisper, �I
fear that he might be able to look into my mind as well when he discovers the
link. He might want to hurt me through it and I don�t think I�ll be able to
prevent him from doing it.�

Lezander warily sighed and said, �Oh, Orion. Why should these things
happen to you?� He turned sad eyes to him and asked, �And there�s nothing you
can do to protect yourself?�

�I have been learning Occlumency. It�s the only possible thing that
could help me. But I�ll never be sure if it�s enough or if I�m strong enough to
build mind barriers to keep him out,� replied Orion.

Lezander frowned and seemed to be thinking about something. He looked
into Orion�s eyes and regarded him quietly. Then he softly said, �I might be
able to help you with that someday,� his pale blue eyes glowed with an
indiscernible emotion and he whispered while hugging Orion tighter, �If someday
you would allow me�� he swallowed nervously and said, �If you could perhaps
return my l-� but Lezander seemed unable to continue and grew silent.

Orion frowned at him but didn�t break the intense eye contact that
Lezander was keeping with him. Lezander was looking at him with such hope in
his eyes, with such a deep emotion that Orion couldn�t make out. They silently
lay on Orion�s bed for a long time. Orion was too tired to move and Lezander
seemed content in just holding him while stroking his hair and soon after Orion
fell asleep.

The next day Orion�s mind felt like a messy whirlwind of thoughts. He
thought about Voldemort and his diary, about the other experiments he had
mentioned, about Snape writhing on the floor shrieking in pain, of Lezander�s
beautiful emotion-filled eyes, his gentle caresses and the feeling of comfort
and safety he felt with him, of his pending discussion with Tom and what he
should tell him, of Sirius and the promise he made to him of not going after
Pettigrew, and finally of the memories he had seen in Snape�s mind. And since
those were the only thoughts he could work with and analyze he decided to focus
on them. So he sat in his bed after classes and concentrated on what he had
seen.

The first image that came to his mind was of a young Snape looking
longingly at a red-headed girl. He closed his eyes and concentrated to make the
image clearer. She was beautiful and she had an aura of gentleness and love
around her. She had delicate features and her eyes were beautiful�.they
were�they were of an indescribable amazing green hue�Orion opened his eyes in
shock. She had his eyes! He gasped when he remembered the pictures Sirius had
showed him of Lily. She was older in them but the resemblance was undeniable!
It had been his mother! Snape had been looking longingly at his mother! He had
loved her! They hadn�t just been friends like Sirius had said. Snape had loved
her. Oh, Merlin. And she had married his childhood nemesis. It must have killed
him inside.

Orion frowned. And Voldemort had killed her. Was this the reason why
Snape had turned sides? Why he went to Dumbledore? What had Dumbledore said to
him to convince him? Was Dumbledore using Snape�s love for his mother to chain
Snape to him. Could Dumbledore be able to manipulate the man�s love in such a
way? Orion nodded his head. Yes, he believed Dumbledore could do so without
remorse. He surely justified it to himself in some pathetic way. But it was the
worse kind of manipulation possible. Oh, he didn�t believe Snape had been
difficult to convince since he would have been distraught by her death and
Voldemort was to blame�

Orion frowned. Something didn�t add up. Snape had been a spy long before
Voldemort had killed her, if what Dumbledore had said in Snape�s trial was the
truth. Then Snape had no reason to go to Dumbledore since she hadn�t died yet.
That could only mean that she had been in danger and Snape wanted to protect
her, so he went to Dumbledore to ask for help. And Dumbledore had used Snape�s
love for her and asked in exchange that Snape turned into his spy. Orion
growled in anger. That manipulative old bastard. To take advantage of Snape in
such a disgusting way. It made him sick. But one thing wasn�t clear. Why did
Snape fear for her? She was in the Order of the Phoenix and she had been a
muggleborn, but there had to be something in particular that had made Snape
certain that she would be attacked, as indeed she had been.

Orion gasped. Snape knew why Voldemort had attacked them! He knew why
Voldemort wanted to kill Harry Potter! Merlin�s beard! What he had always
wondered about was known to Snape! What had Sirius said?...That suddenly
Dumbledore had urged the Potters and Longbottoms to go into hiding. Dumbledore
hadn�t given any reasons for it, he just told them that he felt certain that
Voldemort would try to attack them. Snape had obviously told Dumbledore the
real reason! And the old coot hadn�t told what he knew to his mother or to
James Potter. That bastard had kept information from them! Information that
could have been useful, that could have perhaps saved their lives! Orion felt
such a cold fury against the old wizard. But soon calmed down when another
thought entered his mind: what did the Longbottoms have to do with it? Had
Snape�s information been unclear as to who would be targeted? And the targets
had been babies. Voldemort had just wanted to kill him�so that meant that he
had also wanted to kill Longbottom�s son�What was his name? He remembered from
Draco�s letters that the Longbottom boy was in Gryffindor and sometimes hung
around Ron Weasley� Neville! Neville Longbottom. So he had been a target as
well. But why? Why would Voldemort target babies? It was clear that Voldemort
had first wanted to kill him and then probably planned on killing Neville. But
it didn�t make any sense that a wizard of Voldemort�s powers would go around
killing babies. Why would he feel threatened by a pair of babies?

Orion was frustrated and it angered him that Dumbledore knew the answer
to these questions. Dumbledore and Snape were probably the only ones who truly
knew Voldemort�s reasons. And Dumbledore had kept that vital piece of
information from his mother, Orion thought darkly. And Dumbledore had obviously
played on Snape�s guilt and anguish at his mother�s death to keep him loyal to
the light side. Dumbledore had been unable to protect the Potters but had let
Snape carry all the guilt. Snape was undoubtedly still on Dumbledore�s side.
And he understood him. Voldemort had killed the woman he loved and Dumbledore
must have twisted things in such a way that Snape felt that he was the only one
to blame; when that wasn�t the truth, given that Dumbledore had failed to keep
his end of the bargain to protect Lily in exchange of Snape�s spying
activities. Snape clearly didn�t see how Dumbledore was to blame as well, not
only for that, but for using Snape�s love in such a way and for concealing the
information from Lily.

Orion didn�t know what the reason was but his mother had had the right
to know any information regarding her and her son. She had had the right to
know the true reason why Voldemort wanted her son dead. Orion knew from Sirius
that she had been brilliant. Perhaps she could have found a way out for them if
she had known what Dumbledore refused to share. And it wasn�t Dumbledore�s
right to keep things from his mother and him anyways! That information
concerned them! It now concerned him! Morgana damn that old coot to hell! He�ll
never allow himself to be manipulated by Dumbledore! The old wizard clearly had
no compunction in using people�s weaknesses and feelings for his own purposes.
Orion would not fall into his games and manipulations.

Poor Snape, Orion thought sadly. He must hate himself so much and
Dumbledore must encourage those feelings in order to keep Snape firmly opposed
to Voldemort. Orion sighed. But Voldemort was also to blame. Snape truly had no
one to turn to. One killed the woman he loved and the other manipulated him for
his own benefit. Much like himself, Orion thought warily. But he had already
made his choice. He would never forgive Voldemort for killing his mother but he
might be able to understand it better if he knew what his reasons were. And he
partly understood it now without knowing the particulars. Voldemort had thought
that he had been a threat and had gone to kill him. He couldn�t truly blame him
for that. Yes, it was cruel to kill a child but it was war and he had been
considered an enemy, a threat to the dark wizarding cause. So why would
Voldemort wait for him to grow up? Thinking about it coldly it made more sense
to eliminate your enemies as soon as possible. So he understood that. And his
mother had gotten in the way. Brave, loving Lily, he thought sadly. She had
stood unarmed against such a fear-inducing wizard and had willingly given her
life for him. He felt a tear slip. Oh mother, how I love you, he thought. He
sighed and continued thinking. He needed to find the real reason. He needed to
know in case Voldemort ever found out he was Harry Potter. He needed to know if
it was something that Voldemort could overlook or something that he truly
believed in and therefore would be inclined to kill him as soon as he caught
him.

He sighed again. He�ll have to think about a way of obtaining that
information later. He joggled his mind to review Snape�s next memory. Ah, yes.
Snape spying on Dumbledore and longingly awaiting for Voldemort�s return. Orion
snorted. Obviously false feelings and perhaps false images�but that would mean
that Snape was a powerful Occlumens. Well, that didn�t sound impossible. Snape
was a powerful dark wizard, perhaps he had the ability of being an Occlumens to
rival Voldemort�s legilimency. Anyway, there was no useful information in those
memories.

The next memory was of a woman crying and holding a very young Snape and
a man advancing towards them with a belt in hand. Orion mentally flinched. It was
clear that it had been his mother protecting him from his father�s abuse.
Another point in common with Snape, Orion thought sadly. Though he hadn�t had
any protective mother to shield him from Uncle Vernon�s abuse, Snape�s
childhood seemed as bad as his. But that in itself was strange. If Snape was a
pureblood, his father would never harm him...Purebloods took great care of
their children...

And the
last memory�what had it been?...Ah, Snape kissing Voldemort�s robe and saying�.
saying� A prophecy! Snape had heard a prophecy! Orion frowned. Prophecies
weren�t very useful things. Caused more harm than good in his opinion. They
could be fulfilled or not; they weren�t certainties about the future, just
indicated a possible path that the future could take. And many times the one�s
that were fulfilled were self-fulfilling prophecies: meaning that they became
fulfilled because some dumb wizard heard it, took it literally, acted upon it
and caused the chain reaction that would cause the prophecy to be fulfilled;
when if the wizard would have just left the prophecy alone, without acting on
it, nothing would have happened and what the prophecy predicted would never
come true. Yes, prophecies were very tricky things. So Snape had heard one and
told Voldemort�Orion wondered what it could have been about. If Snape told
Voldemort, it meant that it either concerned Voldemort personally, concerned
the war or some of the key players of the war...concerned Voldemort�..and Snape
had heard the prophecy�.Orion�s eyes widened. Could it be possible? Could that
be the answer? Surely not! No, no, no. Orion didn�t want to believe it. He
didn�t want to believe that his mother had died for such a stupid reason as a
prophecy. Could Voldemort have been really so stupid as to take a prophecy
seriously? Didn�t he know that he would be causing the prophecy to fulfill
itself if he acted upon it? Had he really been such an idiot?! Orion sighed.
Well, he didn�t really know what the prophecy was about. There was only a small
chance that it had been the cause that Voldemort had thought that two babies
could become his enemies. Perhaps the prophecy said something else� Though it
made sense in a way. What other information would have convinced Voldemort that
some babies could be dangerous? So maybe the prophecy had said something about
babies and the threat they represented to the dark wizards� or threat to
Voldemort. Orion sighed for what he felt was the umpteenth time. If that had
been the case, Voldemort had been a fool. Orion snorted. Really, to take a
prophecy seriously! He would have expected Voldemort to be above such trifles.
Well, it mattered little to him anyways. He didn�t care two figs about the
prophecy. They were all rubbish and he was sure that it couldn�t have said
anything really important anyways.

Orion lay
on his back after finishing reviewing Snape�s memories. They had certainly
given him a lot of information but also created more questions. But he would in
time find the answers to them. He turned his mind to the other things he had
seen at the Death Eater gathering. He remembered how they had showed fear and
kissed Voldemort�s robes while they were on their knees; the way Voldemort had
tortured them unnecessarily; the unfairness of Voldemort�s accusations about
how they hadn�t worked to bring him back sooner; and he felt his blood starting
to boil in anger. Tom had warned him about how the gatherings were but
experiencing them was quite different. He decided that his chat with Tom was
long overdue and he unclasped the locket from his neck. He opened it and as
usual laid it on his chest.

�Hello,
Tom,� he said.

Tom gave
him a small quick smile and replied, �Hello Orion. What news do you have for
me?�

�The Dark
Lord met yesterday for the first time with his Death Eaters,� Orion replied.

Tom
smiled widely now, �Good. At last he�ll be able to start with the war
preparations.�

Orion
nodded, �Yes. And I wanted to thank you for preparing me for the meeting. I
wouldn�t have been able to endure it if I hadn�t already expected-�

Tom
fiercely interrupted him, �What do you mean that you were prepared for the
meeting? You didn�t attend!�

Orion
raised his eyebrow, �I didn�t but I saw and heard what happened first-hand,� he
calmly replied.

Tom
narrowed his eyes and said quietly, �That�s impossible. You aren�t a Death
Eater so there�s no way for you to see what happens at the gatherings.�

Orion
waved his hand dismissively, �Oh, there are ways and ways. That doesn�t
matter-�

Tom
snarled at him, �Of course it matters! If you want to continue receiving my
help you�ll tell me this instant how you managed to spy on a Death Eater
meeting!�

Orion
smirked at him, �Why should I tell you when you keep so many secrets yourself?�

Tom
glared at him and said, �I don�t keep secrets from you.�

Orion
laughed, �Oh, come now Tom. If that�s true, will you tell me then what you
truly are?�

Tom�s
eyes turned to slits and growled, �I�m a portrait.�

Orion
shook his head in amusement, �You must believe I�m a complete dunderhead if you
think that I�m that gullible. You�re no mere portrait. The locket�s power
spikes whenever you become angry,� he said and cocked his head to a side,
�Which is very peculiar considering portraits don�t have feelings. So how can
the locket�s powers be connected to your feelings and moods?�

Tom
remained silently glaring at him and Orion chuckled, �Now, now. I�m not pushing
you to tell me anything. Just be fair and don�t expect me to reveal my secrets
to you. And besides, I�ll make you a deal. I�ll tell you about the Death Eater
gatherings that I �spy� on and you�ll give me your advice. In this way we both
get what we want.�

Tom
scowled but replied, �Very well. I accept.�

Orion
nodded and proceeded, �Well, about thirty-something Death Eaters apparated into
the room and they started kneeling at the Dark Lord�s feet and kissing his
robes,� he said making a grimace, �It was truly humiliating for them and
utterly disgusting for me to see such proud dark purebloods groveling at his
feet.� He shook his head, �I don�t understand why the Dark Lord requires such a
pathetic display from his Death Eaters; it�s demeaning.�

Tom
snarled at him, �It�s the proper show of respect. They know he�s superior to
them and thus must act accordingly.�

Orion
frowned at him, �He�s not superior, just more powerful. And that doesn�t give
him the right to treat others as dirt. We are all dark wizards and should
respect each other.�

Tom shook
his head, �I already explained this to you, Orion.�

Orion
sighed and said, �I know! It�s just that it�s horrible to see some of the
wizards I admire, like Lucius Malfoy for example, acting in such a subservient
way! Why does the Dark Lord need the constant reassurance from everybody else
that he is more powerful or superior? The simple fact that he takes pleasure in
seeing others pathetically groveling at his feet seems to indicate a weakness
of character, as if he wasn�t truly confident about his own worth�� said Orion
thoughtfully.

Tom angrily
spat, �Of course he�s confident about his power and worth! And he proves it by
demanding respect from his Death Eaters!�

Orion
shook his head, �He doesn�t demand respect; he demands subservience and
humiliation. No, I think I�m right about his character. He somehow feels unsure
of his superiority over the dark purebloods�� Orion cocked his head to a side
and asked, �Are you sure he isn�t a half-blood? That would perhaps explain his
inferiority complex-�

Tom
turned livid in fury and shrieked, �HE DOESN�T HAVE AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX!�

Orion�s
eyebrows shot to his hairline. He tried to mollify the older wizard, �Alright,
Tom, no need to get so ruffled about it. I was just speculating��

Tom was
still heaving in anger but seemed to calm down a little bit and merely jerked
his head in a curt nod.

Orion
interpreted that as a sign to continue, �He was mad at them because they hadn�t
tried to bring him back before; which I find extremely unfair considering that
many of them have been using political leverages to help the dark wizard
community. He gave Lucius Malfoy quite a hard time but thankfully didn�t punish
him.�

Tom waved
his hand dismissively, �Well, it was obvious that he would be angry at them for
that. It has been twelve years and I�m sure that the Death Eaters could have
brought him back before now if they had truly wanted to. They deserved whatever
punishment the Dark Lord dished out.�

Orion
scowled at him, �They certainly did not! They have their own affairs to take
care of, Tom! You can�t expect them to live and breathe for the Dark Lord!�

Tom
calmly said to him, �They pledged their undying loyalty to him, of course that
their main priority should have been to bring him back.�

�And I
suppose then that you also agree with the way he crucioed his Death Eaters!�
said Orion shakily, �That he tortured Snape with a Cruciatus so powerful that
the poor wizard writhed and shrieked in agony for almost ten full minutes! And
I can still hear his screams in my mind! It was horrible! It was cruel and
barbaric!�

Tom sneered
at him and said arrogantly, �He deserved it.�

Orion
shook in anger and grief. With all he knew about Snape now he couldn�t bare the
thought of the way he had been tortured. Snape had been very brave to return to
the Dark Lord knowing he would be suspected and punished, but he had done it
all the same, just to feed Dumbledore information and avenge Lily�s death and
it pained him that he was still suffering for it. And Voldemort had added to
his sufferings unnecessarily.

He felt a
small tear escape from his eye and said angrily, �Merlin, why do I always end
up shedding tears when I talk with you? And you only despise me more for it! I
can�t talk to you about these things, you don�t understand! Lez seems to be the
only one who cares about how I feel. He�s the only one that seems to
understand!�

Tom
darkly scowled at him and said, �Who is Lez?�

Orion
angrily spat, �You know who he is. I have already mentioned before that
Lezander is my best friend.�

�Ah, the
little vampire. Pray tell me, what�s all this you said about him being the only
one that understands you? The only one who cares about your feelings?� said Tom
in a low hiss.

�He
helped me when I came back from the gathering, alright? He understood when I
sobbed because of what I had seen. He didn�t consider that my emotions made me
weak! He understood that it had not been easy for me and he comforted me!� said
Orion with feeling.

�Is he
your little boyfriend, then?� asked Tom snidely.

Orion�s
jaw dropped and he gasped, �What?�

Tom
snarled, �You�re all sappy when you talk about him. You should listen to
yourself, it�s pathetic. Mooning like a little girl with a crush.�

Orion
frowned. A crush? Tom thought he liked Lezander that way? Then he thought about
the comfortable feeling he got whenever he was around Lezander. How Lezander
was always there for him and how he liked how he stroked his hair and whispered
soothing words in his ear. Was the feeling that he got around Lezander love?
Maybe it was, he couldn�t be sure, but he never felt that way with anyone else.
He didn�t enjoy anyone else�s companionship as much as he enjoyed Lezander�s.
Well, he also enjoyed Tom�s company, even when he was being nasty. But he
supposed that that was different, Tom was a portrait. He turned his mind to
think about Lezander. Did he like him that way? Then a flash of Lezander�s eyes
crossed his mind. Those beautiful pale blue eyes looking at him with an
emotion� Orion gasped. Lezander had looked at him lovingly, just like he had
seen Snape looking at his mother. Lezander liked him! And he� those eyes, those
gentle hands stroking his hair, the way he cared for him� yes, Orion had to
admit that perhaps he did like Lezander in that way as well! He felt
exhilarated and nervous at the same time. It had been quite a revelation, to
finally be able to name the feeling he had started to have around Lezander.
Something that he couldn�t understand before but that now was clearer.

Orion
grinned mawkishly and said in soft whisper, �Maybe you�re right. Maybe I do
love him! Merlin, I hadn�t realized it before. It has been so gradual�but the
way he cares for me, the way he looks at me� I think he might love me as well��

Tom
snorted in disgust and spat, �Love?� he viciously laughed, �You think the boy
loves you? Or that you love him? That�s ridiculous.�

Orion
turned angrily at him and said in a deeply hurt voice, �And what�s so
ridiculous about it? That someone might grow to truly care for me? That someone
might even love me? Am I so unworthy to be loved, Tom? And what do you know
about love anyways? Have you ever cared for anyone in your life except
yourself?!�

Tom�s
face turned dark and he started saying something when Orion interrupted him,
�You know what? I don�t want to talk to you right now. I�ll tell you about the
rest of the gathering some other day. Good-bye.� And with that Orion quickly
snapped the locket shut and threw it inside his nightstand�s drawer.
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The Black Heir