Groomed

(Pt 5)

Speech;
  "talking"
  'thinking'
  Parseltongue

"I will change you Harry Potter."

That's what he had said. He'd said he'd change Harry... but how does one begin to change a boy so lost within his parents wills? He is nothing but an outline of a human— nothing but a frame with no picture. He is a white canvas with the first coat of protective paint.
There is no ground to assure that change. There is nothing to begin with. Harry is a beginning. But how do you start a beginning when that beginning has not yet been outlined with hobbies, personality, self-beauty?

He side-glanced Harry from the Daily Prophet in his hand. The outline read of the stunning twist that took place during the World Cup.
A readless story about an event the Dark Lord had assumed would happen after one of his more loyal followers found out he was still alive.
Beside him though, instead of wondering what is the headline the Dark Lords been staring at for the past 15 minutes Harry numbly stared down at his lap— never asking for breakfast, or a glass of water or something to keep him preoccupied. He could hear the small rumbles of Harry's stomach but the boy never once looked up and asked for a plate of food— let alone a piece of toast.
Forgetting the Daily Prophet, he drops the newspaper into Harry's lap. The boys interest peeks but it's only for a split moment— clearly the boy wants to read it, but he seems to refuse doing so in front of him.

"Go on— read it."
Harry's lips part in surprise that he's allowing him to read through it, but quickly takes the chance and reads through the article.

(Moving photo of the Dark Mark)
On 30th July two teenagers were found standing underneath the mysterious Dark Mark that hasn't been seen for 14 years.
Why this mark had appeared— no one knows. The two teenagers have been disclosed by the Ministry as Minister Cornelius Fudge continues to refuse to give answers on the night of the World Cup.

A small 'o' lined Harry's lips. He watches as the boy flips to page 5 where more details go into the World Cups unexpected twist.

"You find the article intriguing?"
He watched as Harry swallowed— possibly having forgotten that the Dark Lord had been beside him. He went to close the newspaper but he waved a hand in dismissal of Harry's interest in the Dark Mark article.
"I didn't tell you to stop."
The Omegas cheeks flush but an instant afterwards his nose if back in the newspaper. If the Dark Lord hadn't known better he'd say Harry were an old man having nothing better to do than read through the entire Daily Prophet.

He focused on the mug holding the steaming liquid sure to get him through the day and the pile of parchment Lucius had built up on the desk instead of Harry and the open Daily Prophet. Many of the parchments were simple backgrounds on new Death Eaters or new affairs happening within the Ministry. It was all simple papers used to keep him updated on what's happening outside while he is confined within this and his manor.
Harry rustled the newspaper beside him but he paid no mind as he drank the coffee and searched through the newest background Lucius had collected.
The parchments were on the Potter brothers— Harry and the other three. Usually the Dark Lord wouldn't take precious time researching the Potter family while he was confined to this study, but he couldn't dawdle over the situation unless he wanted to drive himself insane...

More insane.

Beside him Harry was reading on the World Cup. His eyes skimmed through the paragraphs written by a reporter named Rita Skeeter. A hint of a pinched brow would've made Lily scold Harry and snap one of the wooden spoons along his back— but Harry couldn't be concerned with that while the Dark Lords attention wasn't on him.
He rustled the newspaper and folded the first sheet of long flimsy paper where he folded it in half and looked back at the first paragraph with the Dark Mark picture.
It says on page 5;