The Shadows Solace Book I: The Growing Years Prequel

Chapter XVII: Nyla and Rita's Gambit

Several days later as the four toddlers were all napping within then den among a large and soft blanket and with a myriad of pillows; the adults all sat in the kitchen warded with privacy charms and silencing barriers; hoping not to disturb their naptime. They all wore serious expressions, so this meeting had to be important to anyone who looked in from the outside.

Rita and Nyla seemed rather nervous; because a lot of what they desired to do now would be reliant on Tom and permissions from him. He had taken great care to hide his identity for years and years; only now to need to potentially expose it.

Petunia waited patiently as did the rest for them to get their thoughts in order for this; it was a big decision on their parts for the alliance. A big move for them in going forward.

Nyla breathed, "So, we all need for Tom to be able to come out into society as himself; as Lord Slytherin and be known as Harry's soul-bonded. Yet, his former identity...this makes our situation at present...rather sticky."

"Not simply because we've hidden the fact that we've known all this time of whom he was before, but also because we allowed him to continue to be near and not report it. Technically, we are complicit to this."

The table shifted rather uncomfortably to this idea and then waited for the next set of words.

"Rita and I knocked our heads together for some time and then came to an idea. But, for this to work realistically; Tom, you have to be ready to reveal a lot of the real you to the public eye."

Tom's brow furrowed before his eyes narrowed, "How do you mean?"

Rita shifted, "By telling the public of you and your story; your real story, we hope to ingratiate you to them. To make them emotionally be more amenable to what you did and why you might have done it. We hope to do this via Victor and leakage from specified...hospital staff.

At least, at first." She amended slowly

Rita nodded and then eyed them all, "Everyone back home in the country is now aware of Harry's stay in Saint Mungo's; aware of it due to the attack that happened at Yule from Bellatrix and her fanatic zealots courtesy of all the former guests there who now reported its truth. From Minister Bagnold; who has backed these claims with her network.

They are now aware of the man who suddenly appeared beside the child while unconscious and wounded from nowhere. But no one else knows who he is or why he was there."

Nyla inclined as she smirked, "Albus has kept too many secrets over the years; so even if he tries to counter this, he'll have a very difficult time of it. Especially now, what with his continually waning base of support."

She tapped her fingers slowly, "In using the hospital and the specified staff; healers who just happened to run tests and found out your name and certain aliases. The panic it supposedly caused, and then Harry's protests at your removal from his side. More tests done and finding of the bond. Questions of how you now returned to a physical state."

Nyla then grimaced, "But this also means that the sooner you retrieve your vessels and reseal them to yourself; the better it is for all this. Albus isn't likely to really reveal this information; if only because it shows that he knew about it, but Dumbledore is...unpredictable. If he did try to use this information; then having your vessels resealed would only damage his argument more."

Tom inclined to this as he found those thoughts as sound ideas.

"And what of the persona I was as Lord Voldemort?" He asked, "I can't simply be a Light wizard?"

Rita then looked to Nyla who nodded, and they breathed before Rita spoke up, "We do not wish to hide this fact. It will not end well once the public finds out fully of what it meant. We hope to sort-of...twist the truth a bit."