Riddle And Grindelwald (Book 3)

51. The Spark Of War

After finding Nagini safe and well, Tom sent word to Snape, warning him that Harry might be on his way to Hogwarts.
Genevieve, Tom and Nagini then began to check on his Horcruxes.
When they found the Gaunt ring missing, Tom started to get very angry. And when they discovered that Slytherin's locket was also missing, Tom became livid.
The death eaters sent word that Harry had arrived at Hogwarts, and was now barricading himself inside the school, while he searched for the diadem of Ravenclaw.
So, after securing Nagini in a floating protective bubble, the three of them headed to Hogsmeade, to finally get their hands on Harry Potter.

Once they had arrived in the town, they headed inside the Shrieking Shack, as that could lead them into Hogwarts when the time was right.
Tom then sent a message to all those at Hogwarts, warning them of what was to come.
"I know that some of you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have a great deal of respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill any magical blood... Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight".

"You know there is no way they will give up Harry" sighed Genevieve, once Tom had finished magically projecting his message.
"I was hoping some of the Slytherin's would hand him over" admitted Tom.
"Even if all the Slytherin's are loyal to us, they are vastly outnumbered by the other houses. And the teachers certainly won't want to hand Harry over to us" replied Genevieve.
"Then, I guess we just sit here and wait for the rest of my army to arrive. And then we take the castle"
"It's going to be a very long hour".

There was nothing to do but anxiously sit and wait in the Shrieking Shack, while all the death eaters turned up.
When they arrived, Tom sent them to a different location, so that the whole school was covered, to ensure that no one could escape.
The only death eater who stayed in the Shrieking Shack with them, was Lucius, as he was no good to anyone without a wand.
Once the hour was up, and no one had handed Harry over, the battle commenced.
Genevieve could do nothing but watch from the window, as the fight broke out. For Tom didn't want her to leave his side, as he didn't want any harm to come to her, so she was not allowed to fight.
Which meant she couldn't do anything but sit and wait.

"My lord... please... my son" begged Lucius, who sat on the floor of the shack, still bearing the marks of his torture several weeks earlier.
"If your son is dead, Lucius, it is not my fault. He did not come and join me, like the rest of the Slytherin's. Perhaps he has decided to befriend Harry Potter" replied Tom.
"No, never" whispered Lucius.
"I hope for your sake, he has not"
"But, aren't you afraid my lord, that Potter might die at another hand but yours?"
"My death eaters have their instructions, they know not to harm Potter".

"But, my lord, what if someone kills him by accident? Wouldn't it be... forgive me, but wouldn't it be more prudent to call off the battle, enter the castle and seek Potter yourself?" Stuttered Lucius.
"Do not pretend, Lucius, that you care if someone else kills Potter, before I get the chance. You wish to enter the battle yourself, so that you can discover what has happened to your son... Anyway, I do not need to seek Potter. Before the night is out, Potter will have to come and find me" informed Tom.
"Yes, my lord" trembled Lucius.

"Now, I need you to go and fetch Snape for me, he should be fighting in the castle somewhere. Fetch him, and bring him to me" instructed Tom.
"Snape, my lord? Why?" Questioned Lucius.
"Because I need him. There is a service I require from him. And he is the only one who can give me what I need. Now, go!" Ordered Tom.
"Yes. Straight away, my lord".

Lucius bowed his head and hurried out of the room, as fast as his legs would take him.
Without a wand, he could not apparate, which meant he had to physically walk through the passageway to get to the castle.
"What do you want from Snape?" Genevieve asked Tom, once Lucius had left.
"Before I kill Potter, I must make sure that the Elder Wand obeys me, and only me" answered Tom, as he twirled the wand around his fingers.

"I don't understand what that has to do with Snape" frowned Genevieve.
"You know the Elder Wand better than I do, for your father had it for many years. And you know that a wand has to be won, in order for it to work properly for its new master" replied Tom.
"Not necessarily. My father never beat Gregorovitch in a duel, before taking the Elder Wand" reminded Genevieve.
"No, but he still physically took the wand from its owner, which is why the wand obeyed him".

"And you took the wand from Dumbledore's tomb. So, why do you need to involve Snape?" Quizzed Genevieve.
"When I took the wand from Dumbledore, he was not its master. Severus Snape killed Dumbledore, which means that he is currently the master of the Elder Wand. If I want the wand to serve me, I must kill Snape, to ensure that the wand will obey me and no one else. I will not have any more failed attempts on Potter's life. This time when I kill him, he will die" replied Tom.

"But Snape is one of your loyalist and skilled supporters" reminded Genevieve.
"Yes, he has been a faithful servant. But remember, only you and I can live forever. His death is no more than collateral damage. Besides, once I have killed Potter, and taken Hogwarts, I won't have any need for Snape anymore" admitted Tom.
"You could just disarm him, or physically take the wand from him. You don't have to actually kill him" Genevieve said quietly.
"I cannot leave any grey area. There is no room for error. I must kill Snape, there is no other way around it".