The Nightmare Man

Chapter Seventeen

The letters exchanged between Harrison and Harry continued, Harrison responding to his questions and fears. He did enjoy it, surprisingly. If someone had told him before his imprisonment he would have two children at home that he wasn't killing, and reassuring a teenager via letters, Harrison would have thought them mad.

Or killed them for being annoying.

But here he was, and he wasn't going more insane than usual. His wounds were completely healed from his run-in with Aurors, and that meant he could move about as he pleased.

However, the incident had made his servants more prone to trail after him wherever he went. At least one servant went with him, and Harrison didn't complain too much about it since they only did it out of worry.

Elise would have loved to be breathing down his neck, but as she was kept busy with the manor and the others, the task of keeping Harrison out of trouble fell to Lucian most of the time.

"You know, I'm the master here," Harrison said as they arrived at Voldemort's manor one day. "I can take care of myself."

"Yes, of course, master."

"… You didn't believe a word of what I just said, did you?"

"You are absolutely correct, master," Lucian said with a straight face.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

They found Voldemort in his study, papers and maps strewn across the desk, as well as the floor. Harrison took a step in, and then stopped as he realized he was about to step on a map. Voldemort glanced up and muttered a greeting before turning back to whatever he was reading.

"You don't strike me as a messy man," Harrison said as he began to pick his way through the room, stepping between parchments and books. "Busy?"

"I want to attack Hogwarts and the Ministry simultaneously."

"You can't be at two places at the same time. Unless you have a time-turner, but that would be a bit too complicated for two large-scale attacks."

"I wasn't planning on being at two places," Voldemort said. "I also discarded any plans with time-turners quite early. No, I intend to be at Hogwarts and kill Albus while my Death Eaters attack that Ministry."

"That does sound quite lovely."

"But getting into Hogwarts will be troublesome."

"Why's that?" Harrison asked.

"The wards are old but well-cared for," Voldemort replied. "It won't be easy to get through. Also, new ones have been added over time."

"I can get us in," Harrison said and leaned onto the desk to see what Voldemort was studying. "Oh, that's Godric's design."

"Yes, it is. How did you…?"

"I was there when he designed that ward," Harrison said. "Anyway, I can get us in."

"What do you mean?"

"Also, probably without being noticed."

"You can work around the wards?" Voldemort asked.

"No, I'll just tell Hogwarts to let me in."

"Like hell the castle will allow a dark wizard in."

"This dark wizard, mind you, made some of her bloody wards, not to mention several rooms and corridors, so I'll be a very crossed dark wizard if Hogwarts refuses me," Harrison said. "And she knows that."

"Never thought a castle could get nervous," Lucian said, "but master did do that once. The walls were shivering."

"I was in a bad mood, and also a lot more unpleasant back then," Harrison replied. "I don't want to hurt Hogwarts, and she knows that too. So she'll let me in without much fuss."