Harry Potter 60

31

Vision

Belladonna was greeted like a queen as she returned to the carriage. She smiled and managed to get to Erus quickly.

"Thanks," she said. "Wouldn't have known what to do without you."

"No problem," Erus said. "You did a splendid job."

"Who knew Petrificus Totalus was that good?" she said with a smirk.

Dumbledore was pacing his office. Moody had given him disturbing news. Erus Riddle and the little tournament the Santuario school had arranged between its students. How the teen acted, how he was, how the students saw him. He was too strong. Far too strong to be allowed to be alive. He could grow into a new Dark Lord once Voldemort was gone.

Yes, Dumbledore believed he could make Voldemort disappear. And he had the perfect weapon for it.

Erus had not liked the Hogwarts headmaster from the beginning even without his father's warnings. The man had eyes that told he was darker than he let people see. Of course he never showed that side until it came to do what was 'for the greater good'. Erus hated that sentence.

The teen looked at Dumbledore and wondered why the hell he looked so satisfied. Erus glanced around the Great Hall. Wait a minute… the same satisfied look was on Longbottom's face as well.

What was going on?

Severus was seething. His hands clenched and unclenched as he gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to throw something into the wall. Dumbledore wanted to bait Voldemort into coming to a place where instant anti-Apparation wards could be placed and where the one destined to kill the Dark Lord would wait for the man.

He wanted Severus to plant the bait. He wanted Bill Weasley to get the wards up. Only problem was that Bill Weasley had not been able to contact for a while. He had sent out Order members to get the goblins to tell them. The man was completely mad. Out of his mind. Goblins did not tell anything if they did not feel like it.

And he wanted Erus dead! Moody had agreed, saying the teen had been too alike a dark leader to be kept alive! The two wanted to start planning the teen's death. The other Order members were not as sure, though Molly and Arthur agreed to a point, saying Erus had probably manipulated their poor Fred and George into believing he was nice. Only their little Ronnie saw the truth.

Severus had already told Voldemort all this, sent him a copy of the memory as well. The man would not react well. He would want Erus pulled out, but the potions master knew Erus would stay exactly where he was. The teen was too stubborn and he wanted to be here.

The man rubbed his wrist absently as he began to pace. There were too many people in the castle who would protect Erus. With the smallest signs of the child being hurt, Remus would live up to his role as a fierce werewolf. Poppy would heal any damages, and Minerva would probably try turning Dumbledore into a rat she could eat up in her Animagus-form.

He only hoped it would be enough.

"You want me to go to Hogwarts?"

Voldemort peered up at Sirius.

"Yes," the Dark Lord said. "I know I have enough people, but I wish to show Dumbledore he can't mess with me."

"So what will I be to Erus?"

"Personal guard if you like. A servant of sorts."

"Famulus?"

"Yes, you can be him."

Sirius shrugged and continued:

"I'll go, if it makes you feel better."

"Alright," Voldemort said, a bit relieved. He was still pissed off about the old man's crazy plans but at least he was getting a bit calmer. An hour ago, he had killed off four prisoners and figured that might have been a factor for his calmness. "I'll start making the arrangements."