Dark Red Roots

Chapter 4

It was now September first. Dumbledore hummed cheerily to himself. Harry Potter is coming this year. Minerva got all the acceptance letters the first week and talked with all the muggle born students. In only moments first year students would be coming through the doors.

They'd gotten a dozen or so transfer students from home schools. It seems a tutor had retired and all of them had to now attend school. Where they should have been in the first place. Who knows what they were taught. Many of them went right into Slytherin. A few to Ravenclaws. All of them had a tattoo of some sort on their forearms. They'd already been asked about it by other students. Said it was a family thing.

There was to be another dozen apparently coming through the doors now. He searched through the mass of children looking for the one he put investment in. Harry should be among them. Messy haired, under fed, and shorter than everyone else. He did not see the boy he was looking for. Leaning back, Albus felt no worry yet. He probably couldn't see him yet, hidden among the first years.

Minerva gave him a look that he couldn't interpret before turning around and addressing the children. Names were called up one by one, alphabetically. His muggle born investment, Granger, half ran up the steps, taking the hat from Minerva and putting it on her head. Many purebloods sneered at the girl. Four and half minutes later the hat called out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The red and gold lions cheered. Granger rips off the hat with plain disgust before sprinting over to the house of the noble. The names continued, many going into Slytherin much to Albus's horror. They all seemed to have those marks on their forearms. A raven or crow, drinking out of a goblet. Another was a rabbit with deer horns surrounded by stones. He could see a lion breathing fire.

Minerva paused, taking in a large breath before calling out, "Riddle, Hades."

Albus choked on his lemon drop. No! It couldn't be. It should be impossible after all the computations and dark magic he had Tom perform. When the boy walked up the three steps, Albus couldn't deny it. The boy looked remarkably like Tom. The only difference was the healthy tanned skin, hooked nose, and unnatural green eyes. The black hair and smooth cheek bones looked remarkably like Tom. The nose looked familiar-

Down the table, Severus coughed into his own goblet. Severus and his hooked nose. Startling things started to become realized. What about those eyes? They looked like- Another relistion hit him. No. It couldn't be. Albus shook his head trying to deny it. Severus looked just as suppressed to see the boy as him.

Turning he looked at the other being Albus knew would know about this new child. Professor Quirrle was muttering under his breath looking confused, shocked, and amused all at the same time. So Voldemort didn't know anything about having a spawn. If that were so, who did? Who raised the Dark Lord's son?

The boy gave a cheeky grin to Minerva before letting the woman place the hat on his head. Time seemed to slug by. Turning into a hat stall. Just before Albus became a bit disturbed, the hat finally shouted out loud enough for the whole Castle to hear, "HEIR OF SLYTHERIN!"

Everyone seemed to have frozen, the stones themselves pausing as if digesting the information. Then without warning the Castle glowed. Magic pouring off the walls in waves. Washing from the walls all the way to this new child and into him. As the magic poured into the boy, the ties holding Albus to the Castle snapped. He grit his teeth not to make a sound.

In the hall, without a word all the Slytherins stood up and bowed; deeply. Moments later Ravenclaw did the same, followed by Hufflepuff. Gryffindor's were the only ones seated looking remarkably confused at the situation.

Minerva took the hat off the boy's head before bowing herself, "It is an honor to welcome you, Heir of Slytherin."

The boy grinned back, "It is an honor to be welcomed." He got up and walked calmly over to the Slytherin table and sat in the cluster of children with tattooed marks on their arms. Albus felt pure panic rise up to choke him. The heir rolled up his sleeves too, showing off a new mark. A crescent moon, with two stars on the left. The second star on the left looked larger from a distance.

It was only when the child sat down did everyone else sit down.

Hades mentally cursed and thanked the damn hat for saying Heir and not Lord. He didn't have to say it at all. Laughing at Hades's plight. Now the whole of the wizarding world would know by tomorrow morning. His account manager would have a great time telling him about all the gossip the wizards would be bringing through their doors.

Surrounding him were all the other kids and teens from the gangs in London. They'd all gotten tattoos a week before coming to Hogwarts. With so many of them going, and having to adhere to a dress code, they needed a way to know who belonged to which gang. Hades was the only member from his gang currently at Hogwarts but still the most feared.

The leaders declared the school neutral grounds, and not to engage in gang rivalry at the school. Yes they'd get into disagreements but it wouldn't reflect on the gangs. It was the best option they could come up with, since many of them were here. They didn't talk with one another, but ate in peace with each other.

"What's with the marks?" A first year Slytherin inquired. Blonde hair styled perfectly. Hades recognized him as Lucius's uncourteous son. Draken? Something like that.

Everyone turned to look at the blonde as one, assessing. The blonde recoiled quickly, with all the eyes on him. The boy would write to his father later, calling them a pack of hungry hounds.

"It's our family marks." An older boy told him short and to the point, "And has nothing to do with you."

Hades hummed in agreement before he went back to eating. Careful not to eat too much after being so long with little food. They'd find a way to get or make snacks later for consumption throughout the day. Lucius once mentioned in passing that the Hufflepuffs knew where the kitchen was. He'd ask tomorrow.

Severus watched the boy sitting at his house table. He looked like a king among his subjects. An heir of Hogwarts. There hadn't been one since Voldemort declared himself the Slytherin Heir. But the mad man had been out of school for years during that time, he also never took up the seat in the Wiznot.

He wondered briefly if the boy truly was named Riddle. It would have been more preferable by his parents to change it to Slytherin upon finding out. It was the higher title of whatever other titles the boy had. Maybe. Severus didn't feel confident in that statement abruptly. The boy slouched in his seat, looking around with mild boredom. Elbow on the table, fist resting on his cheek. Green eyes met his briefly and Severus dove in.

His mind slammed into a wall of pure blackness, thrones, knives, swords, and anything else pointy were protruding from the mass. Severus peeled back quickly with a hard wince he couldn't hold in. Never in all his years of mind magic had he come across such a barrier. It hurt even touching such a thing. As if his skin was peeling off his bones. What other protections could the boy hold just behind that barrier? Severus shuttered.

"You alright Severus?" Minerva whispered over to him, "He looks much like you."

Severus latched onto that part of the conversation, "He does but I've never...." He trailed off. He'd never been with a woman. A man, yes. But never a woman, and certainly not Lily. The only woman the boy looked even remotely related to. He needs to quickly change the subject, "Where's the Potter brat? His name wasn't even called out."

Minerva frowned, "I don't know. All the letters sent out at the beginning of the school year were given response of acceptance."

Severus scowled, "Then we're going to get dragged along tonight then."

"Just leave the meetings to your Perfects."

"No." Severus scowled, hating how Minerva brushed off her lions, "I'm their head of house. They need to hear from me. See me."

Minerva huffed. They've had this argument a thousand times. No need to have it again, "Whatever you say Severus."