Crimson Ink

Landscaping

Last Time:

'How did you get free from your book?! Go back before you risk my immortality.' Voldemort ordered in parseltongue from his temporary snake body.

Tom smirked at the pathetic creature before him, 'Oh no. I believe it's time for a new arrangement.'

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Harry was smiling as he looked up at the ceiling of his room after a bubble bath. It was finally sinking in that he wasn't a freak here ... it helped that Lucius told him he, like Draco, is not allowed in the kitchen no matter how good he cooks. Children, meaning both him and Draco, are not allowed near dangerous things like knives and they are to take some time every day to study. Narcissa and Tom are good teachers. He learned a lot in only a week and he feels stronger thanks to Severus's potions and Lucius said the scar cream should be done so Severus will be coming again soon to help with the scars. Everything was different ...

As he laid there looking at the ceiling with Vesta curled up next to him tears started falling from his eyes. For once in his short life he was starting to hope ...

Vesta suddenly bolted upright and went to the window, "What is it, Vesta?" Harry asked as he hopped out of bed and went to the large window, which went very low so the small child could see outside. "A monkey?" Harry mused and tilted his head in confusion when he saw a silvery mist in the shape of a monkey flying into the manor's lower level. No noise was caused and he knew he knew very little about magic so he decided to settle back in bed with Vesta who seemed to lose interest in the oddity ...

Late into the night something made Harry jolt out of bed. He wasn't sure what it was, but he felt anxious. Vesta stretched lazily not sure what made her master waken so suddenly and seemed scared. The nature sprite sniffed the air for any threats and was alert in an instant as a foul smell hit her nose. It wasn't just a physical smell, but it was actually something truly toxic to the very soul ... dead magic ...

"Vesta ... something is wrong ... can you help me get downstairs?" Harry asked quietly. He was really worried about Tom, Lucius and for some reason Severus who he thought left to stay at the place he teaches at. Something just felt so wrong and he wanted to be there. Vesta cast an illusion over herself and Harry so they would become invisible as the little boy opened the door. The pair snuck out of the room and down the steps. Everyone was found surrounding the fireplace where Barty, Rodolphus, Rabastan and Bellatrix were waiting with a ... large snake? The snake slithered off of Bellatrix's shoulder and towards Tom. As Harry and Vesta crept closer everyone formed a circle around the snake and Tom who was the only one seated in a chair ...

'Arrangement? This is foolish! You are but a chunk of MY soul! You have no choices here! Get back in the diary!' The snake spat harshly. Harry was stunned that he understood the snake, but he vaguely remembered hearing voices in his relatives garden right before seeing little grass snakes so maybe this was normal. He decided to ask Tom later ...

'You are the one without any choice here. We will fuse our broken soul back together or I will be destroyed.' Tom hissed casually not realizing his intended was nearby and freaking out ...

'Destroyed?!' The snake hissed in pure rage.

Tom glanced at the ring of people around him and they pointed their wands at Tom, 'I instructed them to kill me with a certain fire spell. Since I'm a horcrux and getting down to our dear basilisk is not an option yet that means there's only one option. They will have to burn me. I, of course, told them where the others are as well so you truly have no choice in the matter.' Tom said calmly hoping the Dark Lord takes the bait. If he makes it sound like he was still a single horcrux then he can catch the disembodied wizard off guard and take full control during the merge. He just hoped that the main soul fragment was too far gone mentally to question how it was that the youngest horcrux even knew where the other fragments were or even that there were any others. By all accounts Tom should know nothing beyond the first 15 years of life, which held little as far as horcruxes go and nothing Voldemort's other soul pieces except for Tom himself ...