A Dark Lord's Demand

"Ah, Severus, faithful as ever. I will not waste any time. You do recall the potion you were working on shortly before my...demise?"

He nodded slowly, understanding slowly dawning on him. "Yes, my lord...I had called it the...Injicio Potion."

"Yes, that is the one. As I recall, it was nearly finished."

"After your...untimely demise, I finished the project on my own."

The boy...Dark Lord...looked at him curiously. "Oh?"

"Curiosity, my lord, got the better of me," he replied shakily.

"Ah Severus, ever the perfect scholar. It is just as well, for I require no less than 12 vials of this potion. I trust this will not be a problem."

"My lord, may I ask -"

"No, you may not. You will show me to your laboratory immediately."

Stiffly, Severus rose to his feet and silently gestured for the boy – no, Dark Lord – to follow him to the cellar he had converted into a potions laboratory.

His mind was spinning. Just minutes ago, Harry Potter had showed up at his front door. Harry Potter, who was, apparently, being possessed by the Dark Lord. So Albus had been right all along – he had returned; in the body of Harry Potter no less. Was the boy dead? No, of course not; he was standing there in front of him just a moment ago. He believed he was not wrong in his initial impression that it had, in fact, been Harry Potter standing on his doorstep.

No, the Dark Lord's presence did not emerge until the boy suggested that he 'talk to' his 'friend Tom', of that he was quite sure. Somehow, the boy knew he was being possessed and was...at peace with it? The child seemed very aware of what was going on, and completely content with the whole affair. Something was very, very wrong with the whole situation.

Well, of course something was wrong after all, a 10 year old boy was being possessed by the Dark Lord, but something was wrong with how terribly wrong the whole thing was. The Dark Lord had somehow tricked the Potter boy into willfully and knowingly sharing his body with him, and now, the Dark Lord was walking around freely under the guise of Harry Potter. Albus needed to know about this...he needed to get away...without breaking his cover...

"I believe," he said nervously as he opened the door to his laboratory, "That I have all the ingredients I need here."

The Dark Lord raised his – rather, Harry Potter's – eyebrows with a subtle smile. "As I recall, this particular potion required some rare and...less than legal ingredients."

"Indeed, my Lord." He hoped his uninformative answer would not be taken as insolence.

Thankfully, the dark lord fell silent as he began to retrieve ingredients from his cupboards.

"How long will it take to brew?" The question sounded so innocent coming from the mouth of a child.

"Around two hours, my Lord. If you would like to return in two hours time, it will be ready then." That would give him enough time to contact the Headmaster.

"No, I will remain here...and you are not to leave my sight until the potion is finished."

Of course, the Dark Lord didn't trust him so quickly. The man had always been a bit mad, but he was never a fool. Certainly never a trusting fool. "Yes, my Lord."

Had his situation not been so treacherous, it would have been comical watching the Dark Lord clamber onto one of the tall chairs that stood across from his brewing station. But, as it were, it was not.

"So," the Dark Lord began in his newly acquired childish voice as he began to nervously dice elder roots, "What has been occupying your attentions of late, Severus?"

Well, there was no point in lying. "Teaching, my lord, at Hogwarts."

The Dark Lord didn't look too surprised at that. "Did Dumbledore give you that position after you went to him for help? After you betrayed me?"

He immediately ceased his chopping. Oh no...he was dead. He was going to die. The Dark Lord knew. He knew all along. Was the potion a ruse? Did he come here with the intent of killing him? "M-my lord?" he breathed out hoarsely.

"Oh come now, Severus, let's not pretend. I threatened the life of the woman you loved. You would have been a fool to trust me to spare dear, sweet Lily Potter, and I would have been a fool to expect you not to betray me for her.

So that leaves us here; you, having betrayed me, and I, very well aware of your betrayal," the Dark Lord said easily, as though it were the most simple matter in the world.

He really didn't know what to say to that, and nearly had a heart attack when he heard boyish cackles coming from the small figure in front of him.

....

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