Chapter 22: Twisting Lies

"Harry?"

"Harry!" Mary screamed eyes wide and staring at the spot where the two had vanished.

"Ha-Harold. He's gone!"

"Dad! Where's Harry?" James was shocked and confused at what just happened. That Harry had been kidnapped had not sunk in yet to the now fourteen-year-old.

People were looking at the Potters in confusion, few had seen the kidnapping, but the ones who had were whispering and telling the others. The muggle couple seemed frozen in shock and uncertainty.

Harold turned his troubled eyes on his wife, "Mary, take James and head back to the manor."

He was about to say more but paused, his eyes conveyed the silent message. Mary nodded before grabbing James arm, taking the shrunken trunks and rushing to the floo.

Harold stood there for a minute before an on-duty auror rushed up to him.

After the melodramatic opener they continued to stare at each other, one in intense curiosity and the other in disdain.

"Voldemort." Harry deadpanned, inclining his head in acknowledgment.

The dark wizard raised an eyebrow at the boy, intrigued at the lack of fear in his voice, "Release him."

The cloaked man released Harry and stepped back before bowing.

"Leave."

"As you wish my lord." The unknown man bowed again before quickly turning on his heel and leaving.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the retreating figure, continuing to glare at the door even after the man left.

Amused, the Dark Lord asked, "Something bothering you boy?"

"I would never have guessed that Balaz was a Death Eater."

Voldemort continued to stare at the first year, his red eyes drinking in the sight.

"Though I suppose that is not his real name or identity, you are hardly the type to recruit muggleborns. So who is he really? I suppose Armando Balaz must have existed for your ploy to get past Dumbledore. I'll wager a guess the Death Eater killed the real Balaz and impersonated him with polyjuice?"

It was honestly rather sad that the best Defense teachers he'd had were two Death Eaters, one former Death Eater, and a werewolf, not that Remus could help that part, but still. He should have suspected Balaz when he turned out to be a competent teacher.

He wondered idly if Dumbledore had found out the first time around that the Balaz impersonator had been a Death Eater. He would wager not, as Crouch Jr. had used the same ploy to gain entrance into the school.

Riddle gave him another searching but pleased look, almost as if he were a prized pupil who had answered a very difficult question. "Very observant, boy. I will have a talk with him later about subtlety, although it really will not matter."

Harry snapped his gaze back to the seated man and his eyes connected with Riddle's. He was actually surprised to find a good deal more sanity in the wizard's gaze than the man's future counterpart held. Curiously, as he held the gaze, he felt no pain or even the mental probe he had been expecting. This more than anything made an unsettled expression cross his face.

"Oh?" He said in a bland voice. However, his eyes were alight with suppressed flames.

Voldemort leaned forward, smile lighting up his face, "You will not be leaving here Harry Potter."

Harry decided to ignore the warnings screaming in his head about sticking to the plan. He had already caught Tom's attention, therefore the plans needed to be altered. The only thing that mattered was the safety of the Potters and the downfall of Riddle.

He let a dangerous grin play across his lips, "And do you really think you could stop me?"

Tom quickly stood, his knuckled whitened as he gripped his wand.

"Who are you boy that you believe yourself greater than Lord Voldemort?" He hissed out.

Harry's eyes flashed in defiance and hate. "To sound overly cliché Riddle, I'm your worst nightmare." He bared his teeth before continuing, "Furthermore, I don't believe I'm greater than you, Tom. I know."

Anger and loathing crossed across the older wizard's face before it settled on a smug grin.

"You're rather arrogant aren't you little Potter?"

"It's not arrogance if it's true Tom." Harry spat the name, as if it were filthy.

Detestation at the name crossed Voldemort's countenance before he lifted his wand, a curse on his lips, before he stopped with a thoughtful look on his face. He lowered his wand before letting out a chilling laugh.

Once again, the lack of pain from his scar, caught Harry's attention. There was no pain, rather just a simple tingling, that was not unpleasant but rather annoying. He resisted the urge to raise his hand and scratch the scar, which was currently hidden by his fringe.

"You? A pathetic child beat Lord Voldemort?" Disbelief and amusement was clear in the tone, something that highly grated on Harry's nerves. "I could easily kill you where you stand."

"And that is supposed to scare me?"

Voldemort shot Harry a malicious look, "Your worth has yet to have been proven. Soon we shall know your value. Soon I will know everything about you one way or the other. You know too much, and are much too bold."

Harry continued to stare nonchalantly at Riddle, clearly unimpressed with his words.

Riddle continued to glare at the boy, his eyes fixated on Harry's left hand. Finally the Dark Lord sat back down, never taking his eyes off the boy. "Who told you that name?" he asked quietly.

The time traveler considered how he should approach this. Finally settling on half-truths and ground out, "Dumbledore."

"Ah, the esteemed headmaster." Voldemort said as he glared at the boy, "And why did he feel the need to impart that knowledge to you?"

Harry allowed himself to fidget slightly before lifting his head to glare at the man, "He seems to think that there's something more to your interest in me than the usual interest you pay your victims."

"Does he? Whatever gave the old fool that idea?" Riddle seemed annoyed.

The boy shrugged impatiently, "Perhaps you should be asking him instead of me? It's not as if he'll tell me anything important."

Voldemort picked up the irritation and impatience in the boy's voice and smiled to himself, "Soon I will reveal my interest in you. Unlike Dumbledore I have no intentions of deceiving you."

Harry stared at Riddle, his disbelief and contempt completely hidden.

The Dark Lord stared at the boy a moment longer before speaking again, "Dumbledore fears and distrusts you Harry. You are already powerful and a mystery. The two things the meddling old coot hates the most. We are not that unlike, you and me, Harry. Even as a first year Dumbledore feared and tried to control me. Keeping me in the dark about my heritage…the same thing he is doing to you."

Riddle smirked as fear and uncertainty crossed the slightly tanned young face.

"I may not like everything the headmaster does, but he has never wronged me. He's been protecting me from you! He's one of the most renowned wizards in the world!"

Annoyance and something akin to pity crossed the older wizard's face, something Harry would have thought genuine if he hadn't known that Voldemort had no conscience. "Protect you? Protecting you from what? The truth that is rightfully yours? Knowledge is power Harry. He seeks to keep you weak and easily controlled."

Harry stared into the red tinted eyes.

"Why would you need protection from me Harry?" He let out a chilling laugh, "I've never attacked you, nor have my followers. So it brings up the question, who did? I've not lied to you, Harry, but Albus Dumbledore has. Do you really think that it was out of the kindness of his own heart that he let you attend Hogwarts or live with the Potters?"

The Dark Lord smirked viciously before continuing, "No Potter, you attend Hogwarts so that he can keep a close eye on you. You live with the Potters because they are some of Dumbledore's most loyal followers."

"No! You're wrong! If you're not a danger to me then why did you order one of your Death Eaters to kidnap me?" Harry demanded sharply, easily slipping into the role of the distraught and uncertain child.

"Use your brain boy!" Voldemort hissed out with his eyes narrowed, vicious glee dancing within them, "To tell you the truth and give you a choice. You could be great Harry, greater than that fool Dumbledore."

"How do you know?"

Riddle just gave him a light smile that would have sent chills down any other person's spine but Harry had seen it a million times before.

"First you claim yourself greater than the most feared wizard of all time, and now you claim ignorance of that power?" The Dark Lord snorted in annoyance before continuing, "Now is not the time, little Slytherin, but soon we shall know. JUDGESON!"

Quick steps could be heard and as the doors opened and another hooded figure walked in Riddle shot one last look at the small boy, "And it would be wise for you to never utter that filthy name again."

Arriving at the Potter Manor, Mary quickly shushed James before throwing another pinch of floo powder in the fireplace and pulled her son forward, "Floo to Hogwarts James, I'll be right behind you."

"Mum what is-"

"Not now James!"

With a slightly scared and mutinous look the boy stepped into the fireplace, "Hogwarts, Headmaster's office."

Mary quickly followed her son, arriving just as he greeted Albus.

His concerned blue eyes peered over his spectacles at the pair.

"James, go to your common room. The password is the same, isn't it Albus?"

The headmaster nodded his head in confirmation as the boy protested loudly, "Mum! What is going on? Where is Harry? Who was that man?"

The woman looked into the fearful eyes of her son, "Please, I'll explain later. Just go to the common room."

Betrayal and anger flashed across the boy's face as if his mother had physically smacked him, "He's my cousin! I have a right to know!" The mutiny and fear was clear in his voice.

"I want to know what happened to Harry!"

"Please James, do as your mother asks." Dumbledore said in a firm voice, his face grave.

James turned to the old wizard, looking as if he'd yell at the headmaster as well, before he physically bit his tongue. Jaw clenched in anger, he turned and stormed out of the room, but not quickly enough for Mary to miss the angry tears beginning to course down the boy's face.

Once the door had banged shut Mary lifted her eyes and stared at her old friend.

"Someone port-keyed Harry away. He's gone."

Harry looked around his room in slight surprise. When Voldemort told Judgeson to escort him to his room, Harry had fully expected his previous lodgings in the dungeons, but instead he was lead to a medium sized and well decorated room. Things were not adding up. Whatever Dumbledore and Voldemort thought they knew about him they were obviously wrong, but it could work to his advantage in the long run.

The Death Eater hadn't even removed his wand or personal belongings. It's almost as if Voldemort didn't consider him a threat, or he thought Harry would sit still and wait patiently like a good little boy.

Harry snorted at the thought.

Oh he'd sit and wait alright. His curiosity streak had yet to be beaten out of him, and it would be difficult to escape Voldemort's stronghold without showing just how powerful he really was. So he'd have to sit and wait until another plan became available. And another troubling thought;, why in the world was Voldemort being so…nice? Well nice was pushing it, but Harry had never had a conversation in which at least a Crucio wasn't thrown his way. So far Riddle had been deceptive, conniving, and convincing in his arguments. Well, he would have been convincing if Harry had truly been a scared eleven-year-old boy.

Voldemort had used Harry's supposed uncertainty to attack both the Headmaster and the Potters. An eleven-year-old in Harry's position would have been plagued with self-doubt about both Dumbledore and his family. In short, he would be much more vulnerable to whatever bull Riddle would try to convince him of and less likely to attempt to escape back to Albus.

Harry waved his wand and checked for any spell on the room, and was surprised when only the locked door registered. With a slight groan he laid down on the bed, his stomach grumbled slightly in hunger.

He glared down at his midriff.

"Don't you even start. There's no way in hell we're eating anything they attempt to feed us." Even with this nicer version of the Dark Lord.

Reaching in his pocket he pulled out a Cauldron Cake and his hand brushed the forgotten journal that was meant for Abigail. As he slowly began to eat he considered his options, for now he'd wait, but if all else failed he would use the book.

Standing, Albus moved to the table on which held many of his mysterious instruments. He picked up a small silver figurine of a lion and tapped it. It glowed golden before flashing through an array of colors.

Throughout this Mary simply watched from where she stood, trusting her friend.

Relief but then suspicion and slight fear flooded the headmaster's face as the flashing lights stopped and the lion turned back to its' original silver. With another tap of his wand, the figurine glowed an eerie green.

Turning back to the woman he asked, "Do you have Harry's trunk Mary?"

Nodding her head, she pulled out the shrunken trunk and handed it to him.

Albus sat it on his desk and tapped it with his wand, enlarging it. Battling aside the standard spells he opened the trunk, quickly making his way through the well organized contents.

When his hand touched a small snake pendant the lion let out a loud whistle before flashing brightly and returning back to silver.

Dumbledore removed the pendant with a small frown on his face as he studied it. The snake was curled in an S, its' fangs were bared as if it was about to strike, and its head was slightly raised and its green eyes seemed to glare.

Albus placed the pendant on his desk before closing and reshrinking the trunk. He handed it back to Mary before going over to a black cabinet behind his desk and removing his pensieve.

"Albus why is the pendant important?"

"After Harry's accident at the quidditch pitch I put a high level tracking charm on him and bound it to the lion. It should tell me where he is at any time and his current health."

"And?"

"Someone has removed the tracking charm and transferred it to this pendant, skillfully done, I should add. The wards should have alerted me if the charm had been altered or messed with in any way."

Mary gasped, "Who could have done that Albus?"

"We'll have to ask Harry when he returns. Now would you please," Dumbledore pointed to the pensieve on the desk.

Mary moved forward, wand tip to her head as she drew out the memory. When she pulled the wand away a small wispy fluff seemed to cling to the wand tip. She placed the memory into the bowl and stepped back as the memories began to swirl.

She leaned back as Albus entered the memory. She did not wish to see the abduction once again, even in a memory.

When the Headmaster re-emerged his face was void of all emotion other than contemplation.

"What now?"

Albus locked eyes with her.

"Now go and comfort James. I'll discuss this with Alastor and use some contacts to find Harry. Do not lose hope."

The two were sitting at the small table in Harry's room, having just finished the evening meal, and wasn't that an experience. Who would have ever thought that the Boy-Who-Lived and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would have shared a civil meal together at the same table? Harry hadn't touched his food until an approving Riddle had performed a spell on it, proving to the boy that it hadn't been poisoned. Harry had almost asked for a bezoar just in case but decided to be somewhat civil. After the meal had been cleared away, Riddle had turned and regarded him for several minutes.

"Hold out your left hand." Voldemort sharply demanded.

Harry slowly brought his hand up, prepared to protect himself if needed.

Immediately Riddle grabbed his hand and pulled him forward slightly so that he could examine the ring closely. Harry stood still at the contact, gritting his teeth in distaste and ready for the onslaught of typical pain at the Dark Lord's contact. However, he was shocked when the pain never came. The older man grabbed Harry's silver ring and studied it, turning it in between his fingers.

"You can touch it?" Harry stuttered out, for once truly shocked at the Dark Lord, so far only he had been able to handle the ring without getting shocked.

Voldemort glanced up before releasing the hand, "Yes. Can you use it?"

Mutely, Harry nodded his head.

"And do you know who that ring belonged to?"

Remembering the story Ollivander had told, Harry answered hesitantly, "My grandfather."

For some reason his answer pleased Riddle and he nodded.

"Yes, your grandfather. You must have noticed that the ring is unique. It's a family heirloom, only those with blood directly from the Gaunt line can use it."

Harry highly doubted that. He didn't have a drop of blood flowing in his veins from the Gaunt line. The only reason the ring worked for him was because of his connection with Riddle and the abilities that link passed on to him. He mentally cringed. Cassandra Potter was truly involved with Tom Freaking Riddle? No wonder she up and disappeared. Obviously they were doing more than holding hands if Riddle thought that Harry was somehow a product of those late nights. Harry felt ill as he thought that a Potter had had sex with Riddle. No wonder Voldemort always had it in for him. His girl had upped and fled when she figured out what sort he really was.

"The Gaunts? I've never heard of them. Do I have any relatives on that side?"

"The Noble House of Gaunts were the last descendants of Salazar Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four. Sadly only one other member remains of that house."

"Slytherin?" Harry stuttered out with just the right amount of awe and surprise suspected of a Slytherin student.

"Surely you suspected that you were a descendant of Salazar, who else would you get your parselmouth abilities from?"

Once again surprised Harry asked, "How did you know that I was a parselmouth?"

"The Gaunts were notorious throughout the entire world for that ability. It's a family trait strictly found in that family. You would also have to be a parselmouth for that ring to work for you."

"How do you know all of this?" The boy asked curiously, already knowing where this was headed.

"Because Harry, we are the last of the Gaunts. I am your grandfather."

"Any word Alastor?" Dumbledore ran his hands through his long hair, as he leaned back in his chair, staring at the younger man.

The slightly scarred face fell somewhat and a grim expression took over, "None of the normal contacts know a thing. Not even any whisperings of the boy. I suppose the Dark Lord kept most of his followers in the dark."

Albus nodded thoughtfully.

"Albus-you've seen the memory, the abductor got off the train; which means that either the person was an older student, or was one of the train workers."

"Or a professor."

"Albus?"

"Just a thought Alastor. Someone removed the tracking spell from the boy before he left the school, a spell that is not well known, and even harder to spot. The only ones skilled enough to do that would be the teachers."

"Then why tie the tracker to something in Potter's trunk then?"

"To make it seem as if the boy was safe. I tracked him this morning to make sure he got on the train safely. If the spell hadn't shown Harry boarding and leaving, then I would have immediately suspected something was amiss."

"Which professors rode the train back?"

"Only one, Alastor. Armando Balaz."

"I'll look into him. See if I can find him, if not I'll go digging."

Dumbledore nodded his consent.

"Why don't we see just how high up that spy really is Albus."

"I fear we have no other option."

Shock crossed Harry's face and he seriously considered screaming out a long noooooooo while clutching his hand to his chest, but decided against it, those movies hadn't even been made yet. Instead he breathed out and yelled in an angry voice, "No, you can't be! You killed my godparents and father!"

Voldemort leaned forward and stared into the green eyes, "Not I Harry. Why would I kill my own son? I sent Cassandra away for her own protection."

"Protection from whom? Tell the truth! She was running from you!" Harry snarled in apparent anger.

Riddle stilled at his words, seemingly lost in thought. "Dumbledore hated me and I knew Cassandra and my unborn child would be in danger. So I sent them away."

"No! It's not true!" Harry yelled, seemingly panicked.

"It is true Harry. What reason would I have for lying to you?" Riddle replied smoothly.

"Because you are a psycho pathological liar!" The black haired child spat back.

Distaste crossed the older wizard's face, "I did not kill them Harry. So that begs the question of who did. Who knew of my relationship with Cassandra? Who had enough power to track her down, even when I hid her and distanced myself from her and my son?"

"No he wouldn't!"

"He did." Voldemort hissed out, grabbing Harry by the shoulders and shaking him. "He would do anything to destroy me, the only true threat to his power. He would even go as far as killing innocents just because they were part of my line, all for his greater good."

Voldemort let go of Harry and stared into his eyes, "He killed your father. He killed your godparents. Do you really think that it was a coincidence that your father died before he told you about your heritage? Yes, you got the ring but it wouldn't have been enough for you to have found out, I'll even wager that the old man tried to take it from you. Do you not believe it odd that your godparents died before you went to school and you were placed with Dumbledore's greatest supporters?"

"But why?"

"Think Harry. Once you were in school you needed to be guided on the right path. Who better to do that than the Potters, some of Dumbledore's greatest allies? The greatest irony of it all, my own grandson as Albus Dumbledore's golden boy, defender of the light! The man I hate most would use my own flesh and blood against me with his lies. The power that runs through our veins turned on one another!" Riddle spat.

"He plans for me to kill you." Harry stated.

Voldemort returned to his chair before nodding.

"Dumbledore would convince you that I am some sort of monster."

"If you claim that you are not a monster then how do you account for your actions?"

Riddle thought for a moment before answering, "I do what needs to be done. I'm starting a revolution that will help achieve a change in the destiny of a society and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of humankind. I seek to start a revolution in each and every wizard to change the world."

Disgust crossed the first year's face, "Yet you kill muggleborns and muggles! How is that starting a revolution in every witch and wizard? You're just a bigot!"

"Harry, I care very little for blood. There is only power and those too weak to seek it." Riddle gave the boy a hard look, "How much muggle one is contaminated with matters little. It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow up to be! I seek power and currently disposing of the muggles and muggleborns clenches my support from the dark purebloods. If there was a way in which I could gain the same power without killing them then I would."

The last line was thoroughly unconvincing.

"And if you win? What then? Will you leave the muggleborns along? Give them equal rights? Stop the muggles from being massacred?" Harry demanded.

Voldemort smiled a vicious smile a steely glint entering his eyes.

"When I am ruler no one will dare question me. They will do everything I demand."

"So you are a monster then." The boy stated quietly.

"My blood and power flows through your veins. Do you feel like a monster?"

"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Harry replied taking a note out of Dumbledore's book.

Voldemort let out another chilling laugh, "How very quaint. However, I am certainly not the only monster in this world. I am just the most obvious one. I do not hide behind a mask. You could say I'm the lesser of two evils Harry."

"We all hide behind masks."

Uncertainty passed over the Dark Lord's face before he asked, "Your father, what was his name?"

"You don't know?" Harry asked skeptical. Surely Riddle had somehow swindled his Auror report out of the Ministry to read.

At the glare he received back Harry finally spoke, "Patroclus."

Tom's eyes glazed over for a moment in seemingly concentration, "Glory of the father." A chilling and almost proud smile crossed the Dark Lord's face before he prompted, "And the middle?"

"Roderick."

The smile widened as Harry continued to stare in wonder;, Riddle was really pulling out all stops to convince him of the grandfather card.

Silence followed until Harry asked, "You mean to keep me here?"

Riddle studied him intently, "Do you really wish to back to the old man to be lied to and manipulated? Back to the real man that killed your family? You would have to face him every day while he smiled and lied to you. You wish to go back to that?"

"And what would my life be like here? I'd just be another puppet to you!" The boy said angrily, "Do not think that I am ignorant enough to believe that you don't have an ulterior motive as well."

"You are my grandson; you would not be treated like some common Death Eater. My power runs through your veins, you would be respected and feared by my followers. I will teach you all that you needed to know." Voldemort said with a twisted grin.

Voldemort was offering to take him under his wing? Harry wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. If someone had said a year ago that Voldemort would be offering to accept Harry Potter into his ranks as something other than a follower he would have laughed in their face.

"We are much more alike than you would ever believe Harry. We were both given a common muggle name as our mothers lay dying, our fathers were murdered, and we are both orphans, you twice over. We are both parselmouths and extremely powerful. Both of our pasts and skills are similar, you truly are mine Harry."

At the boy's look Riddle gave a small and vicious smile, "You may hate me now, but you will one day know I tell you the truth. I did not kill your family. I'm the only family you have left and I will protect you if you only let me."

Harry swallowed tightly, slightly dazed before answering, "I need time."

Riddle regarded him for another moment before nodding.

"Another thing to consider Harry, you now know of Dumbledore's lies and plans for you. What do you think he'll do when he realizes that his puppet no longer has strings?"

And with those parting words the Dark Lord turned on his heels and left the room.