Chapter 329: Dark Words

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I would like to thank my beta, Awdyr, for his help in this chapter.

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5th October 1995, Hogwarts (Earth 2)

Albus Dumbledore had many faults, he would be the first one to admit that, but one of the things he disliked the most was when his plans were interrupted. Lately, he had spent most of his time trying to figure out what Voldemort had planned next and how to counter it effectively.

Truth be told, Lord Voldemort was a pretty simple creature. He was a sadistic man who fancied himself to be a Dark Lord. Whatever charisma he had as Tom Riddle faded a long time ago, leaving only the monster who could only feel pleasure when he satisfied his sadistic urges. He was ruled by his fear of death and that made him very predictable.

What made Voldemort truly dangerous was the lengths he was prepared to go to just to achieve his victory. He had even thought of creating Horcruxes of all things. He had gone to Nicholas, his old mentor, with that fact. The man was one of the few people Albus trusted, and the famous Alchemist had returned that trust when he asked Albus to fake his and his wife's deaths, just to take a little break from being pestered all of the time. He tended to do that when he got bored or when Perenelle wanted to relocate to another country for a century or two.

The Alchemist had been horrified by the mere idea of a Horcrux. It wasn't a common thing, not anymore, but desecrating one's soul was an easy way to be damned to limbo after an eternity, as well as a gradual loss of impulses and any feelings used to anchor the soul shard into the object. There was more to a soul than just a weird form of energy, it was someone's essence, their very being, and removing a part of it was like locking away an aspect of one's personality. Even the loss of something seemingly minuscule could change someone from a normal well-adjusted person to a clinical psychopath, and a psychopath into a monster.

This did explain how little of Tom remained in Voldemort. Tom Riddle had died, one piece after another, fading away as Lord Voldemort grew. In a way, there was a tragic form of irony there. Tom Riddle had been terrified of death, and his countermeasures had killed him in a metaphysical manner.

Killing him would be a mercy, and yet it was prophesized that a child would have to do it himself. Albus had seen first-hand the power of a true prophecy, where a magical genius failed to kill a defenceless child. But Voldemort's lack of knowledge of the prophecy was also an opportunity. The Dark Lord would not reveal himself willingly unless he heard the prophecy first, something that wouldn't really bring him any closure and wouldn't really change anything.

With the members of the order and the Death Eaters essentially obsessing over the prophecy, Albus had enough time to look for Tom's Horcruxes by looking through the man's past. He already didn't know for sure how many of them he had made. It had to be at least three, especially since he had crafted one of them to act as a weapon. It was probably a way to attack Hogwarts if it eventually remained the last stronghold to defy him. Letting a Basilisk loose on the student body would have been a good idea to get rid of all remaining opposition if they remained in the castle. Thankfully, young Harry had taken care of that possibility.

His thoughts were interrupted by his office's door open, revealing a dishevelled Severus Snape who looked frankly shaken. Albus tried to hide his irritation at the interruption, "Good afternoon, Severus."

"Albus, you were right, the boy is a seer!"

And that alone made up for the interruption immediately, "Explain!"

"I followed him like you said, and I tried to steal his journal, but he must have seen it coming. His divination must not have registered when he was tricked or when he was dealing with an impostor because I pretended to be a student and instigated a small altercation. I made a copy of his journal when he was distracted. Look, Albus!"

The potion master put a familiar journal on his desk and opened it, to reveal a harrowing drawing. It was the familiar face of Severus Snape, grieving as he held Lily Potter's cooling corpse. Albus hadn't even known that this had happened. He didn't really dare to ask the grieving man, but he knew that Severus had come to Godric's Hollows, in a panic when he realized what his master had planned, that Lily wasn't safe. He didn't know the specifics but from the young man's face, he had done exactly that. The drawing was familiar, and it had visibly disturbed him.

There were others, dozens of drawings. One of a deranged Bellatrix Lestrange carving something onto an older Hermione Granger's arm. There was Harry Potter stabbing a Basilisk through the mouth and so much more. One small drawing made him pale even further, and his breath caught in his throat. Arianna Dumbledore was giving him a sweet smile, as she wore her favourite dress. How was that even possible?

But what was harrowing were the poems. Dozens of prophecies, each sounded as obscure and vague as the one Sybill Trelawney gave on that fateful night. One of them made him freeze completely. It read:

In seven pieces, the dark soul lies,

Hidden deep from prying eyes.

The first a diary, secrets unfold,

Destroyed by its legacy, ancient and bold.

The second a locket, a cunning snare,

Undone by a Black, who saw through the glare.

The third is a cup, untouched, unseen,

Guarded by goblins, where thieves convene.

The fourth is a ring, Death's hidden gift,

At his mother's abode, it lies in the rift.

The fifth a diadem, wisdom turned woe,

Destroyed by an enemy, who did not last long in the throes.

The sixth his familiar, bound with dark art,

A servant most faithful, a bond to never part.

The seventh a bolt, a lightning's mark,

A living mistake, born out of the dark.

In shadows they hide, in darkness they stay,

But one by one, they shall wither away.

For power misplaced, in pieces it lies,

And the last of them knows not, how soon he dies.

The headmaster re-read this particular poem. This was exactly what he needed, and it revealed things that Albus made sure were not well-known. Even he hadn't known for sure about Harry's scar being a Horcrux, and yet this was the ultimate proof. It was a surprisingly easy prophecy to decipher, then again, most of it spoke of the past, not an uncertain future. It was like a prophecy that was routed in the present, not the future, except for the last verse, that is. It gave him a bit of a mixture of both vindication and grief. It could be interpreted as anything really, but Albus knew the truth. Harry Potter's days were numbered. He would die as Voldemort's last Horcrux. He must…

Albus decided to stop that train of thought in its track and instead focused on the Horcruxes instead. It was curious to see that more of them were destroyed than he expected. The Diary being destroyed by Slytherin's legacy, specifically the fang from his Basilisk, was both scarily correct, but the fact that two others were destroyed, specifically a locket and a diadem. It would have made sense that Tom would have made a few enemies when he went to travel the world and learn their foreign magic.

One of them could have discovered what he had done and destroyed one of the Horcruxes. But also, a son of Black betrayed him, destroying another Horcrux. It definitely wasn't Sirius or Orion Black. Maybe it was Regulus… That boy had a good head on his shoulders and had disappeared without a trace in the middle of the war.

From the looks of it, Tom had gone after the founder's legacies and the remaining Horcruxes should be the Cup of Hufflepuff, Nagini, Harry's scar, and Death's ring, whatever that was. It wasn't really enough proof, but it was more than enough to spearhead Albus' preparations. He might even have time to properly counter Tom's forces this time, instead of looking around for clues for the coming months. The Cup would be an issue. The Goblins were probably not going to let him search their vaults without making a fuss. The ring had to be in his mother's home, a mother that had to be a Gaunt, considering Tom's ability to speak with snakes. Nagini could be killed in a surprise attack, maybe Severus could find a way to poison it.

Albus turned the page and froze once more. It was a drawing of a ring, with a black stone. It would have been unassuming if it wasn't for the fact that a familiar symbol was carved into it. The Deathly Hallows… Death's ring. Did Tom truly make the resurrection stone a Horcrux?

No, he would check later. For now, he had an incredibly valuable source of information in his castle, and he needed to get its allegiance.

He gave the potion master a calm look, "Severus, could you ask Mr. Smith to come see me?"

The man nodded and left the office, probably gratified by how much Albus, himself was shaken by the journal's entry. To think that Voldemort could have easily just abducted Harrold Smith in broad daylight. No one would have cared that a no-name orphan had disappeared. No one would have even noticed, really.

Albus needed to bind the boy to his side. It wasn't a nice thought, but he was an asset that he just couldn't ignore, and it didn't really have to be a bad thing. It certainly beat being tortured by Voldemort to make more prophecies. The boy would see sense. He must.

It took less than ten minutes for Severus to return with the boy, who gave Albus a dismissive look. The headmaster then gave his potion master a pointed look, "Thank you, Severus."

Thankfully, the man was bright enough to easily understand the dismissal in his tone and turned stiffly, leaving the room, "Hello, young Harrold."

The boy's hazel eyes met his own, "Good afternoon, Headmaster."

Albus didn't know how to address this. Seers were pretty tricky to deal with, "It has come to my attention that you possess a certain set of skills, one that might even put a target on your back, if revealed."

The boy didn't seem threatened and just looked confused, "What are you talking about, sir?"

"Your skills in divination, of course. Did you really think that no one would notice?"

"Notice what? I'm really lost here."

Albus decided to just be direct, "You're a seer, you can see the past and the future. It's a very rare and valuable skill, one that I would like to see cultivated."

"I know what a seer is and I'm not one," the boy answered hotly.

"Now, now, young Harrold, there's no need for any hostility. I know that you were probably taught to deny any accusation, to refute any claims of your skills, and for good reason. Seers are often hunted down, and forced to spew one prophecy after another. It's understandable that you are wary of talks of seers, but I am here to help you. It is my duty as an educator, after all. Who knows what would happen outside this castle? Knowledge of your skills will get out eventually and you'll need someone in your corner to protect you."

The boy gave Albus an unimpressed look, "Let me get this straight, you think I'm a seer, one of the people who have changed the course of history, how had made entire kingdoms submit and kneel, and your plan is to blackmail me? It doesn't really sound like a good plan to me."

It would have been funny to see a teenager of all things essentially threaten him if there wasn't some merit to the threat. He remembered that Gellert was a very minor seer, and he sometimes had some visions of the future. That small thing as well as his prodigious skill and power, had allowed him to conquer half of Europe with barely any trouble.

Albus also wasn't exactly keen on letting the boy know that Severus was the one who tricked him, "You're young, my boy. You do not even conceive the good you could do with your skill. But if being exploited is what you're concerned about then you do not have to use the skill to aid me in any way. My priority has always been my students' safety more than anything."

"The good I could do… Is that what this is about? You want me to help you fight the Dark Lord, that's if he's even alive."

"We both know that Lord Voldemort is very much alive, Mr. Smith. And I will not ask you to fight him. I only wish for your safety behind Hogwarts' wards, far away from the coming war. Voldemort has allies in the ministry and if your skills were revealed, he would use those to overturn your emancipation and bind you to him. He could not do this if you were to stay here, under my protection. Perhaps, after some time, you would learn the responsibilities you have and the potential lives you could save."

Albus was laying it a bit thick, and he knew it. He wasn't exactly threatening the boy, yet the hint of danger was still there. After all, he could just remove his support and refuse to protect the boy, and Voldemort would have him captured or killed in mere days. Lucky for the young man, he could be useful to Albus.

"I wonder what Arianna thinks of your talks of responsibilities, Albus Dumbledore?" the boy angrily answered, "Oh, and don't think this is some kind of vision or anything, your brother is a very talkative drunk, but you're not going to let up on any talks of seers, are you?"

Albus couldn't help but feel angry as the boy touched on something that was very sensitive to him. He immediately pushed his magic outward. It was a bit of a cheap move, but it did work more often than not. His magic suffocated the room, the pressure probably building on the boy. Many had passed out when he did that, and yet the boy didn't seem affected.

He just shook his head, "Well, that was obviously a sensitive spot. It's not nice when someone else does it to you, is it? You're just proving my point, you know. You haven't changed, even after all those years. You can't stand not being in control, even if you fear what that makes you. I wonder if Arianna would have liked the man you are now. I guess you'll never really know."

Albus restrained his quickly rising temper and took a deep breath, "You're making a big mistake, Harrold Smith. It's impolite for you to be so cruel when all I have done is offer you kindness."

"Maybe I am making a mistake, but they'll be mine to make, which will be born of my choices. Maybe there was some concern for my safety in your offer, but you didn't even consider the fact that I had something planned for myself. However, your biggest goal in this conversation is asserting some form of control over me, to have me gradually come to your side, either through fear of being discovered or just protection if Voldemort learned of my supposed skills. It's not your fault, really; it's in your nature."

"I never threatened you, my boy. I just pointed out threats that already existed."

The boy rolled his eyes, "I know. But there are many students in this school that would be in danger should war break out. I don't see you protecting them, professor, nor do I see you forcefully making them stay in the castle. However, I can understand the street you're in. You're fighting a war with a monster with no morals, who happens to have the support of the wealthiest families in the nation. Meanwhile, your government is practically doing its best to deny his return. So, I'll attribute this to you being frustrated and seeing an opportunity and I'm going to pretend that this meeting never happened. I will pretend that all that happened was a simple rash decision, nothing more. In exchange for that, you will not attempt to pressure me like this again. I cannot promise that I will not act rashly should I feel threatened, after all. Do we have an agreement?"

The headmaster inwardly sighed. This was probably the best that he could get. The boy was definitely a seer, that was for sure, even if he never admitted it. The book was damning enough, but that last little speech was enough to confirm any doubts. He was a seer, but he also knew his value and was confident about handling most of his coming obstacles. The boy was right. He had seen the diary and acted rashly without really thinking things through.

Albus probably shouldn't have lost his temper at the end, but Arianna was a sore subject, and he reacted rashly. Nevertheless, despite his denial, the boy would end up serving him. Logically speaking, a teenager, even one with a powerful gift, would still find himself in danger once Voldemort declared war openly, and he would come to him begging for the offer once more. On that fateful day, Albus had no plans of being as generous as he was today.

Even if he didn't get an immediate result, he could still win in the end. The fact that the offer was there and Albus didn't push after it was refused would make it the first option the young seer would think of when he became inevitably threatened.

He just needed to research how to better handle seers, when that fateful day came. Perhaps Nicholas would be of service on that matter. He must have encountered a few in his long life.

Albus relented, deciding to plan for a confrontation much later, "We do, young Harrold."

A shadow of a smug smile appeared on the boy's face for a fraction of a second until he turned and motioned to leave but spoke up with his back towards Albus, "One last piece of advice. Stop thinking so much about the future and talks of prophecies and visions. Trying to control the uncontrollable will only result in disappointment, pain and sorrow."

With that said, the seer left the office. Albus shook his head at that last piece of advice. There was a certain truth to it, but the prophecy wasn't about Albus, and he wasn't exactly meddling in it. Still, the boy's words about Arianna remained. What would she think of him if she saw him now?

He didn't notice that he had opened Harrold's journal once more and was staring at the drawing of the resurrection stone.

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AN: I was tempted not to have the Harry/Dumbledore confrontation at all, but I just wanted to have them talk properly before the end of the arc. I wanted to portray this version of Dumbledore as very manipulative but also patient. He didn't really plan on Harry to accept his offer, only that the offer would remain in the future so that Harry would end up returning to him when he's feeling threatened. I wanted him to be very manipulative without being forceful, like the Dumbledore in Earth 1 (like a comparison between their two personalities with and without the Light guiding them). I also kinda think that Harry came a bit too strong here, like a bit too hostile. Then again, he's not exactly unbiased considering how much he hates the Dumbledore from his own universe. I'm not sure I pulled it off, so, as usual, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.

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If you want to support me check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr

I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.

Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.