Heavy Blows

February 28th, 1976

"Why should I even consider you to be an appropriate candidate to court my daughter, Mr. Peverell?"

So, he knew... Harry saw Marlene shoot her father a frightened look. His wife seemed to have known about it as well since she showed no signs of surprise at all. Instead, her blue eyes came resting on Harry expectantly. Marlene's two older brothers, however, blinked from Harry to their younger sister and back to him. He could tell that a more protective side emerged in both of them. They obviously held their little sister close to heart...

"I could tell you about how brilliant I think your daughter is and about the many similarities we share and how compatible we would be..." Harry smiled at Marlene, before turning back to her father: "But I know that those arguments will not convince you, sir. You are a politician and a businessman, Lord McKinnon. So, that is the approach I will be taking."

"I can already tell that you care a great deal about my daughter, Mr. Peverell." McKinnon nodded seemingly unbothered by something inconsequential as love: "Nevertheless, you are correct in assuming that any feelings involved, no matter how strong, won't convince me that her current match with the Lestranges won't be the best possible outcome for my family. Still, I am interested to hear what you have to say..."

"I appreciate this opportunity to convince you then, my Lord." Harry nodded thankfully: "Let us begin with a hypothesis of yours, which I will soon rectify. You assume the House of Lestrange to be on the rise... But simply because their heir married a Black, does not mean their position was elevated, my Lord. It's quite the opposite..."

At their doubtful looks, Harry continued: "One week ago Arcturus Black, Lord of House Black has declared me Protegee of his House. He did so because I am on excellent terms with his younger sister, Dorea Potter. In addition, a few members of his House are not too fond of me for eliminating Lucius Malfoy, the former betrothed to Lord Black's youngest granddaughter, Narcissa. Whereas Lord Black thanked me for rescuing Narcissa from a loveless marriage he never gave his blessings to, certain other family members were not too fond of my interference."

"I can imagine so." McKinnon nodded thoughtfully. Obviously very interested in the inter-House politics of any prestigious family. The man valued knowledge after all.

"Luckily, the word of the Lord Blacks holds the most weight and he made it more than clear that should any members of the family harm me in any way, then said members will lose the protection and honor that comes with the name Black," Harry explained with a smile.

"Why would he go to such drastic measures simply for your protection?" Lady McKinnon frowned.

"Because he saw a potential in me, he saw in neither of his sons nor any of his grandsons. He even proposed a courting agreement between me and Narcissa Black. However, I respectfully declined because a different girl has caught my interest already." He gave Marlene another warm smile and squeezed her hand under the table."

"You declined to court Narcissa Black in favor of our sister?" Marcus asked in disbelief: "Why?"

"Because Narcissa could never hope to rival your sister in neither beauty nor brilliance." Harry answered sincerely: "Hopefully this will give you an indication of how serious I take the matter."

He looked at Marlene, who stared at him with large blue eyes full of emotions. Harry had not told her about the proposal from Arcturus yet, but she seemed deeply moved by his gesture and commitment. Nevertheless, she remained silent, just as it was expected of her during this kind of conversation. Her future and happiness might be the topic of the conversation, yet she had no say in it.

The McKinnons nodded, so Harry continued: "Soon enough Bellatrix's and her husband Rodolphus' continued aggressions against me, will give Lord Black more than enough reason to banish his own granddaughter. At that point, any associations with the Lestranges, be it related to business, or politics will be discontinued. Depending on the degree to which they went to harm me, they will be made enemies of House Black... I assume you can imagine how less favorable that would make a potential alliance between you and the Lestranges."

Harry saw the wheels turning in Lord McKinnon's head and continued confidently: "Mark my words, Lord McKinnon, Rabastan Lestrange had already tried to attack me to interfere with my duel against Lucius Malfoy. The boy was only recently discharged from Saint Mungo's, where he had remained for multiple days due to his injuries. Despite Lord Black's warnings, the Lestranges will try again to make my life as difficult as possible. Something Arcturus Black will not respond to kindly."

The man hummed thoughtfully, still deep in introspection. The other members of the McKinnon family were regarding Harry equally as pensive.

"If you'd marry off your daughter to a family, who only recently provoked the ire of the Blacks, you'd make your position very clear, sir. Lord Black might only hold a single seat on the Wizengamot, but his influence spreads further. As for the conservatives, he is well connected with the Rosiers, Greengrasses, Crouchs, and Travers. Are those the families whose ire you want to provoke in exchange for an alliance with the Lestranges?"

"You make a solid point, Peverell." The man mused: "Perhaps you are right and the House of Lestrange is not as elevated as I would have assumed when crafting the contract for my daughter. However, this still does not address the fact that you stand with even fewer connections and political influence than the Lestranges..."

"You wound me, Lord McKinnon." Harry smiled confidently: "Let us discover if I really hold such negligibly influence, shall we? I am a protegee of House Black and I am currently setting up a motion to have my seat in the Wizengamot transferred to Lord Charlus Potter until I am of age. Lord Potter gave me his word to vote on my behalf and will soon start an alliance with the Blacks..."

"Impossible!" Lady McKinnon frowned: "The Potter's and Blacks don't see eye to eye on most issues!"

"And yet they have agreed to lay aside their differences, be it temporarily." Harry shrugged: "Think about what a powerful alliance that might be. The Potters still hold sway over the Longbottoms, Bones, Abbots, and Prewetts. At the same time we also have House Black and its direct allies. Don't you think it would be wiser to align yourself with such a force instead of opposing it?"

Harry left the questions hanging and continued: "As soon as I come of age, I will have a seat on the Wizengamot. In addition, I have the ear of two of the most powerful lords in the country. Galleons will not be an issue either. The Potter and Blacks have already guaranteed to financially back me and then there is also the Peverell vault at Gringotts..."

Harry grinned. He was bluffing at this point, but there was no way for McKinnon to prove him wrong in this stage of the negotiations: "The Goblins of Gringotts knew that Peverell family still had remaining descendants, so their accords forbid them from closing our accounts. At the same time, according to the agreements that had been negotiated between Gringotts and my ancestors, the goblins were forced to continue paying interest on my Galleons..."

Harry chuckled: "I don't think I have to explain the effect of accumulated interest over a period of over millennia, my Lord..."

Even Lord McKinnon was really impressed by that: "Indeed... No explanation will be necessary. You have me convinced of your connections Peverell, however, aligning myself with your political faction will make me a clear target for a certain group that's rumored to be on the rise and whose plans you must have undoubtedly crossed already..."

The atmosphere on the table changed instantly. Lord McKinnon's eyes gleam with triumph, just as they had during his trial. The man was testing him once again.

"You are very astute, my Lord." Harry complimented the man: "I did not doubt that you would have heard about this movement already. Perhaps you have even been approached by them..."

The man remained silent and ignored the gazes from his wife and children.

"However, you have given me the perfect transition to address my next argument on why aligning yourself with the Lestrange does not make sense to you..." Harry nodded.

"And why is that, Mr. Peverell?"

"It is not a good match for your family because your plan won't work," Harry stated abruptly.

"Excuse me, Mr. Peverell?" The man's voice grew icy.

"You try to align yourself with both sides to maintain valuable connections with the conservatives and the progressivists, my Lord. Regardless, your plan to stay neutral in the coming conflict will fail," Harry explained simply.

"How could you possibly know that, boy?" McKinnon whispered angrily: "You are fifteen years old... What do you understand about politics?"

"Less than you for sure..." Harry admitted sincerely: "But I know significantly more than any of you about the upcoming conflict, my Lord. And let me tell you that there will be no neutrality."

The man laughed coldly: "Do you speak from experience, Peverell? Have you witnessed many wizarding wars yet?"

"I have seen more than enough." Harry replied: "Enough to know that your family will be targeted first, simply because you have two sons that are Aurors." He addressed the two sons: "As Aurors, you pledged your loyalty to the ministry. You will be called first when the fighting starts. How do you think the Death Eaters will feel about that? Unless you two decide to take up the Mark and join them?"

"How could you possibly know about the Mark?" Marcus frowned: "That is highly classified information!"

"Will you take it then?" Harry inquired: "Or will you remain loyal to your oath to protect the people?"

"We would never take it!" Marcus hissed dangerously and his brother nodded: "A vow is a vow!"

"Well, there you have it." Harry turned back to Lord McKinnon who was flexing his knuckles in anger: "Your family will be a prime target, no matter what Houses you align yourself with, because your sons will be the ones fighting the people that take up the Mark..."

"I will ask you again, Peverell." Matthew repeated firmly: "How do you know about the Mark?"

"You mean despite seeing it on Lucius Malfoy's forearm?" Harry chuckled at the shocked expressions on the McKinnons' faces: "I can tell you more about the Mark than any Unspeakable, but first I will need a vow from you."

"A vow?" Marcus frowned.

"A vow that not a single word discussed tonight will be shared with anyone else." Harry nodded.

"You are delusional." Lord McKinnon laughed without humor.

"And you are not as sharp of a politician if you do not even consider giving me the chance to share what I know with you, Lord McKinnon," Harry responded coldly. The man grit his teeth in frustration. Obviously, insulting him in his own house was risky, but Harry was desperate.

"Fine! I will give you your vow, Peverell." The man grimaced: "But know this, boy. Should you be wasting my time, then I will bring the wrath of House McKinnon down on you."

"You have my word that what I will share will be most interesting to all of you." Harry nodded: "I will also give you an oath after I have finished to demonstrate that everything I said was the truth."

McKinnon nodded and pulled his wand. His family followed suit. They all gave their vow not to share anything and sat back down, looking at Harry expectantly.

"Well then." Harry nodded: "Let me start by answering your question. I know about the Mark because I know the man that created it. The one who brands it into the skin of his followers."

"Impossible, so far there are only rumors about him!" Lady McKinnon spoke up.

"Lord Voldemort...!" Harry declared, ignoring the shrieks and spasms coming from the family: "... Is far from a rumor. His Mark is pretty clever, too. It is a combination of a comprehensive assortment of spells, including a Protean charm and a Portkey spell. Your Unspeakables could spend years analyzing the Dark Mark and they still would never decipher it, because it's cast in Parseltongue..."

The McKinnon had their mouths gaped open, especially the two sons: "How could you pos-"

"But I digress..." Harry interrupted: "I came here not to explain the Dark Mark but to convince you that I make for a better candidate than Rabastan Lestrange. I refer to my previous statement. True neutrality cannot be achieved in the upcoming conflict. The man we are dealing with does not allow for that. Lord Voldemort only deals in absolutes... You are either with him or against him."

"You speak as if you know the man personally." McKinnon snorted.

"In a strange sense, I do..." Harry nodded: "Perhaps Marlene has told you that I grew up as an orphan?"

The McKinnons nodded.

"Well, don't you think it's only natural for me to find out as much about the man who killed my parents as possible?" Harry inquired.

"He killed them?" Matthew McKinnon frowned.

"That's why you came back to Britain..." Marcus mused: "You want revenge?"

"I want justice." Harry corrected him: "For myself and for many others, who have and will be killed by the man."

"You still don't make any sense, Peverell." Lord McKinnon shook his head: "The entire movement is based on blood purists' belief. Our blood will protect us in the upcoming conflict."

"And that is where you are wrong, sir!" Harry remained firm: "The man is leading a blood elitist movement, yet hides his true identity behind a fake name. Why do you think he does so, my Lord? Voldemort does not care about your blood. He will kill you no matter how pure your blood is, just as he had proven with the Odgens, one of the oldest British magical families."

"If he does not care about blood purity, then he is not a pureblood himself?" Matthew inquired.

"Of course, he is not!" Harry nodded: "As Aurors, you must have heard the rumors, he and his followers spread. Who does he claim to be the descendant of?"

"Salazar Slytherin..." Marcus chimed: "And it's true because he is Parseltongue."

"Lord McKinnon, who were the last living descendants of Slytherin here in Britain?" Harry addressed the man.

"The Gaunts." The man frowned after a few seconds: "Yet neither of Marvolo Gaunts' children had any of their own..."

"You are wrong, sir. They don't have legitimate children..." Harry corrected the man: "However, Merope Gaunt had an illegitimate son with a muggle right before she died."

"Can you prove it?" Lady McKinnon asked suspiciously.

"I could already prove it by giving you my vow at the end of this discussion, but I will share even more with you." Harry addressed the two sons: "I have been told that you were both Headboys during your time at Hogwarts."

Both of the young men nodded curiously.

"Does the name Tom Marvolo Riddle ring a bell then?"

Marcus' eyes shifted from left to right, obviously deep in concentration. However, his older brother was quicker: "He was a Slytherin prefect and Head Boy over 20 years ago... He received an award for services to the school. Are you saying?"

"That is exactly what I am saying..." Harry replied as he pulled his wand: "Merope Gaunt... and a muggle called Tom Riddle..." He waved the Elder Wand through the air, forming letters of gold just as Tom Riddle had demonstrated in the Chamber of Secrets:

"Tom Marvolo Riddle." Harry read and flicked his wand.

"I am Lord Voldemort." He whispered as the letters rearranged themselves.

"He is really a half-blood..." Lord McKinnon stared at the golden letters in shock.

"The man does not care about your blood." Harry repeated his previous statement: "In a sense, he is correct." Harry chuckled: "Blood does not give you power. Magic and knowledge give you power. You could have ten daughters all married to individual followers of this man and he still won't consider you an ally unless you carry his Mark."

Harry paused briefly: "Lord McKinnon... You must understand that with your two sons in the Auror department, there won't be any neutrality for your family in the upcoming conflict... You will be forced to choose a side sooner than later. Your sons have already chosen theirs..."

Harry pulled his wand once more: "I, Harry Ignotus Peverell, hereby swear on my magic that everything I have revealed about the man who calls himself Lord Voldemort is true."

"Lumos!" He whispered and extinguished the blinding light on the tip of his wand a second later. Then he watched Lord McKinnon expectantly.

Almost a minute passed without any words being spoken. Harry thought that his line of argument went rather well. Revealing that much about Voldemort was dangerous, but since they had all given their vows, it was unlikely that anyone else would learn of it. Marlene simply held his hand under the table while shooting a pleading look to both her parents. Finally, it was Matthew who spoke up first: "Peverell might be right, father..."

"Silence!" Lord McKinnon banged his fist on the table: "I am the Head of House and I will decide how we approach this situation!"

Matthew nodded with a sigh and remained quiet. Harry could tell that he had persuaded the two brothers already. Marlene's mother also seemed to be very inclined to not only believe everything he just said but also begin the negotiations with Harry as a potential suitor for her daughter.

Harry gave Marlene's hand one last squeeze and stood up to address Lord McKinnon: "I apologize should I have disrespected you or your family in any way during the presentation of my arguments, Lord McKinnon. I did not intend to do so. Neither was my aim to create dread and panic. I simply believe myself to be the right partner for your daughter, sir."

He paused briefly: "The political and strategic reasons behind courting your daughter will always remain a lower priority for me. Nevertheless, I acknowledge their importance to you, sir. Take the time you require to contemplate over what I shared with you tonight. Such a decision should not be rushed."

He pushed his chair back and gave a small bow to Lady McKinnon: "Dinner was excellent, my Lady, thank you very much." Turning to her husband once more: "I think it's best I take my leave for tonight, my Lord. Your owl will reach me once you have decided. I thank you once again for your hospitality."

"May I escort Mr. Peverell back to the fireplace, father." Marlene shot up from her chair next to him.

Lord McKinnon frowned but pulled himself together. He did not want to be the one lacking etiquette: "Please do so, Marlene. And thank you for accepting our invitation, Mr. Peverell. You have managed to impress me once again. Though this time, I will weigh over whether it transpired insufficiently or satisfactorily. I will get in contact with you soon, you have my word."

Harry gave one last bow to the older brothers and offered Marlene his arm. He felt her shaking while leading her out of the dining room.

"I don't know if I should yell at you for being a complete Gryffindor or snog you senseless for what you have just done." Marlene sighed after taking a couple of deep breaths.

"I guess I deserve both." Harry chuckled.

"I have never witnessed anyone talking to father like that." Marlene frowned.

"Any attempts at deception or smooth words would not have worked on a man like your father." Harry explained: "He needed to hear the harsh truth."

"I have so many questions, Harry..." Marlene sighed: "The things you have revealed tonight. I want to fully understand them."

"I know you do, Marlene." Harry nodded solemnly: "And I promise to explain everything soon. I will do my best to find a way to talk to you at Hogwarts over the next few days."

"Please do so, Harry." Marlene pleaded when they finally reached the large fireplace. Knowing that the surrounding portraits would report everything to her father, Marlene got up on her tiptoes and pecked his cheek for a goodbye: "Will you go back to Hogwarts now?"

"Perhaps later..." Harry smiled as he took a fistful of floo powder: "I will see you soon."

"The Leaky Cauldron!"

Harry chuckled at the dazed look on Marlene's face as he vanished in a flash of green flames. He dusted off his formal robes and stepped out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron. Greeting Tom briefly, Harry made his way outside to the entrance to Diagon Alley, where he quickly vanished under his invisibility cloak.

Now comes the difficult part. His brain went into overdrive as it searched for a very specific memory. Persuading the McKinnons would be a personal victory for Harry and a strategic blow against Voldemort. However, Harry also intended to deliver a more or less physical blow tonight.

For that, he would take a trip down memory lane. Not his own memory lane, but that of Bob Odgen. Harry closed his eyes and recalled following Dumbledore into the Pensieve. They watched as Bob Odgen walked down a very specific path into Little Hangleton. Taking a last glimpse at the small details of the memory, like the gab in the hedges, Harry took a step forward and apparated with a soft snap.

He reappeared on a rough pathway, which despite the difference in time, looked almost exactly as the one he had just recalled from Ogden's memory. However, to his right, there was nothing but one long, fluent hedge, without any gap in it.

As soon as Harry moved towards the hedge, he felt a slight, very subtle intrusion into his mind, edging him to keep going. Had he not partly absorbed Voldemort's talent for the mind arts and continued studying occlumency, he would have most certainly not even felt the penetration. It was done brilliantly... A notice-me-not charm that would edge anyone coming here to simply keep walking.

Harry blocked out the effects of the charm as best as he could and began to analyze the ward scheme. He carefully probed it for any trigger wards, which would alert the Dark Lord, however, he did not find any. The gap in the hedge must be hidden away by a concealment charm, so Harry began looking for traces for any.

After almost five minutes of waving the Elder Wand in intrinsic patterns while holding out his left hand, Harry finally caught something. He held onto it and started dismantling that part of the ward. Harry chuckled when the defenses switched from a millennia-old Sumerian obscuring ward to a Parseltongue ward.

Rather ironic... It must have taken Dumbledore hours to break through something like that, but Harry would be done within a few minutes.

Indeed, the air pulsed with magic when Harry finally spiked the scheme deep enough. He overpowered a key weakness of the ward structure, using Parselmagic himself. Taking a deep breath, Harry opened his eyes and found the familiar gap in the hedge to his right. Let's see what other defenses the Dark Lord had in store for him.

Harry followed the narrow dirt track bordered by higher and wilder hedgerows than those he had left behind. The path was crooked, rocky, and potholed, sloping downhill like the last one, and it seemed to be heading for a patch of dark trees a little below him. Sure enough, the track soon opened up at the copse. Harry came to a halt to draw his wand. Due to the full moon, the old trees ahead cast deep, dark, cool shadows, and it was a few seconds before Harry's eyes discerned the building half-hidden amongst the tangle of trunks.

Once more, it seemed to him a very strange location to choose for a house, or else an odd decision to leave the trees growing nearby, blocking all light and the view of the valley below. Its walls were mossy and so many tiles had fallen off the roof that the rafters were visible in places. Nettles grew all around it, their tips reaching the windows, which were tiny and thick with grime.

Harry gripped the Elder Wand more tightly as he felt the change in the magic around him. It had drastically altered from edging him to leave to outright pulling him in. He remembered Dumbledore's words about this technique...

Voldemort would not want to immediately kill the person who reached this island," Dumbledore corrected himself. "He would want to keep them alive long enough to find out how they managed to penetrate so far through his defenses and, most importantly of all, why they were so intent upon emptying the basin. Do not forget that Lord Voldemort believes that he alone knows about his Horcruxes."

Undoubtedly, the same principles apply to the shack. Anyone, who was strong-willed enough to break through the Dark Lord's notice-me-not charms was a threat that could not be allowed to escape. Harry knew it was the foreign magic pulsing through his body, yet something within this hut was calling for him to be found. He continued and carefully approached the door to the shack.

Harry was only a couple of meters away when he noticed something peculiar. The vines and roots along the mossy stone wall and within the ground around the shack were unnaturally thick and twisted themselves in strange patterns. He did not recognize the Parselmagic, but those vines would undoubtedly turn into deadly serpents and stop him from leaving. That much was certain...

He opened the door and carefully stepped inside. The interior of the shack was in a similar condition to the outside, yet Harry remembered the rough layout from the memory he had watched. The house still contained three tiny rooms. Two doors led off the main room, which Harry knew had once served as kitchen and living room combined at one point. The memory of Merope Gaunt dropping a frying pan flickered through his mind.

The ancient floorboards creaked underneath his every step. There was no need to check any of the other rooms. Something was calling out to him... Right there in the middle of the room. The magic felt familiar... He caught traces of Voldemort's unique magical signature. Yet, there was also something comforting and calming about it, something that felt like home. Was this the Ring calling out to be taken by its true master?

A faint voice, all the way in the back of Harry's mind, kept recalling the danger to him. As soon as he made eye contact with the object of his desire, the strong compulsion charm, which even Dumbledore had been unable to resist, would activate. If Harry had to guess, it would be as soon as he removed the old floorboards.

"Relashio!"

Harry destroyed the first board and continued redecorating the room by removing the boards close to it as well. As he destroyed the fifth board, Harry finally saw a small wooden box that was embedded underneath the floor. Just as he removed the last wooden splinters to clear his access, the compulsion hit him full force.

He dropped to his knees and slammed down his Occlumency shields. Nevertheless, he had to see what was inside it! With trembling fingers, he pulled out the small wooden box, placed it in front of him, and opened its lid.

The thick golden ring with a black gemstone in its center looked just as when he had first seen it. In his original timeline, it had been on Dumbledore's hand, the night the headmaster collected him from the Dursleys in the sixth year. Upon making eye contact with the Horcrux, a sharp pain surged through the one finger, on which Harry proudly carried the second Hallow from his own timeline.

Harry wheezed in despair as the ring grew unbearably hot around his finger. Then, his hand started moving on its own accord towards the Horcrux in the wooden box. Somehow, his body was paralyzed! There was nothing he could do as he stared at the ring on his finger, which throbbed with magic as it inched closer and closer to the Horcrux.

He felt like watching a memory since nothing he tried unfroze his own limbs or allowed him to take back control over his body. A dangerous hissing sound emerged from Voldemort's first Horcrux when the two rings were only a few inches away from each other.

Harry had no idea what would happen as soon as the rings connected. Regardless, at this point, he decided to simply trust the Peverell magic, which must have somehow taken over control. Harry stopped fighting its effects and supported his magic's intent with a physical push of his own.

A high-pitched scream roared through the Gaunt shack as the rings connected. Harry immediately pulled back his hand, thankful to have control over his body once more. The Horcrux below him started humming and buzzing. Harry felt it pulsing with magic, glowing in faint emerald green.

The whizzing sound increased in volume until it was so agonizing that Harry covered his ears. Then, suddenly, the Horcrux burst into black ash with an explosion that spurred a magical shockwave Harry had never encountered before. It threw Harry backward across the room and splintered any windows that had been left standing in the Shack.

Harry skid down the rough stone wall with a groan and tried to get back on both feet. He could not even begin to fandom what occurred, but the shockwave had completely destroyed any wards that had been placed on this location. He curiously walked over to the small wooden box that had been splintered by the explosion. The Horcrux was gone. All that was left was a small pile of black ash.

However, the triumphant grin was wiped from his face when he heard a soft snap, followed by footsteps outside the shack. Harry barely had time to throw over his Invisibility cloak once more, before the door was thrown out of its hinge. He felt his blood freeze as a frighteningly familiar magical presence entered the room...

Two Minutes Prior, Riddle Manor

Lord Voldemort sat in his study, going over the latest recruitment reports. Finally, there had been some significant development on that front. Via various contacts in Russia, the Dark Lord had been able to persuade Antonin Dolohov of the righteousness of his cause. The former dueling champion would make an excellent addition and be an asset in the training of the few Hogwarts alumni, who would soon join his ranks.

His musing was interrupted when he suddenly felt the hairs on his arm stand straight, followed by a magical shockwave so strong that he sensed it like a tide rippling through his body.

Its epicenter was close. Very close... and somewhere to his east... There were no other magicals in the village of Little Hangleton. The only place in a radius of 10 miles, which had any kind of wards was the Manor he currently lived in and the ancient house of his maternal ancestors...

Something was wrong! The Dark Lord jumped from his chair and vanished from his study with a soft snap.

He reappeared in front of the small assembly of trees, surrounding the pathetic shack Slytherin's last descendants had been living in for the last few centuries. Crimson red eyes roamed over the shack and widened when they noticed the splintered glass on its windows. However, the absence of his wards was even more concerning...

How was that possible?

It had taken him weeks to set up the ward scheme, so complex that even a curse breaker team from Gringotts will take days to penetrate it. His feet carried him towards the shack in long strides. With a flick of the pale yew wand, the door was blown out of its hinges. The Dark Lord's eyes scanned the main room and spotted the splintered floorboards right in the room's center. Exactly within the splinters lay the remaining of a small wooden box with its lid torn off.

Crimson eyes widened and he spun around with his wand drawn when suddenly a voice echoed through the room, bouncing off the rough stone walls. Yet, it was not the cold, unknown voice that staggered the Dark Lord like never before. It was the language it was spoken...

"You are unworthy of being my descendant, Tom Marvolo Riddle...

You cannot cheat the inevitable...

I, Salazar Slytherin, will make sure that Death will have its due..."

"Death... Death... Death..."

The Parselmouth hissing was repeated by the walls themselves and thrown back at the Dark Lord repeatedly. Voldemort stared at the small pile of dark ash that lay within the splinters of wood. Then he heard a faint flutter behind him and the unmistakable snap of someone apparating away.

With a devastating roar of agony, the shack was bathed in a stream of bright red flames. Cursed fire melted every brick and stone in its path. Voldemort's hatred was fueled by disbelief at what he had heard. The urge to destroy consumed him like never before... Yet, it did little to distract him from the fear that manifested itself in every bone of his body.

His secret had been discovered... And by whom, was even more concerning...