Cheating time, Unwilling fate.

Chapter 3

“Crucio,” a high cold voice intoned. His lips curved as a scream tore itself from the throat of a blond hair teenager kneeling in front of him.

He took the curse off and smiled cruelly at the boy. His posture screamed reluctance to serve him. It would be fun to train this one. He looked and sounded too delicious to him to escape his bed. Tied to his bed and naked with his silvery blond hair fanned below on his pillows will make an exquisite sight. Yes this one he will have for sure. Bellatrix was too eager of a puppy to refuse him anything. None knew that defiance was what he looked for and prized breaking the will of his submissive; that was what made the torture sweet. He would enjoy breaking this one.

“Abraxas, you have done well. I will mark him when the boy completes his assignment. He will keep an eye on all the potentials this year and report to you. Anything important should be relayed to me quickly. Lucius,” he caressed the name on his tongue. The boy lifted his head up. Defiance lurked behind wide fearful silvery eyes for a second and then both the emotions vanished. He was disappointed but hope of seeing both emotions again there next time placated him. Yes, he will mark this one and then make him his for a long time to come. ‘Another Black is there to follow in two years time, Regulus his name. Yes, Lucius will do quite nicely until then.’

He gazed at the boy and quirked his thin lips,” Don’t disappoint me.”

Harry woke up drenched in sweat. There was no prickling in his scar. No pain either but it seems the connection had remained despite the destruction of horcrux. And he was feeling lust toward Lucius Malfoy of all people. His face scrunched up in thought. He should have felt disgusted but the idea had attracted him. ‘Why? Was he gay? But, what about Ginny? But then hadn’t he felt the same type of attraction towards Draco too? Was it the same type of attraction or genuine hate that made him save Malfoy in the Room of Requirement? He remembered that night and shivered suddenly.

He took his head in his hands and groaned.’ Oh god! I am attracted to Malfoy of all people.’

‘But then we all want what we cannot have. You are just like your father Potter. He chased after your mother because she never gave him any chance. She was the forbidden fruit just as Malfoy is to you.’ Funny his conscience sounded just like Snape of all people. ‘Why can’t it sound like Sirius’

Grumpily he got out of bed and sat by his window. He had spent a week in the family manor. He had found out that his family was an old aristocratic light family who had descended from Peverell brothers on his grandfather’s side and Godric Gryffindor from his great-grandmother’s line. These facts Dumbledore had known, yet never bothered to enlighten him that he was the heir of Godric Gryffindor and therefore considered more dangerous to heir of Slytherin. It was one of the reasons Voldemort chose to kill all the Potters, not the Longbottoms.

Also, there was the matter of his inheritance. Charlus had gleefully taken him to Diagon alley the very day of his arrival and later to Gringotts and designated him his heir officially. He found out that he owned several vaults in both timelines though he had limited access until his majority. As Alexandre Potter he had come of age on 25 December 1977 (16th was the age of majority in old pureblood families) in the previous year. The vaults included the Peverell vault, the Gryffindor vault, the Black vault of Dorea’s inheritance and Potter vaults only the last of which he had known about previously but he had kept his lips sealed on that front.

Later Dorea marched him madam Malkin’s exclusive wear and proceeded to dress him like a rich pureblood heir followed by visits to a number of exclusive shops all to the astonishment of wizarding world. All of Harry’s protests were dutifully ignored either with a proud sniff with the quiet threat that it was their right to pamper him silly as his grandparents or skillful guilt trips that they may not have much time to do so anyways in case Harry decided to return to his timeline sooner than they thought. So, he had grinned and bore everything with a long suffering expression on his face.

He knew that both his grandparents knew that he wanted all these experiences. The thrill of being bothered by his family and still bask in their attention. At the end of the day he had hugged them both, plopped down on the sofa in their room and slept through the night peacefully for the first time in a long time. Unknown to him, Charlus and Dorea had sat for long hours that night watching their grandson sleep with an innocent expression on his tired face and thanked the gods for giving them the opportunity to have this experience.

Earlier that day, they had contacted the French side of the extended family and started a false trail of Alex’s existence in the world. James was summoned home at the earliest possible time along with his step sister Denise who till now was introduced as Denise Merci and had studied in Beauxbatons. It was time for the family to come together.

The next few days passed like his first day. Both Charlus and Dorea took their new son to important places to visit in England, Wales and Scotland. James and Denise were scheduled to arrive today and Harry was eager to meet his father. Charlus, Dorea and Harry had decided to introduce Harry as Denis’s twin brother separated from family because of attempts on his life and let them both rejoin the family now that they are of age. Harry’s scar was to be explained as the curse scar from the same attempt.

Sitting by his window Harry pondered over the last week in his life. He was both thrilled and filled with great sadness that in his timeline he had never known his grandparents. Yet it had been drilled in his head by Hermione that to interfere with fate and time was a dangerous and risky business he should avoid. What should he do now? He had the knowledge and means to effectively cripple Voldemort. Should he interfere or should he let the timeline go on as it were. What would he do on his grandparents death? Should he leave for France with Denise or stay with James? Should he try to save his family or not?

He still had one and a half years of peace with his grandparents at the end of which he would start the killings. Right now he was busy gathering followers. But soon the time of bloodshed will come. What was he supposed to do? There was no residue of Tom’s soul in his body yet his gift of parseltongue has remained along with his ability to get into Voldemort’s head and listen to his thoughts. Eww. It seemed that the transfer of powers happened due to the prophesy and not because of the horcrux. Does that mean his mother could have survived and yet the prophesy will protect him or not? The questions without any plausible theory were driving him nuts.

‘Wait and watch Potter.’ The snide voice in his head murmured. ‘Time provides many if not all the answers. Rest your dunderhead brain cells and watch as the life unfolds. The reason and decisions will come but in time.’

Harry’s lips quirked. The voice so reminded him of Snape. Of all the people, he had to have Snape haunting his head. ‘Somethings can’t be helped,’ the voice reminded him,’ your father tormented Snape even after his death and Snape in turn tormented you. Tis a bond of hate and love that shall linger for they cannot be separated by plane of existence as they occur between souls.’

“Just like Voldemort, just like my mother, “Harry whispered. The voice was silent but the silence confirmed the mark of truth without words.

‘Malfoy, eh!,’ the voice quivered with suppressed amusement. Harry smiled looking out his window and went downstairs for breakfast with his family.