Chapter Text
"Avada Kedavra." Voldemort sneered as green eyes widened in surprise. Harry stared at the leather book on the floor. He could feel the angry magic pulsing from the horcrux, lashing out into the room. Voldemort glared at the books. He may not be able to destroy it with the Killing Curse but it was enough to shock the horcrux back into its physical form. At least for now.
Voldemort turned to his soulmate, the boy trembling before him. Without his horcrux's insistence on love for Potter, Voldemort could see the terrified boy before him. Could see his own thoughts reflected on the Boy-Who-Lived's legs. The hate he so easily thought of his soulmate, his enemy. Harry Potter would be his enemy until their death, soulmate or not. Still, Potter was his soulmate and Voldemort would be lying if he said that there wasn't some part of him that enjoyed knowing who his soul was tied to.
Voldemort took a step closer to the boy, watching as Potter lowered his head in practiced submission.
"Who told you that you were a freak?" Harry looked up at the man in surprise. Why would his soulmate care if he was a freak? Wasn't the man going to kill him? Voldemort growled at the blank look on the boy's face and took a menacing step towards Harry. "Answer me."
Harry whimpered and hunched his shoulders closer to himself. When was he going to die?
"M-my Uncle." Voldemort watched as Harry curled further and further into himself. The boy was more comfortable with his impending death than his past.
"And you would listen to him over your soulmate?" Harry's eyes widened and he looked up at his soulmate before quickly lowering his eyes. He was so stupid! Of course his soulmate would think differently than his family! His soulmate was someone special, important, he wouldn't think of Harry as just a freak. He would be a burden too.
"No sir." Voldemort watched as Harry's thoughts spread across his arm. So the boy thought he was a burden? Anger flashed through Voldemort's chest. He didn't want to care for this boy but Harry was not making it easy. His soulmate was impossible, so sad and pathetic that there was no way the boy could actually think this of himself. And yet the proof ran along Voldemort's arms. His soulmate was a deeply broken boy. One who was destined to be the Dark Lord's end. One who would do anything for Voldemort.
Voldemort glared down at Harry, grabbing the boy and tilting his head so that he retained eye contact. Harry would remember this.
"You are not a freak. You are mine. I will decide what you are. I will decide when you live and die, not you." Harry nodded vigorously, head still trapped in Voldemort's grip. The man kept his gaze trained on the boy for a little longer before shooing Harry away. Harry scurried out of the office, heart lighter than it had ever been. His soulmate had called Harry his! His soulmate wanted him! And Harry would do whatever he needed to to make sure that he pleased his soulmate.
"Harry." Harry tensed at the angry hiss his soulmate gave. His soulmate, his master, Voldemort was angry. And Harry knew what he needed to do when the Dark Lord was angry.
The boy scrambled closer to the Dark Lord, making sure that his tongue was out of the way of his teeth just as a jet of red light washed over him. Harry writhed as he fell to the floor, pained screams ripped from him. He felt like he was on fire. Like ever part of him was pressed against a red hot poker and nothing he did could help. Even screaming added to the pain and Harry felt tears slip down his face as the torture carried on. Then suddenly it stopped and Harry slumped bonelessly onto the floor.
The sound of footsteps grew closer and closer until they came to a stop near Harry. The boy peeked up, trying to pull himself onto his hands and knees. He could see Voldemort's spy standing a few feet ahead of him, the man's back stiff and tense as he stood before the Dark Lord.
"Severus. What do you want?" Voldemort frowned as the potion's master stood before him. The man had interrupted his time with his soulmate and he could see Harry gathering himself behind the man. What a shame. Usually it took Harry a couple of hours to recuperate from their sessions. He would have to hold the curse for double the time the next session.
Snape did his best not to look back at the trembling boy behind him. He couldn't look at Harry, if he did the Dark Lord might get suspicious. He might think Snape cared. And while he did, at least enough to not want to see the boy get tortured on a daily basis, there was nothing he could do to help. Nothing yet.
He would help Lily's son. He would do that much for her. He owed her that.
Snape relayed the information he had learned at yet another Order of the Phoenix meeting. They were still searching for Harry, still trying to find the boy and subsequently the Dark Lord. Dumbledore was practically distraught with guilt and grief and even Lupin had come out of hiding to look for the boy. The Order was disoriented, weak, as they all scrambled to look for Harry Potter. Voldemort could use that weakness to his advantage. And Snape could use the Dark Lord's distraction to his advantage.
Harry gently dragged his fingers across the collar on his neck. His soulmate's mark sat at the face, proving that Harry was his. That he wanted Harry, owned him. The rest of the collar was simple back leather, charmed to stay on Harry's neck. He would never have to worry about losing his soulmate's gift, because his genius soulmate had already thought of everything. Even the safety measures in the charm were amazing. Harry could return to the man's side instantly with just a whispered word. His soulmate thought of everything.
Harry smiled softly, rolling over on his bed. His soulmate had given him a bed, given him his own room. He cared for Harry, he loved him. Tom had tried to tell him that this wasn't love. That what Voldemort was doing wasn't really love, but obsession. That he wanted to consume Harry, not love him. Harry remembered the flash of fiendfyre that ended Tom after that statement, Voldemort watching passively. Then the man had gathered Harry into his arms and Harry knew that Tom was lying. The horcrux was just jealous since he wasn't Harry's real soulmate.
Voldemort loved him. He just… he just got angry sometimes and Harry was the one who was supposed to help him. That's what soulmates did. They did whatever they needed to do to help their soulmates. Harry was helping Voldemort. And it didn't even hurt that much. Not as much as it must hurt Voldemort.
Harry squirmed in his bed, trying to fall asleep. He needed to rest to be ready for tomorrow. He knew he needed to sleep but he wanted his soulmate. He wanted Voldemort to be here, to hold him and promise Harry that he loved him. That Harry was important to him. But that was silly. Asking for that was silly when Voldemort showed it everyday. He let Harry stay in his home and fed Harry and let Harry help him whenever he was angry. That was love and Harry needed to stop thinking about it. Thinking about it would only make his heart hurt.
Voldemort tapped his finger impatiently on his throne as he waited for his soulmate. The boy should be here by now, Harry was usually kneeling by his throne before Voldemort had even set foot into the room. And now the boy was nowhere to be seen. He had sent a house-elf after the boy some time ago and the snivelling creature still hadn't come back. After another few minutes the house elf appeared before him again, wringing it's little hands together in fear.
"Tinky not bes finding Dark Lord Master's pet anywhere." Voldemort growled, tossing a Cruciatus towards the little creature. Where had that boy gotten off to? A sharp pain spread through Voldemort's chest and the man sat forward quickly. His soulmate was in pain. Someone else was causing his soulmate pain.
Voldemort stood, kicking away the house elf that was unfortunate enough to end up too close to the man. Whoever had taken his soulmate had hell to pay.
Harry bit down fiercely on the hand that tried to wrap around his mouth. His captor yelped, dropping the boy quickly and Harry scrambled away from the man. Before he could put any real distance between himself and his captors he was lifted off the ground, ropes of magic wrapping around him and binding the boy.
"You brat. We're saving you." Harry did his best to struggle against the magic that held him. He wasn't strong enough. He needed Voldemort, needed his soulmate to come save him no matter how upset it would make the man. He couldn't die here. He still had so much to do for his soulmate.
Harry looked back at his captors, sneering as well as he could in the body bind. That filthy traitor Snape stood with another man with sandy blonde hair. Harry hoped Voldemort took his time with Snape. How dare he betray their master? And the other man, the man he'd bitten. He stared at Harry in shock and horror, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Harry knew they could see his words, Harry hadn't gotten the chance to cover them properly for the day before Snape and his companion had abducted him.
Now his words were bare for someone other than his soulmate to see, the faded white words shifting angrily along Harry's legs.
Snape sneered at the little Potter brat. Didn't he understand that they were helping him? And Lupin was of no use. The wolf just stared in shock as Harry tried to escape them. Tried to run and hurl threats at the two men. What his master would do once he caught them. How his soulmate was going to tear the two men apart for doing this. Snape knew this was a very real possibility, he knew that Voldemort cared in some way for the boy. He never would have guessed soulmates but he supposed it made sense. And it made his job all the harder. And if Lupin would stop staring and bloody help him, things would go along much faster.
"Lupin!" Remus startled out of the spiral of horror he had fallen down to see Snape levitating Harry's still body away. Harry, his godson Harry, who was the Dark Lord's soulmate. What the hell?
How could Harry ever be tied to that monster? How could Harry ever want to go back to that man? Remus let his own magic wash over Harry and take over the burden of levitating the boy while Snape went back to work on their way out of the manor's wards. They'd managed to make it to the edge of the property and they might be able to make it out with their lives if they could get the collar off of Harry's neck. Snape studied the black leather thoughtfully. He thought about sending a simple diagnostics charm towards the collar but worried that any sort of spell would set off some alarm to the Dark Lord. And they couldn't afford to take any risks now.
Remus flinched at the sound of a branch snapping. His wolf was going wild inside his mind, slamming restlessly against the confines of his psyche. He wanted to comfort Harry, wanted to show the pup that Remus was here for him and that he wouldn't have to worry about Voldemort ever again.
Voldemort watched as Snape and that deformed wolf tried to figure out a way past the wards. He could see Harry bound and floating next to the wolf, thoughts consumed by his soulmate if the stream of words that fell down Voldemort's arms was anything to go by. The boy's steady stream of pleas and apologies tugged at something in Voldemort and the man frowned. He was not going to become attached. He would not be weak.
"Severus Snape and Remus Lupin." Both men whipped towards him in surprise, their faces paling in fear. Voldemort watched as fear overtook the both of them, ginning. He had always loved this part. "Did you think I would let you leave?"
Snape looked towards the Dark Lord feebly, trying his last hand at redemption. He knew it was fruitless but there was no loss in trying.
"My Lord I was-" Voldemort sneered at the spy, flicking his wand at the man.
"Crucio." Snape fell to the ground in silent screams. He would die here tonight, he knew that much. The Dark Lord would not let him escape with his life. As the man convulsed in pain he sent one last apology to Lily. He had failed her.
Remus watched as Snape spasmed on the floor, under the Cruciatus far longer than Remus had ever even read about. He looked back at Voldemort, clutching Harry to his chest. The boy squirmed softly, slowly breaking out of his body bind.
"You can't have him. I won't let you hurt him." Remus tugged Harry closer to him, staring defiantly at Voldemort. If he would die tonight he would die protecting Harry. Voldemort watched in amusement as the wolf tried to hold the boy to him. Did he really think Harry would go to him? Voldemort looked at his soulmate, giving him the stern glare he did when Harry took too long to follow his order.
"Harry, come here." The boy perked up immediately, shoving himself away from the wolf. Remus tried to surge towards the two, intent on saving Harry until green light washed over him. The wolf dropped to the floor, body completely still as the last of his life spilled from him.
Harry scurried towards his soulmate coming to a stop before the man and reaching out tentatively towards Voldemort. When the man gave no reaction Harry buried himself closer to the Dark Lord, wrapping his arms around Voldemort and sobbing in relief. For a moment he'd thought that his soulmate was going to let him be taken. That the man didn't care about him at all.
Voldemort gently cupped Harry's face, pulling his soulmate closer to him. He could feel Harry's sobs against him, the boy clinging to him desperately. Voldemort smiled awkwardly, kneeling down to Harry.
"I wouldn't let them have you. No one but me can have you." Harry let out a hysterical giggle, wrapping his arms around Voldemort's neck. His soulmate loved him. His soulmate would take care of him. Harry couldn't be happier. He felt a sharp point press against his back and sighed in relief. His soulmate would take care of him. His soulmate would make sure this never happened again.
"Avada Kedavra." Harry slumped forward in Voldemort's arms, content smile on his face. Voldemort gathered the small body in his arms, turning back to the manor. He would send some elves for the other bodies but right now he would focus on Harry. He could stand to be weak this last time.
McGonagall watched as Dumbledore crumpled before her. She had never seen the man so distraught before. Never seen him cry like this, never in front of anyone. And yet she could see the tears that ran down Albus's face, hear the sobs that wracked him as they stood in the Medi-wing. Madame Pomfrey stood off to the side, suppressing her own broken sobs. McGonagall's own vision was blurry, tears threatening to fall down her face and fogging her glasses.
The reason for their sobs lied before them, placed carefully on the bed. Harry lied still on the cot, his small frame dwarved by the large bed.
"Is he..." Madame Pomfrey shook her head, doing her best to hold in her tears.
"I'm sorry." Dumbledore gave another sob, clutching tightly onto the sheets of Harry's cot. Minerva placed her hand on the man's shoulder, offering comfort. She had seen this pain before, though far milder. And she would be here for him again.
"Albus…" Dumbledore shook his head, staring down at the small body. He'd done this. He let this happen.
"It's all my fault. I should have-" McGonagall shook her head, hand tightening on Dumbledore's shoulder. She would not let the Headmaster take the blame for this.
"There was nothing you could do." Dumbledore shook his head. He knew Minerva only wanted to help him. He knew she was right on some level. He could never have stopped Voldemort from this. But he could have saved Harry. He could have done something.
"I could have helped him! I knew, I knew that Voldemort would do this. A Dark Lord has no need for a soulmate." Albus clutched desperately at the words that scrawled on his chest. The deep red lettering burned. It should have been a reminder, a warning for Harry. But Dumbledore had been optimistic that thing would turn out better this time. That maybe these two could be better than him and Grindelwald. Instead something far worse had occurred.
Silence fell over the room as they stared down at the body of their Savior. It was almost funny. Harry Potter had finally found peace in death.