Chapter Text

Freed From War

One could never say that Voldemort was a fool. Megalomaniac, psychopath or dark lord, by all means, but he was not a fool. So it didn’t take him long to realize that Potter was barely functional. The boy barely ate, slept very little and, according to Nagini, needed reminding to use the bathroom facilities. While he was confident that Potter couldn’t die by ordinary means whilst harbouring his horcrux, it wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. After all, there was very little documentation on living horcruxes, even less so on human ones. 

As such, he sought out his unspeakable followers. There was only one thing he knew would bring life back to the boy, but it was a risk, one he would have to inform the brat of before undertaking the task. It wouldn’t do to raise his hopes simply for them to be torn down again. The gryffindor was hopelessly beholden to his emotions. 

Harry followed Nagini to Voldemort. She hadn’t been very forthcoming in why he was being summoned but he couldn’t exactly blame her. She either hadn’t been told or hadn’t cared for the reason and either possibility was likely with the snake. She may have once been human, but she had long since forgone humanity. 

He drifted through the hallways of Malfoy Manor until Nagini stopped at a doorway. 

Master is inside. Nagini shall hunt while brother speaks. The snake said before slithering off. 

Harry didn’t bother knocking. He figured that Voldemort couldn’t do worse than killing him, which he seemed really disinclined to do. 

Inside the office, Voldemort sat behind a desk. 

“It is customary to knock, even if one has been summoned, Potter. Nonetheless, take a seat.”

The noseless twat hadn’t even bothered looking up from whatever he was doing. Harry slumped down on the seat available and silently stared at his nemesis. 

“I’m aware that your desire to live has waned and I am unwilling to test the possibility of a living horcrux falling victim to such trivialities of human condition. Therefore, I took it upon myself to speak with my followers. The battle of the ministry resulted in your godfather falling through the veil. Many assume this means he is dead… this is not the case.”

”How can he not be dead?”

”The veil is a strange archaic piece of magic that is still being researched, however, from trials attempted, it has been discovered that only the dead remain lost. Sirius Black wasn’t dead upon falling through, merely stunned. There is a ritual I can perform to bring him back for you.”

He stared at Voldemort. How… no, why would he want to bring Sirius back? Simply for his piece of mind… no, that was too great a risk. Harry frowned. 

“I will not attempt to dissuade you from wanting him back. I am aware that he is the last of your family. You should be aware, however, that should he decide to rejoin the Order or attempt to take you away, I will kill him and return him to the veil. You claimed to me that he was the last of your people, do you honestly believe that he would willingly step away from the conflict to stay by your side?”

His immediate reaction was to agree but he paused. Sirius had run from his family for being dark, he’d joined Dumbledore to fight the dark and he had been “killed” by the dark. Would he be willing to live with them just for him? Harry’s chest grew tight. 

“I want to say yes, but I don’t know. I think I’d need to convince him. Would you let me?”

Against his better judgement, Voldemort had agreed to allow Potter to convince his godfather that fighting was the wrong choice. 

Not that he was taking chances of Black kidnapping his horcrux. Lucius and Bellatrix were stood guarding the boy, prepared to portkey him away should it become necessary. 

Voldemort stalked towards the veil, blatantly ignoring the voices calling him forward. He scarcely recognized the voices of the dead as anyone he’d wish to join but supposed that was the work of the magic. Almost like a siren call to death. 

Using the blood and hair of Bellatrix, he began drawing runes and inciting the magic of Olde, summoning the body of Sirius Black. Theoretically, he should have laid in stasis, neither dead or alive, since his heart was still beating when he fell through, but somehow the Unspeakables hadn’t thought to test that theory. 

The veil began to pulse, bright light flashing blindingly, before a thud. 

Lying at his feet was Sirius Black. 

“Ennervate,” he muttered. 

Black choked on air as he jerked upright, hands rapidly seeking out his absent wand. 

“Black, almost a year has passed since your fall through the veil. Your wand is lost, whether it has been destroyed or not, I am unaware, but you have one choice to make. Either you step away from the war and live, or I kill you for good.”

Black immediately glared up at him. “Why the fuck would I step away from the war?”

”Because your godson has done the same.”

Voldemort gestured toward Potter and Black flinched at seeing him stood between the two death eaters. 

“What did you do to him!”

Harry saw the pain in Sirius’s eyes and felt his heart drop. Would he abandon him again?

”I have done nothing to the young Potter. He came to me, begging for his death, but I denied him. Unfortunately, he has lost all will to live, and bringing you back was the only option I had left,” Voldemort replied. 

“Pup, what did he do…?” Sirius asked. 

“Voldemort didn’t do anything. I’m so tired, Sirius. You were gone. I had nobody left. I just wanted to be done. I wanted to join mum and dad. I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me.”

Sirius slowly stood. “I don’t understand, pup, why would you join him? He killed your parents.”

”I didn’t join him. I asked him to kill me. I offered myself up but he fucking refused. I… the night he killed them, he bound our lives together. He literally cannot be killed unless I die.”

Harry watched the blood drain from his godfather’s face. This was it. This was the moment where Sirius would decide if he was willing to fight for the Order and kill Harry just to rid the world of the dark lord. 

“Dumbledore is likely aware, if that makes your decision easier. He would have known from Potter’s second year that I placed safeguards to my immortality. Granted, your godson was never intended to become one of these safeguards but alas, I will not risk losing him,” Voldemort said bluntly. 

Sirius’s eyes narrowed before he glared at the dark lord. 

“I don’t fucking like you. I loathe you, in fact, but I failed Harry once, I will not do it again. I will step away from the war, so long as he lives and breathes and remains aware. The second he becomes incapacitated or is killed, I will not hesitate to murder each and every one of your death eaters.”

”Had you claimed any different, I’d have killed you for lying to me.”

”Also, should I see that snivelling rat, I will not hesitate to murder him, regardless as to my position in the war. He betrayed me, and Harry and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.”

Voldemort scoffed. “I detest his presence as it is, let alone around Potter who has allied himself with my snake to eat the wretch. We shall be going now. Lucius, take him home. I shall bring our guest along shortly.”