Harry Potter and the Vulnerability Charm Part II

Chapter 6: Tommy

Bellatrix Lestrange sits above her child, legs crossed elegantly in the obsidian chair. She watches Tommy play with slithering snake toys, the rubber kind, scattered across the floor. They move on their own, controlled by dark magic. A small Lego figure is suffocated in their embrace. That too is controlled by magic, and it thrashing and screams while the snakes kill it.

"Tommy, who is that Lego figure?" She asks.

He holds it up, studying it for a second. "I dunno," he shrugs. "Jus' someone, it's a game,"

"Do know what would make me very proud, hm?" she asks in a sultry voice. "If you made your rubber snakes crush that little Potter boy - or if you did it yourself,"

"Harry?" Tommy frowns. "But he's my friend,"

"He's a destructive little brat!" Lestrange suddenly screams, frightening the young child. Tommy falls back on to his elbows it makes him sob. Though he cries more in fear of his adoptive parent than from the pain of falling. Lestrange stands up and grabs him by his shirt, bringing him closer and closer until the insane sparkle in her eyes is visible to him. Their faces press together. He smells her breath. It's gross.

"You are not his friend. You are pretending to be his friend, do you understand me?! You will use him to infiltrate Hogwarts and destroy that horrible institution. It is totally destiny as the Dark Lord. Am I understood?" She asks with a faux-innocent smile. Paralysed with fear, little Tommy can only nod.

*

The Vulnerability Charm is a powerful spell, one may even call it a curse. Although with enough power counteracting it, it can be deflected. How would adult Harry Portter have known that as Voldemort inflicted him with the curse of youth, he deflected it back as one blocks unfriendly spells? He couldn't have known, though here Voldemort stands with no memories of his former life as Tom Riddle, a child of 5 found by the Death Eaters and taken in by Lestrange.

Lestrange knows this is her Master, the powerful sorcerer lord Voldemort. Though in this form, it's just too easy to forget that sometimes and treat him as nothing more than a tool. This is exactly what she does during the next Slytherin practice.

"There he is!" she whispers to her adopted son, pointing over at Harry arriving with his Daddy. "Go on, you remember the plan, don't you?"

To Tommy, it seems less of a plan and more of an invitation. His friend Harry coming over for a play date? Sounds fun! So he has no issues running over and playing his part. "Harry, hiya!" he waves, pulling Harry in for a small hug.

"Hi Tommy," Harry smiles back with less energy. Tommy pouts - is he still mad about being pushed?

"So um Harry, my Mummy says you can come over for a playdate if you like," Tommy shrugs, trying to act nonchalant. Honestly, he looks up to Harry a lot and is stupendously excited at the idea of him coming over to play. He can show Harry his room! Though he doesn't have much, and his toy selection is meagre at best. He bets Harry has way better toys.

"Yeah!" Harry smiles. "But I have to ask Daddy after practice, is that okay?"

"That's okay!" Tommy agrees with a grin. Harry remembers what his Daddy says about making new friends, even if he doesn't want anymore new friends other than Daddy and Uncle Remus.

"Um, would you like to be my partner today an' we can be beaters?"

Tommy beams with pride. "Yeah please!" this friendship is going perfectly. But even if it works, his Mummy wants to destroy Harry so... he tries not to get his hopes up.

From afar, Lestrange gives a Cheshire grin. Infiltrating the castle will be so easy using this child as bait. Her revenge for the Great War is upon her, avenging the Death Eaters and their way of life, her Master and Lord, and most of ll avenging herself. Soon she will be the revered leader of the Death Eaters and an infamous (not hero exactly) among their breathering, turning the Wizarding World into her perfect design.

And all it takes is the death of Albus Dumbledore and the fall of Hogwarts.