Something struck me when I confronted her. I fully intend to kill her, but there was a nagging feeling in my mind. Something told me not to kill her, at least not yet. I needed her out of the way but I also needed her to be alive. I used Crucio on her instead of the killing curse. It wasn't long before she was keeled over in pain.

"We need to leave."

I nodded my head slowly. Bellatrix walked forward and kicked the woman in the face. Even in pain she was trying to get between me and her sleeping baby. It made me sick watching her but I knew I couldn't kill her. Bellatrix was enjoying beating her and something clicked. I didn't have to be the one to kill this woman.

"Kill her." I deadpanned.

I turned my attention to the baby as I heard Bellatrix laughing. The little boy was now standing in his crib. I suppose the noise had woken him up, but he didn't seem all that scared. I approached him carefully. Maybe I shouldn't have been so curious about him because I found myself wanting to pick him up.

"Harry! No!"

He started crying when he heard her screaming. I glared at Bellatrix and she drove her knife into the woman. The baby wouldn't stop crying and for some reason I decided to pick him up. Bellatrix glared at me and I rolled my eyes. We left the house almost immediately afterwards.

"Why'd you take the baby?" Bellatrix asked.

"Why not take him?"

"Because you were supposed to kill him. He's the baby of that prophecy isn't he?" Bellatrix frowned.

I rolled my eyes. I really hated prophecies. This whole stupid excursion was because Bellatrix wouldn't just leave things be. She had overheard Severus telling me about the prophecy and got Lucius involved. I approached the care but I honestly didn't care about any of it. I just wanted to get revenge on Dumbledore.

The baby had finally quieted down. His tiny arms were wrapped around my neck and he was sleeping. I shifted him and he woke up again. He didn't cry, he just looked up at me and sucked his thumb. Why had I actually taken this child? I could have left him or killed him, but I didn't.

My instincts had only warned me about killing his mother. I don't think I was paying that much attention to anything else. I was tired of Bellatrix's nagging so I went to my room. I put the boy down and he started to cry. He stopped crying almost as soon as I picked him up again. Didn't Lucius have a child the same age?

"Your mother called you Harry. I assume that's your name but it's not very cool." I sighed. "Well since your here. I guess I'll call you Harrison instead. Harrison Black, or should I use Lestrange? Bellatrix will probably want my head for using her family."

He didn't react to anything I was saying. Of course not he was a baby. The only real thing he reacted to was me calling him Harrison. I sat down on my bed and frowned. I didn't want to use my family name. I hated my mother almost as much as I hated my stupid father. Using Bellatrix didn't feel right though.

"Harrison Grant, maybe? Harrison Riddle?" He smiled at me and I sighed. "If you could talk you would be able to name yourself."

I laid back and rolled onto my side. Maybe he did understand me. Weren't babies like pets anyway? You gave them names and they reacted? Lucius would know what to do. Maybe I could give this baby to Lucius. He'd have twins instead of one child.

"Grant?" I repeated and got no response. "Harrison Malfoy? No that doesn't even seem like it belongs."

Why was I worrying about this anyway? This wasn't my baby to care about. So why did I take him? Should I have maybe made it look like I killed him too? Does anyone even care that I took him? Perhaps I should just put him back. Would I be able to get away with sneaking back there?

"I guess we should do something about you." I sighed and got up again. "The question is what to do."

He lifted his arms towards me and I picked him up. I guess I got myself an attachment. I went back to his house and it was deadly silent. I instinctively covered his eyes to keep him from seeing what Bellatrix did to his mother. I scanned to room for a moment. Barely 15 minutes had passed since I left here the first time.

Even still it seemed like hours had passed. I saw a bag in a corner that looked like it was full. I heard movement downstairs and moved on instinct in response. I grabbed the bag and a bear. The bear I used as a substitute for the baby. I drenched it in the mother's blood and used a spell to make it seem real.

Why did I even care if people thought the boy was dead or not? I got back home just as I heard voices. I toppled onto my bed and sighed. The bag was dropped to one side and Harrison was on top of me. He didn't do anything besides look at me and smile with his hand in his mouth occasionally.

"Did you enjoy that close call?" He didn't respond and I sighed.

I turned to my side with him between my arms. Seriously, why did I care about this baby at all? He snuggled close to me and fell asleep. I sighed as I held him a little closer. Bellatrix had tortured his mother and left her gutted. I had killed his father and essentially kidnapped him. I didn't feel an ounce of guilt over it.

"I killed your family you know." I sighed. "I was going to kill you too. So you shouldn't be so comfortable with me."

I curled up around him and fell asleep.

*****

"Dad! Look!"

"What is it?" I frowned.

"A present from Mrs Malfoy."

I raised an eyebrow. "Pleasssed to meet you."

The snake raised it's head. "You are massster'ss father? You are not the sssame. How ssstrange."

"Hey! No secret conversations without me!"

"Sorry Harrison." I smiled slightly. "What's her name?"

"Her?" Harrison frowned. "Neonix. It's like Phoenix but also neon. I didn't know if it was a girl or boy."

I chuckled a bit. "That's unique."

The snake curled around Harrison's neck. "You are ssstrange. Tell me why you are not the sssame asss massster."

"Becaussse I killed hisss real family." I deadpanned.

"What is it?" Harrison asked. "Does she not like her name?"

"No. She likes it." I smiled and the snake nodded. "Are you happy with your gift? Did you thank Narcissa?"

Harrison nodded and walked over to me. He climbed onto my lap and grinned up at me. I couldn't believe 10 years had passed so quickly. I brushed his hair down and sighed. I didn't end up handing him over to Lucius. I couldn't bring myself to part with him so I had raised him.

"Dad?" Harrison brushed my hand away. "Who is Harry Potter?"

"What?" I frowned.

"Harry Potter. It says it right here." Harrison handed me the paper.

I sighed. Of course his Hogwarts acceptance letter had his original name as well as the one he now went by. I took the letter from him and opened it. I wondered what Dumbledore might think if Harrison Riddle rejected his guidance.

"I'm assuming Potter was your mother's surname. Harry's the name she called you." I shrugged.

"Heartlessssss." The snake hissed.

"I didn't care much about hisss parentsss. Ssso killing them wasss easssy. I do bother with namesss." I hissed back.

Harrison frowned. "Why does it matter then? I'm Harrison Riddle now. Couldn't they just use that?"

I shrugged. "They just want to be difficult. We can go shopping for your supplies with the Malfoys."

Harrison pouted. "I don't want to. I just want to go with you."

"You're a spoilt brat you know that." I sighed.

"Heartlessssss. Cold. Evil." The snake hissed.

"Asss if I asssked for your opinion." I grumbled.

Harrison grinned at me. "It's your fault."

I chuckled. Yes, it was my fault. I don't know why I was so soft on him. Everything Harrison wanted he got. Ever since I brought him home I've been attached to him. He was a clingy baby but I knew that wasn't the only reason I kept him. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do for this little boy.

"Dad?"

"Yep."

"I heard Mis Bellatrix say something about you not being my father. So I was wondering if you were going to get rid of me now."

I frowned. "That big mouthed witch."

Harrison shrugged. "I just thought you should know. You said that I should always tell you the truth."

The snake hissed again. "Yet you lie to massster."

"This is a conversation for another time." I deadpanned.

"Okay." Harrison smiled.

I swear I would kill Bellatrix if she wasn't such a useful asset. Harrison seemed to have for that conversation as time went on. He was never afraid to voice his opinions and always clung to me. He did this even more in the days leading up to his departure. To the point where I couldn't have meetings.

"I don't want to go." Harrison pouted.

"I didn't waist all that money for nothing." I deadpanned.

"Heartlessssss." Harrison's pet snake hissed in my ear.

Harrison sighed. "What about those things you told me?"

I sighed. "Stop pouting. Go to school and learn."

He sighed again and nodded. My chest felt tight as I watched him board the train. I really didn't want him to go. The little baby who had gotten attached to the man who killed his parents. He was 11 years old and still so attached to me. Honestly I was attached to him too. He was my kid after all.

***POV Change***

I sat down and looked out of the window. He was still standing there and staring at the train. I learnt early on in my life that he had killed my 'real' parents. Adults tend to talk when they don't believe they're being watched. For the longest time I've heard all kinds of stories about the man I called dad.

Harry Potter was the name I was originally given by my birth parents. Even still I preferred being called Harrison Riddle. I never knew my birth parents so I didn't really care about them. My dad wasn't the kindest, sweetest, most loving person out there but he still spoilt me and taught me a whole lot.

"There you are."

"Oh. Hey Draco." I smiled.

"Are you excited?" Draco asked.

I looked out of the window again. "Not entirely. What about you?"

Draco sighed. "I kind of am."

I gave him a smile. Draco was my only friend. We grew up together and his parents treated me like I was their son too. I appreciated the love and affection his mother showed me, but I never felt like they could have replaced my dad. I don't think my dad even knew that I was aware of a lot of things he did.

"You know it'll be okay right?" Draco said.

"Yeah. But I have to be careful not to draw attention."

"Well I'm going to find Blaise and Pansy. I'll be back." Draco patted my shoulder and left.

Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. Their parents were part of the people who followed my dad. I only ever heard Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape talking about them. They weren't as close to my dad so I didn't really meet Blaise or Pansy. Not that it bothered me anyway because I didn't really care.

"Sorry. Is someone sitting here?"

"No." I sighed.

"My name's Ronald. Ronald Weasley and you are?"

I looked at him and sighed again. The train started to move slowly. I wasn't looking for small talk. I didn't care about making friends really. I was fine with just having Draco as a friend. It wasn't like I actually spent months away from my dad. Maybe a weekend or two but never longer.

"Harrison Riddle." I said.

The boy spoke nonstop about nonsense. The only thing that interested me was his story about a wizard family that got killed. The baby was even found covered in blood. Something told me that wasn't true though. A flash of a memory buried deep inside my own mind. This ride was way too long to deal with him.

By the time we got to Hogwarts another person had joined us. A girl who called herself Hermione Granger. I couldn't wait to get off the train and find Draco. I hadn't expected him to come back since I knew he left his things somewhere else. It thankfully didn't take long for me to find him.

"Seems like you've made friends." Draco teased.

"I wouldn't say that." I sighed. "You just left me alone."

"Well I ran into these dummies. This is Crabbe and that's Goyle." Draco gestured to the two behind him.

"You seem awfully close." The girl said.

"They seem like bad news."

Draco glared at them. "Let me take a guess. Red hair and a hand-me-down robe? You're a Weasley aren't you."

I smirked a little at Draco. "That's surprisingly correct."

"Of course it is. What are you doing with a Weasley anyway." Draco frowned at me accusingly.

"You just left me alone." I repeated.

We were called into the Hall. The Weasley boy tried telling me that I shouldn't associate with Draco. He said some stuff about Slytherins after Draco was sorted. Honestly he was just annoying me more and more. I never asked him to follow me around after we got off the train.

I heard my name get called. As I sat down I thought about something. Was this the way my dad felt when he took me? Was I too clingy and attached to him that he felt like he didn't have a choice? I should really sit and talk to him when I get home. I'd hate it if what I was thinking was the truth.

"Ravenclaw!"

The shout gave me a shock. I got up and walked over the the Ravenclaw table. I was more than a little relieved that I wasn't sharing a house with that Weasley boy. The girl was sitting next to me through. I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about that just yet. Either way I was still going to find a way to hang out with Draco.

Draco jumped on my back as soon as we left the Hall. "Hey smarty-pants. I didn't realise you were Ravenclaw material."

I smiled and shook my head. "Well you're as predictable as ever. Slytherin is so basic at this point."

We both laughed and went our separate ways. Draco had the advantage of having a father and godfather who spoke about Hogwarts all the time. What little I knew about the school came from sleepovers I had with Draco and very vague answers from my dad. He always got upset whenever I asked so I stopped asking.

"So how close are you with him?" The girl asked.

"He's my best and only friend." I shrugged.

"He's a Slytherin." She frowned.

I rolled my eyes at her. "So is his father, my dad and his godfather. So what's the issue with him being a Slytherin?"

She backed away from me. "It's just that I have heard really bad things about the Slytherin house."

I sighed and walked faster. She caught up to me and kept quiet. Since we were all the way at the back and delayed the prefect decided to point us out. We were asked to answer the riddle so that we could get into the common room. Honestly it was a stupid riddle but the girl seemed to be stuck.

"Nothing." I said and the door creaked.

"What? But how?" She frowned at me.

"Come on. Poor men have nothing and rich men require nothing." I rolled my eyes at her.

She still tried to argue that wasn't true. I could see where she was coming from though. Just because it appears a certain way doesn't mean it's a fact. That's something my dad taught me. I saw it in his actions and he told me so himself. It seemed to me that he was a generous person but he really isn't.

The days went by pretty quickly. Hermione was actually a really adaptive person. She wasn't hesitating anymore when it came to hanging out with Draco. She and Pansy got along like a house on fire. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle had become Draco's ducklings so they always followed him around.

"What's amusing you?" Draco grumbled.

"Do you remember when my dad used to call us ducklings? I just thought that Crabbe and Goyle are yours now." I shrugged.

"I knew you were making fun of me." Draco sighed. "Your dad only said that because you refused to go anywhere without him."

Hermione giggled. "Harr was a clingy baby?"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Was? No he IS. The only reason he's hear is because of his dad."

I rolled my eyes. I did actually miss my dad but I was glad he made me come here. I made more friends than just Draco. I couldn't wait for Christmas holidays so I could go back home. I wasn't sure about how Hermione might feel meeting my dad. I had thought about inviting her because she said she'd be here alone.

"Oh! Before I forget." Pansy grinned. "My mother and father said I could bring a friend home for Christmas. Hermione would you like to come over? No pressure of course."

"I'd love to." Hermione smiled and hugged Pansy.

"Are you counting the days before you can see your dad?" Draco smirked at me. "Gonna tell him about all the friends you've made? Like a big boy who goes to school."

I rolled my eyes. "I may be eager to go home but I'm still smarter and stronger than you. Even if I cling to my dad."

Draco shook his head and sighed. "It's no fun teasing you if you're just going to admit it you know."

I shrugged and we both laughed. When Hermione first started hanging with us I was more hesitant to admit my attachment to my dad. Honestly, only this small group knows about that. Pansy and Blaise obviously knew about it before since their parents had invited me over and I always refused.

"I truly didn't believe my parents when they said you wanted your dad to come with. Until Draco just told me that you barely go a weekend without him around." Blaise shook his head.

"Well he survived a whole term at Hogwarts." Pansy laughed.

I smiled a little. The only reason I survived was because I knew I'd be able to go back. Plus I promised that I'd try it out. Aside from that he had told me to find out about my birth parents. My dad really didn't know much about them but he said the principle might know something. I hadn't done much to find out though.

We all tried to cram into one room on the train ride back. Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise ended up taking the room next to Draco, Pansy, Hermione and I. I couldn't hide my excitement although I wasn't able to get much sleep the night before. I sat by the door rather than the window and Draco teased me the entire time.

I didn't rush to get out of the train like Draco said I would. I collected my stuff and even waited for everyone. It was only once we were off the train that my excitement got the better of me. I saw my dad and immediately ran to him. Of course that meant that I had left my stuff behind with Draco.

"You wouldn't say he spent the last 3 and a half months away from you." Lucius laughed.

"Shut up." My dad grumbled and picked me up.

He walked over to where I left my stuff and greeted my friends before walking away. I waved goodbye and we were transported. A familiar looking room and environment replaced the train station. My pet snakes tank was in the corner but she wasn't inside.

"Where's Neonix?" I frowned.

"Probably outside. She only sleeps in her tank." My dad said.

"Dad I have a lot of questions." I sighed.

He set me down and raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

I shrugged. "About you. About the people who gave me life."

He sighed and sat down next to me. "You know that I know nothing about your birth parents."

"Yeah. I'll get that from school. But a lot of people are talking about how a wizarding family was killed and how this other boy is supposed to be the one to defeat a dark lord."

"Yes." My dad said. "I killed your parents. More accurately I killed your father and ordered Bellatrix to kill your mother."

I nodded my head. "And the baby part?"

He shrugged. "A decoy. They probably realised later that it was a sham, but admitting you're mistaken and a baby was kidnapped would be worse than letting someone kill a family."

"Why did you kill the people who gave me life?"

"There was a prophecy. Some of my inner circle pushed me to deal with it. I'm the 'Dark Lord' everyone is scared of."

"Well why did you take me then? Did I force you to take care of me because I'm so clingy?" I sighed.

My dad wrapped his arms around me. He laid down on his side and curled up around him. I didn't say anything more. Even if he didn't answer me he was still my dad. It bugged me not knowing why he killed my birth parents but not me.

"I asked myself the same question many times. When you were still a baby I held you just like this and asked myself why. Why did I bring you with me instead of finishing what I had planned?" He sighed and held me a little closer.

Something felt off though. There was an uncertainty in his voice. He held me a little too tight like he thought I would leave.

"You were so helpless and yet you looked at me like I wasn't going to hurt you. You cried when I put you down and smiled when I spoke to you. You fell asleep in my arms and didn't care if woke you up. I was just going to hand you over to Lucius."

"Why didn't you?" I looked up at him.

"It didn't feel right. Just like killing you didn't feel right. You didn't force me to take care of you Harrison. I got attached to you as much as you got attached to me." He sighed. "I'm sorry."

I chuckled. "Dad. You're not really sorry."

He raised an eyebrow and smiled a little. I knew he didn't feel things the same way as other people. He showed me that he cared by spoiling me. He hardly ever said it and he never felt guilty about killing anyone. My dad wasn't the same with everyone else compared to how he was with me.

He shook his head. "So how much about me do you really understand? For an 11 year old you're quite perceptive."

"Adults always talk when they think that they're alone." I shrugged. "I never blamed you for anything and I was only curious because there was this boy that clung to me and annoyed me before we got sorted. I was scared you felt like that about me."

He hugged me. "You've really grown up from that baby that couldn't respond to anything I said. Even if you're bigger you're just as clingy. Sweet little Harrison."

"You're my dad." I smiled. "You spoil me more than you should."

He laughed and nodded his head. I was relieved that he didn't take care of me because he was forced to. I was glad that he didn't just hand me over either. He was the dark lord some kid was supposed to destroy but I wouldn't let that happen. He was my dad after all and I loved him.

I didn't know my birth parents enough to care about them. I didn't care for prophecies either. If people really cared about me more than my dad then they would have looked for me. My dad had every opportunity to kill me yet he gave me everything I wanted. He was ambitious not evil.

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