Black Emerald

~Nine~

Harry grasped the locket within his palm. Somehow he knew he needed to keep the locket a secret from Lucius and any other who delved in his business. But seeing as Lucius and he were the only ones at Grimmauld
Place Harry could relax a bit.

"Harry, did you find anything?"

Lucius's voice draws out from the other side of the room. Lucius walked in. Harry stocks the locket in his pocket intending on giving it a thorough look later. Walking out from the darkened corner of shelves that hid him.

"Harry, is everything alright?"

"Yeah. Just another dead end. Not counting the book I found earlier." Harry lied smoothly. 

"Don't be discouraged. There are a lot of books in the Black Library. There has to be an answer hidden away within one of these books. Now Kreacher has prepared a dinner for us we better head down stairs for a break."

Lucius left. Therefore leaving an opening to make a quick pull at the locket  he had shoved within his pocket.

It was strange.

The ringing sound had gone quiet.

(He hadn't really known when it stopped...maybe when he grasped it?)

Giving his head a break.  It had been loud enough to give him quite the headache.

He needed to look upon the locket further later in the night. For some reason he knew that this locket was important. Putting the locket over his neck it hung against his chest. Putting it behind his robe. Somehow with the locket on it seemed to Harry that everything was in place and nothing could dampen his spirits. 

Harry sat down at the head of the table. Lucius sat the opposite of him. Plates of various foods sat in bowls and trays. The aroma of hot food was enough to snap his worries away. Butter beer filed goblets sitting next to his plate.  Harry reached out an arm when Lucius waved his hand and food appeared on his plate. 

Harry directed a "thank you" towards Lucius, in which the Pureblood nodded and went back to his meal. 

When he looked upon the food before him he heard his stomach growl - he was hungry - but his mind suddenly went back to that one book (the book Lucius couldn't read but he could) somewhere within the pages of those books up in the Black library - had him standing up; not to mention getting a second look at the locket around his neck.  Food forgotten. 

"Harry, you need to eat. There will be much time for reading.  Right now you should keep your strength up." Lucius added gently. 

Harry sat back down and nodded. Taking a bite out of some bread.

.
.
.

Lucius had bid Harry a good night after they ate.

He didn't mind Lucius. But for some reason Harry didn't think he could share the locket he found. He gripped the locket that had been hidden beneath his robes.

The locket had a snake emblem on the front of it. And it had been found in the Black library. It could be cursed for all he knew. But that just made him even curiouser to see and discover the secrets that  were kept within.

Standing up Harry headed into the library. Finding the chair he had recently vacated. Gripping the locket in his pocket, the metal chain dropping, his eyes gleamed in anticipation. 

Should he open it?
Was there something hidden inside?

It was like he was in a trance of some sort.  Like he was compelled to find the locket in his godfather's library. 

That it'd been placed here for him to find it. Then there was this small hope inside his chest that this locket was the key to all his answers. 

And he wanted to find out why he had this destructive power. 

And why it ruled over his life? 

With no spare second to spare Harry's fingers began to work the lock to open to reveal the contents of the locket.  It seemed as if time had stopped when the lock unclasped. 

There was nothing. 

His heart broke. 

His hopes drowned in the silence that followed. 

He jerked his head up. Peering to his right then his left. He shook his head. 
But then looked behind. He heard a voice.  It was masculine but it wasn't deep, but the voice sounded young. 

You're not going crazy.  The voice stated. 

Yeah like hearing a voice doesn't automatically categorize me as being insane, Harry thought when he looked around the library.

"W-what?! Where?"

Harry questioned.  At a loss from where the voice was coming from. 

I'm in your head.

"Who are you?"

Harry felt dumb talking to himself.  But he decided to ignore the thought.

My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle.  It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance.