Note: Voldemort here looks like an older version of Tom Riddle cause he did some magical shit and manage to get his nose back just sayin

"Witch burning in the fourteenth century was entirely pointless, not only because it didn't affect any true witches or wizards (on the off chance they were even captured) but because it was entirely useless. What was even the reason muggles hunted down magical beings? Because they were afraid of things their narrow minds did not understand? All this for little to no objective but to run wizard kind into fear and hiding..." Percy murmured to himself as he attempted to finish the last of his holiday work.

Even though it was summer the professors at Hogwarts were merciless when it came to school work. He had to spend an entire afternoon yesterday finishing up an essay about shrinking potions for Snape. May the Fates have mercy on the poor soul who don't turn that essay in.

Placing his quill carefully beside his ink bottle, Percy set aside the essay he was working on for Bin's history class about witch burnings and sighed in relief when he realized he had finally finished all of his homework.

"Young Master Riddle! Your father has summoned you to the dining room!" said his personal house elf Eli as she suddenly appeared in his room and swept into a low bow. The elf was awfully thin, as house elves usually are, and dirty black cloths passed as her clothing. The elf's feet were bare on the dark wooden floor.

Sighing again Percy stood up and slipped on the pair of boots nearest to the door and pulled on the dark gray casual robe draped over the chair he was sitting on.

"Understood, Eli. Tell him I will be there immediately" said the boy calmly as he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. Knowing the elf had apparated to his father's side to inform the Dark Lord that Percy was on his way, he wasted no time in getting to the dining room.

Tom Marvolo Riddle - now known as Lord Voldemort - was sitting at the head of the long mahogany table where a bunch of books and parchments were strewn across its surface. A cup of now cold tea sat on top of a thick tome that had strange runes and markings down its binding. The Dark Lord looked up from a newspaper he was reading and stared with an unreadable expression as his son made his way towards him.

Percy did a half bow and murmured, "You called, father?"

The boy stood there in silence for a second before the Dark Lord hummed and gestured towards a seat. "Yes, I was just going to tell you that your Hogwarts letter came and the list of books you are to buy are here. Would you prefer to go to Diagon Alley alone?" Percy blinked as he sat down to the right of the dark lord "Is that all father?" Surely the man wouldn't have just called him there for such an elementary task. No, there was more to it. His eyes flickered to the newspaper his father was reading only moments before.

"I mean no offense but my experience of the past two years tells me that it is strange that you have not given me any missions for the upcoming school year" the sea green eyed boy asked him, curious. Perhaps you did something wrong, the thought rang clearly in the back of his head, perhaps he has no more need of you. The failed task that had occurred just months ago replayed in his head. It had ended in failure. He had let Potter kill the basilisk and leave with Ginny alive. He dismissed the notion shortly after, but the unease remained.

The Dark Lord merely smirked and threw down the newspaper in front of Percy.

"It seems like the wizarding world does not need us to wreak havoc at the moment, they are doing quite a fine job of it on their own" the newspaper turned out to be a copy of the latest Daily Prophet, and as he skimmed through the page Percy's eyebrows raised higher and higher with every passing sentence and understood his father's amusement.

"Sirius Black escaped Azkaban?" The wizarding prison had a reputation for being impenetrable, a fortress on an island in the middle of nowhere. Percy knew that because many of his father's followers and associates have been captured over the years and sent there for practicing dark magic. "Fudge really did it now, didn't he?" the boy scoffed at the Minister of Magic's name.

"You should also be warned that our esteemed Minister has decided to put one of the Ministry's own for the open defense against the dark arts teaching position and placed dementors on school grounds should Black show his face."

Percy looked up in shock at that and exclaimed in disbelief "Dementors?! In a place filled with students and children they decided the best thing to do was to put dementors in Hogwarts?! They've gone mad father!" the raven haired boy knew of the soul-eating floor rags, enough to not want to know more.

Chuckling dryly the Dark Lord continued "yes, I thought so." He turned his head to the boy "you've done enough these past two years that my strength has started to return to me in a much faster pace than I anticipated. I've decided that for your impressive work," he paused. "Not counting letting Potter and the Weasley girl get away from the Chamber of Secrets" Percy hid a wince "that you will be rewarded for your actions with a relatively peaceful year" hearing those words Percy sighed in relief. Finally! After all the things that happened he will get a much needed break.

"Don't get too excited yet" the Dark Lord added with a raised eyebrow seeing the relieved expression crossing his adopted son's face. "Although I am not assigning you any missions this year I fully expect you to make it up by being top of your classes, do you understand me?" the question left no room for argument. The young heir nodded and schooled his expression at seeing the very serious look in his father's serpentine red eyes (eyes that look out of place in his otherwise normal and quite handsome face).

"Of course father, I will not let you down" Percy said in a determined manner as he moved to stand up "may I have your permission to go to Diagon Alley to purchase my school books tomorrow?" the Dark Lord nodded and waved his hand to signal that the black haired boy was dismissed. "You may, and here" he slid a piece of parchment paper across the dark wooden table. "Take the list with you. I am pleased to see that you have chosen Ancient Runes and Arithmancy as your electives" hiding a satisfied smile Percy nodded and took the book list before doing another half bow and leaving the room, he was already planning on all the things he could do in the absence of life-threatening jobs.

Oh how naïve was he to think that nothing was going to happen.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS!!!!

I'm definitely not exited to start 2018 and honestly writing these fanfics and having you guys read them made 2017 bearable for me so thanks

I hope to be writing these books for a long time and I hope this year will be great for all of you! I'm not one for resolutions but if you are good luck. 

And thanks again @EmoUnicorn21 for helping me out with the editing of this chapter.

Most sincerely,

- A person trying to survive another damned year and holy shit am I not prepared for 2018 (a.k.a ThatBookFanatic)

Extra note: the thing about the witch burning homework in the first two chapters are derived from the actual books themselves though the passage in the first chapter (what Percy wrote) is written by me.