Here it is. The last chapter of this part. I had a lot of help from my beta, Krad with this one. Thanks for putting up with me. Anywho, read on.

Kitty Trouble

Chapter 21

When Tom arrived at the Ministry of Magic, it was bustling with activity just like always. People glanced at him briefly and went on their way, some with interest, some with curiosity. It was different to not have mass panic erupt upon his arrival. Everyone tripping and falling over themselves to get away, screaming their heads off in fear. A part of him missed it. He shook the thought away; that was not the kind of thoughts to be having when he was about to have a meeting with the minister about stopping all of that mass murdering business.

He stepped out of the elevator and walked up to the reception desk, "Excuse me."

The receptionist looked up and her bored expression was wiped away, "C-Can I help you?" the witch stuttered, gazing at the handsome man in front of her.

Tom flashed her charming smile and the witch seemed to melt before his eyes. Yep, still got it. "I have a meeting with the minister."

"Your name please," she blushed looking down at an appointment book.

Tom was tempted to say 'Lord Voldemort' just to see her reaction, "Tom Riddle."

She scanned the book and nodded, "Wait just a moment." She got up and went down the small hallway and knocked on the door. She paused listening for something, then poked her head in, then closed the door and came back, "The minister will see you."

"Thank you Victoria," Tom said taking the name off the name plate on the desk. Said witch blushed as he flashed her another charming smile and went to the door. Opening it, he saw Cornelius Fudge behind a majestic desk and Albus Dumbledore in a chair opposite of it. He also noticed humorously that there were several Aurors present too.

Dumbledore rose and turned around, smiling with twinkling blue eyes, "Tom. It's good to see you."

Tom frowned at him, "I couldn't say the same thing about you." He may be giving up the war, but he still hated Dumbledore's guts. He looked at Fudge, "Minister," he acknowledged, nodding slightly.

Fudge shifted in his seat nervously, "Mr. Riddle."

Tom made an act of looking around, "Is this really necessary?" Taking a peak into an Auror's mind he found that they really didn't know why they were there. They were quite confused as to why they had to be there in the first place, guarding the minister from a seemingly reasonable, and non-threatening gentleman. It wasn't like this was the Dark Lord or something.

He turned back to the minister and raised a brow questioningly.

Fudge seemed to sweat under Tom's gaze, "Yes. Well. Standard precautions. You understand."

Tom hummed lightly and walked further into the room. Fudge sat ramrod straight as he approached, and Tom inwardly smirked. He took out his wand and took pleasure watching Fudge flinch, but all the elegant dark haired man did was conjure a comfortable looking chair before sinking into it. "Yes I do. But I didn't think you would want any one else to know…"

"Yes Cornelius, I do not think all this is truly necessary," Dumbledore said.

"But-" Dumbledore gave him a look from over his glasses and Fudge looked down in defeat, "Yes. Alright." He gestured to the Aurors and they left.

"Now," Dumbledore said turning to Tom, "I trust Harry and the twins are well?"

"Yes. Quite," Tom replied.

Dumbledore chuckled and gave him a knowing look, "It looks like you haven't gotten any sleep in a while."

"I do not think we came here to talk about my sleeping habits," Tom said shortly.

Dumbledore nodded in agreement, "I was quite surprised to receive a letter from you, even more so with its content. I do need to ask for the record, are you truly giving up the war?"

Tom stayed silent a minute and glanced at the minister who was leaning forward waiting for an answer. "Yes."

Fudge sat back and let out the breath he had been holding, "Why?"

"I have my reasons," Tom smirked, "I thought you wanted the war to end?"

"Of course I do! I just…just…" he struggled to find the words.

"What Cornelius is trying to say is that it came as a shock that you are giving up after all these years."

"Things happen," Tom said with a shrug. He was not overly eager to share his thoughts or motives with these two, preferring to get this over with quicker rather than later. Not to mention they were both idiots as far as he was concerned.

"Indeed. Well let's get down to business. In your letter you had a list of requests that you asked of us. The minister and I have agreed that these can be done."

"Good."

"But we would like to add a few of your followers to the list you gave us."

"Oh?" Dumbledore handed over a sheet of parchment with a few names added on to it as well as the reasons why, "I do believe this can be done, except for one: Lucius Malfoy."

"You said we could add any name," Fudge said heatedly.

Tom started at him and he recoiled back in his chair, "I did, but only if I find a reason otherwise."

"Can you explain?" Dumbledore asked.

"It's simple really. Harry has gotten quite attached to Lucius within the last few months. I don't think he would be too happy if you took him away," Tom explained, inwardly smirking as he remembered Harry's new nickname for the Malfoy patriarch. Lucius wasn't very happy when Harry started calling him Lucy, but it was a good sign of Harry's trust.

"I see," Dumbledore gave Fudge a look again when he seemed like he was going to say something, effectively shutting the man up. "Well are there any other problems?"

Tom scanned the list, "No. I don't see any."

"Good, now moving on to your other requests. The Cornelius has agreed to give full pardons to all of the followers that are not on the list you gave up on one condition."

"And that is?" Tom asked.

"That each of your…followers contribute to the wizarding society in some way," Fudge said shuffling some papers so he wouldn't have to look at Tom, "It won't make up for all the damage they have done over the years but it is something."

Tom nodded, "That shouldn't be a problem."

"You also agreed to be punished," Fudge said with a poorly hidden look of utter glee on his face. Dumbledore gave him a warning look, which he ignored.

"I did," Tom said slowly.

"I propose to have your magic stripped indefinitely," Fudge said with a smug look.

"Cornelius!" Dumbledore hissed at him, obviously this was not part of their original discussion.

"No," Tom said coldly. He saw what he was trying to do. If he had no magic, he couldn't defend himself if Fudge decided to ambush him when he left and lock him up. There was no way in hell he was leaving his kittens without a father.

"What?" Fudge shouted standing up, clearly struggling to keep his infamous temper in check.

"You heard me, minister," he sneered, "Do you really think I was going to give up my magic just like that? I think not."

"You agreed to be punished!" The hot headed man roared.

Tom stood up slowly trying to reign in his temper, "Need I remind you that I gave up this war willingly. I have no qualms about going out there and continuing what I started. If I have to kill anyone that dares get in my away in protecting my family I will, including you."

"You can't-"

"Cornelius ENOUGH!" Dumbledore shouted, and the man shut up. Tom had to give it to the old man, he could strike fear in someone if he tried. "Now, Cornelius you had no right to make such a proposition. Mr. Riddle came here on his own free will today to talk this out like civilized men, and we will act accordingly. Plus, we agreed on Mr. Riddle's proper…atonement." Dumbledore turned toward the ex-Dark Lord and unrolled a parchment handing it to him. "We had decided on you turning over all your dark items and artifacts you have in your possession over to the ministry."

Tom couldn't hide the widening of his eyes as he looked down at the scroll. It was a contract stating that, in return for not being pursued by the ministry and its Aurors as a war criminal he was giving up the title of Lord Voldemort and the war. Also that he agreed to relinquish all dark materials in his possession to the ministry as punishment. His first reaction to was to say no. After all that trouble of finding them, they want me to give it away? I haven't even finished properly analyzing everything yet! Tom thought frantically, but couldn't think of anything to fix the situation. He supposed that this was truly a proper punishment, as Harry would say. Tom scowled, "Fine," he said curtly. "But if I may ask why?"

"Of course you may. It is just a simple matter of fact that it would be better in the hands of the ministry."

"You mean you don't trust me," Tom stated flatly.

"No, no. I don't mean that," Dumbledore pacified him, "It's just that we would feel safer if the items weren't…in your possession. I know you have a lot of Dark items as you have used them against us in the past. We would also gain knowledge from these in case someone else decides to use them."

"I see. Very well."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled bright, "Excellent. If you would just sign at the bottom…"

Tom took a quill and looked down at the contract again. He placed the parchment on the desk and started to sign it. He thought he would feel remorse at giving up a part of himself that had been with him most of his life, or at least feel something; but he didn't. Instead he felt the overwhelming sensation of relief. Despite missing the utter chaos of people screaming and trying to get away from him, the feeling of coming home to Harry and the twins vastly overruled that urge and he gladly signed the contract with no lingering regret.

"If that is all I will take my leave," Tom said putting the quill down and straightening his robes.

"Well yes it is, but there is one last matter of importance."

"Oh? What is that?" Tom asked in mild annoyance, one brow raised.

"Though you have given up, Lord Voldemort…" Here Fudge flinched, making Tom smirk, "He can not just disappear into thin air, there's no telling the magnitude of what mass panic would evolve after years of trepidation at your sudden absence and therefore, seemingly inevitable return," Dumbledore said.

Tom nodded in consideration, "I see your point. For Voldemort to disappear completely, something has to happen. I assume you have an idea that will solve this problem?"

Dumbledore looked up, eyes twinkling with something nearly akin to mischief, "I do believe I have one."

xxx

When Tom arrived home, he was utterly exhausted. Talking with both Dumbledore the twinkling maniac and Fudge the incompetent idiot did that to you. He was just glad to be back home.

Harry came into the entranceway carrying a basket covered with a blanket. Tom looked at it curiously, but Harry simply put it down on the floor and shuffled forward. "How did it go?" Harry asked kissing him on the cheek and smoothing his shirt down, not looking him in the eyes.

"It went alright up until Fudge decided he wanted to strip me of my magic."

Harry looked up at that, "What?" he concentrated his own magic and reached out to Tom and felt Tom's magic react to his. "It's still there," Harry said in relief.

"I wasn't about to let him take it from me. But the way he said it, it was like I didn't have a choice in the matter," Tom said pulling Harry close and breathing in Harry's scent.

"Did you blow anything up?" Harry asked snuggling into him.

Tom pulled away slightly and gave him a look that said, Do I look like a person to do that? "No I did not."

"Okay. So everything went through?" At Tom's nod Harry smiled, "That's great!" he then noticed the grim look on his face, "What?"

"As my punishment Dumbledore wants me to turn over all my dark materials."

"Oh. All of them?"

"Yes, all."

"And?"

Tom took a deep breath, "I agreed."

Harry's eyes widened and his ears shot up, "You did?"

"Yes," Tom said in a defeated voice.

"I-I don't know what to say," Harry said lying his ears flat, "I'm sorry you have to give it all up, but there are a lot of things lying around the house that are dangerous that the twins could get into."

"Yeah. I thought of that. I don't want to give them up but it's worth it if my family is safe." Harry beamed and hugged him tight. "But I still wish they wouldn't take away all of them. I like some of them."

"Quit complaining you big baby."

Tom chuckled, "Are the twins sleeping?"

Harry loosened his grip on Tom and stepped back, "Um. Yeah…"

"I see," Tom said and looked over at the basket. There was something moving in there. "What's in the basket?" he asked and took a step toward it.

Harry hopped over in front of him blocking his path, "Wait! Th-there's something I need to tell you."

Tom narrowed his eyes and looked at him. Harry had looked tired, but now suddenly worried and on the verge of hysterics as well, "What is it?"

"Well today..." Harry started, wringing his hands as he spoke to Tom's chest with growing agitation. "We, that is Severus, Ray, the twins and I, went outside and had a picnic. We were talking and I had…and then they…! and now…!"

"Harry," he said grabbing his lover's trembling shoulders firmly in his hands, talking to top of the boy's bowed head. "Calm down. What happened?" Tom couldn't help but feel dread feel his stomach.

"I-It's kind of funny actually," Harry said with a slight nervous laugh.

"Harry." Tom said lightly in warning.

Harry fidgeted, "Well…they…" Harry stopped, turning to scoop up the basket behind him. He held it up to Tom to look inside.

Tom looked to Harry to the basket and back again, before gently lifting the soft blanket.

…And he got the shock of his life.

A black furry head with wide innocent green and blue eyes popped up and mewed at him happily. It was a kitten, two in fact.

"What the hell happened?" Tom asked hoarsely, gingerly picking them up out of the basket with wide eyes. They started licking his fingers and squirming in his hands. Felix even got a hold of his shirt with his claws and was holding on.

"Well…" Harry led him to the living room and where explained everything. "We tried to reenact it, you know getting them to sneeze again, but it didn't work. I don't want to give them anything just in case something happens to them. I also called Allie, but he doesn't know how to reverse it either. He said we just have to wait until they decide to turn back."

"So…they're not stuck like this?"

"No," Harry said relaxing now that he realized Tom wasn't mad at him, "They'll turn back. It's like what I can do, change into a cat and back again. But it's not like how I first needed to change back with a potion, because all this," Harry gestured to his ears and tail, "It was caused by a potion in the first place. The twins were born this way."

"So why aren't they turning back?" Tom asked, still staring with wide eyes as he carefully tugged the wriggling Felix from his shirt with a sound similar to velcro.

"They don't have control on their abilities to do that yet. So for now they're stuck. Allie said that it's just a bit of accidental magic."

"Accidental magic?" Tom asked incredulously, "This early?"

"Yeah, I know," Harry said proudly, "Usually magical children don't start showing signs until they're at least two, but the twins are only a few weeks old."

"Wow," Tom whispered leaning back on the couch struggling to hold onto the hyperactive kittens. Felix seemed to keep ending up upside down or twisted in Tom's hand with one paw attached to Tom's shirt.

Harry nodded smiling at the sight, "I now know how it was for you."

"What do you mean?"

"These two won't sit still. They couldn't move around before because they were human babies. But now they are kittens with four legs, and kittens learn to walk pretty fast. Since they got the hang of it, they've been thoroughly enjoying their newfound freedom. I've been chasing after them all day."

Tom looked down at the two kittens now in his lap, so small that they fit in his hand, looking up at him swinging their tails happily and trying to climb up him by his shirt.

And he just began laughing. So hard he couldn't even breathe.

"It's not funny!" Harry pouted.

"Y-Yes it is," Tom said, "It's just so ironic."

"You do know that there is two of them, plus me," Harry said flatly.

Tom immediately stopped laughing at the full implications of it –What have I gotten myssself into?-

Harry laughed –Consssider it your own private punishment,- he hissed back.

They looked down at the twins who were mewing happily up at both of them, their front paws stuck in Tom's shirt and jumping with their hind legs trying to push themselves forward. Tom paused and then hissed –Can you underssstand me little ones?-

Both pairs of ears twitched and shot up and the twins turned their heads up to look at their father as they started to mew even more, almost like they were agreeing.

"Do you think they can speak parseltongue?" Harry asked picking up Felix and stroking his ears. The blue-green eyes closed in bliss and he purred.

"With two parents as parselmouths, I'd say it's very likely," Tom beamed proudly, "These two are going to be very powerful when they grow up."

Harry nodded and snuggled into Tom's side letting both the kittens scamper across their laps, "They are already powerful now. I wonder what else they can do."

Feeling little kitten paws frolic about on his lap, Tom leaned his head back and pressed Harry to his side firmly, a contented smile on his lips as his eyes closed.

"I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see."

Poor Tom has to give up all his stuff. But that's his price to pay, not as evil as I was going to put it, but I changed my mind. Hope everyone is not too disappointed.

Everthing will continue in the sequel 'Kitty Paradise' so be paitient and hopefully I'll have it up soon. I also have a picture on my profile of the twins as kittens if you want to see it. Thanks for sticking with me! Don't forget to review!

phoenixmaiden