Harry Potter and the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 1 – The Dursleys

I WILL NOT HAVE YOU LIVING IN MY HOUSE!" bellowed Vernon Dursley, his face swelling purple like a beetroot. Seeing Harry's look of defiance he took a deep breath and tried another tack. "You are endangering my family, my wife, my CHILD", he spluttered. "Surely even you can understand that. If this Vollemard is back then I don't want him coming here. Do you understand me?"

Despite himself, Harry had to hide a grin. Voldemort in Privet Drive?! What would the neighbours say to that. They would have a field day from behind their net curtains. Did you see who visited the Dursleys the other day? I always said they were up to no good. And that nephew of theirs...no parents...heard they were weirdoes...

Harry felt the happiness draining out of him as he once again saw Sirus' face, frozen in shock as he was falling, falling through that dark archway. With a shudder he pulled himself back to the present, to find himself standing in the hallway with Uncle Vernon still staring at him.

"Well, do you?"

With a certain degree of surprise, Harry realised that he still hadn't answered. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Uncle Vernon, let's be logical about this..."

Vernon Dursley drew himself up to his full height of 5 foot 6 with a snarl. LOGICAL?!!" he shouted. "The only logic that I can see, boy, is that YOU can pack your bags and take yourself, your filthy bird and all your disgusting possessions and NEVER DARKEN MY DOORWAY AGAIN!"

Harry gave a sigh as he prepared for what looked to be a long 'discussion'. He supposed he should have seen this coming. With Aunt Petunia out of the way, shopping for more extravagant, extortionate and totally unnecessary presents for 'darling Dudders', it was only natural that Uncle Vernon would take this chance to try to get rid of Harry again. In fact, Harry was surprised it had taken this long.

Last year, when Voldemort had finally returned, Harry had thought that he would never be forced to live with the Dursleys again. For a brief moment of happiness he believed that he would be living with Sirius, his father's best friend and his godfather. But yet again he had been forced to return. And it was all his fault. If he hadn't been so selfish and blind, if he had tried harder at Occulemency, if he had only listened to his friends. But that was all in the past now. And Sirius was dead.

Later that evening, Harry was sat in his room, brooding as the darkness gathered around him, as he had done so many nights of this endless summer. He knew he had to stay at the Dursley's for a while, he knew it kept him alive, but why was he still here now? It was his birthday tomorrow and he had only had a few sketchy letters from Ron and Hermione, with vague promises of meeting up. Why had no one come to take him away from this awful place and this endless boredom? He gave a deep sigh that seemed to come from his very soul. It's because of what you did said a voice inside of him. They blame you and now they don't want to know you. "No!" said Harry aloud. "It's not true, it can't be, surely they...". Then where are they?

Harry looked up with a jolt, startled out of his reverie. He was shocked to see that the sky was now jet-black and studded with thousands of tiny pinpricks of stars. 'Surely I can't have been here for that long?' he thought. Bewildered, he checked his glowing watch. 12:00. The witching hour. Harry gave a smile as he thought of all the Muggles who believed the tales, but his smile died abruptly as a dark shadow swept across his vision. Diving behind his desk as he whipped out his wand, he could only watch in horror as a long sinuous shape slipped in through the open window accompanied by a gliding figure of darkness. The shadows halted and Harry froze to the spot, his wand hanging limply from his hand in horror, as they began to transform.