Disclaimer: All Harry Potter Books and others belong to J.K.Rowling

A/N: This is an old story idea, re-written to take into account the changes made in the Half-Blood Prince. It is basically Harry's life if Lady luck had abandoned Harry and his friends.He thushas to deal with misfortune. Add That to the second year story and suddenly everything becomes a lot different.

Chapter 1 : The Board is Set

PAIN!

Curled within the wild torrent of pain he could only tell the passage of time from each renewed act of torture. The flames around him flickered and licked at his wounds tearing them open further; with growing horror and despair he felt the flames loom over him, morphing into black shadows. With no real flesh to safeguard against the growing darkness these new magical flames ripped into his soul as he paid the price for his impertinence, within this immortal form he was safe only from death, and death would be a blessing at this point.

Lucius watched the fire unemotionally as it crackled sadistically on this pale Monday night, the seat beneath him had moulded to his shape from the long hours spent studying his latest acquisition. He had come across it last December while attempting to sort through the growing amount of Dark artefacts within the mansion. It had lain forgotten and upon first glance appeared by all appearances to be decisively unremarkable.Only a handful knew of it, even less of it's true potential, it's true power.

He still could not understand why the Dark Lord had placed a part of himself, a part of his very soul indeed, inside a book! Lucius could think of nearly a hundred different ways that he could wield the book against his Lord, but then again all of them relied on the use of Dark magic, he seriously doubted that those oh-so-holey light worshippers would willingly cast any Dark spell, even the Morsano spell.

With a graceful flick of his wand, Lucius further increased the fires ferocity.

He had to admit, it was much harder then he would have ever imagined negotiating with this spell bound version of Voldemort. Lucius had spent many long days, nay months even, planning on how he could best use the diary to restore his Lord to power. First contact with the diary had gone well, he had been worried at first that this younger version of the Dark Lord, better known then as Tom Marvolo Riddle, would have resulted badly. After all it was not just memories that were bound to this particular book, he closed his eyes, a small action from an otherwise perfect statue.

But why had he…? To place a part of your…

Memory books were common in pureblood families; they acted as a catalogue of the writer's life, a book of collected human knowledge as it were. But this was a Horucrux! A part of his Lord's soul! Bound into a diary for 50 years. It was a testament to his Slytherin spirit that 'Tom' was still sane.

Lucius sighed and shifted in an attempt to abate the tiredness he felt. He should have guessed really; this was Slytherin's heir after all, whether it was a portion of his soul or not. Lucius understood now that Tom wished for the exact same thing as his other, to become the most powerful wizard possible. None of Slytherin blood would be ruled and if Tom did perform a re-binding with his other then it would be him that would be forced down and the 'real' Lord Voldemort would dominate.

Grudgingly he rose and made his way toward the fireplace.

He would not be denied this! Not when it was so perfect. He would sully the reputations of his enemies, force the old coot from his sanctuary and both restore his Lord and his position beside him. Tom here would use someone's body to establish where his other half was, and who better to be a host then a devoted light followers child?

Muttering a few quick charms he then reached down into the now swirling fire, the shadows moved submissively around him as he gripped an open page and roughly ripped it from the diary.

He hadn't thought at first, hadn't even believed that the younger Lord Voldemort could not be convinced to join with it's older self, that it believed it could have it's own individual existence.

Lucius' smile held no humour as he sat down retrieving a quill from the expensive looking desk. He took no pleasure from the torture still raging behind him, it was simply necessary that Tom understood exactly how weak he was in this form, even if he was replaced in another body he would still be weak.

With a flourish of the quill and a last glance at the still burning fireplace Lucius bent over the desk and wrote in precise small script.

Your power is small. Your soul is only a fraction of what it once was.

Without re-joining with the Dark Lord this is how you shall remain,

And with every passing day you will become weaker.

Lucius watched as the page drank in the ink, he had been writing the same thing everyday for a month and he had yet to gain a response. When after each day he received no answer he drained a part of Tom's soul from the page that he tore.

Dispelling the shadow flames behind him, Lucius retrieved the Diary from the ashes and placed atop the desk, after all… Tom would not be able to reply while under his, compelling influence.

I would become a slave...

Nothing more

Anticipation gleamed in the older Malfoy's eyes as he slid into the waiting chair, Tom would not be talking unless…

Slavery or eternal pain? They are the only options I give you.

And if I manage to come back to power before your plan succeeds?

Blinking in puzzlement it took Lucius a few moments to realize what Tom was asking, maybe the young boy wasn't completely sane after all, referring to the Dark Lord as if they were still the same person was not a good sign. The elder Malfoy responded bluntly, there were only a few weeks left of the holidays after all. The plan must move forward.

Then you would be recruited as one of his elite servants.

Do you agree to the plan?

Lucius frowned when no answer was forthcoming, he knew of the possibilities of Voldemort coming back to power without his help, Tom would then be in a position to become one of the Dark Lord's most trusted, maybe even ousting him as the Lord's apprentice. But a Malfoy always covered all eventualities…

In that predicament I would become your slave, not my own person.

I receive no hope of freedom from your plan, why should I take it?

Ah... the decisive moment. Lucius allowed himself another cold smile, the only kind to ever grace his winter lips. He leaned over and wrote his response in the diary instead of on the extracted page.

If you take my offer you live.

If you do not you will suffer forever through pain.

He saw Tom faintly sketch something on the torn page as he flung it into the air.

'Adficio!'

Crashing into the page, the purple ray was absorbed into the paper like ink, only to bleed back out dribbling onto the floor as the paper hung motionless in the air. Lucius spun and gazed purposefully at the slim blacked book as three words slithered onto the page.

I will live

RonWeasley relaxed peacefully letting the resident ghoul's music wash over him. It was a early Thursday morning and Ron was letting himself enjoy the simple fact that he was at home for the holidays with his best friend: Harry Potter.

It wasn't that Ron hated school, (although he would not hesitate to call Professor Snape a few choice words, which if his mother heard would leave him grounded for life). It was the fact that here, at home, Harry was just Ron's best friend. Sure mom fussed over him but she did the same to everyone so it was normal in his book.

Here Harry wasn't Harry Potter: Boy-who-lived.

At school everyone would stare as Harry passed and even go so far as to point at his scar and scream out 'BY MERLIN IT'S HIM!' he couldn't understand why Harry didn't like being famous…

Ron would do anything to be noticed, how he hated being in the shadows!

Sometimes he found himself growing jealous of Harry, he tried to get over it though, Harry was his best friend. He was just glad he didn't have to worry about anything like that at the moment…

The ghoul's never ending war with the pipes seemed to become more ferocious and Ron resigned himself to not getting any sleep tonight. Shivering slightly he silently slipped out of his duvet, it must be very early for it to be this cold. Golly was that his breath? How could Harry sleep through all of this! He could see faintly in the murky gloom that Harry was curled in a corner of the bed… but he… oh for, how the hell was he able to sleep on top of the covers as well!

He quickly grabbed one of his home made jumpers before heading downstairs, he normally did everything in his power to not do any work, being lazy was the only thing he worked hard at. But he figured if he grabbed his schoolbooks now he would be able to spend more time tomorrow with Harry.

His face nearly split open when he saw the mess next to the fireplace. Ron could still remember Mrs. Weasley screaming at them when she came threw the fireplace after the trip to Diagon Alley. Harry, it seemed, had discovered that he was very bad at flooing; his graceful entry had caused the whole family to end up as pile of limps in front of the fire.

'WHAT ARE YOU DOING DOWN THERE!" Mrs Weasley had erupted "I ONLY CLEANED THAT FLOOR THIS MORNING!'

Ron had just stared at his Mom, mouth agape. She wasn't normally this over the top.

A jovial voice then emerged from the mess 'shhhhhhhhhh we're getting to know the floor better at the moment mother!'

'Hello Floor! And how are you today.' Quipped George

'I do believe – ' Added Fred

'You could eat of this floor.'

'Could you pass me some food George?'

'I Certainly could Fre – '

'GET UP RIGHT NOW! ALL OF YOU!' Screamed Mrs Weasley

Everyone had eventually untangled himself or herself; Fred and George ensured that there were a lot of humorous moments including Percy somehow being upside down with his head in a cauldron. Ron had no idea how they had managed that!

Mrs. Weasley had given in and just sent them all upstairs, telling them to sort out which books were their own the next day. Personally Ron felt sick at the sight of so many Gilderoy Lockhart books. Grapping a handful of them Ron started to try and sort through them one at a time.

Fred, Percy, Harry, Harry… no wait that's Fred, George, His, Ginny … Ron winced at the state of the book. Poor Gin, even his books hadn't been in this state when he had started last year! He snorted as he chucked the tattered remains behind him; at least she had got a new wand though.

A few seconds later his hand stumbled upon a strange black trimmed book, Ron groaned as he wondered what boring book Percy had bought this time 'A study of Hogwarts Prefects and their later careers' should have been dull enough to keep Percy enthralled for weeks.

Gazing at the cover Ron was puzzled to find the words 'Diary 1943'

'What kind of idiot buys a used diary?' Ron mumbled to nobody as he flicked it open. The words T. M. Riddle were all that graced the first page and many afterwards appeared to have been ripped out. Maybe it had been used and someone was planning on using it again? Probably Ginny: though he wouldn't put it past Perfect Percy.

Understanding dawned on Ron and a malicious smirk slid through his lips; just imagine the mayhem that he could make by giving Percy's future diary to the twins! Maybe they could charm it to sarcastically speak back to him, or maybe to have everything written in it copied into another book; so they could blackmail him.

Brotherly love was alive and well in the Weasley household.

Ron stopped himself just before he attempted to run to the twin's bedroom, he could after all still remember the last time he had woken Fred and George early. Maybe he should wait until morning, make that at least later in the morning he thought glancing at the grandfather clock. He frowned at the pile still present on the floor, what had he been doing again? Oh right sorting… whatever… he needed to hide this first.

Clutching the demonic diary he tried to silently sneak back into his bed without waking up Harry. He still didn't actually know if this was Percy's or Ginny's diary, hell it could be Fred's! Ron blanched at that particular thought. He slid the book beneath his pillow and exited the room to finish the sorting, while thinking that maybe he should wait: see who complains about not being able to find one of their books tomorrow… today.

Yeah that'd be the safest thing to do. He didn't want the twins wrath on him…

Harry Potter woke up. It is amazing how such a small simple sentence can contain so much action. It turned out today was to be one of the days when the Weasley Ghoul inspected the rest of the house; it was also the day that Fred and George were planning on initiating Harry (and possibly ickle Ronnie if they could find him…) into the art of true mischief-makers. The twins had a giant tub hoisted above Harry's bed, containing a new concoction that they were dieing to try out; lucky Harry was, of course, the test subject.

The Ghoul whooshed straight through the attic floor; proceeding to pass through the tub, splashing the purple liquid everywhere before it could became ethereal again. Startled, Fred took an involuntary step backwards, slipped in a puddle, lost his grip on the tub and fell onto Harry in the same instance. The tub joined them, after succumbing to the law of gravity.

It took the rest of the Weasley clan an hour to stop George laughing…

A/N:

Well What do you think?

In case you don't know, this fiction is being written with only one single specification in mind. To make everything that could go wrong GO wrong.

Should Ron open the diary alone or with friends?
Will Ginny be extremely different now that she's narrowly escaped Tom's clutches?
What exactly is it that the twins have done now?
Is Lucius an arsehole? Should I kill him off?

As a further note this Fic will contain character death. I'm not entirely sure who yet. But if you want anyone in particular to kick the bucket in a dramatic way let me know.

Ravus