Harry Potter
The Darkest Soul.

CHAPTER 1. The Force of Rage.

The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well as he saw his children board the train on their first trip to Hogwarts. He scanned the crowd and as his eyes met with those of a young boy the scar that had not felt pain in 19 years suddenly burned bright again causing him to clutch to his wife Ginny. "What's wrong Harry?" Her eyes searched around for any sort of danger. The searing pain had left and he stood confused.

"It was nothing I suppose. Just my scar."

"Your scar? Why would your scar be hurting now? You've not mentioned it in, fuck, nineteen years. Why now?"

"I don't know, I'm probably just paranoid, maybe I'm worried. Hell, it's probably just memories." His eyes scanned again searching for the child that had caused his scar to flair in pain but saw no signs of him. He sighed and loosed his heels from the stone walkway and allowed Ginny to pull him out of the crowd and through the wall back onto the platform of 9 3/4. He thought back to the kid despite his best effort. The Light blue of his eyes was seared into Harry's memory as he drove the winding path to the Weasley house where he and the group had decided to meet for drinks.

-

The famous Harry Potter. The boy who lived. Young Dirge felt cold creep through his system as he noticed the scar on the forehead of the middle-aged man in the shabby brown coat. He had hoped to see Harry Potter and obtain his autograph but the crowd would have made it practically impossible. He could apparate over to him with ease but he felt that it would be a bad image for his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "Shit." Dirge kicked the floor with his heel and boarded the train walking past the crowd of shuffling first years. His eyes locked on the man on the platform.

His tied back hair bounced against his neck as his pet snake writhed in the pocket of his black robe. He attempted to squeeze himself past a well endowed 6th year student when an unfortunate misstep caused her to tumble to the ground. He sighed and offered her his hand. "Are you ok ma'am, I'm very sorry, I was attempting to squeeze past you but I tripped."

"I think I'm okay, why are you in such a big rush anyway?" She stood up wobbly the strength of the young man helping her up threw her off balance again. She blushed hard as her breast squished into the young boys face. She could now feel the blood starting to drip down her leg. "I'm so sorry dude. I didn't mean to breast press you like that."

"S'fine." He rubbed the back of his head and allowed himself to cool down from the unexpected sensation of her breast in his face. "I'm sorry again, you see I saw Harry Potter on the opposite side of the platform and I was trying to get over there to ask him for his autograph but There are so many people here that I couldn't get there in time." His face pulled into a disappointed grimace.

"Harry Potter? Oh yeah, I've heard of that guy. His kids are already seated. James is a third year, he's a decent guy. wicked smart. He's in Gryffindor House. and then there's Albus. He's a first year like you. They have a daughter as well but she's not scheduled to start for a few years. Come on, I'll show you to them." She clutched his robe and began dragging him along the train to the back. As he passed along the walkway he noticed the seeping of blood through her jeans.

"Excuse me ma'am."

"Ariel."

"Ariel?"

"Yeah, Ariel, that's my name."

"Well it's very pretty, anyway, ummm, Ariel, you're bleeding."

"I know, but I can't do anything about it now, it'll have to wait." She looked back and smiled sweetly. "Anyway, what's your name sweetheart, I mean, you have buried your face between my breast, the least you can do is let me know what name to call." She was expecting him to blush but he maintained a stoic composure as he stared at her bleeding leg.

"My name is Dirge."

"Dirge? Why does that sound familiar?" She stopped pulling momentarily so that the trolley cart could pull past them, the tantalizing smell of sweets filled the air causing her mouth to water. Her stomach rumbled. She really wanted food but her family was struggling.

"It's what you would hear at a funeral. A dirge is a funeral song or tune, or one expressing mourning in commemoration of the dead. Personally I think my parent's had a sick sense of humour." He waved the trolley cart over and looked at Ariel. "You're hungry. Eat something, my treat." He smiled sweetly. "After all I did knock you down. It's the least I could do." Ariel was taken aback, the shy kid she had met just minutes ago was suddenly so commanding and vehemently in charge of the situation. She ordered a few thing from the cart and watched as he bought a large stick of meat. He flipped a golden Galleon into the air catching it on the tip of his thumb before flicking it into the trolly pushers open palm. "Keep the change ma'am."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his pet snake. He nuzzled it lightly before breaking off a bit of the raw meat and holding it between his fingers. The pit viper in Dirges hand snapped causing Ariel to jump back almost crashing into another student. Dirge looked at her and chuckled softly. "Don't worry. This is Lucile, she's, well, far from harmless, but she's not vicious. She does however have a veracious appetite."
Ariel looked at the light bouncing off of the scales of the coiled pit viper. Deep burgundy and shades of blue and purple. She looked at it's face and noticed that Lucile had the same color of eyes as Dirge. It's forked tongue now flitted about searching for the meat stick held in Dirge's other hand.

"Is she tame?" Ariel held out a hand and slowly extended it towards the snake.

"Not tame, just not vicious unless she has to be." Luciles body moved forward and Ariel stroked the head of the pit viper. "Be sure to mind the spikes and don't rub her scales the wrong way. She really doesn't like that much." As he said this Lucile began rubbing her head along the length of Ariels out stretched fingertips.

"Wow, this is so cool, normally I'm terrified of snakes, but this one isn't scary at all. It's like a scaly kitten or something." Lucile and Dirge looked into each others eyes and Dirge chuckled. He looked down and Ariels pant leg was now crimson with blood.

"Aw fuck." He threw open the door to a compartment and ushered Ariel in. "Take off your pants." He said, his back to her as he closed the compartment door and drew the curtains. Placing Lucile and the meat stick back into his robe pocket.

"Excuse me?" She was taken aback by the sudden bold request.

"Take off your pants." He turned around now to face her. His face was blank as he walked past her and closed the other set of curtains.

Ariel attempted to read his voice but it was flat. She found herself removing her jeans before she realized what was happening. "Sit." She followed his simple command the cool sensation of the seat underneath her made her double think.

He had attempted not to look but he couldn't help himself as she undressed. Her pants slid down her legs her inner thighs were a milky white complexion, her black thong underwear a stark contrast to the pale smooth skin that was her beautiful butt. She sat without asking a single question. Dirge reached into his pocket and produced his wand.

"What type of wand is that. I've never seen one like it? Did you get it from Ollivanders?"

"Yes, I did and I don't doubt that you've never seen one like this. Ollivander said he's only ever had three in his shop and he's never sold any of them. It's a Cherry wood and Dragon Heartstring, 13 and a half inches. Inflexible. He pointed to her leg with the wand. "Tergeo" there was a flash of light and the blood seeping down Ariels leg had disappeared. He looked at the gash as if sizing it up in his head. He pointed the wand again "Episkey. That should just about do it, though you may have a small red mark for a few days."

She watched him work in amazement, how a first year could perform such sells was beyond belief. He picked up her jeans reusing his Tergeo spell to clean the leg of her pants. He looked at the hole in the jeans. "Do you like your jeans with holes, or would you prefer them to be intact?"

"Either or." The fact that she was still sitting around in her thong was slowly sinking into her bewildered brain. He muttered an incantation under his breath and she watched as the hole in her pants was suddenly patching itself closed. He handed them back to her and she stood up slipping them on. "Thank you for that. but aren't you afraid of getting in trouble?"

He shrugged and shook his head. "No, not really. I'm not breaking any actual rules since I'm using it to help out someone in danger. And I'm untraceable."

"Untraceable?" She looked at him shocked. Who was this kid?

"Yeah, something to do with my wand I think. I received a message from Harry Potter himself telling me that 'While I was untraceable, they would be keeping a close eye on me'. So I took the time and taught myself as much as I could about spell-work." He opened the door to the compartment and bowed so that she could take her exit.

She walked past him and noticed that his hair had gone from dark brown to a bright blonde. "Hey, what's up with your hair, it kinda changed color, is that something to do with your wand?"

"Uh no, actually, I'm a Metamorphmegus, I've been practicing on changing parts of my hair color, but I keep ending up accidently changing the whole head. I can't quite get the grip of it yet, but I'm slowly getting there." He absentmindedly stroked the back of his head causing his hair to change from blonde to blue. A few stray hairs escaped is tight ponytail and drifted down his cheeks. He blew them up out of his face as they continued to walk down to the last trolley.

"So what house are you in anyway." He asked Ariel as they came up to one of the last compartments.

"I'm Slytherin House." She looked back expecting him to pull away. But instead his face lit up with excitement.

"Really? How is it, who's the Head of House?"

"Professor Horace Slughorn."

"That's so cool." They finally came to the final compartment of the last trolley.

"Well, this is your stop I suppose." Said Ariel as Dirge peeked into the compartment. Ariel noticed that it was surprisingly full of people. She pulled the door open and poked her head inside. "Hey James, got somebody that want's to meet you guys. He's a big fan of your dad." The oldest kid stood up and offered his hand to both Dirge and Ariel.

"Hello Ariel, hello...I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Dirge."

"Dirge?"

"Dirge." Dirge shook James's hand slowly.

"Well Dirge, I'm James," He patted a young boy on the head ruffling his hair. "And this is my younger brother Albus. And this is Rose Weasley. My cousin."

"Weasley, like as in Ron?"

"The very same" chuckled James. "Please, come in and have a seat." Ariel and Dirge squeezed into the compartment and sat beside one another as Rose was filling Albus in on the ins and outs of wizards chess. "Dirge huh, that's an odd name isn't it?" Asked James absentmindedly.

"I'm fairly certain my parents had a sick sense of humour."

"Had, can't help but notice the past-tense there bud."

"Had. They passed away a few days after I was born." Dirges face took on a mournful appearance. "Or they may as well have. I was adopted when I was a few months old, but sadly it's never seemed to work out."

"What do you mean?" James ripped open a chocolate frog biting it's head off and looking at the card. He smiled and passed it to Dirge who grabbed it and looked at the face of Harry Potter.

"I'm cursed."

"Wait, you're cursed?"

"Well, not like actually cursed, like with a spell or something. Just, cursed by misfortune."

"Well, what is it you want to do when you grow up?"

"Hard to say really. I just don't want to end up like my parents. Or my grandfather."

"Who are your parents?" Asked James, watching as the young man's hair changed from blue to a dark fiery red. He had seen his Aunt Tonks do the same thing so he tried not to pry.

"I'd rather not say to be honest. It's kind of embarrassing." He pulled Lucile out of his robe pocket and placed her around her shoulder. She let out a soft hiss and slid down his arm to curl up into his lap. Ariel looked at the viper and noticed that the burgundy had become a bright crimson color and the blue and purple hues had become shades of green and black. Dirge stroked her head lovingly as the train rolled along.

-

The compartment was boisterous with sound as they rounded a bend. Dirge and Ariel where laughing at one of James stories involving his father and a misunderstanding with a werewolf in Florence. Albus slept soundly on Roses shoulder. Rose had her head resting against the backboard. The game of miniature Wizards chess lay forgotten on her lap as she slept.

Dirge heard screaming coming from the front of the trolley as he stood up he felt the air in the cabin begin to go cold. He looked around the cabin at his fellow classmates. Their eyes looked far away, their faces began twisting into frowns. Ariel had started forming tears that looked frozen in the corner of her eyes.

Dirge threw open the door to the compartment and stepped out into the trolley. Ice had begun forming on the windows. Dirge could hear the sounds of people sobbing as he walked the path. As he passed into the next trolley he noticed the lovely older woman pushing her cart was now crumpled on the floor, her knees pulled up into her chest. Sobbing like a child.

From the compartment behind her glided a large black figure. Dirge recognized it as a Dementor. He knew from the books that Dementors had once worked as the wardens and guards of Azkaban prison, but since the Second Wizarding War had basically been unheard of. Apparently this one had found it's way to a place along the path to Hogwarts. Dirge summoned a Patronus with out a seconds hesitation. From his wand shot a large spiked viper that wrapped itself around his torso, draping itself over his shoulder.

"Leave this train at once." Dirge stood stalk still as the kids in the compartment closest to him began feeding off the effects of his summoned Patronus and managed to pull themselves together. They looked out of the small windows into the hallway. Dirges Patronus reared its head back. "I said, LEAVE!" He threw his wand forward fast enough to make a cracking sound like a whip, the Patronus launched itself from his extended arm and wrapped itself around the blackened being.

There was a loud crack as Kingsley Shacklebolt apparated on-board just behind Dirge followed by another loud crack as Harry Potter apparated on the other side of the Dementor their wands ready to release a Patronus of their own. They stopped in the middle of their spell at the sight of Dirge. His Patronus had wrapped itself around the Dementor completely making it impossible for the beast to move.

-

"So you were unaffected by the Dementor?" asked Kingsley, his kind eyes looked Dirge up and down. He looked over at Harry who had been rubbing his scar since they appeared on the train.

"Yes sirs, I noticed something was odd with my fellow classmates and I leapt to action to the best of my ability."

"Very brave of you. But also very foolish. You could have been very badly hurt. Or worse." Said Shacklebolt, his voice darkened with sadness. "Do you know what a Dementor does?"

"Yes sir. It basically eats every happy memory or feeling a person has until all that's left is misery, right?"

"Yes, that's quite concise, you're a very bright young man, and obviously a very powerful young wizard to summon a fully formed Patronus like you did at such a young age. But Dementors are disreputable beings, tell me, do you know what do you know about a Dementors kiss?"

"They suck your soul out. It's said to be agonizing beyond belief. It doesn't kill you, but you're barely living." Dirge twiddled his thumbs as he repeated what he knew about the Dementors. This last part caught the attention of Harry who had basically been silent since appearing on the train.

"That's quite right" said Harry moving to sit in front of the kid, placing his hand gently on his shoulder giving it a fatherly squeeze as he passed by him. "That's what makes them so dangerous son. We just don't want you to get hurt. We're both glad and very impressed that you managed to hold off a fully grown Dementor on your own, just next time, perhaps put a little more thought into the situation before you jump in and risk your own well being."

Harry stared at the boy in front of him, his fiery red hair had turned into a cool silver. As he made eye contact Harry had to bite down on the inside of his cheek to stop from screaming in pain and clutching at the faded scar on his forehead. Harry took a deep breath as the fire in his forehead began to die down. His eyes looked like that of a husky. "Are your eyes always that color, or is it your ability as a Metamorphamagus?"

"How did you know I was a morphamagi?"

"I've known a few in my day." Harry and Shacklebolt gave a hearty laugh and patted the young man's shoulders.

"They're my own." Dirge smiled at them. "They're the one thing I don't like to change, I like my natural eye color."

"As well you should, it's your most striking feature."

"Mr. Potter, could I ask a favor of you? If it's no big hassle."

"I'Spose I've got a moment, what might I be able to help you with?"

"May I have your autograph please?" Dirge reached into his pocket pulling out a little notebook with scribbles from all over the wizarding world.

Harry gave a small chuckle and pulled his wand out, tapping it to the notebook. His name sprawled like fresh ink under the tip of his wand. Dirge smiled at his newest signature and snapped the notebook closed, placing it back in his pocket. "There, in the distance, there's Hogwarts."

Dirge snapped around in his chair to view the distant building that he would be calling home for the foreseeable future. The light's in the distance sent chills up and down his spine. "By the way." Dirge turned back around to Harry who had spoken to him.

"Yes Sir?"

"How exactly were you unaffected by the Dementor? You must have lived a really wonderful life, eh?"

"Actually sir, it's quite the opposite. My life has been a long string of misery so I've gotten used to the feeling I suppose."

"Well, then how did you summon such a powerful Patronus? I mean if you don't have any strong memories to draw from?"

"Oh, that's easy, I learned a long time ago that will power works just as well as a good memory. And I've been told I have a will as strong as iron."

Harry and Shacklebolt looked at one another their eyes widening. Dirge took no notice. Paying attention to the ever approaching spires and towers in the distance. There was a crack as Harry and Shacklebolt apparated back to the Ministry.

-

Dirge said goodbye to Ariel and James and followed a large bearded man with a lantern. Albus said his name was Hagrid. They seemed to know each other. Hagrid led them down to the edge of the lake. Dirge looked at the water, it was reflecting the sky, the stares shone on the lake aided by the still waters. The group of first years were ushered into boats and set sail across the lake to the stairs at the bottom of the path.

Hagrids deep voice rang out loudly in the still was informing the group of the grounds as they approached the great hall. Just beyond the giant, heavy wooden doors was the sound of jubilee. Dirge looked around and saw Albus, he looked nervous. Dirge felt the opposite. He felt elation. No, not elation, he felt freedom. True freedom. He concentrated hard on the part in his hair. Looking at his reflection on a golden plaque that shone with a reflective brilliance. He saw the two halves of his hair take on different colors. Blonde on one side and black on the other.

Dirge turned around as the doors were opened. Hagrid began waving the students through. As Dirge entered the great hall he looked at the overhead banners denoting the house that sat at the tables underneath them. He found Slytherins table and looked over, picking Ariel out almost immediately. She waved at him and whistled. Dirge could feel the eyes on him.

He strolled forward confidently. His eyes focused ahead to the table where an older woman was giving a speech welcoming the first years. She rattled off the rules with curt understanding. As she finished she gave a deep welcoming smile and flung her arms wide. "Let the sorting, begin."

-

Dirge waited patiently as students were sorted one by one into their respective houses. He had been keeping a mental tally and thus far had counted 24 to Gryffindor, 21 to Ravenclaw, 29 to Hufflepuff and 21 to Slytherin. He looked around, there were maybe ten more students still to be sorted. "Albus Potter." Said McGonagall smiling at the shaky young boy as he stepped up to the hat. Dirge listened carefully. There was a brief pause before the sorting hat shouted at Gryffindor and Albus, beaming, went to go sit next to his older brother.

A few more students were ushered into their houses. until at last, Dirge was left standing alone. "Dirge Rid..." McGonagall stuttered over his last name. A fact that made Dirge very happy. There was an audible swallow. "Dirge Riddle." As Dirge walked forward the sound of the the otherwise joyous great hall went silent. He could feel the eyes on him. He looked over at Ariel, her eyes were shocked and her jaw was agape at the news of who he was.

He sat at the footstool and McGonagall placed the sorting hat on him. "You, you can't be." The sorting hat whispered in his mind.

"I am." Dirge clasped his hands together and waited. after a few minutes deliberation the sorting hat spoke to the entire auditorium which had been listening with bated breath.

"Slytherin." His housemates cheered as he stood up placing the hat back on the stool. He walked with confidence back to the table and stole the seat right next to Ariel. Lucile crawled out of his pocket and slithered into his lap as the feast began.

-

After the feast Mcgonagall congratulated all of the new students on their sortings and told them basics about what would be expected of them in the following year. Her eyes went cold as she spotted Dirge but she quickly regained her composure. "Now if you'll please follow your prefects back to your House Rooms. Classes will being in the morrow." Dirge stood up and followed Ariel to the Slytherin common room.

As he stepped in he felt truly at home. The true heir of Salazar Slytherin was home at last.