Darkness is Rising
Summary: Voldemort never attempted to kill Harry that fateful night in Godric's Hollow. Instead, he set in motion a plan that would take many lives, tear families apart, and forever change the face of the wizarding world. No one is safe. The world is changing.
A/N: This will only follow canon loosely. We've all read the books, so we know what is meant to happen. This will be a long fic, as I will be covering all 7 years at Hogwarts, and a few years after. I will be using spells from the games, books and films, and will be making some up as I go if no incantation is given, or I create the spell myself.
Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognise in this story. Harry Potter is the property of J.K Rowling
Chapter One – A New Plan
Halloween, 1981. The wind was howling through the trees that lined the cemetery in Godric's Hollow, an eerie soundtrack to the night. Children ran from house to house, dressed up as pumpkins, witches and ghosts. Shop fronts were decorated with jack o'lanterns and plastic bats.
Stood in the middle of the village square was a man dressed in a long, dark, hooded robe. He looked around, a small sneer on his lips. He walked forward slowly, savouring the hunt. They had no reason to suspect he was coming, no reason to suspect this night would be their last. He watched the Muggle children running up the street, bags stuffed with sweets, fingering his wand within his robes. It would be so easy to kill them, they would never see it coming. But unnecessary, he thought to himself, quite unnecessary.
He had reached the street. He could see the house, no longer under the protection of the Fidelius Charm. Fools, to think they could place their trust in their friends.
As he drew closer, he could see the family through the window. A man was conjuring smoke rings from his wand while a woman bounced a child on her lap, laughing.
The child...
The child was the reason he was here tonight. The child the prophecy had said would have the power to defeat him. Tonight, he would ensure the child didn't have a chance to gain that power. He pushed the gate open, his eyes set on the window. As he watched, the woman got up and carried the child out of the room. The man stretched, throwing his wand onto the sofa.
He had reached the front door. He pulled his wand from beneath his cloak, aiming it at the door.
"Bombarda!"
The door flew off it's hinges, rocketing into the house and landing down the hallway inside. As he stepped over the threshold, the man burst into the hallway.
"Lily! It's him, he's here! Take Harry and go! I'll hold him off!"
Hold me off, without a wand? He laughed as he raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"
There was a flash of green light, and the man fell to the floor. He stepped over the lifeless body and made his way up the stairs. He could hear a woman sobbing behind a closed door. He blasted the door out of the way, stalking towards the woman.
"Not Harry! Please not Harry!"
"Stand aside, you silly girl, stand aside now!"
"Not Harry! Please, no!"
He raised his wand. "This is your last chance..."
She didn't move.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A flash of green light, and the woman, like her husband, fell to the floor. He glanced around the room, and saw a cot in the far corner. He walked menacingly toward it. He looked down into the cot. The boy was sat staring up at him, his emerald green eyes trying to look under the hood. He raised his wand, aiming right between the child's eyes...
Then he stopped. He looked back at the woman on the floor, then back at the child, gazing at his wand curiously.
The woman...
Then he realised; the woman had just sacrificed herself for the child. He could no longer harm him. He felt rage boil up inside him. He pointed his wand at the ceiling.
"Confringo!"
The ceiling exploded, leaving a gaping hole in it's place. He screamed, and Disapparated.
oOoOo
He reappeared outside a grandiose manor house, with vast spreading lawns and ornate statues and fountains. He wound his way up the path, cloak billowing behind him. As he approached the doors, he jabbed his wand, causing them to fly open.
"Master?" squeaked a small house elf, as he swept past.
"Contact the inner circle, I want them here immediately." he said, in a dangerously low voice.
"Yes, master." the house elf squeaked again, before scuttling away hurriedly.
He pushed open the doors to a large conference room, sweeping up to the head of a long table. A large snake lay coiled in the centre of the table, and as he sat, it slowly slithered up to him, winding itself across his shoulders. There he waited, twirling his wand between his fingers, lost in thought.
Moments later, the door to the conference room opened again, and nine people filed through; Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, Yaxley, Thorfinn Rowle, Augustus Rookwood, Antonin Dolohov, Travers and Barty Crouch Jr. They all took their respective seats around the table and waited for their master to speak.
"I have run into an unforeseen problem," he began. No-one dared say anything, so he continued. "I could not kill the boy. The Mudblood sacrificed herself to protect the boy. I cannot harm him."
A couple of Death Eaters exchanged worried looks. Travers spoke up.
"M-my Lord? Do you want one of us to kill the boy for you?"
"You think that I, Lord Voldemort, would entrust this task to you, Travers?" Voldemort asked icily. "Or any of you?" he asked the room at large, as several people made noises of amusement. The room went instantly silent. Voldemort sneered slightly before continuing. "No, I need someone I can trust implicitly, someone I can train myself. It will not be any of you," he said, as Bellatrix made to open her mouth to speak. "I need a child. A child raised as my own, under my tutelage would be a powerful weapon indeed."
Still no-one spoke.
"Bellatrix," he said suddenly.
"My Lord?"
"I want you and Barty to find me a pure-blood child. 1 year old at the oldest. Kill the parents and make it seem as though the child was killed as well. Then bring the child to me."
She nodded. "It will be done, my Lord."
"I expect your mission completed within two days. If the child is harmed in any way, the consequences will be...severe." He stroked the snake's head. "For now, we will step down our attacks. Let the Order think they have won. We will strike when I feel the time is right. You are all dismissed."
Everyone stood up, bowing to Voldemort and made to leave.
"Severus? A word, if you please."
Snape slid his travelling cloak back off his shoulders, hanging it on a chair.
"What do you require of me, my Lord?"
"You must make sure that your position at Hogwarts is not compromised. Dumbledore still thinks you're loyal to him. Make sure it stays that way."
"Of course, my Lord."
"Dismissed."
Snape threw his cloak back around his shoulders and strode out of the room.
An unfortunate turn of events, Nagini, he hissed to the snake, still coiled around his shoulders, but soon we shall have a weapon more powerful than all of them put together.
A well-thought out plan, master, the snake hissed back.
Voldemort smiled to himself. A well thought out plan indeed.
oOoOo
"Well?"
"We have a child, my Lord, we relieved him from the Copplestone family."
"Excellent. Pass him here, Bella."
From within the folds of her cloak, Bellatrix produced a small bundle, wrapped in emerald green silk. She passed the baby across the desk to Voldemort, who held the child in one arm as he pulled his wand out with the other. He pressed the tip of his wand against the baby's outstretched arm.
"Morsmordre!"
As he took his wand away, he, Bella and Barty watched as a small Dark Mark appeared on the infant's arm, before disappearing again.
"Was that meant to happen?" Barty asked, still looking at the spot the Dark Mark had been.
"Yes," Voldemort answered. "Part of my long-term plan is to take control of Hogwarts. He will be sent to Hogwarts when he is eligible. A Dark Mark on a first year will attract far too much unwanted attention. Now," he said, turning and levitating two vials of potion onto the desk. "he must be linked to me." He set the child down and unstoppered both vials. He pricked his finger and allowed a few drops of his blood to enter the first vial. He then took a small amount of blood from the child's finger, dropping it into the other vial. He picked up the vial and downed the contents. He then tipped the contents of the other vial into the baby's mouth.
Both Bellatrix and Barty watched the whole procedure silently. They watched as Voldemort picked up the child again.
"What is his name?"
"Matthew, my Lord."
Voldemort looked down at baby Matthew.
"You are destined for greatness, Matthew Orpheus Riddle. In time, everyone will fear your name, and together, we shall rule the world!"