Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy - Just taking them for a ride

Though wise men at their end know dark is right

Dylan Thomas

'Boy, come here.'

Wondering what he did, Harry turned to face his uncle.

'I'll not have you walking all over the place,' Vernon grabbed Harry and shoved him up the stairs. Opening the boys door he shoved him inside, 'I don't want to hear you, I don't want to see you and you are not to leave.'

At first Harry didn't mind it, in fact it sounded nice. No chores, no bullying and none of aunt Petunia's cold disapproving stares.

It didn't take long and he started to see the downsides to this, his bladder was full and he needed to go to the bathroom. Banging on the door, Harry tried to get their attention. There was no answer, they were ignoring him. Even after he shouted: 'Fine, then I'll go in here.'

That night Harry collapsed on the floor in a fit of rage, this was so unfair. Surely they would feed him something.

When he woke up the sun was hitting his face and he could hear birds outside, getting up he looked out his window.

The bars were solid but also widely spaced, thoughtfully he opened the window and tried putting his head through it. He'd heard somewhere that if your head can fit through then so can the rest of your body. It felt like it was working, his head scrapped between the rough iron bars, it got tighter and tighter.

Harry started to panic, he'd pushed his head to a point where it didn't go in any further and when he tried he couldn't pull it out.

Shouting for help he hoped someone would hear him, stamping on the floor he made more noise surely uncle Vernon would get irritated at the noise and come see what was wrong.

Nobody came, nothing happened, Harry could hear someone mowing their lawn.

Wriggling around a bit more Harry tried to use his hands to spread the bars a bit, it seamed to work and soon he had worked his way out.

Sitting down on his bed his hands fell into his lap and he realized they were covered in blood. 'That must of helped me get out.'

Looking around for something to do Harry pried up the loose board under his bed, he'd taken most of the interesting things out before the summer.

He had a pocket knife and a packet of sherbet lemons Dumbledore had given him.

Popping one into his mouth Harry lay back and thought of what Dumbledore did during the summer holidays, Harry found it difficult to imagine him doing anything else. 'It's quiet possible he just sits in his office behind his desk.' Harry looked at the empty cage.

An empty cage, just another reminder that he'd left Hedwig with the Weasley's. Now he didn't have anyone to listen to his bad jokes.

Sleep over took him, when he woke later on it was to the sound of the Dursley's getting out of the car and coming into the house. They must have gone somewhere, that's why they didn't come up.

Looking out the window Harry could see uncle Vernon carrying in a large travel bag. Aunt Petunia was talking to a neighbor over the fence, they chatted away amicably then the lady pointed right to Harry's window, his aunt turned and scowled at him.

Stepping back from the window in dread he knew he'd made too much noise.

It didn't take long, all too soon Harry could hear his uncles angry huffing as he stomped up the stairs. 'Boy, you've been scaring the woman next door.' A key turned in the lock.

The door to Harry's room crashed opened, standing in the furthest corner Harry looked down hoping this would be over soon.

'Didn't I tell you to be quiet.'

Harry didn't have time to answer, Vernon's fist connected with his face, then his side. Harry fell to the ground as the blows rained down.

Standing over the broken and beaten boy Vernon knew he had to do something to silence the boy. They were going on holiday and if the boy made too much noise people would start wondering.

With the heel of his shoe he repeatedly stomped on the boys jaw, hoping to break it. Leaning against the wall he caught his breath before bending down and giving the boys jaw a wiggle - grimacing in disgust Vernon stepped back, definitely something broken there.

When Harry woke he was in terrible pain, all around him his limbs twitched involuntarily. He couldn't see out of one eye and after feeling around his damaged hand brushed over the remains of his glasses.

Gently, very gently Harry felt his face, something was horribly wrong with it. His right side felt badly swollen and terrible flashes of pain shot through him whenever he tried to open his mouth.

Pushing himself up harry felt the blood leave his head, dizziness over took him and he slouched against the wall. His eyes drifted over the room once before he lost consciousness.

He drifted in and out of consciousness, at one stage he was sure he could feel his magic working frantically to repair his broken body. The pain reached a plateau and sort of leveled out, it got no worse yet did not lessen.

Unsure how many days had passed Harry knew if he didn't do something he would surely die.

With great difficulty Harry pulled himself across the floor towards his bed, halfway there he knew he couldn't do it. Laying down Harry rolled over and looked at the ceiling, despair over took him.

Days later he was roused from his absent minded drifting by a draining feeling deep with in him. Concentrating he found the source, the Light around his magical core drained away, as if it were escaping from a bad situation.

In dismay he watched it go, knowing that it was the one thing keeping him alive, if not that what else. A Muggle would have starved to death by now.

Feeling useless and lost Harry spent hours just watching the Light magic leave him. Eventually in desperation he reached out. 'Please don't go, I want to live.'

He wasn't expecting an answer so Harry was very surprised when a voice spoke within his head.

'Light cannot thrive in such dark times.'

'Who are you.'

'I am your Dark core.'

'I don't have a Dark core.'

'You do, all magical beings contain both Dark and Light.'

Thinking hard Harry tried to figure out what it wanted and if it could help him, 'Look I need help but I don't know what to do,' Thinking about what Dark magic could require Harry's mind jumped in excitement when he realized he had something that it would want. Blood. 'Look, I've got a pocket knife and I can cut myself and get blood or something.'

Loud booming evil sounding laughter filled Harry's head. Fearfully Harry's mind shrunk back from the Dark presence in him.

'Oh, child, where did you hear that.'

'Don't know, just around I guess.'

'No, I do not require your blood, or that of goats. Be at ease, you have only to accept me.'

'Okay.' Harry nodded.

Nothing happened, the voice went away and didn't answer Harry again.

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