Darker Gold, Darkest Crimson

This story chapter is the sole property of DZ2 and is adopted from the Den of Delights. Any further chapters are the property of ravensgirl52.

All characters are the property of JK ROWLING.

As much as I wish I was the owner of the Harry Potter franchise I am not and I make absolutely no profit from this. This is purely for the fun and enjoyment that I get out of this.

When Harry James Potter awoke on the morning of his fifteenth birthday to find not only another swelteringly-hot day, but the forms of his two best friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, standing next to his bed, he was a little surprised, but that didn't stop him feeling relieved to see them.

As he dressed, a part of him noticing how his two best friends turned their backs to respect his privacy, Harry smiled as he asked, "So, what brings you two here? Did Dumbledore send you?"

"Don't even mention his name in passing!" scowled Hermione, earning a raised eyebrow from Harry before she added, "Sorry, Harry: but…it's not because of…of him that we're here. In fact, no-one even knows we've come looking for you…well, except for a certain duo that we know you trust and who trust you with their lives!"

"The Twins?" asked Harry, earning a nod from Ron before the black-haired Gryffindor then asked, "So why are you here and what's up with Hermione?"

"Harry," Ron began, his own voice edged by a tone of malice as he asked, "You…you trust us, right? Mione and me?"

"Of course," nodded Harry.

"No matter what?" asked Ron, earning a curious look from Harry as he added, "All right, last year aside, I know I've always tried to help, but…if we tried to do something to…to help you out and to make sure you were always the best that you can be, you wouldn't turn us away, would you?"

"No way," Harry replied, making his bed before he added with a laugh, "We're the Golden Trio, remember, Ron? United we stand and all that jazz? What's this about, anyway?"

Ron and Hermione both shared a look before, with a deep sigh, Hermione faced Harry before she told him, "It's not easy to say this, Harry, especially for me, but…we've decided to turn away from the Light and we want you to come with us…to…to Voldemort, Harry."

Harry's eyes widened with disbelief, his jaw dropped and his heart felt cold inside his chest: with a gulp to try and get air inside his body, he asked them, "What? Why would you ask that of me? What does this have to do with Dumbledore? How could you, my best friends, even think of suggesting that we go and…and bend our knees to Tom? No: never! Not in a million years!"

"Not even if it could save Sirius' life?"

Harry's fearful tirade was cut off as he glanced to Ron, who shrugged ruefully before he asked, "Would you do it for him, Harry? If saving Sirius from the true evil out there meant going against everything you knew, everything you've loved and everything you've always believed to be right and good, would you go to…to the Dark Lord, then?"

"What…" Harry had to swallow down a new sense of fear as he asked, "What…what does Sirius have to do with this? He's…he's on the run from the Ministry…"

"He isn't," Ron argued, his voice edged by sorrow and comfort as he spoke to his best friend, "We've been staying at his house all summer: me, Dad, Fred, George, Mione and…and them: Remus is there too and so is Sirius…but…"

"But not you," finished Hermione, noticing Harry's hands trembling with disbelief and rage as she told him, "We've wanted a reason to contact you, Harry, but for a long time…Dumbledore said that it was too dangerous. We considered calling on Dobby since, for all intents and purposes, he does belong to you, but we couldn't risk anyone finding out…but then, last night…Ron was coming to his room and…and he…well, tell him, Ron."

"Mum and Ginny are in cahoots with Dumbledore," explained Ron calmly, his tone of voice showing his rage, but he didn't want to lose it here where Harry could be hurt or blamed for it. "They seem to have become obsessed with you becoming wed to Ginny so that the family can get their hands on the money and power behind the Potter Family."

"What power?" asked Harry with a laugh.

Here, Hermione filled in the gaps as she told Harry, "You are the last descendant of Godric Gryffindor still alive today, Harry: add to that how your family is also descended from one of the oldest families, the House of Peverell, and you have some serious power under your belt. You may not know it, but your family has amassed quite the fortune, archives and even magical resources, but, for some reason, people have kept this from you: why? I don't know, but Molly, Ginevra and Dumbledore want this power to carry on under the strict hand of the Lord of the Light. And…and Harry…they're even willing to let…let others die because it'll weaken you and allow that…Scarlet-Tina to slip through the cracks!"

"What does this have to do with going to Voldemort?" asked Harry, earning looks from his friends before Ron took over.

"Well when I heard what they were planning to do," explained Ron, his voice edged by a tone of strength and determination that Harry had never heard before, "I talked with Hermione about it and, well, we looked over everything that's happened to you…and…well, this is going to sound mad, mate, but…well, the Dark Lord's only real crime against you was…was killing your parents, but…everything else that happened, it's been because they want you to be alone!"

"They meaning the Light?" asked Harry, earning a nod from his friends.

"Everything that's happened," Ron continued, "It's been nothing more than plans and secret tricks by that senile old goat: I mean, Mum never forgot the platform number before she met you. And…and before then, the train was never full, but…but she told me that I had to find you and make sure that you got into Gryffindor."

"So you lied to me?" asked Harry.

Ron nodded, but as though he sensed Harry's rage, the red-head quickly reacted and, dashing across the room, he grabbed Harry before he embraced him like a brother, his voice whispering to Harry as he told him, "On my life, Harry: I swear to you that if I had any idea before now, I would never have lied to you. I know I was a bit of a git last year cause of the Tournament, but…but when you forgave me, I felt better because it meant that I could still be here for you. We've always said that you're like my brother and now, more than ever, I will do anything it takes to keep that bond with you: I swear it."

As Harry pulled away, he actually gasped as he felt a strange, but warm tingle of magic link him and Ron together, the two of them then looking to Hermione, who sighed before she nodded and, taking the hands of her boys, all three of them felt the warmth as Hermione added, "If we're the Golden Trio, Harry, then we all stand together. I know I was a pain when we first met, but you've saved me more times than I care to remember, so I can't turn away from this either. Whatever happens from here on in, I choose to stand with you…but I'm sorry, because I can't…we can't let you trust that senile old fool any longer."

"And what?" asked Harry softly, his tone devoid of the rage he had felt as though the touch of his two best friends had leeched it out of him, "You think Tom's the answer? Hermione: the minute he sees me, he'll kill me, hand you over to someone like Malfoy and torture Ron before sending him back to Dumbledore in pieces!"

"Oh, Harry," a familiar, sinister voice remarked suddenly, making Harry wheel around while Ron and Hermione sighed as they stood with him, all three of them looking at the pale-faced, red-eyed form of Lord Voldemort that now stood in his room. "I never knew you had such graphic thoughts about me: I'm impressed."

"Wha…how…why?" asked Harry, before he got his answer as his two best friends stood in front of the green-eyed Gryffindor, the eyes of the young Granger looking to the Dark Lord with an air of a challenge.

"You got the letter then?" she asked, earning a gasp from Harry while Voldemort nodded.

"And your answer?" asked Ron, earning another gasp from Harry as he looked from one friend to the other.

With a sigh, Voldemort then nodded again before he told them, "If Harry agrees to join my ranks, then on my life, I solemnly swear that my forces and I will do everything in our power to protect him from Dumbledore."

The magic flared up to the point that even Harry himself felt it as it bubbled up inside him, though not before he managed to voice his thoughts:

"What the fuck is going on here?"

Well here is the first chapter!

Chapter 2 will be up as soon as possible.

I do have graduation coming up so it will be a while.

Tell me what you think in the comments or in this case in the review boxes.

Thanks!