Title: Shadow Casting
Summary: Harry, instead of being attacked by the Dark Lord that Halloween night, was taken from the house instead, and spirited away by the Death Eaters to raise him on the side of Darkness. However, when he gets his Hogwarts letter, Voldemort sends him to spy as best he can on Dumbledore
Warnings: Erm. Well. AU-ness, possible OOC (in fact, Harry is OOC for the canon universe, but... eh). Possible slash, but not certain.
Rating: T, for violence, swearing, etc.
Disclaimer: *glances at nametag* Nope, not J. K. Rowling.
Notes: Erm. Yeah. It's been done. As you can guess, this is AU, and there might be some slash (maybe) in the future. I will warn you if this happens, however, in my outline, so if you are offended by this you can ask for my outline or what happens and I will tell you. Anyway, read on.

I realize this chapter is short. I'll try to write longer.

I also realize that Voldemort is OOC. We don't see much of his character before he becomes a raving lunatic, so... I took some creative liberties. More info on that later.

Chapter 1: Stolen from the Cradle

October 31, 1981
Potter Residence, Godric's Hollow

Lily smiled at the black haired baby in her arms, rocking him gently. The hour was late, and little Harry was asleep, but James wasn't back from... wherever he'd been, and it was starting to worry her; she couldn't go to bed yet.

Humming quietly, she waved her wand at the dishes in the sink, absently sending a mug to the floor. She levitated it before it could crash and wake Harry, and glanced at the door again. There was no sign of her husband at all.

She finally settled with her son and a book in an armchair, but still couldn't focus on the words. The lines of text blurred in front of her eyes, and she sighed and closed it. Standing, Lily went upstairs to put Harry to bed when she heard a knock. Whirling around, knowing it could only be James at the door, she hurried to open it.

On the doorstep was Voldemort himself.

Immediately, she held Harry behind her and backed away, drawing her wand. The Dark Lord sneered and simply stepped over the threshold. "Pitiful..." he muttered, glancing at the red and gold décor with distaste evident in his inhuman eyes.

Lily tried to back to the stairs, but the man's eyes snapped to her and almost made her scream with the suddenness. "Hand over the boy," he snapped. "I know you won't believe me, pathetically stupid mudblood that you are, but I won't kill him. I haven't killed anybody tonight, much as I would like to end your pointless life."

She trembled and backed away again, whispering, "No, please not Harry, anyone but Harry, take me instead, you bastard."

Voldemort snarled wordlessly, and Lily found herself starting into a face that immortality had not been kind to. "If you hand him over, I won't kill you, or your abysmal excuse for a blood-traitor husband. However, if you don't stand aside, I will be forced to kill both of you. I need the boy alive, but you and his father—" he spat the word in contempt "—are quite expendable. Choose, girl. The boy is not irreplaceable, considering you are so young. Now stand aside, or I will kill you and take him. There is no point in resisting, mudblood."

Her hands were shaking. "If—" Her voice broke. Lily swallowed, and tried again. "If I give him to you, what would I tell James?" she asked, her voice quiet, but her stance defiant and her eyes flashing.

His lips pulled apart in a smile, and Lily shuddered. It was one of the scariest things she had ever seen. "Why, tell him the truth, of course. Aren't you Gryffindors supposed to be the House of the brave and honest?" The word Gryffindors was very obviously an insult.

"What would happen to him?"

"Nothing to concern yourself with, girl. Stand aside."

Lily swallowed again, preparing to make one of the hardest decisions in her life.

Lord Voldemort smiled as he swept away from the house, the blanket wrapped bundle that was Harry Potter securely held in his arms. He would order Bella to care for the child, and to send questions and concerns to the house elves. It would be easy for her, with her own child barely conceived. She was off missions because of the delicacy of her condition, at Rodolphus's suggestion of the uselessness of a pregnant woman on the battlefield. They were emotionally unstable, he had reasoned, and were as likely to cry as they were to actually do anything.

He reached the edge of the Apparition wards and turned on his heel, catching a glimpse of the burning house with the Dark Mark emblazoned in the sky. It really was a shame about the Potters. They were one of the last of the ancient families left, and had only recently become less-than-pure. He had purged their line. They should be grateful.

At least he had the child of the prophecy. That was the important part. The Dark Lord's thoughts settled into his usual pattern at Lestrange Manor as he sent a house elf — his dear Bella had told them to obey him — to fetch Bellatrix from whatever she'd gotten into this time. It was time for her to work again, though in a different fashion.

After a moment of thought, he called for another house elf and sent after Lucius Malfoy. It was time James Potter learned not to meddle with Lord Voldemort.