Synopsis: They can never beat him down, his head bloody but unbowed. They want to tame him and twist his fate, and end his soul. But no more will he be hindered by 'morals' and their 'light'. He is the unconquerable soul. SLASH. OOC HP/LV in later chapters.
Ships: latent HP/LV
Rating: M
Genre: Horror, Adventure
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling, and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Chapter 1: Regrets and the Ghostly Specter
In the late of night, where nothing stirred and the residents of Privet Drive slumbered. Sitting in his creaking chair in the second smallest bedroom, Harry was all alone. He had never felt more alone in his life. He puts his face in his hands and shuddered. His thoughts are silent and he has never been more lost.
Why is it every time he comes back to the Dursleys, he gets a cold splash of reality sinking in?
He sunk into contemplation as memories of the events in the Triwizard Tournament overcome him.
The abandonment of his so-called friends he cares for so dearly and trusted for with his life. He had not reconciled with those traitors, not that he wanted to. He should have known Ron only followed him for his fame and wouldn't be satisfied being in his shadow. Jealous twit. Hermione, he thought she would've been there, but she always though herself superior over him yet again. She thought he wanted the glory like every other kid in school – a friend would've known better.
The twits had monopolized his time and he never made any real connections besides those two.
Cedric Diggory isn't even a friend. Much less an acquaintance. Harry knows it's not the first time seeing someone die before his very eyes – his hand in murdering Quirrell was still fresh in his mind even after 3 years. His nights were wrought with night terrors in the dark, provoking agonizing physical abuse that escalated over the years in the hands of the Dursleys.
He looked down into his hands and slowly curled his hands into a vice grip till his knuckles whitened. Then he faltered. No. Don't think about it now.
Feeling weary, he looked at the book before him and dull green eyes skimmed through the letters on the page. A simple distraction. Many doubted his intellect as some common Gryffindor who knew nothing. He hadn't wanted to outshine Hermione for fear of her jealousy and the Dursleys ensured he kept his results on an all-time low. "Freak! If you don't want us to beat the magic out of you, then don't learn any magic!" Vernon roared on his first year. Harry grimaced as the memories overcome him yet again.
He ignored the pile of letters on the table, he had only so much patience reading the same cheery lines about his so-called friend's 'happy' holidays. The pile had grown over last two weeks. Their words always sounded faked.
He snapped his book shut and run his hand through his hair in agitation. He can't focus until he settles his issues, he understands. Ever since he was thrust into the magical world he hadn't had a moment of respite, too happy to escape his mundane prison. With eyes that seen too much, he felt older than he actually is. He had reached a level of maturity most wizards couldn't comprehend.
Taking a deep breath, he thought of the circumstances that brought him to where he is now. His façade and wonder gently washed away, the childish bliss left him. Harry's breath evened out as he fell into a semi-meditative state. Turn everything off. Shut everything out.
Just like he always does after a night of beating.
"Freak!"
"Spoiled brat!"
"Attention-seeker!"
"Some hero you are!"
Voices echoed through his mind and his great shuddering breaths he pushed them out till everything faded into silence. Alone in the darkness of his mind.
Warmth spread through him as a woman with red hair spread out in a halo appeared to be singing to him in his head and a gentle smile crossed Harry's face.
Feeling utter content, he opened his eyes and almost shouted when an apparition of her was looking at him with a smile. He fell of his chair and scrambled backwards into a wall. Seeing his dead mother's head poked out through the wall scared him more than he can ever admit.
"Harry dear, my sweet boy," she cooed as she walked through the desk. "Don't be afraid,"
Harry teared up in happiness, fear and confusion. It was an odd mixture of chaotic feelings. He whispered, "M-Mum?"
She looked just as she did in the graveyard, though memories of that night washed over him yet again.
"Yes darling, I'm here baby," as she bent down to him. "I can't be here long love, so listen well,"
"Your father and I love you so very much but you can't keep living like this. Make your own choices, we don't expect anything more. Albus kept a prophecy from you. Listen to me carefully."
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..."
Harry looked on in complete disbelief and horror as the apparition of his dead mother recited what could be his death sentence. He crossed his arms around himself on the floor and kept himself together as his mum looked at him sadly.
She continued as she swept his hair from his forehead, "I'm not sure if it's really true or if this is really happening. The dead isn't all-knowing. You father doesn't want Albus to use you and you've been kept here too long. Escape and turn to the goblins for help if you need it, they cannot be influenced by mere wizards."
Harry looked up as she slowly began to fade. Desperately, his voice raised, "mum, Mum, MUM! NO! DON'T LEAVE ME! PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME,"
"I love you Harry," her whispers echoed in the darkness.
Vernon slammed the door open then. "IDIOT BOY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR, YOU STUPID SHIT!" he roared.
Harry realized what he did and paled at his raging uncle. SMACK! Harry's head hit the floor as his uncle purpled. Harry begged and pleaded for mercy as his aunt looked on tiredly but smiled in morbid satisfaction.
Soon, his uncle began to enjoy torturing poor Harry, traumatized by the sight of his dead mother. He had never been more vulnerable than he was now.
"MUM! PLEASE SAVE ME. PLEASE!" Harry begged as Vernon cracked his belt over Harry's fragile body.
Vernon became more enthusiastic at his pleas and cries for mercy. Aunt Petunia gave a frightfully joyful laugh as blood began running over Harry's torn shirt. Moments later, Harry had no more energy to cry out from all the pain he felt and could do no more than whimper in pain.
No longer interested, seeing as Harry was weak and spent, Vernon spat, "I hope you learn your lesson, BOY. No one will save you. Your little freaks don't care for you. You're nothing,"
Vernon gave him one last lash before throwing the belt at Harry. Vernon left the room with Petunia and slammed the door.
Harry curled into himself on the floor and waited for the pain to reside before crawling onto his small creaking cot. He cried in betrayal, pain and loneliness. Heart encased in ice. The events of the night tore the edges of his sanity.
His only thoughts as he passed out on blood soaked sheets, 'I can't take it anymore. Someone please save me.'
In the lone office of one headmaster, he weeps in regret, shame, remorse and guilt. Years of mistakes without end. He never learns. He willfully forgets.
The old man, greyed and white in grief and lament, his shaking, frail hands held his head as his decisions chained him in immortal damnation praying for forgiveness. A bird of flame and fire crowed as its bound soul was weighed with sorrow at the drowning wizard, offering what little companionship it had in its eternal life.
Little trinkets glittered in the moonlight, glinting in mocking maliciousness. They lighted and spinned in alarm but was slowly dying.
Albus Dumbledore looked up through his tears. His clear blue eyes, clouded. And slowly, the numbness sets in and he again, felt his soul underwater.
"It's for the greater good," He mumbles as he looks down into the face of Ariana Dumbledore, who twirled in the picture on his desk. "…for the greater good,"
He sipped his sweet drink, a strawberry milkshake, he noted. And slowly, the regrets died away; He was a general once again. A kindly headmaster. A grandfather to the people who surrounded him.
He smiled genially to Fawkes who sang a song filled with light to lift the torments away. "Harry would understand. We need this. Right, old friend?"
He spoke to himself, "The light will prevail as always. We need this peace. How will they protect themselves without me? They would be lost without me to guide them."
The manipulative old man smiled at the portraits around him.
"Well my friends, rest assured, we will have peace, justice and freedom. I have the power to make that happen. We have Harry and the prophecy. We may lose him to death one day, but it's for the greater good." He crooned and continued, "He will listen to me, I know he will. I assured it," He said with a beaming smile.
The lengths of his machination know no bounds as he orchestrated Harry's life with great care. He ensured the boys loyalty by knowingly place him with muggles that are sure to abuse him. By doing so, Harry would be grateful to the person who 'saved' him. He cemented his position to the light with the friendship of Ronald Weasley.
Dumbledore's frail body slumped in the dark. He felt the years catch up to him, as the feeling of absolute glory slipped off him. "I don't even know myself anymore," he whispered in the dark. "But I have to do this. The world…needs this."
To save the world, he would have to use Harry, hurt him, manipulated him to his desires. He muttered as the last shred of his conscienceless shattered, "I'm so sorry, Harry"
He looked out the window and saw glinting lights in the distance, Hogsmeade. "For the greater good…" He mumbled breathlessly again. "For the world"
A/N: My first novella length story (I hope). It's pretty dark, I think. I've been in a mood lately, so it's been affecting my writing. Oh! Bear with me, I have my exams right now, so I'm posting whatever chapters I have on hand right now. It'll change here and there quite often, so I advise you to read it once it's completed.
To explain the story, it's more of Harry breaking off from the chains that bound him to the course fate and circumstance had set for him. He is the unconquerable soul. Didn't want to make it a Mary Sue story, so I've based much accomplishments on sacrifice and like the rest of us, time. Makes it more realistic, no?