Harry Potter and the Winds of Change
Fifteen year old Harry Potter sat on his window ledge starring out at the rolling acreage that he had come to call home over the last five years. When he had gotten his acceptance letter from Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry he had been lost. A helpless sheep being herded by a sadistic man he had the misfortune of calling Uncle. But now, now he was more lost than ever before. The only man who had ever loved him had just given his life for the broken young man now residing on the window ledge. All Harry could think was how easy it would be to open the window and just allow his body to tumble slowly off the ledge to the hard ground waiting 100 feet below. His body would be broken, just like his heart, and it would be far too late to save him once someone found the body. He opened the window with a soft sigh. The warm June night's air wafted through the window surrounding the young man with its warmth, and although the air heated his skin the point of sweat, his insides turned to ice. A voice called out to him in the night,
"What will you gain from this" it asked "how will this ease the desperate ache of your heart?"
"Who is there" the young man called out.
"My name is Oscurità, but in your language I believe you would call me Darkness. The shadow of a man replied.
Harry stumbled backward; he had read an old book in the restricted section of the library several months earlier and found a story of a man in a situation much like the one he was in now. A man prepared to jump off a tower to his death was accosted by a man with the same name. One who had appeared from the shadows and called himself Darkness. Darkness had offered the man a chance to change his life, but the man refused and out of fear of the darkness jumped off the ledge. Harry refused at that moment to become that man.
"Fear not cursed one, for I am here to help you." The shadow spoke
"How" the boy demanded "I know about you; you lead people to believe they are useful then you throw them away once they have served your purpose!"
The shadow laughed deeply. Only now did Harry notice the man's voice was deep and rich like dark chocolate, it had a smoothness to it that reminded him of Snape, but Harry was sure Professor Severus Tobias Snape would die if ever a laugh escaped his pale lips.
"You have heard the prophecy now, have you not?" the shadow asked
"How do you know of that?"
"My young friend I am a shadow-walker." The man said as if it explained everything.
"A what," Harry inquired
"A shadow-walker. I am one who is able to pass between the veil of the living and the dead; I am able to manipulate the shadows and cause them to conceal my presence from the outside world. Harry James Potter, you are a shadow-walker as well."
"What… but that's not possible! I'm Harry Potter, just Harry. I mean sure I'm the boy-who-wouldn't-fucking-die but I'm nothing special!"
"The power the dark lord knows not, 'Just Harry', is the art of shadow-walking."
"How am I to use a power that I know nothing about?" Harry asked his mind still reeling.
"I am here to teach and to train you, but first you must get rid of all of your friends. I know it seems harsh but they will weaken your hold of humanity once you cross over. They will only serve to hinder you in your days to come."
"How am I to do that exactly?" Harry spat at the man
"Oh I just thought we could give you a new look and name, we would of course have to kill Harry Potter though."
"Deal"
Does anyone have a suggestion for Harry's new name? I suck at making them up. And should darkness go by Oscurità or something else?