Hello Everyone, I would like to start by saying thank you for reading. I have no written fanfiction for a long time and had this idea that simply itched my psyche tremendously. My hopes for this fanfiction is that it opens up the universe we have grown to hold dear by expanding upon it in ways that feel natural. The people will be less archetypal, they will be more human, and the world will be less black and white.
While people would love to know pairings, I feel that as much as anything should happen by chance within the organic growth of the characters without being forced. However it will not be slash as I simply do not have enough experience with that perspective to adequately write about it.
The Warnings include mild violence, mild language, and stressful situations. It will be grittier without hitting you in the face with it.
I do not own the Harry Potter Universe and claim no ownership of any of these concepts or ideas as they are within the public domain and the original author is always thanked.
Chapter One: Quickened Pace
There was a flurry of emotions flooding through the mind of a young man roaming a large trailing locomotive that sped through unknown locations towards a castle surrounded by both mystery and power. This young man deftly avoided the paces of fellow students who were also aboard the Hogwarts Express. Suspicion and no small amount of anxiety pumped through the veins of a pale young man who still wore a tattered and bleached shirt with worn jeans. His messy hair a nearly pure black, and narrowed green eyes the brightest you could imagine.
His name was Harry Potter, and he went by many titles. He was still sometimes called the Boy-Who-Lived for participating in the demise of the current resurfacing Dark Lord Voldemort whilst he lay in a crib as an infant. He was also called the "Golden Boy" for his seemingly virtuous attitudes and nearly heroic archetypal actions that have taken place during the past few years at the castle called Hogwarts. He had stopped the resurrection of a corporeal Voldemort during his first year there at the age of 11. He had both slain a gargantuan serpent called a Basilisk and saved a young girl from being possessed by an ancient memory that resided within a cursed diary at the age of 12. At 13, he had had a hand in stopping the execution of his Godfather whom met an unfortunate end only half a year ago. At fourteen he had taken part in a deadly competition against his will, and whilst kidnapped witnessed the physical resurrection of Voldemort himself.
The last year was one that Harry did not even want to speak about, even to himself. Grief still haunted him daily and it only served to convince him that his role as a hero was one that was undeserved and not worth the lives of his loved ones. However he still could not quell the increasing sense of dread from seeing another young man whom he had had multiple encounters with over the years. He had an admittedly unhealthy obsession with Draco Malfoy, a blond haired, grey gazed person who had seemingly served as the very antithesis of Harry's entire personality. He served as a sort of arch-rival or nemesis that as the years passed by Harry realized was more due to petty boyhood childishness rather than any sort of real violent tendency either had towards one another.
That did not stop Harry from being suspicious of Draco, as his father had been put in what could only be termed as a jail in their respective society of wizards. It was run by creatures that caused nightmares and served as a reason to never want to be within several miles of the island called Azkaban. With his father gone, for reasons related to crimes during a mission at the hands of Voldemort himself it only served to make Harry even more wary of the actions of his classmate.
That is what caused young Harry Potter to be chasing after Draco in the train underneath his invisibility cloak, a family heirloom he had been given by the headmaster as a way to remember the father Harry had never known. Invisibility did not mean ethereal nature by any means however which happened to cause quite a problem for the young wizard as he attempted to dodge the movements of his other classmates who were also in the train with them. It was a challenge, but one that Harry could handle well and after a few minutes he found himself with the room that Draco had chosen with a few of his friends. Blaise, a dark skinned boy their age who had sharp features and even sharper wit who while never intentionally hostile towards other students he had served as a mysterious wild-card within the student body when it came to views on the oncoming storm that would be the next British Civil war if not watched carefully. Harry also observed Pansy Parkinson, who had grown far past her 'ugly duckling' stage in which she had sometimes been called a 'pug nosed' girl to a young woman who had every ounce of an aristocratic beauty you could attribute. Her high cheek bones, sleek face and piercing eyes with shining long dark hair and pale skin made a stark contrast with the black robes that all but Harry wore at that moment. It was a close call to sneak in before the door was closed and find a risky spot to lay low and essentially spy on his peers.
"Draco, you don't look well." Pansy said with no small hint of concern, her eyes softening slightly and patting the spot next to her and across from Blaise at a small table.
"I am not sleeping, not well at the very least. The Dark Lord is quite possibly the worst kind of micro-managing ruler I could have imagined." The nearly white haired youth sighed warily while sitting down, his entire frame relaxing and nearly molding against the seat. Harry felt his heart lurch, he had suspected that Draco was now underneath Voldemort but he had really hoped that it had just been some over exaggerated childhood hatred on his part.
"Are the meetings as…" Pansy began but she couldn't speak any further for some reason. Draco looked perturbed to have to speak about it but continued her sentence seamlessly.
"Cruel and senseless as we thought they would be? Yes. It is disgusting. It takes all of the skill I have in the mind arts that my mother had taught me this past year to keep from losing all the food in my stomach. Fortunately I am still new enough that they did not mind that I did not participate but if we do not find out more about this mark then I will have a deadly dilemma on my hands."
Draco spoke quietly, as if he were haunted. There was no weakness though, only the kind of exhaustion that one could see in the most torn of individuals. His eyes that had held a determined steely glimmer within them now had an empty attribute and even Blaise looked as though he were struggling to stay seated during the conversation.
"My research on the mark has not come up completely empty, but the Dark Lord showed a good deal of innovation with it as well. I will let you know when I find anything else." He said, glancing shortly towards the arm that Harry assumed must have the Dark Lord's mark on it now. It served not only as a sign of their allegiance but also as a sort of leash for the followers.
Before they could continue to confuse the young Potter heir any further Blaise glanced in Harry's direction and his eyes narrowed. Harry saw this and nearly panicked as his hair stood up on end but knew he could not move any further.
"We have a visitor Draco." He said smoothly, with a frown marring his face. His darkened eyes darted again towards Harry and Pansy turned around and frowned as well.
Draco looked livid and worried at the same time, turning and his hand outreaching towards Harry. There was nothing he could do as the cloak was ripped from him and Pansy nearly tore her wand from her robes and snarled the binding curse. They loomed over him, Draco kneeling down and staring into his eyes. "Potter. This is a conversation that you really are not allowed to hear. We have had our differences, but I do not have time for this kind of pettiness right now. "
Pansy still had her wand pointed towards the now stiff and trapped body of their raven-haired classmate. "I should obliviate him. The danger of him knowing any of this, and it getting back to the Dark Lord…"
"No. You aren't skilled enough to not leave traces and possibly leave permanent damage and while Potter is certainly a nuisance I do not wish him to be further mentally crippled than he has thus far shown himself to be…"
"Then what do you suggest Draco? He can't just leave here knowing all of this. We can't trust him."
Draco sighed, but shook his head. "No one will believe him even if he opened the flap he calls a mouth. We have done far too good a job of making sure our image would make that impossible."
Draco then took out his wand and muttered an incantation, causing Harry to suddenly be able to move again and with little dignity and a large amount of embarrassment he stood up eye to eye with someone he had always felt a certain amount of hatred for.
Draco put his hand up however. "Do not bother Potter. We both know you are confused, and I can understand why, that was the purpose. You cannot let anyone know that you heard this conversation. In fact it will probably change nothing for you. If anyone else knows, I run the risk of the Dark Lord knowing that I am less than inclined to bow down to him voluntarily and that means nothing good for me."
Harry shook his head. "What is that supposed to matter to me? Why should I care?" he said, mustering up some of the dignity and pride he had lost by being found so quickly.
"Because whether you like it or not our sides are not separated by a line in the sand. Had things been different all of those years back, had you not been brainwashed by that half-giant of a mentor you grew so fond of you might have taken my offer of friendship. We are not as different as you think Potter, and the quicker you accept that the easier both of our lives can carry on."
The whistle blew signaling that it was nearing the time at which the train would reach the station near Hogsmeade and Draco motioned towards his two friends. "We should get going. Get dressed Potter, those rags you are wearing from those muggles you call family aren't allowed."
And with that Harry Potter was left far more confused and torn than he had felt possible for the start of the year. The implications of the conversation were not at all lost on him either, and it changed everything. For the first time he had one thought that seemed altogether foreign to him that echoed in his mind. "I have to know more about Draco Malfoy."
Thank you for reading, feel free to review. As a first chapter this is simply enough plot to make the point that from this point on we are speaking of an AU story. I apologize for there not being much interesting content but I urge you to continue reading.
