Hello Everyone.

This is my second serious forray into writing, after A Brother Divided. This, however is NOT a sequel. The story is nearly completed, so there will be little to no delay in uploading chapters on time. This is a Star Wars inspired fic, but influences on the plot are as far as the inspiration goes.

I hope you enjoy reading, and I hope it is a better story than my last, I feel I have matured as a writer - so sit back, relax, read and if you want review.

Cheers,

Indie-Mod

Please Note: Harry Potter and all related creations belong to JK Rowling. I am making no profit from this story.


Harry Potter shuddered with anticipation as he reached his hand out to grasp the horcrux. It was the penultimate one, destroying this locket would mean that Voldemort would nearly be on equal terms to him – only Nagini remained.

The others, back at Headquarters, would be thrilled when he brought it back. He couldn't wait to see the look on old Dumbledore's face, they would have a huge Halloween party too, it being the 31st of October after all; ironic for Voldemort. Whilst there had been stiff argument as to how to get to the horcrux, it had been decided that Harry should be the one to go, and go alone; for the sake of stealth. Besides, Dumbledore had already scouted this cave out months before.

He had told Harry that he had nearly taken him along to the cave that summer, towards the end of sixth year, however, as he put it "an old man's intuition" told him not to, an extremely fine piece of intuition too; that very night Draco Malfoy had broken a group of death eaters into the school and had tried to assassinate Dumbledore. His presence there had scared the death eaters off, and Malfoy's plan had not worked. Thank Merlin.

Turning his thoughts back to the matter at hand: the horcrux, he picked it up. The cool metal weighted in his hand. It didn't have the same evil feeling that the others had…something seemed off.

Had it been a good idea to leave this locket until last? Just because they knew for certain that it was there, was that adequate justification. The cup had been the most difficult, but some of the Black Family heirlooms in Grimmauld place had been enough to placate the Goblins and grant them access to Bellatrix Lestrange's vault. However they had only gone through that, knowing that the locket was a near certainty, they only had to pick it up.

Nearly-Headless Nick and the other ghosts received all the credit for the diadem of Ravenclaw, when questioned by Dumbledore about heirlooms of the founders that was the standout one they spoke of. It was almost sheer dumb luck that they had actually found it when Harry went to pick up the Half Blood Prince's potions book.

With the diary and the ring already destroyed, and Nagini to come, the locket was the next item on this metaphorical (or nor so metaphorical, in Hermione's case) list.

"Damn" Harry muttered under his breath, all the while hoping it was a figment of his imagination that something was actually wrong. If worse came to worse…well he had no regrets. After a night of passion with Ginny Weasley who would?

But this was not a time for such morbid thoughts, Harry told himself. He held his wand up as he began to move back towards the boat he had arrived at the island in. It was bathed in the unmistakable light of a lumos spell. The trouble was, it wasn't Harry's.

"Well Done, Potter." Came the cold, high voice of Lord Voldemort.

Harry inwardly groaned; 'Of course it wouldn't be that easy…'

"Did you really think it would be this easy?" Voldemort said, echoing Harry's thoughts.

"Did you really think I wouldn't have detection spells on this place?" he continued "And for you to come alone? I would have thought Dumbledore would have come himself, or at least send dozens of his Order with you…"

"I don't need any of them Tom, I have fought you five times now, and have come through it fighting, I am a much better wizard than you give me credit for" countered Harry.

"As absurd as that sounds, Potter, even if your implication that you are equal to me is correct, you are still vastly outnumbered." As Voldemort said this, around a dozen figures clad in the all too familiar black robe of a death eater stepped forward out of the darkness on the other side of the now solidified lake.

Harry thought furiously, 'How do I get out of this one?' Nothing came to mind. Well; one thing;

"Expelliarmus" he cried, pointing his wand straight at Voldemort, who was surprisingly caught off guard. He barely managed to raise a shield and block it. Nevertheless he did and quickly sent off his own offensive spells.

Harry and Voldemort began duelling furiously. Both of them were looking equally dangerous, the intensive lessons Harry had been receiving from Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Dumbledore were paying dividends here.

Despite this Harry was only a 17 year old wizard, up against a much older dark lord, and it began to show in the duel, he was being tricked into making mistakes that only experience could avoid. One such mistake was the lack of attention paid to his surroundings; Harry was shocked to as his back, and the back of his head hit off the cave wall. Voldemort aimed a spell that brought a part of the ceiling down upon Harry and, which hit his wand arm and head, completely disorientating him.

With a flick of his wand, Voldemort summoned Harry's weapon to him, twirling it in his fingers after catching it. It caused a few golden sparks to fly out, reminding them both of the fact that the wands were brothers.

"You know Harry, we are not so different, you and I." he began "Half-bloods, both of us, orphaned at a young age – though I dare say that you would be the first to remind me that it was I who caused your orphan status." He laughed softly.

"Both of us, raised by filthy muggles, who mistreated us both. But Harry I see now that, like me, it has not affected you. Despite you being a foolish Gryffindor, I see a lot of myself in you, you know. Aside from Dumbledore- one who is older that both of us put together, no one could have duelled me like that…that is raw power, Harry."

He continued, "Because of this Harry, I have been forced to rethink my plans, as it were. I was going to kill you, but the display you have just put one has given me much to think about."

"And so Harry, I once again put to you the offer I gave to you in your first year; join me."

Harry laughed bitterly, "You don't understand Tom…we are so similar, because you have made it so. If you hadn't killed my parents, I wouldn't have been raised by muggles, I would have no reason to use whatever power I had against you. But know this; I would never join you…not with what you would do to this world. To my friends, to my family, but then again I don't have a family because of you! Sirius, the closest thing to family I had is dead, because of you. No more people I love will die because of you."

Voldemort seemed unperturbed by Harry's speech. In fact he remained calm and replied;

"What if Harry, I promised you that if you joined me, if you became my apprentice, you could protect the ones you loved?

Harry's eyes went wide with shock at this, as Voldemort nodded; almost justifying is offer to himself. He turned towards Harry, as scarlet eyes met deep green as he said;

"Harry Potter, will you join me?"


AN: Thanks for getting this far. Chapter Two will follow sometime this week, however I do have an Exam on Friday. You will know the revision is getting to me if it doesn't come before that!

Reviews are welcome.