Nine Nights of Darkness

Harry Potter does not survive the Killing Curse as a baby.
Five years pass, and the Wizarding World is lost in darkness.
Desperate, Severus brings baby Harry from the dead
and raises him to be a formidable enemy to the Dark Lord. AU.

Chapter One, Forsaken

"Avada Kedavra!"

Baby Harry's green eyes shone for a brief instant, and extinguished. The light vanished as his body went limp inside his crib. Voldemort stood with his wand arm stretched out, his ruby eyes shining darkly with victory. He coldly looked down at Lily Potter – the mother who was willing to sacrifice herself for her son – and the baby that was prophesied to be a threat against him. Now nothing stood in his way. The small tension in the back of his neck diminished as he let out a dark laughter. It crept up from deep within him and echoed through the demolished home. In the distance, he could hear a commotion so he apparated away.

Nagini slithered beside Voldemort's throne and settled her head on his lap. The throne, which glittered with gold and spectacular gems, towered on a raised platform that overlooked the entire Death Eater compound. It signified Voldemort's power – his dominance – over the Death Eaters who could only kneel and admire his majesty from below. Lucius Malfoy was the only other soul in the compound. He knelt on one knee before his Lord, waiting to report.

"What news do you have for me, Luciusss."

"My Lord, Bellatrix's team has successfully infiltrated the Ministry of Magic. Millicent Bagnold is dead, as are most of the important Ministry officials."

"And what of Hogwarts?"

"It has been done, My Lord. Dumbledore has yielded his control over Hogwarts for the sake of his students. He will remain in Hogwarts, but we have replaced all Professors with our own. The children of Purebloods have been untouched, and reside in the dungeons. Those of tainted blood are being kept as one group in the Towers."

"As it should be."

"What are you doing here!" Remus hissed from under his hooded cloak. He clutched painfully at Sirius' arm and dragged him to the shadows.

"Why aren't you hiding. How dare you risk yourself to come he-"

"Remus!" Sirius demanded, with a tone of up most importance. Remus paused.

"Things aren't good. It's been five years now Remus, five years, and this is what has become of our lives. Have you heard about Hogwarts, Remus? Have you?" Sirius looked as if he was at the edge of insanity.

Remus stiffened.

"Hogwarts is now a Deatheater training camp. They've stripped all Muggleborn students of their wands and have confined them to basic magical theory and history. Their magic will be discontinued. Pureblood children are being trained, Remus. The army for Voldemort is only growing stronger and we. have. nothing."

"I call upon the Underworld to relinquish the soul of Harry James Potter.

Send forth his departed soul and bring his life-force back to his abode.

By the order of Kore and Adonis I compel his body, mind, and soul to be reunited.

I evoke his death, and sacrifice my own soul for your will as you see fit, at any time.

I do bind this deed with the circles of power.

Harry James Potter return to the Realms of the Living."

Severus Snape smeared the sacrificial blood from the altar onto his forehead and slashed his wand through the air in a complicated dance. The circles of power drawn on the ground glowed as the decomposed body of Harry James Potter hovered above the ground. Severus trembled as he felt the forces of the Gods pulling around him, demanding to know why they had been brought to the human realm. He felt a whisper-thin hand cup the side of his face and opened his eyes wide as he felt cold lips touch his, sealing his deal with the Underworld with a kiss of death.

Whispers of the dead spread around the room as they searched for the right soul. And quickly as they came, they left and the only sound in the room was the crackling of the fireplace and a wail of a the spirit of the baby boy. He stared with unreserved shock and hope as he saw the body of Harry Potter begin to rejuvenate itself, giving life back to every inch of skin and cell in his body. A sphere of black and blue light enclosed tightly around the still lifeless baby, and splintered as the baby took his first breath of life and screamed.

Severus trembled and touched his fingertips to the lightning bolt scar on the baby's forehead. The skin was cold to the touch, but was smooth and otherwise unmarred. Harry's eyes blinked open and Severus knew, from deep within his heart, that he had made the right choice. He had sacrificed himself, and he knew without a doubt that one day he would have to repay his debt to the Gods, but the savior was back. Baby Harry stopped screeching and stared at Severus with intense glowing orbs of green.

There was warmth in those eyes. Harry Potter was death himself, the epitome of darkness, but there was still light. There was hope.

The Wizarding World could restore itself.

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Thank You! Please review. (:

* Millicent Bagnold was the Minister of Magic at the time (I think?) Can someone perhaps verify that information for me? And what is the female form of Minister?