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Chapter One: Summer Flowers

Rating: M

Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me.

Knowing your life is about to change completely can get you thinking of the past. Memories that might have faded a bit over time can come back powerfully. So its no surprise really, that as I stand by the drive way waiting to start a new life I find my self thinking about the one I've just had. I don't know how old I was, perhaps three of four but I had woken up from another of my nightmares. It was dark and I was frightened. I didn't want to be alone and I don't know why now; but I thought the cook would be nice to me, and maybe stop the nightmares from happening…

Harry pushed his door open, the floor felt cool under his bear feet as he peeped around the side of the door. The hall was empty except for the shadows that made it seem scary. Slowly and quietly his eyes looking back and forth as he made his way silently down the hall and reached the stone steps that led down into the kitchen and cooks room.

He held his breath as he climbed down, the stairs frightened him even in day time but focusing on cook, believing she wouldn't let anything get him he pushed himself forward until he was running terrified. He sped through the kitchen and to her great wooden door. His small fists banged at it ferociously and he cried out "Cook! Cook! Cook!" tears were streaming down his face when the door burst open.

There cook stood her red hair half poking out from her nightcap, she quickly bent down and began to wave her wand around the crying boy whose out reached arms were ignored. Finally she sighed in relief. "Your fine" she said and leaned against the doorframe. Harry moved closer wrapping his arms around her legs. "I'm scared" he said and lifted his tear stained face to look hopefully up at her.

But cook didn't smile at him the way she did in the mornings when she would sneak him an extra piece of apple. Or when at night she would wink at him and give him a biscuit for supper like the adults, even when teacher growled at her about it. Instead her eyes were wide and angry as she turned and looked around pushing him away, wrenching his hands from around her.

"Don't do that," she said in a whispered voice as she looked again back the way Harry had come. Her eyes flickered once more at Harry and then stopped. Sighing suddenly she bent down still making sure to keep Harry at arms length away.

"You can't go around hugging people Harry, that sort of behaviour will only make trouble, you hear me?"

Harry not quite understanding tried to reach for here again.

Pushing him away she slapped his hand hard causing him to drop his hands and back away from her confused. Standing with his back against the cool stone wall behind him he suddenly felt desperate. Tears streamed from his face and he lifted his arms uselessly again as if to reach for her.

"Harry" she said sharply "Listen to me boy" taking a breath and trying to look angry she raised her hand and pointed at him "Don't you come around here again, I don't want you here, never have and never will" and with that she turned and slammed her door, making sure to lock it.

Slumping down to the floor she cried into her hands.

Harry felt suddenly alone and frightened again. Only this time he did not think that Cook would help him if something were to get him. Momentarily he froze where he was before he took of up and out of the kitchen, into the hall and through the front door. He could here his own breathing in his ears as he ran as far as he could.

He did not want to be there any more. He was going to leave and never go back. Running through the fields he went further than he ever had before. Finally he was walking through fields of grass with out a cow or sheep in sight. The further he went the longer the grass until it came up to his shoulders, and then past his head. He ran through it, running his hands through the grass the moons light brightly lighting his way. He was safe in a world all by himself and his fear slowly ebbed away. Finally he grew tired and curled up in the grass and fell to sleep.

As the light of morning rose up over the fields the sound of voices filled the long grass. In the lead the head of the farms security following the direction his wand pointed. "Where dead if he's been hurt - you know that don't you," one of the three security officers following him said. "Don't get ahead of your self," The leader said though he was clearly worried. A few moments latter he breathed out in relief however when they came across the little boy asleep in the grass.

Harry woke being pulled off the ground by his upper arm. Twisting around he saw the angry face of one of the farm security officers. "What did you think you were doing boy!" he growled shaking him.

"Leave the boy be Alex, no doubt he'll get punishment enough but that's not up to us" Said another man who took Harry's arm as the other man released. He was led back through the fields and to the house that stood at the centre of the farm.

Workers stopped and stared at him as the security officers led him back, giving him more attention than they ever had before.

Standing outside the house were several men wearing robes like none he had seen before. High necked black robes that hung elegantly from there bodies. One had plane black robes and black hair the other silver trimmed robes and blond hair tied back in a ponytail.

Harry's face grew whiter and whiter as they came closer to the men whose eyes had turned to the small procession.

"I see you found him" the blond man said his eyes glancing Harry over. Harry's face was scrunched up in pain and he suddenly cried out and started to grasp at his head.

The man with black hair swooped forward as the boy fell to the ground. Slowly he reached out and touched the boy who started screaming and rolling around, the lightning bolt scar on his forehead bursting open to release a trickle of blood.

Abruptly standing up the man walked back to the other man "I want that fixed" he said

"Yes master" the blond man said bowing.

"And talk to the boy's teacher, the child needs to be punished"

"Of course my lord"

Harry was picked up from the ground by his arm and taken away by the security. On the way back to his room they passed Cook. Her body lay spread out on the grass, her eyes looking blankly towards the sky, and he knew she wasn't just resting, she was gone.

…. So there it is I suppose, my life spent alone until Sarah came. I hope that I don't sound like I'm complaining or anything. I suppose lots of people have it far worse than I. But I can't help but feel sorry for myself today. I'm standing out side the house dressed up in the finest robes I've ever worn, I had began to think this day would never come and that I would never have to leave…

Harry stood in fine black high neck robes his arms held by his side next to the house keeper who kept anxiously looking up and down the road every few seconds. He wished that she would stop it; it wasn't doing anything to make him feel better. He wondered if Sarah had felt as frightened as he did right now, but he supposed not, she had always been braver than him.

He had no bags with him; he had been told that he would not be taking anything with him. It was a part of his old life now and he was not to take it with him into his new life. He was not to wear farm clothes any more; from now on he would wear expensive robes, just like the ones that those men had worn all those years ago. He fingered his cuff, it was almost ridiculous how comfortable they were, they reached his hands but even on a hot summers day he did not feel too warm.

It was a gasp from the housekeeper that caused him to look up at the drive. A coach had just come around the bend at the bottom of the hill and was making its way through the high cornfields towards them. Drawn by six silver horses wearing black harnesses, the dark green carriage looked overly regal on the farms dusty drive. Harry had never seen anything like it. The farm did not have horses and people who arrived tended to come on foot after disapparating just outside the boundaries.

Harry and the housekeeper took several steps back as it arrived and one of the two richly dressed men on the roof slid down onto the ground and opened the door before bowing deeply as the occupants exited. Harry felt sick as the two men from all those years ago stepped out. He had suspected that it would be them, for surely one of them owned the farm. But seeing them here in person made him want to run, he could still see Cook lying dead on the grass. Clenching his jaw he forced himself to be still. They could do what they wanted to him and there was nothing he could do about it, but he would not act like a coward.

The men approached and the housekeeper stepped further back and bowed so low that she was kneeling on the ground with her arms and forehead resting on the grass. Harry decided it was best to follow suit and began to lower himself onto the ground when a hand gripped his face and forced him to stand. There was a sudden stab in his scar that faded quickly but the dark haired man had noticed his grimace for he turned and addressed the man beside him angrily.

"I was led to believe that you had dealt with that particular issue"

Immediately the blond man was on his knees like the housekeeper who had still not moved from her position.

"Milord I did… he is not in any serious pain, if he felt anything it must be residual"

Apparently satisfied the dark haired man turned his red eyes back onto the boy. Harry watched as the man examined his every feature before resting on his eyes.

"Green eyes" he herd the man murmur "how is it possible?"

"Milord?" the man asked

"Come Lucius, tell me what you see" The blond man stood again and looked curiously into Harry's eyes.

"Green eyes" He said

"Indeed" The dark haired man said "How is it possible?"

"I do not know, he has been tested numerous times, the ritual was a complete success," Lucius said

"That is yet to be seen" The man said and dropped Harry's face.

Harry moved to kneel but the man stopped him again "never bow before me Harry - that is not your place"

"Yes sir" he said confused.

"Come now boy it is time for us to leave"

The man turned back to his carriage. With that tall dark back to him Harry found himself dreading leaving his farm more than ever before. He did not want to go, especially if he would be like Sarah and never return. Especially not with the men who killed Cook.

Lucius was clearly waiting for him to follow the other man.

"Will I be coming back?" he asked

The dark haired man paused "For future reference you may call me 'my lord', and no you will not be returning here" He turned and looked at Harry who glanced back at the house and the fields and rows of plants and trees, the cows crowded under the tree for shade, the chicken shed. It was all he had ever known and for him it was all over.

Seeing Harry hesitate the man turned fully around "you will learn boy that I do not tolerate either disobedience or dawdling"

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat "yes my lord" he said and followed him into the carriage sitting opposite the man. Lucius came in behind him and sat on Harry's other side effectively caging him into the corner. There were windows but the curtains had been closed. As the coach jerked forward and began to move he pulled back the curtain slightly to have his first glimpses of the world outside the farm but a silver and black cane pushed the curtain back into place "leave it" Lucius said.

"Yes sir" Harry said and instead focused on his folded hands, they were much easier to look at than the intimidating men, one of which was some sort of lord.

The silence that stretched on did nothing to comfort Harry who would peek up every now and then only to find the eyes of the lord on him.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked more bravely than he felt.

"You are coming to my estate where you will receive lessons with my son and daughter until the end of the summer break, after which you will begin attending Hogwarts" Lucius said in a disinterested sort of manner, he did not turn or look at Harry but the lords eyes never left him.

"What's Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

Lucius raised his eyebrows mockingly "the finest school of magic in the world"

Harry felt both relieved and worried "I've never been to school before, won't I be a bit, you know - behind?" he asked and then suddenly rethought his question "will there be children there?" he asked interrupting Lucius just as the man was opening his mouth "sir" Harry added to try and placate the irritated look on his face.

"Youdon't need to address Lucius as sir Harry, he is my loyal servant – you may call him by his name. And yes there will be other children at Hogwarts, but I want to here nothing from your teachers of you wasting your time with them, you are attending Hogwarts for the educational value only"

"Yes my lord" Harry said.

Another silence stretched on, until a large bang ripped through the carriage. Startled Harry leaped but neither of the men seemed fazed.

"We have nearly arrived at the Malfoy estate, is there anything else you wish to ask me before I leave you?" The lord asked him.

"Em… yes, do you know about my family?" Harry asked and with the sharp looks directed at him he quickly added, "I was just curious" for that tended to be the sentence that usually placated his teachers.

"Curious?" The lord asked him offhandedly

"Yes my lord"

"About your family?"

"Yes my lord"

"Your family are dead"

Feeling a sudden stab in his stomach Harry looked away from the men. Dead, he had hoped that maybe…

"Who were they?" he asked then glancing at the lord he added "my lord"

"Your full name is Harry Tom Riddle, if you do a little research when you arrive at Hogwarts I am sure you will find something" He said.

"Riddle" Harry said slowly "Harry Riddle"

At the Malfoy estate Harry exited the coach excitedly. He sucked in a breath. He was surrounded by beautiful gardens. Behind him stood the largest building he had ever seen. It was hard to imagine any building so large and to think of it as some ones house was incredible.

Tall white columns and strange beasts were carved out of stone. Glass windows so large that Harry thought they were as tall as the house he had lived at on the farm. His eyes darted everywhere desperate to take in as much as he could. Strange new smells floated past, summer flowers.

He was quickly directed though the huge front doors and up a set of black marble stairs, into a room so big he was shocked to find it was to be his bedroom. A huge bed with blue and gold blankets sat upon a polished wooden platform. Down another step was almost another room, a space covered completely in windows. It was large enough that it could have held both the kitchen and cooks room back at the farm.

There was an elegant desk on the other side of the room from the bed and a large oak wardrobe. Next to the desk was a silver box with a golden funnel sprouting from the top of it.

"Um excuse me," Harry said to the house elf that had accompanied him.

At first the house elf did not know that Harry was speaking to him, his already wide eyes widened still further as he looked back at the boy "Yes young master?"

"What is this?" He said and walked towards the large object with fascination.

"A record player master" the elf said "for playing music on" he added at Harry's curious stare.

"Music" he murmured and reached out his hand to touch it. Music was a rear thing at the farm; they had no instruments or anything else to play music with. Once a year he was sent to bed extra early and all the other inhabitants would go into the barn, which had been set up the day before and ate delicious smelling foods while laughing loudly, afterwards they would all gather close together and sing. He was not meant to be there. But he would sneak out every year and hide behind a near by trough and listen to the singing.

"How does it work?" He asked, but then added, "Am I allowed to listen to it?"

"Yes young master, of coarse" and the elf moved forward, its tea towel looking as though it might fall of completely as he reached up and placed the needle on the record already positioned. Then with a press of a button the music started.

Harry stood still, never had he head anything so perfect, not even the voices of the birds at sunset by the river could reach him like this music did. He did not know what instruments were playing he did not know what it was called… but it was beautiful.

The house elf showed him how to adjust the volume and then left him. There was a large collection of records stored in a cabinet at the base of the record player and Harry found himself caught up in the music for hours.

At dinner that night Harry found himself at a large table, Lucius sat at one end and the glamorously dressed Narcissa at the other end. They were waiting for the Malfoy's two children who had arrived back late back from a friend's function.

"So this is Harry?" Narcissa asked.

Lucius glanced Harry's way "yes this is him"

"Welcome Harry, Lucius has told me so much of you," she said

"Really?" he asked curious.

"Oh yes your quite the hot topic in this house I assure you, particularly when the Dark Lord is visiting" she said proudly.

"The dark lord?" he asked looking at Lucius "was he the other man in the carriage?"

"Of coarse" Narcissa said "He would hardly leave Lucius to retrieve you alone. It's a big thing, you returning"

Harry looked at her surprised "I don't understand"

"You don't?" she asked

"Of course he doesn't Narcissa, he's been living on that putrid farm of ours for the last ten years."

"Yes of coarse" she said and looked at Harry with pity "why it was decided you of all people should be raised on that farm is beyond me"

"Our Lord wanted him kept somewhere safe and out of the way until he was strong enough again. Though you are correct about one thing, Harry's untimely return just as he hits the age of Hogwart's acceptance tells us many things about the current climate of the war, it is a very big sign of what is to come, and as our lord treats it as an important event so should we."

"That is why I ordered a particuly nice dinner this evening my dear, although I do wish our children would hurry up"

"Draco should know better," Lucius agreed.

"I know father, I am sorry" Draco said and bowed to his father as he entered.

His father eyed him with annoyance but before he could say anything a slightly elder girl arrived and bowed also.

"It was my fault father, not Draco's," She said.

Neither of the children looked at Harry but Harry could not take his eyes of the girl as she awaited her father's scorn.

"See me in my office eight o clock sharp" was all he said and then both children took there seats.

It had been three years but he would know her anywhere. It was Sarah that much he was sure of. But why was she purposefully avoiding his eyes, why had she not said anything?

The food arrived and the family started a polite conversation about their day that Harry did not feel right contributing to. The food was different from anything he had ever eaten before, but he could not bring himself to appreciate it, not when his friend sat only two meters from him and had yet to acknowledge him in any way. It was in the pause between the main course and dessert that Harry who had been watching her through out the entire meal finally spoke.

"Sarah" he said and was grateful when she looked at him until his eyes meet hers. They looked back at him coldly.

"Yes?" she asked

"I'm glad your ok, I mean you disappeared and no one would tell me what had happened to you" He was horribly aware of all the family watching the interaction carefully.

"Of coarse I'm ok – better than ok actually, just thinking about how I used to live at that farm" she seemed to shudder slightly at the memory "it disgusts me"

"I see" he said feeling a horrible twist in his gut as he thought about the secret swing she had made on the tree on the other side of the river where no one ever went, but them. He did not think the farm was disgusting. He remembered her smiling face and the laughter they had secretly shared and could not believe that what she said was the truth.

"Yes you must be quite relived" Draco said "From what Sarah has told me it is a backward place, I still can hardly believe you own it father"

"It has its uses" Lucius said and glanced at Harry.

"Yes I suppose it does" Draco said following his gaze.

"It has many uses" Harry found himself saying suddenly "it has a good number of crops and produces some of the finest corn in England"

Draco laughed at that but turned silent with a glance from his father "So I am told Harry" he said.

"It also has as many bird species as any other plot of land in the United Kingdom" Harry added

The room seemed to drop several degrees "The United Kingdom?" Lucius asked him quietly.

"Yeah" Harry said anxiously.

"Tell me, where did you here that?" Lucius asked.

"I don't know" Harry said glancing around.

"No doubt from one of the farm hands, I did tell you father than many of those people are no better than mud bloods, I don't know why you insist on keeping them" Sarah said.

But Lucius ignored her "what I am interested in is which of my little workers has been talking about the United Kingdom with you, Harry"

"I don't understand" Harry suddenly said "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing Harry, I just wish to know how you came to learn of the United Kingdom?"

"I…" his eyes glanced at Sarah hoping to glean which answer to give from her, but her cold stare gave nothing away.

"It could have been any one," he said finally.

……………………