A/N: I feel I should clear a few things up before I begin.
Harry is in Slytherin. He will be dark is the more oft-used version of the word, at least on fanfiction. He will have no hesitation to deal with threats immediately and severely. Harry will be insanely powerful, not just in terms of combat ability, but also in terms of personality. Charisma and the like. His trials will be less him facing threats and more him trying to get others to be capable of facing threats. If you dislike overpowered main characters whose battles lay in areas other than physical/magical combat, leave now.
Dumbledore knows all about Harry, and this will be shown in this chapter. This is why the summary mentions Dumbledore worrying about Harry. On that note... Harry will be terrifying... to almost everyone. Almost.
Oh, before I forget, I've changed the title from Light and Dark to Light and Shadow, due to a... new interpretation of the core concept of Dark.
Dumbledore was glad the sorting had gone so well. There was no doubt everyone had been shocked to hear about Harry Potter becoming Slytherin, but nothing more than shock so far. Slytherin students seemed smart enough to not antagonize him openly, regardless of their personal feelings on him. In truth, the only person who could openly move against Harry at the moment was Dumbledore himself. The simple fact was that Harry Potter had become legendary after Voldemort's death. Moving against him openly was suicide. Even being subtle about it was risky, which was why Lucius Malfoy had sent Draco to befriend the young man, rather than antagonize him.
Dumbledore let out a chuckle at that, Lucius only saw Draco as himself, forgetting the problem that came with that. By the age of sixteen, Lucius had spent many years at Hogwarts cultivating his image and personal group. Draco was only now starting to meet new people. It was one of the reasons he believed pureblood bigots like Lucius were truly fools. They saw only the past, not the future.
He paused. Muggleborns had an incredible advantage now, with them having grown in the muggle word. The simple fact was that muggleborn children grew smarter faster than pureblood children. Oh, many would claim it was because of blood, but the simple fact was that Purebloods were too paranoid and looked down on muggles too much. Advanced science, math, particularly psychology, were all lost on Purebloods. Sure, Arithmancy provided basic equations, but the sheer variance in muggle schooling meant that muggleborns simply had better understanding of the world around them. There was a damn good reason the Wizarding World had always lagged behind the muggle one, not that any Pureblood would admit it.
He glanced around the table, looking at his staff now. Staff meetings were somewhat rare, but there was a good tradition of holding one after the first classes. Every one of his professors sat around the table. As usual, most classes were plain, though there were a few apparent stars this year. Neville Longbottom for Herbology, Daphne Greengrass for Potions, Padma Patil for Charms, Su Li for Transfiguration, and quite a few who were just behind them. Defense Against the Dark Arts took much longer to determine any serious potential, but Quirrel had made comments about one Ronald Weasely, surprisingly enough.
There were, however, two students which stood out in every class, as there usually were. Every year had two overachievers, usually rivals of some sort. Sometimes, although extremely rare, there was a single student who utterly dominated every class they were in. Tom Riddle and Dumbledore himself were the only two that came to mind. Probably because Voldemort killed anyone he saw as a potential threat.
Hermione Granger of Gryffindor, and Harry Potter of Slytherin. Finding the opinion of Hermione was simple enough, most were delighted with the girl's work ethic, and her intelligence. She was a bit by-the-book, but she was frighteningly intelligent, enough that the Professors doubted they could challenge her with first year material. That was fine, though, as she seemed quite keen on studying outside of class, something he hoped she continued to do throughout the years.
Harry Potter, however... This he felt more keen on asking directly. There was something to be said about being overt in extreme cases, even if he preferred subtlety.
Minvera McGonagall was the first to speak. "While several first years managed the initial spell, only Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger managed it on their first attempts. While Ms. Granger reviewed the spell in her head and practiced the movements for a moment, Mr. Potter cast the spell almost as soon as I instructed them to begin. His Transfiguration was far from perfect, mind you, but that level of competency is something I do not expect anyone to match soon, though Granger may keep challenging him."
There were several nods at that. Everyone else seemed to agree, Hermione showed a scary intelligence, but Harry showed the more terrifying understanding. There was a clear difference in their methods, and he was quite sure at least Severus picked it up. He had to wonder whether this would help or hinder Gryffindor-Slytherin relations.
Severus Snape spoke up now, causing Dumbledore to realize the man looked far more troubled than he expected, possibly even scared. "In Potions, both show a clear level of understanding the nature of the class." His words were curt, but there was some strange trembling to his voice. "Both managed acceptable potions, and both were capable of carrying their partners without hassle. Greengrass managed to outdo them, of course, but not by as much as she should have." The Greengrass family was notorious for potion making, so it was obvious the heir would have the advantage in his class.
He stared up, looking the headmaster in the eyes now, letting Dumbledore see just how confused and worried he really was, even if no one else saw it. "That being said..." He paused, taking a breath and folding his hands together. "Potter is the most terrifying individual I have ever met."
Whatever noise there had been in the room stopped, everyone paying clear attention now. "Severus?" Dumbledore murmured, concerned for his Potions Master.
"No, he is not dark. At least, I do not believe so." Snape seemed to debate saying something, before sighing. "I looked into his mind." There were murmurs of disapproval and disgust, but he did not care. Albus, at the very least, understood. "He knew I was there. He... he pushed images into my sight, real images, not imaginary creations." Snape sat straighter now, hands clapping against the table. "I have seen the aftermath of some of the darkest rituals imaginable, but I would gladly see them again before looking at anything he showed me. Headmaster, I do not know what that boy went through, but he is dangerous."
The dead silence that settled abated for a moment, the sheer shock of Severus Snape admitting to any of this was beyond their ability to understand. It was not the first time he had mentioned some horrifying things, having once served Voldemort. It was, however, the first time he had completely admitted to anyone terrifying him. Only Albus knew that Snape was actually something of a coward, which was why he did many of the things he did. Voldemort had been terrifying, true, but Severus had been scared of schoolboy James Potter long before that. The fact that scrawny James Potter intimidated anyone was baffling at best, but he supposed the fact that James used to run rings around Severus had a great part to play in that.
"Oh, but that was nothing compared to what he did last night, when confronted in the common room." Severus continued, unabated.
"Potter!"
Harry turned, wondering who had called his name, only to be confronted with a short blond brat, an angry scowl on his face. The crowd around them was not just first years, as the entire Slytherin house was in the common room, watching now. They all enjoyed the first-confrontations that happened every year.
"What?" Harry's face did not change, an easy going smile still present.
"You were that boy on the train. You didn't tell me who you were." Malfoy was enraged, but compared to Dudley, he simply was no threat. Not that Dudley was a threat anymore, either.
"You did not ask." Harry smiled wider, his smile being far less friendly than a moment ago. Some of the older students noticed the change, and became more interested in how this would go on. Severus watched, unseen, from the back. Everyone had focused so much on the two, he was unnoticed so far. This would be a good chance to see how arrogant the Potter brat was. Just like his father, no doubt.
Draco huffed, his face reddening, whether in rage, or embarrassment from being caught in a word game. "You should have told me. I could have helped you, you know. Some families are not worth talking to, and you were sitting with one of them."
"Oh?" There was a slight narrowing of Harry's eyes, a subtle indication of his actual anger. "What was your last name again?"
"Malfoy" Draco seemed less aggressive now, thinking Harry was on his side.
"Well then, I know of one family not worth talking to." Harry's smile turned sinister now, and almost everyone realized he was egging Draco on.
"You filthy-" Draco stepped forward, only to be cut off as Harry's hand gripped his entire face, covering his mouth and squeezing tightly, causing him a good deal of pain.
"I don't think you know how this works." Harry's light voice was the most threatening now, his smile even wider as he shoved Draco against the wall, hand still tightly squeezing his face. "You have to actually be a threat before you can threaten me." Harry leaned in close, staring Draco in the eyes. The boy quivered in fear now, completely unprepared for this. "You seem to think your family can keep you safe. Well... I don't see your family anywhere. All there is... is you, and me. Are you sure you want to make an enemy out of someone, when you are so pitifully weak?" Part of him was talking to himself, but a bigger part was focusing all his anger at the Dursleys onto this brat. He finally had a friend, even if he only knew Ron for a few hours, he would not let anyone insult his friends. He spoke louder now, still facing Draco, but talking to everyone. "You all seem to believe your families matter, or that you are something special. Hah! I have little doubt many of them see you as tools, rather than people. Programming you so you can't think for yourselves... But I'll give you a word of advice. The only way to be anything special is to MAKE yourself into something special. The weak are not the ones at the bottom, but those who sit in complacency. So... do you want to be weak? Or shall you learn what strength really is?"
No one said a word, just staring, some in disbelief, some in thought. Harry laughed once more, dropping Draco. "I guess it's a bit much to say on the first day, but better to get my message out now than wait until it loses its weight." He chuckled darkly as he headed up the stairs, no one standing in his way. Draco was holding his face, letting himself slip to the floor.
Only a few understood some of what Harry did. Only Severus understood the full weight of what Harry said. His calm demeanor when confronted by Draco showed that he was not someone to take lightly, someone who had seen combat before, on at least some level. His show of strength by casually moving Draco with one hand was just a solidifier for that fact. The arrogant posture and tone when he had spoken also showed how far he looked down on Draco, while Severus had expected him to be arrogant, that was something else. It was not the arrogant 'I am above everyone' that James Potter displayed. It was the type of arrogance that, instead of placing Harry on a pedestal in his own mind, put everyone else in holes. It was not that he believed that much in himself, but that he had no faith in anyone but himself. It was a distinct, if subtle difference.
Worse than that, Harry attacked the very ideals of Purebloods. Family. It was not untrue, what he said about families seeing their children more as tools than people. The line about thinking for themselves, while also true, was terrifying progressive. Not that Snape was against it, it may keep others from going down the path he had. It was like the exact opposite of Voldemort's tactic. Voldemort, when convincing others to join him, had showed that they were stronger together than they were apart. Harry had just turned that on its head by pointing out that not only were they basically clones of their parents, making them feel less like individuals, but also that they did not think for themselves, cementing the concepts into their heads. Oh they were not about to just change their views the next day, but the seed of doubt was planted, and most did not realize it.
Severus knew that the ones who thought about it would begin to question things, to question who they really were. A terrifying thing to ask yourself, but a necessary one. To think that a first year made others ask themselves this... It would start something special in this house. The comment about making yourselves special was also interesting, it showed that blood bigotry would only alienate a person from Harry, and that he believed strength came from something other than blood. Severus was not inclined to agree, but he would not argue that point. Ultimately, his message came down to three statements.
1. I am dangerous, do not bother me.
2. You are all weak because you cannot move away from the past.
3. I care nothing for your families, only your own power.
It was an ultimately progressive and forward thinking speech, driving home points most would either ignore out of arrogance, or take in through doubt. A nice way to separate the fence-sitters from the hardcore bigots. Knowing this... why was he shaking?
It took him a moment to realize, how that speech was a match for Voldemort's speeches. Not in message, it was almost opposite there, but in charisma and intensity. While Voldemort's speeches were more about the importance of blood, Harry's was about the importance of power. Their messages could be viewed together and seen to be similar, but only on the surface. Voldemort stressed the importance of working together. It was how his Death Eaters were actually a threat to Aurors, after all. Harry seemed to imply only the strength of the individual mattered, and that those who do not seek strength actively were weak, no matter if they worked together or not.
"After that, everyone went about their normal business." Snape seemed to deflate in on himself as he finished speaking of the events.
Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, rolling this information over in his head. He nodded. "Well! I am sure you are all tired, and have much to plan for classes, so you are dismissed. If you have any troubles, feel free to come to me." They knew this, of course, but it was nice to remind them from time to time. It was not rare for teachers to be stressed too much.
It was only around fifteen minutes after everyone left that he heard a knock at his door, already knowing who it was. After all, he was the one who wanted this meeting. "Come in."
Harry Potter casually opened the door, the same easy-going smile from before on his face. "Good evening Albus."
Albus smiled, gesturing towards the chair in front of his desk. "Please, Harry, take a seat." They were on good enough terms to speak to each other with their first names, at least. Part of it may be because of their mutual dislike of formality, even if Harry's was more than his own.
"Of course." Harry sat before him, leaning back slightly. "Do you have them?"
Albus grimaced, knowing what Harry wanted. It was his price for... many things, and Albus certainly owed him. "Yes, I have them here now." He pulled out a book, and a potion from somewhere behind his desk. The potion was a bubbling green mass, corked off to prevent contamination in his cluttered office. "Are you sure you want this? The consequences... You will not be able to use Polyjuice potion, use any metamorphmagus abilities, become an animagus, or duel competitively. Quidditch is also not possible after this, for obvious reasons."
Harry nodded, his smile vanishing. "You know the prophecy, you told me the damn thing. I am not doing this because of power hunger, I am doing this because I want to have a fighting chance. The bonuses may seem minor to you, compared to the restrictions at least, but to me, its the difference between life and death."
Albus nodded wearily. He knew what he had agreed to, but he wanted Harry to be absolutely sure. "And the ritual? It is a dark one, you know."
Harry snorted. "I know enough to say it is not. The Ministry likes to say anything to do with the soul is dark, or at least borderline. This ritual is far less dark than even the mild curses you teach here, and we both know it."
"But are you ready for it? To face the consequences?" Albus countered.
"The ritual will cause me to weaken magically, I know. I'm not too worried, its a very flexible ability I will be gaining, especially since I know what it is." Harry grinned.
"Harry..." Albus began. "The ritual gives you powers based on your soul. How can you say you know what it will be?"
"I know who I am, Albus. I know what my soul is, and I know what it will become." Harry seemed more confident than ever, a far cry from when the two had first met five years ago.
"You may know who you are now, but how can you possibly know who you will become?"
"Because it is a choice." Harry stated plainly. "Everything we do is a choice, and so long as my choices are that of what I desire to become, I will become what I desire. Are you done testing me? I want to finish this as soon as possible, preferably so no one notices any changes in me."
Albus grinned, glad Harry had known it was mostly testing, but wondering whether or not he was doing the right thing now. "Very well, but make sure no one else reads that book. You, I can trust with that ritual, but anyone else..." To be entirely fair, the ritual was not dangerous, but it did have the potential to make someone dangerous.
"Of course, Albus." Harry smiled once more. "Besides, I doubt any of the Slytherins would attempt such a ritual. Throwing away some ancient traditions for their truest soul manifesting as a power? Unlikely. But you have my word either way."
Albus nodded, before hesitating. "Harry... Do you still blame me?"
Harry's smile disappeared, replaced by a tired expression. "Albus, you did not know. You had no way of knowing, and besides... I took care of it. It has been five years since then. I don't like to hold grudges, and you've helped me more than enough."
Albus nodded once more, dismissing Harry. It was only the distant memory of the same conversation with Tom Riddle that kept him from being happy at the conclusion. He was guiding Harry far more directly than Riddle, which he hoped meant that Harry would take on some of his own characteristics as well. Mercy being something Harry needed to learn, if their initial meeting was anything to go by.