Harry Potter and the Champion of Darkness

Disclaimer/Plot/Author's Note: SEE FIRST CHAPTER

Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this story to Tempest Novastorm for creating the challenge: my recommended reads are Harry Potter: Lord of Darkness by AngelSlayer135, The Rise of a Dark Lord by LittleMissXanda, Rise of the Dark Angel by mykkila09, Suns of Death and Darkness by Chakahlah, Dark Prince and The Allure of Darkness by LoveMyRomance, Harry Potter and The Prince of Power Book 1 Birth of a Snake by ACI100, The Snake in the Lion's Den by JasminSky, The Dark Lord's Son by anonwriter64, The Renegade by Greed720, Innocent Darkness by Madriddler and The Dark Lord's Equal by RiddleMeHarry

Key Pairing: Eventual Harry/Corvus

Other Pairings: Lucius/Narcissa; Bellatrix/Rodolphus; Others TBD

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

/Parseltongue/

Review Answers:

Winged Seer Wolf: I appreciate the compliments, my friend: I hope you enjoy this chapter, especially how it begins as I had what we discussed in mind when I wrote the scene;

Ada1229: I suppose that could be a reference somewhere down the line, but not yet;

"You…you serious about that, Harry? Cor…Corvus Lestrange is alive?"

"Yep," answered Harry, wiping stray tea from his chair and where it had caught his face before he asked, "Why? Do you know him?"

"I should," replied Voldemort, earning a raised eyebrow from Harry before his look of curiosity became one of shock with the man's next words;

"He's my godson."

Chapter 7: When Sheep Become Wolves

After a little more talking, Voldemort told Harry he would be able to spend the entire summer at the Malfoys' home, though the current – or interim, as Harry and Voldemort both thought the elder was – Dark Lord was dividing his time between spending time with his true – read: only – liege-lord at the Mansion and rebuilding one of his old headquarters, so they could keep their business out of the eyes of any Light-minded weaklings who might get a little too curious.

As for Harry's request to help out Corvus, Voldemort told Harry this would be his first port of call, though he did give the boy a strong request to have words with Narcissa Malfoy.

As a member of the equally-notorious Black Family, as well as being related to Corvus' Mother through that same bloodline – Narcissa and Corvus' Mother, Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black, were, in fact, sisters – Narcissa could offer her lost nephew a temporary home and sanctuary.

At the same time, he made another suggestion to Harry to have Corvus reclaim his true identity, despite what it would do to the boy's reputation at Hogwarts and how it would put Albus Dumbledore on the highest of high alert because of the fact that the believably-lost child of two of Voldemort's most-loyal lieutenants was back at Hogwarts.

As Harry thought on this particular request, he was the one to say it, "What if we give him something else to worry about?"

"Like what?" asked Voldemort, packing up the last few things he would be taking with him back to the real HQ of the Dark Order, also known as the Death Eaters, while he listened to and conversed with his young companion.

"Something that might take his eyes off Corvus, but also might make him look closer," suggested Harry, leaning back in his chair, once again adopting a look of nobility and proud leadership as he explained, "Something that you…I mean, Tom, told me about when he often talked about the way things used to be at Hogwarts."

Here, Voldemort turned before his lips turned upwards in a curious, but not disagreeable smile as he asked, "And, if you're talking about what I think you're talking about, Harry, how do you plan on doing this?"

"Well," said Harry, looking not to Voldemort, but to the only remaining object on the desk between them.

Tom Riddle's diary.

"It would involve making a pretty big sacrifice, on both our parts, but, at the end of the day, what's that compared to knowing my secret, and the welfare of my allies, is safe compared to that?"

As Voldemort followed Harry's line of sight, his eyes darkened for only a moment as he returned their gaze to Harry before he told him, "If I do this, if we set this ball rolling, as Muggles say, you'll be at a disadvantage because you won't have the access to the power inside of you that I know you want, Harry."

"Hence the sacrifice on my part."

"You'll also have to wait a little longer before I reveal you as my true superior."

"I'm only eleven, Voldemort," argued Harry, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair as he explained, "From what I know from our mutual friend, you didn't become the Dark Lord until you'd already left Hogwarts, though you did start gathering followers while you were there, so maybe it's time for me to do the same."

"Be a wolf in sheep's clothing, you mean?" asked Voldemort, earning a smirk from Harry.

"Aren't I already that as a snake in lion's clothing?"

The Dark Lord's dark laughter echoed through the study before his eyes narrowed as he asked, "Hang on, you said we would both be sacrificing something, Harry? So, apart from having you play this game a little longer with Albus, what, exactly, am I sacrificing?"

In response, Harry indicated the diary before he looked up at Voldemort once again. "Well, let's just say, if things go the way I suspect they will, I'll have a role of my own that some will expect me to play and, in the end, part of that role is going to be to save the day, so…"

Judging by the way Voldemort's pale skin tone seemed to become even paler, he understood what Harry was saying, though as Harry noticed this, he cleared his throat as he explained, "If you disagree with this, Voldemort, say so and we'll come up with another plan. I told you before that I'd rather see your Horcrux returned to you before I would see it destroyed, least of all at my hands, so…"

Suddenly, the two wizards both gasped when a strong gust of wind blew through the study, sending the pages in the diary flying open, leafing through the pages one-by-one until, to the amusement of the two sorcerers, it stopped on the page marked October 31st aka Halloween.

As they stared at the page, Harry and Voldemort both let out laughs of amusement, if not disbelief when three words suddenly formed on the pages of the diary, each one written in emerald-green ink that was the same colour as Harry's eyes.

I'll do it

After only a moment, the words faded away again before the diary returned to its closed position, earning a bewildered look from Harry as he looked up at a shocked, but also calm Voldemort.

"So…should I take that as a yes?"

Champion of Darkness

Two Weeks Later

Neville,

Sorry I never sent you any letters or anything before now, but I've been really busy lately; anyway, I hope you're enjoying the start of your summer holiday? I know I am.

Listen, about that special request you asked me for at the end of last term? I've spoken to some friends of mine and they've kindly agreed to let you stay with us over the summer holidays. You don't have to go back home for the entire summer and they're even willing to see you safely to school on September First, where, hopefully, you'll feel as changed as I feel lately.

If you agree, send Hedwig back to me.

If not, I'll see you at school.

Harry

The boy known as Corvus Lestrange – or Neville Longbottom, as others knew him – couldn't believe his eyes.

'Talk about acting fast,' he thought to himself, sitting on the edge of a fountain in the gardens of the place he'd known for a while was not his home, but rather, it was a prison filled with lies, false faces, blank canvasses and, worse, people trying to turn him into something…someone he wasn't while he looked from the letter he'd received at breakfast – thankfully, his Grandmother had gone out pretty early while Algernon was taking care of some business at the Ministry – that morning to the beautiful, familiar owl who'd delivered it.

When she saw him staring, Hedwig leaned in, perching herself on the boy's shoulder as she nuzzled Corvus' cheek, letting out a low hoot while the young boy laughed as he asked, "Why doesn't it surprise me that Harry's not the only one in his camp pretending to be someone he isn't?"

As Hedwig chirped in response, Corvus cleared his throat before he smiled at the owl as he told her, "I'll say this much for your master, girl: the real him is both a genius and a true friend, so if you'll wait here, I can go and get the letter and tell him I accept…"

To Corvus' surprise, however, the words were no sooner out of his mouth before he felt a sharp tug against his navel, sending his world in a spin before he let out an oomph and a gasp of shock when he found himself on the floor of a luxurious-looking manor estate. Everywhere he looked, Corvus didn't know whether to be amused or in awe of the dark, Slytherin-esque décor, not to mention the finery that made up his surroundings.

Before he could say anything about such things, however, Corvus' head snapped up when he heard a familiar voice address him, "That took a lot less time than I thought it might."

Looking up, Corvus' eyes widened slightly when he saw Harry standing there at the foot of a large staircase; only now, he didn't look like the old Harry, or rather, the one from Hogwarts. He still had the same wild, dark hair and slightly-gaunt-looking features, but now, he was dressed in a fine, silk robe and had his emerald-green eyes looking out at Corvus without the restrictions given to him by his glasses.

To look at him, standing there so tall and so proud that he was almost a man in anyone's eyes, Corvus actually imagined that Harry was the master of the house, greeting his guest, and, instead of a weak-willed, naïve little Gryffindor, he was a proud Lord – maybe, still in Gryffindor, but a Lord nonetheless – with the world at his feet and everything that came with it.

Call it his pre-teen nature starting to show itself, but as Corvus looked at Harry looking as good as he did, he couldn't help but admit, if only to himself, how handsome Harry looked standing there in all his glory.

Though, again, he didn't say it aloud and, even as he rose to his feet, he hoped his face didn't betray him by showing a blush.

As Corvus pulled himself to his feet, he smiled thinly when he saw Hedwig fly to Harry's shoulder, though not before the emerald-eyed scion chuckled when Corvus asked, "So, you figured out how to make a Portkey, did you?"

"I had a good teacher," said Harry, stroking Hedwig's feathers as he added, "I thought someone might intercept the letter accidentally, which is why I also used your other name and not your real one, or if they were watching you and saw Hedwig leaving, they might try and harm her. So, at the advice of my friend, I turned the letter itself into a Portkey, set to activate if you said the words…"

"I accept," finished Corvus, remembering the last thing he'd said before his world had gone all topsy-turvy and he'd vanished from his prison. "So, now I'm here, what about my things?"

"Already sent for as soon as the master of the house felt the shift in his wards," explained Harry, earning a surprised look from Corvus while Harry made his way over to his friend as he added, "And, in case you're wondering about anyone else accidentally triggering the Portkey, my friend was very specific with his magic when he helped me make it; the only one who could trigger it was you while, if anyone else tried to use it, they'd be in for a very nasty surprise."

"Very Slytherin of you," remarked Corvus, earning a wink from Harry.

"Thank you…now, come on."

"Why?" asked Corvus, following Harry off towards one side of the staircase where the emerald-eyed scion led Corvus through a single door and down a flight of stairs that led into a large, open chamber, similar to a training room or Potions lab.

However, as he followed Harry through the door, Corvus' eyes widened with shock and disbelief when he saw the three figures assembled with Harry in the room, each one of them standing behind a table that was filled with discarded herbs and plants, as well as a bubbling cauldron.

Right now, however, Corvus was more-interested in the trio standing there, "Harry, why didn't you tell me this was the Malfoys' house?"

"I thought it'd ruin the surprise," said Harry, earning a scoff from Corvus before he shrugged ruefully as he added, "And because Narcissa asked me not to say anything: she wanted to see you for herself, exactly as you are now and, besides, if you knew I was staying with the Malfoys, there was every chance you wouldn't have said the magic words."

Even though he was still surprised by the fact they were in the Malfoys' home, Corvus couldn't help but agree with Harry's statement, even the bit about him being reluctant to show up if he knew. At the same time, his eyes widened for only a brief moment when he saw a look of alarm cross Narcissa Malfoy's face before she walked around the table and, taking his chin in one hand, she turned his head left and right before she returned his gaze to hers.

For a brief moment, Narcissa seemed to struggle to compose herself before she turned to her husband, Lucius Malfoy, and nodded once, her voice barely even a whisper as she gasped out, "It…it's him, Lucius: he…he has her eyes…the light…the fire…the determination; it's her to a T."

"And here I thought that was a bad thing in the magical world," drawled Harry, earning an actually-friendly snigger from Draco Malfoy, who also seemed to be examining Corvus while Harry now stood next to the blonde, his arms folded proudly and his eyes shining as he looked at his friend while he asked, "I don't suppose you know that Narcissa Malfoy is related to your Mum, do you, Corvus?"

"I…I guess I…I must have forgotten that," said Corvus, looking back to Narcissa before he gulped as he added, "I…I know I…I look like…like the boy that Malfoy doesn't like…but…but I promise you, Lady Malfoy…"

"Narcissa," chorused Harry and Narcissa, though with how Harry smiled when he said it, Corvus assumed Narcissa had told him the same thing when he'd first met her.

"Sorry, Narcissa," continued Corvus, tugging at the collar of his shirt nervously before he added, "I promise, Narcissa; I…I wouldn't lie…not about this; not like them!"

"I know," agreed Narcissa, moving away from Corvus before she turned to the cauldron, which bubbled and frothed, releasing clouds of pale-blue smoke into the air, while the Malfoy Lady went on. "I admit, when Harry told me about you, I had my doubts, but…but it was another mutual friend of ours who helped me realise he had to be telling the truth because, like you, I doubt that even Harry would lie about something like this."

"The old me? Maybe, maybe not, I don't know; but the real me? Never, Narcissa," answered Harry, leaning against the back wall of the Potions lab while he watched the family reunion continue.

"And now," continued Narcissa, taking a large ladle, which she used to scoop out a large helping of the potion in the cauldron, which was the same blue colour as the smoke it released, before she turned to Corvus, being careful not to spill any of the potion as she went on, "I see you and I see her; my sister, your Mother, in your eyes…and the way you carry yourself, even in following Harry in here, you have your Father's strength and pride, even if it did falter slightly when you realised where you were."

"And this?" asked Corvus, indicating the potion-filled ladle as he asked, "What's this for, Narcissa?"

"Given how little anyone recognised you as Corvus Lestrange, but as the would-be Squib-child, Neville Longbottom, even when we met one another in the past," explained Lucius Malfoy, his voice as curt and clipped as Corvus remembered back when he'd been forced to smile through clenched teeth around the Malfoy Lord, at the request of his not-Grandmother or not-Great-Uncle.

Even as Corvus paid more attention to Lucius' voice than he used to, the blonde elder went on, "It was the agreement of my wife and I that more had been done to mask your true identity than simply giving you a false name. Therefore, with the aid of young Harry's mutual friend and a little assistance from Narcissa, we have worked tirelessly to brew this Cleansing Elixir, which will strip you of all magical effects that may be masking your true nature and your true appearance."

"But you should know, when the magic takes hold of you, it's going to hurt more than a million Cruciatus Curses and a burning Bludger to the nether regions," added Harry, though when Corvus looked up at his friend, he was a little intimidated to see a wolfish smile crossing Harry's face, almost as though he wanted to see it happen, if only to prove Corvus right about what he'd told Harry.

Even as he smiled like a kid about to try the world's greatest, scariest, most-thrilling rollercoaster, Harry quickly continued his explanation, "But once it's over, you'll be you and, even better for you, Corvus: Lucius here has even agreed to petition the Board of Governors to have you resorted under your true name at Hogwarts."

"But won't that mean I go to Slytherin?" asked Corvus, earning a shrug from Harry while Draco nodded in response even as Corvus asked, "What about you, Harry? I showed you…told you my true identity because you showed me I didn't have to hide anymore, but if I go to Slytherin and you go to Gryffindor, then…"

"Then, knowing their narrow minds, biased beliefs and stupid ideas of right and wrong, it's only a matter of time before I either start spending more time in the Slytherin company or, Merlin be kind, I find a way to get me resorted too," said Harry, earning a look of surprise from Corvus while Harry shrugged ruefully as he asked him, "What? You didn't think I was going back in September just to hide myself away again, did you, Corvus? Even if what you said happens, the rest of them still have to deal with the real me, as well as the real you and, I'm not afraid to say it, part of the real me is friends with you and even managed to repair a broken bridge with Draco here."

Champion of Darkness

Given how Draco nodded in agreement, a look of both amusement and a hint of intimidation in his eyes, Corvus couldn't help but wonder if there was more to their now-friendship than Harry was saying. Still, his friend had kept his promise and gotten Corvus out of the home and company of the Longbottoms, so, for now, he would let Harry have his secrets, but Corvus did know one thing, if not anything else right now.

Harry had done him a great deed with this and it was not one he would soon forget.

It might not be a life-debt or something as binding or demanding as an Unbreakable Vow or a Blood Pact, but Corvus owed Harry and, one day, he hoped he would get the chance to repay that debt.

Champion of Darkness

"So," asked Harry, breaking Corvus' train of thought as the emerald-eyed scion asked, "Are you ready to let go of the fake you once and for all?"

"You have to ask?" asked Corvus, looking to Narcissa before he nodded once; in response, Narcissa offered Corvus the ladle filled with the Cleansing Elixir, which Corvus drank down as heartily as he could.

True to the nature of most potions, the taste was foul – like deep-roasted rat's guts and sandpaper blended with cinnamon and week-old dirty socks all mixed in together – and Corvus felt like he wanted to gag, especially when Narcissa offered him two more ladles full of the stuff – a part of him wondering why they couldn't have just given him a vial – but, in the end, grimacing and retching with exclamations of disgust, Corvus finished the necessary amount.

For a moment, nothing happened and, judging by the look the Malfoys gave Harry, they were just as surprised as he looked.

"Oh no," groaned Corvus, a look of disgusted disappointment on his face as he asked, "Don't tell me this is what I…"

Before he could finish, however, Corvus let out a scream of tormenting pain and fury as he clutched at his stomach, which suddenly let out a loud, ear-splitting roar of agony and sounds like the worst case of diarrhoea in human history was about to hit the young boy. At the same time, Corvus let out another cry as something snapped inside his body, though where in his body, he didn't know; all he knew was the feeling of fire, burning, shredding, tearing and full-blown explosiveness that tore apart his body as though he was breaking at the seams.

His heart seemed to beat and pound faster than he thought possible while, before he had a chance to say or do anything more, Corvus doubled over and vomited heavily, screaming and weeping from the pain as his body seemed to stretch itself out, then fold itself in on him and then stretch him again, tearing apart his bones, muscles and organs with such tormenting, hell-worthy pain that Corvus could only scream in terror.

His vision blurred to the point where all he saw was shapes and shadows before his world went black, but the pain didn't stop, nor did the vomiting fits or the soul-destroying agony that drove itself through Corvus every which way from Sunday and then every which other way it could go.

The whole thing seemed to go on for several minutes, but they felt more like hours…days…weeks…months for Corvus.

Finally, just when he thought he couldn't take any more, Corvus retched one more time and vomited, filling his nostrils with a foul, beyond-inhuman scent of burning mixed with rotting decay. As he backed away from the smell, he briefly heard an unintelligible voice address him, though when they did so, the smell vanished, as did whatever had caused it, leaving Corvus to dry heave and retch from the aftertaste.

For several minutes, Corvus took several deep, life-giving breaths of oxygen before he gasped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder; slowly, but surely, the world started to return to focus around him, bringing with it the image of emerald-green eyes that, to Corvus' slightly-disoriented senses, seemed to shine like the light of Heaven itself.

Though the fires of Hell might have been more appropriate given who the eyes belonged to.

As the eyes' light was joined by the sight of the rest of their owner, Corvus felt a rasping laugh rise up in him when said owner, alias one Harry James Potter, told him, "Damn, Corvus: if it wasn't for having just witnessed what you went through to look like this, I'd hope I had a potion or two in me so I could end up this good looking."

Before he could stop himself, Corvus blushed even as Harry helped him to his feet, draping a fresh, clean robe around him while Corvus looked down at his body, examining what had become of him. The first thing he noticed was that the puppy-fat of his youth had vanished, only to be replaced by something that could have been described as an air of elven, if not feminine beauty, even though he was a guy. He also seemed to have grown a few inches while his hair now felt as wild to the touch as the young boy next to him, though his also seemed to fall to his ears while it was still as dark as burned wood in colour.

When he saw his reflection, courtesy of a mirror conjured by Lucius, he would also see his brown eyes had gained an oddly-enchanting blend of greyish colouring within them, giving him an almost-heterochromic look that showed an air of roguish handsomeness about him. His facial features were also proud and defined instead of rounded and fatty; he had even lost his large teeth while, when he stared at his reflection, Corvus couldn't help but notice how cold, piercing and, dare he think it, maniacal, if not dark-fuelled his glare looked.

Then again, given the fact his Mother was Bellatrix Lestrange, aka one of the most dangerous witches of the past century, he shouldn't be that surprised, should he?

As Corvus took in the full appearance of his true physical appearance, he smiled thinly when he saw Harry step in to stand next to him, both of them shoulder-to-shoulder with the other as they both took in the real image of the boys beneath the weaklings the world had tried to turn them into.

"Nice to finally meet you, Corvus Regulus Lestrange," said Harry, earning a curious look from Corvus before Harry told him, "Narcissa told me how your Mum had you named after a favoured cousin of hers and, I know you might not believe me, but I promise that, unlike me, you will have your family back…it's just a matter of time."

"Part of me wants to know what you mean by that, Harry," said Corvus, a part of him surprised to note how smooth, yet cold his voice sounded now, compared to what it used to sound like, even as he looked to Harry before he went on.

"But there's another part that can't really care; you gave me my identity back and I don't know if I can ever repay that debt to you, but I'll certainly be willing to give it a damn good try."

Harry could only smile in response as he clasped Corvus' hand in a firm, strong handshake with his reborn young friend.

Chapter 7 and, hooray, the true nature of the unknown wizard is now revealed: Corvus Lestrange has returned and now the world will bear witness to a real wizard's rising, but can he honour his promise to Harry?

Also, what could Harry have in mind to give the Light something else to worry about apart from the re-emergence of the Lestrange Family and Harry's apparent regeneration into a real wizard along with it?

Keep Reading to Find Out

Next Chapter: Summer continues and Harry and Corvus both get one year older while a stronger sense of friendship seems to develop between the Dark Ace-in-Training and the Children of the Dark Lord's most-faithful;

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