Dance of Kings
By Iesh


Summary: AU. A secretive Harry Evans joins Tom Riddle's fifth year in 1943 and nothing remains the same. Rules and traditions get trodden upon; secrets are spun in lies and truths; love and hatred are twisted together. Beware Hogwarts! For the Dance of Kings has begun.

Pairings: Harry/Tom, Charlus/Dorea.

Tags: NOT TimeTravel!, Light!Harry, Dark!Tom, Slash & Het relations

Disclaimer: Harry Potter World & Characters belong to the talented JK Rowling. I'm just playing with them.


"…" - Conversations/Talking

'…' - Thinking/Thoughts

§…§ - Parseltongue

Italics - dreams/written words…


Chapter 6

Harry opened the dorm's door only to find Charlus and Minerva in the middle of an argument.

"-dangerous, Charlus!" Minerva all but shouted while her arms moved in all directions. His dormmate had his hair messier than usual and his fists were clenched by his side.

"Sorry," Harry said when the two turned to look at him, "I'll come back later."

"No, come in," Charlus said, "Minerva is leaving anyway."

Harry watched as the girl just huffed and left. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Charlus hesitated before continuing, "She heard the real story of what happened in the tournament and said that I should keep my distance from you. According to her, the Slytherins won't be leaving you alone now and that they'll probably target your friends. She added that you're too vicious and dangerous to be around."

"Oh, she's right," Harry said as he dropped his bag on his bed, "So what have you decided?"

"What do you mean what I have decided?" Charlus asked incredulously, "I was there. I watched you break Lestrange's bones and laugh at his pain. I saw you talk back to Riddle! Riddle! The most dangerous Slytherin in the school. Believe me, I know how cruel you can be. And I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Why?" Harry frowned.

"Well, to be truthful, I don't know," Charlus looked sheepish, "It's fun. Exciting. When you first started, you looked lost, innocent and well, weak. I know that you aren't any of these three. I know you can take care of yourself but this doesn't mean I can't be here for you. And mostly because, I don't know, I feel a connection? I feel like standing by your side?" His friend's cheeks were bright red by the time he was finished.

"Wow, are you coming on me, Charlus?" Harry laughed.

"What? No! I didn't mean it like that. I like girls. I mean like a …" Charlus said indignantly and then added in a softer voice, "like a friend."

"Oh," Harry cocked his head sideways, "I do think of you like a friend too. You, Theodore and Maya. My first friends."

"First?"

"Hmm, my life back at the muggles was difficult to say the least and my masters were old, ancient actually and they had no kids whatsoever.. so yeah."

"Don't worry, we're here now!" Charlus grinned.

"Yeah."

"Now enough of this emotional and sensitive things. Let's go and do some manly stuff like punch some Slytherins."

Harry laughed as he followed his very first friend out of the dorm.


Like he had predicted, Lestrange crumbled down the Slytherin hierarchy. By the time dinner rolled, he was sitting at the end of the table with the third years. His tall frame a clear contrast against the smaller ones of the younger students.

But Harry knew that it was far from over. Riddle was publicly humiliating Lestrange to provoke, to push the pureblood to the end of his limits to attack the Gryffindor. He surely wanted to see till where did Harry's capabilities stretch.

Harry kept his eyes open and so did his friends and strangely quite a number of Gryffindors. They all knew that the Slytherins were going to get back at Harry for the humiliating tournament loss.

The rest of the classes passed in similar manner. The professors were surprised by the increase in his capabilities and grasp of spells. Some like Flitwick bounced and awarded him points for coming out of his shell. Others like Professor Dumbledore told him to not hold himself back again or he would be losing point. Harry just smiled and played the blushing yet pleased newcomer. He knew that a few saw right through it but he barely cared at this point.


When Harry entered the Great Hall for dinner on Friday night, he knew that something was off. For one, Lestrange was sitting closer to Riddle, next to him, though there was a considerable space between them. And second, the Slytherins kept throwing furtive glances at the Gryffindor table. Harry frowned as he took his seat near his friends. He stared at the food resting on the table in front of him. He took in a deep breath and found nothing amiss in the scent. Alert, he loaded some mash potatoes on his plate and starting eating.

By his third bite, he felt small tremors along his hand. Harry sniffed at his food and noticed nothing. As he took his fourth bite, he noticed it- the spoon. They had switched the poisoned spoon with his when he had started eating.

'An excellent piece of Switching Transfiguration indeed,' he thought darkly.

He bit his lips as his other hand started to shake too. He knew very well which potion was used - the Paralyzing Draught. It was made from Gormwood and Aconite, took control over the motor nerves and lasted 24 hours. It had no antidote, whatsoever. It was just like he had done to Lestrange. Raising his head, many of the Slytherins snickering and chuckling among themselves, prominent among them was Lestrange. He frowned as his hands started shaking more violently along with his feet. He carefully removed the leather bracelet from his hand.

"Engorgio," he whispered. The bracelet grew to a belt and he carefully unraveled it revealing several vials. He pulled out a clear blue one and a pure white one before charming the belt back to its bracelet form. His friends were watching him worriedly as the shaking grew more violent. He hastily cast an alarm charm on the blue potion before opening the pure white vial.

Ignoring his shaking hands, he drank it all in one gulp. Icy cold liquid went past his throat, numbing the whole area. He was well aware of the eyes on him. He bit his lip as he removed a book from his bag and opened it in front of him.

"Harry, are you okay?" Maya, who was sitting in front of him, asked.

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"The Slytherins, well, I think it's Lestrange, poisoned me with Paralyzing Draught."

"What?" Charlus asked, "but- we need to go to the mediwitch. I'm sure she'll find something."

"Paralyzing potion has no antidote," Harry said as the shaking started to reduce, "she won't be able to help me, at least not in conventional methods."

"But you just took something? And the shaking is reducing…"

"I took the Icy death of Morgana." Harry could barely feel his fingers as he flipped through the pages while the numbness spread through his whole body.

"That's a Class 1 poison," Charlus replied, his eyes wide in horror.

"Every poison is an antidote and every antidote is poison, Charlus," Harry merely hummed as he kept looking his book. The shaking were reduced to tremors by now but pain started shooting through his limbs. He was well aware of the eyes of the majority of Gryffindor and Slytherin on him. Hopefully the professors weren't pay him any attention. The second trickled by as his skin turned paler. His fingernails were turning pale blue and he was sure that so were his lips.

He could no longer turn the page by this point. His vision blurred. He closed his eyes as pain lanced through his whole body. He had to use every inch of his determination not to cry out. He felt like his whole body was drowned in the iciest of water.

"Harry," he could barely hear Maya - as if she was across the hall, instead of in front of him. He tried to reply to hear but he merely whimpered. He almost cried out in relief as the clear blue vial in front of him shone white. He hastily uncorked it, after trying to maneuver his numb hands, and gulped it all. The book fell out of his lap and he grasped the table edge as he felt the pain slowly reducing. His skin regained its healthy colour and so did his fingernails and lips. He sighed when the feeling returned to his limbs. He grinned, flexing his fingers.

"What the hell was that?" Charlus managed to ask while his friends looked at him as if he was a ghost. "You looked like you were in pain."

"I was. Icy Death inflames your pain nerves throughout your body. But it also erodes all potions affecting your motor nerves, those for moving and feelings and all potions attached to them like the paralyzing draught. "

"I thought Icy Death killed you in one excruciating minute."

"Not the way I brewed it."

"That was… unreal," Theodore said, his dinner barely touched.

"Thanks," Harry smiled as he rose from his seat, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some… friends to visit."

Under the stares of the whole Great Hall, Harry made his way to the Slytherin table. He sat in the sole empty seat in front of Riddle ignoring the glares sent by the rest of the table.

"Seriously?" he told Lestrange, "Poisoning a potions prodigy? That's the best you can do? Well, to be frank, I admit it must have been my fault. I somehow overestimated your capabilities. Turns out you are even more worthless than I initially thought, Lestrange."

"You, little-" Lestrange said as he drew his wand.

"Expelliarmus," Harry drawled and he disarmed the boy wandlessly, "I am immensely disappointed. Is this the fabled cunning of the might Salazar that the Slytherin boast of?"

"That's a very serious accusation to make in the pit of snakes, Evans," Riddle smiled at him yet his voice remained frigid cold.

"Well, there' s not much threat for a lion among grass snakes, is there?"

"So you think you are surrounded by grass snakes?" Riddle chuckled, dark and dangerous.

"Hmm, mostly. Though I do see a few adders, hiding their true venom," Harry said as his eyes roved over the table, "a few rattlesnakes who have more bark than bite , one flobberworm-" at this point Harry smirked pointedly at Lestrange who was shaking in rage.

"You piece-" Lestrange started but Harry merely silenced him with a wave of his hand before continuing.

"Have your father not taught you to not interrupt when your betters are talking, Lestrange? Now where was I? Ah, yes, and of course, the reigning King Cobra." He stared at Riddle at the last part.

"Indeed," Riddle replied with small tug of his smile on his lips, "I must say you just had the most interesting dinner. If I'm not wrong, you did intake the Icy Death of Morgana and yet…"

"I'm here?" Harry smiled, "well, it was one of my personally brewed potions. They tend to be different and personalized. I have found that the pain caused by the original poison can be dragged over several minutes after certain modification."

"That must be very… painful."

Harry shrugged. "Like a mild Cruciatus."

"How interesting," Riddle said with a glint in his eyes, "I guess that's how you overrode the paralyzing potion. By inflaming the pain nerves and eroding the Draught controlling your motor cells."

"Indeed."

"I'm truly impressed by your capabilities, Evans," Riddle continued, "I assure you that Lestrange will not be pestering you from now forth."

"It's okay, Riddle. I must admit he is mildly amusing. You know, like a small pet that keeps barking at you to get your attention but would never bite you…" At this point, Lestrange lunged to grab Harry before he was brought to his seat by Malfoy who was sitting by his side.

"Be careful, Lestrange," Harry said, his voice devoid of all nonchalance and warmth, as he withdrew his wand and twirled it between his fingers, "my capabilities go beyond wandless disarming and silencing spells."

"I doubt that, you dirty mudblood," Lestrange snarled at him, all decorum lost.

Harry clenched his fist. "Avada!"

A jet of green light left his wand and impacted Lestrange. Several of the students jumped away from him. The few girls screamed. Riddle sat at his place unmoved while Harry laughed as Lestrange's hair turned a Gryffindor red.

"What's the meaning of this?" Slughorn said, walking towards the group.

"Sorry, sir," Harry said, all coldness from earlier vanished only to be replaced by his signature innocent and flushed look, "I- well, I was saying that I have crafted my own spell and Lestrange dared me. He didn't believe me. I just- I'm sorry. I just couldn't help showing off. I… turned his hair red with one of my spells."

Slughorn laughed. "Don't worry, my boy. What's the use of having a few skills if you don't show them to a couple of friends. And crafting your own spells… boy, you continue to surprise me."

"Well, I learnt that it was a useful tool for potioneers. And you would know, Sir. After all, you are the one who have invented the Inviro spell which all the potioneers use."

Slughorn preened at the compliment, "I should be appalled that Grouch is spilling all my secrets to you, my boy." But he seemed far from displeased. In fact, he seemed very pleased that the news had reached his students' ears.

"Anyway, glad to see you here among my Slytherins. I am sure that you will be able to help each other. So let's just say, ten points to Gryffindor for fostering inter-house relations and twenty points for this marvelous of spellcrafting."

Harry smirked as Slughorn turned and returned to his place. "And this, Lestrange, is how they do proper cunning and ambition?" He winked at the fuming boy and laughed as he rose and walked away. That red hair wouldn't be coming off till at least three days.


Harry walked along the Charms aisle, looking for a reference for Professor Flitwick's lastest essay. He ran his hands along the spine of the books, perusing along the golden and silver letters on the leather-bound books.

"Hello, Evans."

Harry turned and saw Riddle walking towards him.

"Hello, Riddle. Such a surprise meeting you here." Though he hardly believed it. If they met, it was because Riddle wanted to.

"It is definitely a pleasant surprise. By the way, I wanted to talk to you. I hope that you don't take Lestrange's actions against me or my housemates."

"Of course not," Harry smiled. His insides squirmed and his grasp on the book tightened.

"Glad to hear that. Like I said last night, my friends and I were very impressed by your capabilities shown during the past few weeks. We have a small… club reserved for those who have a higher capability as wizards and witches. I would like to invite you."

"I'm flattered, Riddle but I don't think someone with my standing would fit amongst your friends."

"Don't be so quick to judge, Evans," Riddle smiled, reminding of a shark circling him, or worst, a deadly King Cobra about to strike, "My friends are very understanding."

'They would be when you probably threatened them,' Harry mused while he tried to find a proper reply. "Their ways and mine are very different. No matter how understanding they are, there are bound to be some frictions. And I don't want to be reason for discord among your… friends."

"Slytherins are best as friends, Evans," Riddle said. Harry could hear the threat not only in the wordings but also in his tone.

"We both know how much friendship counts in slytherin, Riddle. Now if you'll excuse me."

"Not many are offered this chance, Evans. Especially one from Gryffindor. You will find that it is in your best interest to accept this extended hand of friendship. But no matter. I'm willing to wait. I'm sure that you'll make the right decision over the coming weeks."

Harry nodded and walked away, his magic snarling beneath his skin. Why did he feel like he had just handed in even deeper trouble?


A/N: Hello, everyone. Sorry for such a late update. Got caught up in lots of stuffs. And sorry for the delay in reviews reply. I'll do that as soon as I can.

And thank you for the reviews, favs and follows. Over 100 favs and 200 follows. Nice. :D Anyway, we finally saw Lestrange's revenge. And yes, Riddle is getting more involved, as I promised. He's going to be heavily "invested" in Harry from now on. So what do you think? Please review. It makes me happy. :D