First off, thank for clicking on my Fan Fiction story :)
I want to say that this story will feature a dark Harry with a Daphne pairing. I've always been partial to a Daphne pairing, largely because she's a canon character without much written about her, which gives a lot of freedom with the character. I also want to preface that dark does mean evil, but I'm not going to guarantee Harry doesn't slip towards evil, at least for a period, but it won't be because he's inherently evil or anything. I'm just trying to imagine how the pressure might affect him in different situations.
Let's also talk about bashing, I personally enjoy fan fictions with bashing, that being said, this story will not have much. I believe that characters like Dumbledore, while flawed, generally tried their best, and I'm going to try to stick to that with this story.
I would love to hear your feedback (especially concerning my writing, I'll read through the chapters but I will miss things), follows, and favorites are greatly appreciated :)
I'm not sure how often I'll update, I'm only going to strive (at least for now) on chapter a week. I'm trying to not to put a lot of pressure on myself to write the entire story in the shortest amount of time possible. Anyways, I hope you enjoy :D
Chapter 1: Strange Encounter on the Train
Starlight leaked through the closed blinds, partially illuminating the near barren bedroom. Inside, a fifteen year old Harry Potter was lying on his small, raggedy bed staring up at the ceiling. Downstairs, he could hear his aunt and uncle throwing their little dinner party. Harry sighed as he rolled over onto his side. Memories from his fifth year of Hogwarts flashed through his head, he sighed thinking about his broken friendships. When I needed it the most, they weren't there, he thought to himself. Of course, Ron and Hermione believed him in the end, but that wasn't because they were Harry's friends. It was because the great and powerful Albus Dumbledore had. As if I'd put my name in the goblet. He'd always dealt with the pressure of being the "Savior of the Wizarding world," alone fairly well, but now Voldemort was back and Harry could feel the world tightening around him. He barely ate, barely slept, and he constantly felt like a weight was sitting on his lungs. "I can't do this..." he whispered to himself. Sitting up in the bed, Harry looked at the window, imagining what his life would be like if he could just leave. It was then that he realized that thinking about his escape, if only for a second, the weight on his shoulders vanished. Dreams, that's the only escape I have left, he chuckled cynically. Tomorrow, he'd be on his way to Hogwarts, but the feeling of relief he used to get from thinking of Hogwarts had faded into apathy. Laying back down on his bed, he let his eyes close, though it'd be a couple hours before he finally fell asleep.
Standing in front of the Hogwarts Express, Harry looked through the crowd for the recognizable Weasley red hair, failing to see it he felt a bit relieved, they were probably already on the train. Harry quickly began looking for an empty compartment. He couldn't imagine riding with his friends and pretending the new year had wiped away the wounds from last year. Sliding into the first empty compartment he found, Harry rested his head against the window while the train began pulling out of the station. Watching as King's Cross faded from view, Harry felt himself beginning to fall asleep, but just as his eyes had drifted close, the compartment door slid open. Harry groaned internally, he expected to hear Ron or Hermione talk about how they'd been looking everywhere for him, but when all he heard was the person sitting down, Harry kept his eyes closed. If it's not them, maybe I can still fall asleep, he thought to himself. "I know you're not asleep Potter," a girl's voice said
"I was about to be." Harry responded, failing to mask his frustration. Looking over at the girl, he couldn't see her face. She was looking a book in her lap and her long, black hair covered her face. "No other cabins?"
"Probably, but I didn't feel like looking." She looked up him, her grey eyes catching him off guard.
"Daphne, right?" Harry asked, though he knew who she was. She smiled at him, but Harry could tell the smile was forced. He'd done the same thing several times over the last year.
"We both know you knew who I was," She responded, "So can we skip the introduction game?"
"Sure, whatever you want," Harry responded, raising his hands, but just as he was about to ask her why she chose this cabin, the door slid open again, revealing Draco and several other fifth year Slytherins. Draco immediately looked at Harry.
"Greengrass, why are you sitting with this... this blood traitor?" Draco asked angrily, drawing his wand. Harry instinctively reached for his wand, but before he could grab it, Daphne snatched Draco's wand out of his hands.
"Fetch" she said as she threw his wand over his head into the hallway.
"This is going to be a long year for you Greengrass." Draco said through clenched teeth, slamming the compartment door shut. Harry began to compliment her, but she cut him off.
"This is your fault Potter." Ice filled her voice. "You thought Draco was bad before?"
"I know." Harry responded, looking out the window at the rolling hills, the defeat in his voice throwing Daphne off.
"What? No retort?" She pushed, staring intently at Harry.
"What's the point? I agree with you. I've not handled things like I should have, people get thrown into dangerous situations around me, and now someone has actually died. So, I'm not going to waste my time trying to pretend that the increased student division isn't my fault."
"Listen Potter, I don't care about your martyr complex." She responded, but the ice in her voice was gone. She felt a bit guilty about what she had said, they may be destined to sit on opposite sides of the war, but for now he was just another fifteen year old who'd seen more than most adults.
"Look, we're getting close to Hogwarts, I'm gonna go find an empty compartment to change." With that, Harry had left the compartment, leaving Daphne speechless and a bit confused.
Harry saw his friends sitting towards the middle of the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, but ignored them when Hermione waved, instead choosing a seat towards the entrance. He didn't want to talk to them, though he knew he would have to soon. Just a bit longer, he rationalized to himself. He mostly ignored Dumbledore's speech, only listening when he heard something about a new Defense teacher appointed by the ministry. She doesn't look like an expert in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry thought, staring at the short woman wearing bright pink robes. It's a good thing I've already been reading up on DADA. His failure to save Cedric and his brush with Voldemort made him realize how woefully unprepared he was. This is not going to be a good year.
From the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, Daphne kept glancing at Harry Potter, sitting alone at the far end of the Gryffindor table. Daphne wasn't the only one who'd notice Harry's strange seat choice. Rumors had already spread through the houses, ranging from a falling out with his friends to Dark Lord Potter, but Daphne was the only one who had an idea. The boy who killed Voldemort as a baby is depressed, Daphne thought to herself. Harry Potter was the last person Daphne had expected to feel like that, but the more she thought about it the more it made sense. People talk about the weight of the world on their shoulders, well he's actually feeling that. Daphne sighed as she looked down at the food she'd been picking at, between Umbridge, a militant Draco, and a depressed Potter, this was going to an interesting year.