Morningstar: The Rebirth of Nexus: A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters: all rights belong to JK Rowling. I do not own any crossover references used in the story: all rights belong to their original creators. I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

Plot: Tempest Novastorm's Harry is a demon king response: Murdered by the Dursleys for his first act of Accidental Magic, Harry thought his adventure was over, but he was wrong: his adventures aren't over. They have only just begun, for Evil Always Finds A Way!

Challenge Information: Rules: Harry rules over demons

Dumbledore bashing

Ron bashing

Harry learns of magic at a young age

Harry is in Slytherin

Intelligent!Harry

Minerva is on Harry's side at the end

Goblins are allied to Harry

Dark Harry

Optional: Harry is the reincarnation of the last demon king (past life)

If the 1st is accepted, Harry can remember his life or not remember his past life as a demon king

Wrong BWL/GWL

Harry stays with the Dursleys and they serve him

Harry goes to the 'underworld' (world of demons~ whatever you want to call it) to live

James and Lily are alive

Harry joins Voldemort as an equal

Dumbledore knows of Harry's heritage as a Demon King

Fawkes abandons Dumbledore and joins Harry

Good Voldemort

When Harry goes to Hogwarts he has demons as guards with him

Demon attributes (e.g. eyes)

Shadow elemental

Friendship with Malfoy (Draco and Lucius)

Good Snape

Forbidden: Harem!Harry

Fem!Harry

Light Harry

Preferably not slash

Author's Note: So, I know some people might look at this and think it's just a remake, but it's not: the idea of this one is based around a certain game series and my mind just went: what the heck.

So, let the fun begin and, as always, if you don't like it, don't read it.

Recommended Reads: Yield to the Darkness by Quatermass, Dark Lord Potter, Damaged Raven and Apex by JustBored21, Kill me if you can by PercyPendragon3, Harry Potter: Lord of Darkness by AngelSlayer135, The Rise of a Dark Lord by LittleMissXanda, The Downward Spiral Saga – Harry Potter and the Homecoming, Harry Potter and Salazar's Legacy, Harry Potter and the Year of Broken Chains, Harry Potter and the Return of the Lost, Harry Potter and the Dirge of Hope and Harry Potter the End of War – by BolshevikMuppet99, Overlord Potter by Gloweye, Harry Potter and the Next Overlord by JLawrence Kenny, Harry Potter: The Overlord by The Darkest Soul and Harry Potter: The Overlord Returns Home by Gwydion669

Key Pairing: Harry/Ariana

Other Pairings: To be determined

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

'Mental Speech'

/Parseltongue/

Chapter 1: Evil Always Finds A Way

Darkness…

That was all he could see, feel and recall around him.

It was dark…it was cold…and he was scared.

How had he come to be in the darkness?

Where was this dark world?

What happened to him?

These were all questions that burned in his mind as he tried to recall the facts of him being…wherever he was right now.

However, before he could make heads-or-tails of the current situation, the sound of voices nearby drew his attention away from his dilemma.

"It is successful?"

"The Master, he is reborn?"

"Silence: we must wait for him to wake…then we are the Master's to command."

'Master?' he thought, trying to move his body, but all he felt was a strange hardened surface underneath him as well as what felt like cold metal over his body and his hands. As he tried flexing his fingers, a jolt of memory ran through his body, a few snippets of information being made available to him as he sat upon the surface…not laid, but seated.

His name…he could remember his name.

His name was Harry James Potter, although everyone else who knew him preferred to call him things like Boy, Freak, Orphan, Monster and other such foul names and euphemisms.

So, he could remember his name, but he could also remember that…that…no…beyond that, Harry couldn't recall anything else, though when he realised this, his confusion and his sense of bewilderment was replaced by fear and a sense of pain and unease.

Why couldn't he remember anything beyond that?

How had his memory become so muddled and broken that he was now…wherever he was?

"Master moves…Master lives!"

"Hush Childe; do not disturb his awakening: The Master will need time to adjust."

The voices.

They were differently-toned and strangely-garbled, like they were speaking with hisses and croaks rather than human tongue, but even as he came to realise this, there was a part of Harry that wondered how he knew that, much less what was going on around here.

And, of course, there was the part of Harry that wondered to himself why they called him Master.

He was no-one's master, was he?

He was just…just a freak…a boy…an orphan…a monster!

So then why were these things, whatever they were, calling him Master?

Flexing his fingers again, Harry felt the cold metal that covered him shift accordingly before he found himself able to clench his fingers into a fist, his body crying out at him as though he had been sat in the same position for a very long time.

Following the ability to move, Harry took a deep breath and felt a gasp catch itself in his throat as his gasp sounded like the death rattle of a demon.

He didn't know why, but he was suddenly reminded of a certain film villain he'd once seen, draped in black mechanical armour with a cold, hissing, robotic breath that sent chills through everyone who heard it. And, even stranger, when he thought of this villain, he felt good inside, like this thought pleased him and made him happy, which was stranger-still because he couldn't remember any time when he had been happy.

After moving and breathing, Harry went for what should have, by all rights, been first on his list of things he could do now he was awake or whatever state he was in.

Talking.

"Where…am I?"

To his surprise, as soon as his words left his lips, a feeling of fear tinged with awe ran through him when he noticed how his voice had become cold and hard, his words distorted by the item that covered his body, including his face, resulting in a maliciously-sounding growl that almost sounded like the Devil himself were speaking to his underlings.

Instead of an answer, however, Harry's question was received by a loud series of cheers that seemed to echo all around him.

With a low growl that silenced the cries as quickly as they'd risen up, Harry repeated, "Where…am I? Who's there?"

"Master!" exclaimed one of the voices from before.

This one sounded youthful with a hint of experience and knowledge to it that suggested wisdom, "You are safe: you are here…do not be afraid."

"I cannot see!" growled Harry, but the words were no sooner out of his mouth before light suddenly flooded the place he was sat in and, in front of him, Harry saw the strangest creatures ever.

They looked a lot like a small group of small, deformed infants, if not toddlers compared to him with their short, almost stocky, builds, gnarled fingers and stout legs, as well as a sea of wide eyes, tapered ears and pale skin, as well as excitable natures and eyes filled with wonder and glee as they looked up at him.

As Harry looked back at them, he saw one, whom he guessed was the leader of these creatures – whom also seemed to be the tallest of them, although he couldn't have been any taller than the height of Harry's foot to his thigh – approach him before he bowed before Harry.

He was dressed in a strange piece of black clothing that seemed to wrap around his body like a shawl of some kind, save for a single silver marking over his left breast-side that was shaped like a strange letter of some kind, almost like a letter a, unless Harry's eyes were deceiving him.

"Master," the creature remarked, its voice being the one that told Harry not to be afraid, "Welcome back: I am Alpha and I am here to help Master return to the world."

Even with his deep, rattling breaths, Harry had to admit he sounded pretty scary, but something about the way this creature, this…Alpha looked up to Harry like a peasant before a King helped to put aside his fascination for now as he looked to the creature in question, his unusually-distorted, monstrous-sounding voice once again rippling from within his strange prison-like cocoon of metal as he growled at Alpha.

"Where…is this place? What…what happened to me?"

"Master sits within the embracing folds of the Nexus, Master," Alpha replied, his eyes – which Harry then noticed to be as pale as a freshly-polished pearl – watching the being in front of him as he explained, "For centuries, it has been the ruling seat of power for the greatest, worthiest souls, all of whom have commanded legions and wielded the powers of the Darkest of the Dark Gods. And now, the Nexus has chosen you to be our newest Master, our new King: praise him, for Master is reborn, stronger and more powerful than ever."

"But," Harry argued, a note of fury, as well as a very small hint of fear lacing his words as he asked, "Why can't I remember anything? I remember my name and that's it; what happened to my memory?"

"Master's spirit has been entombed within the Nexus for many moons, Sire," Alpha explained, clearly being the only one of the creatures that could address Harry at this moment, "As a result, Master has suffered heavily due to maximum emotional traumas and the decimations of Master's soul."

"Let's pretend I understand as much as a word of what you just said," Harry reasoned, lifting what he now saw to be an armoured finger, which was jet-black in colour with a smooth, black silk lining around his limb, providing comfort and warmth, if only to Harry himself, as he asked, "Who…or what the hell are you?"

Once again, Alpha bowed low as he answered Harry, "As I said, Master: I am Alpha, eldest member of Master's personal servants, the Council of the Netherkind: with me are Zeta, Beta, Gamma and Sigma, the other souls born and chosen to serve our new Master: we have watched the Nexus for many months now, waiting for the day when our Master would rise again."

'Council of the Netherkind?' Harry wondered to himself, feeling a headache coming on as he took this information to heart, 'Nexus? None of this makes any sense…and what did he mean by my emotional traumas? If only I could remember…whoa!'

The last remark came from Harry lifting his hand to massage at his brow, only to find a strange helmet covering his face and a suit of the craziest, most-terrifying-looking armour he'd ever seen covering his body.

It was jet-black in colour and seemed to be made up of ridged and spiked parts that gave it a look of the devil himself. Certain parts of the armour, such as the chest-plate and the arms and shoulder plates, had red highlights that seemed to present the image of blood rushing through the armour as well as the being inside it. The spikes on the shoulder-plates seemed to rise up like two pairs of wings either side of Harry's body and, as he looked himself over, Harry had to admit it.

He looked good!

"So," he hissed, looking to Alpha with renewed curiosity, almost as though the final check on his body was the final symbol he needed in order to be fully-returned to consciousness and his true self. "Are you saying that you're here to obey me?"

"We are here to be your humble servants, Master," Alpha replied, bowing submissively, though he seemed as eager to continue addressing his master as before as he explained, "We obey all commands of the Master and seek only the reformation of the powers of the Nexus. Now that you are chosen, we of the Council and all other Netherkind are here to obey you."

"Chosen?" asked Harry, narrowing his eyes as he asked, "How? When?"

"When your mortal body died, Master," Alpha replied, his voice speaking of the event as though he was commenting on some holy event, "When your soul was claimed by the Nexus, thus beginning your joyous rebirth."

"You WHAT?" Roared Harry, his voice thundering around the chamber as he asked, "Do you mean to tell me that I'm dead?"

"Yes, Master," Alpha replied, his response more like someone commenting on the weather.

As Harry tried to think on what he was meant to say in response to that, he looked back to Alpha as he asked, "What happened?"

"Master was broken down by unworthy freaks who…"

Whatever else Alpha might have said faded into obscurity as Harry felt like someone had just struck him with a bolt of lightning.

As soon as the strange little creature had said freaks, something sparked up in Harry, bringing memories to the forefront of his mind.

Nexus

He remembered being found by a shrieking half-human, half-horse thing that claimed they wouldn't allow him to be there before some other thing who looked more like a human-whale hybrid convinced the horse-one otherwise, saying how Harry could prove useful and how they would stamp it out of him so he couldn't be a threat for them or their Diddykins, whoever that was.

He also remembered being shoved, unceremoniously, into a small, cramped, dark space with no light, no warmth and no comfort.

When he screamed, they screamed back and, at one point, the whale-one force-fed him some disgusting liquid that knocked him right out. Then he was woken by them screaming about his smell and how he was a disgusting little monster whom they would make learn his lesson.

He remembered working, as he was told to do, and trying not to spill anything as he cleaned the kitchen when, all of a sudden, some kind of human-animal hybrid – this one more like an ugly pig or boar – ran into him with a tricycle, causing him to spill the water all over the floor while the pig-one asked about food and, when Harry didn't answer, the pig-one started rolling around on the floor, screaming for Mummy.

When the horse-one saw what had happened, she took a frying pan to Harry's head, calling him a freak for hurting her son with his freakishness.

Curiously, as soon as she mentioned chocolate to help him feel better, pig-one made a miraculous recovery.

He remembered going to school, and learning his name in the process because whale-one couldn't put Freak on the forms.

He remembered being terrorised and chased, unable to learn or make friends; he remembered being praised by a teacher and shouted at by another for cheating, but when he got scared, he remembered the teacher's hair changing colour before the lights and windows had smashed.

Seconds later, he remembered being pulled into a car and driven away.

That was the last thing he remembered.

Nexus

As the memories washed over him, Harry frowned before he looked down at Alpha, who was eagerly waiting to serve and obey his whims, before Harry asked, "My…I remember my life…but I…I'm only a child?"

"As a mewling quim of a human, you are a child, Master," agreed Alpha, bending down to kiss Harry's boots as he went on, "But as our Master, who falls from one and rises as another, you are immortal and ageless, faceless and formless. The Nexus rebuilds you and, while it does that, restoring you to greatness and making you more than you ever were, you are still our Master, and, as such, your once-human soul is entombed safe and sound, whilst being nourished, like a Mother nursing its young, by the Dark Gods' Blessings within your armour."

While Harry was surprised by this, Alpha went on, "And, part of that rebirthing process is to give you the knowledge, wisdom and power of all our former Masters, to make you eternal in every sense of the word. Then, when the time comes, the Underworld will tremble in your wake, oh Almighty One; the Powers of the Dark Gods shall be yours to command and the Legions of the Netherworld shall once again bow down and worship you as they always have…and, come the day, cometh the hour…on that day, Darkness shall, forever, once again, be your Ally…"

Here, Harry felt a shiver of dread and pleasure pass through him when Alpha actually leapt up so that he was standing on the lap of his young lord, looking right up into Harry's eyes with his pearlescent stare as he went on.

"For, in the end, Evil Always Finds A Way, Sire…always!"

Nexus

Even though he was being rebuilt, as Alpha had called it, Harry was a little relieved to notice he could do more than just move his hands or his head; in time, he could also rise up out of his throne and move about in his armour, though he couldn't remove it…not yet, anyway.

As Alpha had said it, so too did Harry realise how the Armour he wore was more like a dark, metallic cocoon and Harry was the small, fleshy human of a caterpillar inside, growing, changing, evolving and becoming something more than just an insect to be squashed under someone else's boots.

No more a boy…soon, he would elevate to the rank of God and rule over his new dominion.

And yet, just like when he'd spoken, when he moved and even when he started regaining more of his memories, the eagerly-obedient and delighted members of the Council of the Netherkind seemed content to cheer on and revere his strength and recovery as they parted ways for him, allowing him to stride through their path like a giant walking through a village of insignificant fleshlings whose only purpose was to serve him.

Once he found the strength to rise and move, Harry left his throne as he wandered through the dark domain he was now, apparently, the new Lord and Master of, with Alpha at his side while the other council creatures left to do…whatever it was they did during their time.

Unlike what Harry had assumed, given the fact he was a Master to a group of little slaves that worshipped his every action and treated his word like divine writ, he wasn't holed up in a castle or a palace. Instead, his place of rebirth was a large, darkly-formed, but well-lit tower of obsidian with an array of low-burning torches that burned with darkest-yellow light, bathing everything in a hell-born glow that made Harry think of the tales of Hell and the Devil from school and the place he had died.

'No,' he thought as he traversed one of the many stairways in the tower, this one taking him up towards the peak of the tower even as Harry thought to himself, 'Not died…murdered! And for what? For having a special power? For being something they weren't?'

Without realising it, a low, beastly growl tore out of Harry, though the sound of it caused the torches to dim in their sockets while, by his master's side, Alpha bowed low as he asked, "Is something troubling you, Sire? Perhaps there is a way we can be of service? Would you desire someone to torture? A fresh soul to eat? Perhaps some entertainment?"

"How about someone I can kill?" asked Harry, his dark-toned voice more demonic in nature than it had been when he'd sat upon his throne.

And yet, the sound of it only pleased him further as he growled out, "I remember what happened to me, Alpha, and I want the guilty ones to pay for what they did to me."

"And they shall, my Lord," agreed Alpha, though he sounded as giddy as a schoolboy when he said it, almost as though Harry's bloodthirsty attitude was exactly what the strange creature had been waiting for. "Once you are rebuilt and your true self emerges from within the Nexus, we shall gladly walk the world of mortals and bring your pets to you. Of course, if you desire, you may sit your dark regalness upon your throne and simply observe as we play with your pets for you, Master."

For a moment, a flicker of amusement passed through Harry before, looking down at Alpha, he chuckled as he hissed, "Do you know something, Alpha? I think I'm going to like having you and your friends around after all."

"We are here to please and serve you as you demand of us, Master," explained Alpha, reaching the top of the stairway, which seemed to open out into a large chamber with a ceiling that looked like the spiked base of an obsidian-coloured diamond with a large, open balcony that allowed Harry to view the realm beyond.

To his bemusement, the realm beyond was as dark as the rest of his domain: an endless stretch of inky-blackness that, with his new eyes, Harry saw rose up here and there, indicating hills or mountains, though his tower was the largest thing there. As he stared out across the black expanse, Harry noticed several clusters of light, some of which seemed way off in the distance while the nearest was about two miles from where he was watching the realm below.

Staring straight down, a flicker of amusement passed through Harry again when he saw what looked like actual rivers of reddish-golden-coloured molten lava flowing around the base of his dark tower while, as he looked up, he saw naught, but blood-red skies that crackled and rumbled with the telltale signs of a thunderstorm.

He could also feel a very icy breeze blowing through the entire realm – though, either thanks to his armour or because he was Master of the Realm, Harry also noted he didn't feel the cold, like a human would, and thought it bad – while, as he stared up at the dark skies, Harry caught glimpses of several ghostly, black shadows flitting their way into and out of the red skies overhead.

Resting his hands upon the edge of the balcony, Harry drew in a slow breath before he sighed softly as he asked, "What is this place, Alpha? Hell?"

"If it is, it is not the Hell the mortals believe awaits the corrupt, the convicted and the condescending," answered Alpha, earning a sideways look from Harry as the small minion went on. "This is the Netherworld, Master: eternal domain of the Dark Rulers who came before you and all whom will follow in your Grace and, like you, take command over the legions of Darkness, Death and Damnation. It is home to many races of nightmare and death and the seat of power that rightfully belongs to He-Who-Is-Chosen-By-The-Nexus-To-Rule-Us-All!"

Just like he had done when he'd addressed Harry upon the throne, Alpha jumped up onto the balcony before spreading his arms in a wide arc as he explained, "All you see and all that hides in the shadows is yours to do with as you please, Master. All whom reside here are yours to do with as you please and all who would call themselves emissaries of your Dark Glory are yours to call upon whenever you see fit."

Rising up once more as he considered what his still-unusual companion and devoted servant was telling him, Harry folded his arms, letting his fingers drum against the armour of the opposite arm before he let out a hum of interest that sounded more like a low, predatory snarl.

After only a moment, Harry looked back to Alpha before he asked, "Tell me more about those who serve me."

"All Netherkind serve you, Master," replied Alpha, earning a low growl from Harry that seemed to suggest he wanted more details than just that.

As always, Alpha was perfectly-willing to oblige his lord's unspoken command, "Your Realm, the Netherworld is the dominion of the worst of the worst, many of which are known to the feeble-spirited mortals as demons, as well as races of creatures spawned from the blackest corners of their nightmares. Everything mortals fear, or believe hides in the shadows waiting to come out and snack on their souls, chances are, they're down here, ready, willing, able and eager to serve their Master…you, Sire."

"Demons?" asked Harry, though it was more to himself than anyone else, but that didn't stop Alpha from responding to his Lord's curiosity.

"Indeed, Sire: many races of Demons, from the Spiritual Races, such as those who dwell and serve in the Elements, to the more-grotesque, and therefore, more-fun Nether Demons, the Old Ones, as well as many lesser demon races, some of whom inhabit monstrously-fun visages while others require the gracious aid of a mortal to experiment with their powers. All of them are here, all of them are willing and, should you ever grow bored of them, Sire, all of them are able to die, just to please you…or feed you, if you wish it."

"Feed me?" asked Harry.

"Yes Master," answered Alpha, looking back at Harry with his pearlescent stare as he explained, "The Nexus is born of the soul of the Chosen One, so it is only fitting that souls, both mortal and immortal, as well as the amortal, are used to nourish you. Of course, if you wanted to be boring, you could dine as a mortal dines, but you need not waste your hunger on such trivial affairs. Flesh, souls, blood and all other forms of life and energy you may wish to feast upon from your enemies; all shall feed your hunger and, as you feed, so too shall you grow stronger until you are as eternal as Darkness itself."

"Really?" asked Harry, an amused snigger lacing his words as he asked, "And, tell me, do I have to feed, or I will grow weaker and maybe even die again? Or can I just do it for the pleasure of being stronger and well-fed, Alpha?"

"You do it because you want to do it, Lord, not because you must feed like a mere mortal," answered Alpha, earning another cold chuckle from Harry as he looked back out across the view of the Netherworld.

His Netherworld.

His domain.

His new home, from where he would unleash Hell on everyone who stood in his way.

"I was hoping you would say that."

Nexus

Some Time Later

Harry was so…bored!

Because the atmosphere, the light and the scenery never seemed to change in the Netherworld, Harry had no idea with regards to how long he had been caged within the Nexus.

It could have been days…

Weeks…

Months…

Maybe even years!

He just didn't know!

It wasn't as if he had a watch or even a clock indicating the passage of time.

Not only that, but while his body was being rebuilt and the power of the Nexus made his to command, he was also annoyed, if not more than a little alarmed to discover that he couldn't sleep, so he was awake for what seemed like an age and more.

As Alpha had told him, he also didn't need to eat or drink – not that he could eat or drink with his helmet covering his mouth – so passing the time with a good meal was also off the cards that day.

He considered passing the time by tormenting a few of the Netherkind, just to see if Alpha was right about them eager to please him, but because he was still in the dark, figuratively-speaking, as to what he could do with the Nexus, he decided to err on the side of caution, at least until he was out of his cocoon.

But, by the Dark Gods, he prayed it would be soon before he was driven insane with his armoured isolation and confinement!

Nexus

In a bid to pass the time, Harry explored more of his Dark Tower to see what, exactly, he owned as Lord of the Netherworld.

To his bemusement, he found more than simple knickknacks and bric-a-brac in his new home.

In some places, the passageways were just as dark as the winding stairs that had taken him up to the observation platform while, here and there, several doors led into chambers of varying purposes: many of them were empty, as if awaiting a purpose to be bestowed onto them by the Master of the Tower, while others looked like the sort of thing you might expect to find in a royal's house. One room, which was so large that it seemed to stretch on forever, even beyond the limits of the Tower's size, contained a vast array of evil, malicious-looking weapons and, to Harry's surprise and amusement, further suits of armour of various designs, shapes, sizes and different, dark, bloodcurdlingly-intimidating appearances.

What really amused him was the fact that all the suits of armour and the weapons looked so finely-polished and well-preserved, they might as well have just come out of the shop and left hanging until their wielder had need of them. Some weapons looked like the sort Harry dimly-remembered reading about in school – swords, spears, axes, knives, daggers and bows and arrows – while others looked unusual to the point of odd and as grotesque as grotesque could be.

To his surprise, one or two of them even had darkened features that, when he looked close enough, he was able to recognise them as pieces of flesh, almost as though the weapons had been extracted from the bodies of their wielders themselves.

Then again, this wasn't a world of humans he was ruling over, so the macabre and the supernatural shouldn't be that surprisingly, really, should it?

Nexus

Another chamber that Harry explored was just as surprising as the first when the Dark Master discovered a vast, heavily-packed library, filled with an almost-unlimited range and number of books, scrolls and texts engraved onto solid stone obelisks and tablets, many of which were to be found taking up every corner of the library.

There were also a few desks to use for private studying, as well as a comfortable-looking set of black-leather chairs, which reminded Harry of his throne, set around an ornate fireplace that had a huge, black dragon gargoyle over the top of the fireplace.

When Harry inspected the gargoyle, however, he actually let out a cry of alarm when the gargoyle sprang to life with an audible roar that shook every part of Harry's body right down to the smallest cell.

As for the dragon, when it sprang to life, it glared at Harry with blood-red eyes that seemed to be tinged with black rings, like he was staring into a pair of vortexes in the dragon's eyes, while its body was covered in serrated scales and spiked horns along its back, head and even along its tail. Its wings were so large, they could have blacked out the sun while, as Harry stared at the beast, he saw it open its jaws, revealing a burst of magical energy that looked like a jet-black blend of fire and lightning, brought together in a single, all-consuming blast of sheer destruction.

How it even managed to reach its full size and not attempt to destroy the library it was seemingly-protecting as any other dragon would guard its hoard, Harry didn't know.

And yet, as he stared at the dragon from behind his armoured guise, Harry's eyes widened while his body shuddered with awe and wonder when he saw the dragon close its mouth before, to his shock, it spoke to him.

"Master…you have returned…and with your return, I live again, as do all who walk and fly through the Lands of Damnation!"

The dragon's voice, a male voice, as Harry noticed, was very powerful in its bass, rumbling tone, almost equal, if not greater – not that he'd admit it to anyone except himself and, quite possibly, this huge, but handsome beast of destruction – than Harry's own distorted, dark voice that growled out from behind the armour.

At the same time, the dragon's jaws actually moved when it spoke and, as Harry looked up at the beast, he saw the dragon lower himself down before he met Harry's gaze with his scary, but awe-inspiringly-coloured gaze. "You smell young in your new body, Master: barely a hatchling who would be consumed by his elders for being weak! And yet, your soul is steeped in power: dark, glorious power…yes, now I understand why the Nexus chose this form for you!"

"Do…" Harry rasped, trying and failing to mask his awe and fear of the dragon, even as he addressed it…err…him. "Do you have a name?"

"I have a hundred," growled the dragon, earning a snort of amusement from Harry.

"If I am your Master, you're going to have to give me your name."

"What would you LIKE to call me?" asked the dragon, earning a curious look from Harry, though before he could ask the next question, the dragon spoke again, "My name has always been given to me by your predecessors, Master! As I said, as a result of this, I have had many names in many lifetimes: one called me Alduin, another named me Smaug, one even named me Princess…now THAT was insulting, but I put up with it, as is my charge, so what should you wish to call me?"

"Not Princess," drawled Harry, earning what could have been described as a snort of relief from the dragon before Harry took a step back from the beast, allowing himself to take in every inch of its size and grandeur before he looked into the dragon's eyes once more as he addressed him.

"Lucifer…if I am to choose your name, then I name you…Lucifer."

"Lucifer?" asked the dragon, flicking his tongue before he chuckled softly as he added, "I remember one of your predecessors claimed it was the name of the Mortal Devil, Lord of Darkness and Supreme Ruler of Hell: interesting choice, Master! And appropriate too!"

"Why?"

"Because," answered Lucifer, lowering his massive bulk down as he looked into Harry's eyes once more, "During one of your former lives, your predecessor created a bloodline of Magical Mortals whom would serve him from that power. To mark their place, he bestowed onto them the name of Morningstar, which he claimed was the true name of the Devil. Sadly, if my memory serves me correctly, the name of Morningstar was lost to the mortal magi and became bastardised by religious persecution and their feeble notions of Good and Evil."

"So…am I a Morningstar?" asked Harry.

"If you should CHOOSE to be," replied Lucifer, earning a hum of amusement from Harry before the great dragon added, "Now I am awake, Master, my flame is yours! I sense you have more to discover among your domain, so I will leave you to your explorations, but feel free to visit again! I have missed discussing trials and tribulations with my former Masters!"

"I…I will, thank you, Lucifer," said Harry, holding out a hand to pet the dragon's scales, earning a rolling purr from Lucifer as he actually nuzzled the Lord's armour before Harry left the library to continue his explorations.

Though it was not the last time he visited, spoke with or brought anything concerning his life to the dragon's attention.

Nexus

As well as the armoury and the library – and, of course, the dragon – Harry was just as surprised, but not in a bad way, to find chambers that could be used to house guests, as well as dungeons for prisoners, which seemed to descend down to many more levels, suggesting the Master's Prisons were the sort of place you didn't want to find yourself in.

In the dungeons, Harry also felt an odd chill pass over him while, beneath his armour, the child he was suddenly felt as though all the happiness had been sucked out of the air while, when he explored the deeper levels of the prisons, he found ice forming on the walls and floors while moans, cries and even screams of terror came from many different cells.

At one point, as Harry returned to the main body of the Tower, he was briefly startled by the appearance of a large, hooded figure who seemed to glide through the air, sucking at it as though it was searching for something.

The creature had grey, scabbed and deformed hands, as well as a face that Harry could see, despite the thickness of the creature's tattered robes, but what he saw was grey skin and a wide, gaping hole where the mouth should have been; it was this hole in the creature's face that was sucking at the air and, even as he stared at the creature, Harry felt a shiver pass over him before, to his surprise, the creature shrank back and let out a high-pitched shrieking sound that could have been mistaken for a dog pining.

Frowning at this act, Harry suddenly had a flash of inspiration, which he later realised had come from the Nexus providing him with the knowledge he needed to use his new powers.

In the meantime, he simply drew on his dark power before he asked, "Alpha?"

'Master?' asked the voice of his chief advisor and aide, echoing through his mind, even though he wasn't by Harry's side.

This also told the young boy that his Council members, and possibly many other Netherkind, could hear his voice and commands, no matter where he might be, but he kept that thought to himself as he commanded, "This creature: tell me about it."

'The humans call it a Dementor, Master,' replied Alpha, earning a curious look from Harry while the voice of the Chief Council Member went on. 'A Soul Eater who feeds on the happiness and light in all mortals: one of your predecessors, a truly-malevolent ruler named Ekrizdis, he birthed the Dementors from the Darkest of Magic: experimentation on the souls of the damned. While the humans would name them Dementors, your former self gave them another name: he called them Hollows, because they are such: they know no fear, feel no mercy and hold no loyalties to anyone or anything…save the power of the Nexus and He Who Rules Them. In time, humans developed a means to repel the Dementors, a Patronus Charm, but even their greatest efforts fail. There is no true way of executing them…save for their power being destroyed by the Master; you, Sire.'

"That's why it fears me?"

'It worships you, as does its kin,' explained Alpha, earning an amused chuckle from Harry while Alpha continued, 'Similarly, there is a second horde of more-carnivorous demonic embodiments known as Lethifolds whom also worship your greatness, my King. Like the Dementor, a Lethifold knows nothing of fear, nor mercy, remorse or regret, but unlike a Dementor, a Lethifold feeds gladly and, upon filling its belly with its prey, it leaves nothing behind: the flesh of Man is their favourite dish, but the flesh of Man coupled with a rotted soul steeped in dark intentions…oh, Majesty, tis a banquet to them!'

"Good to know," rasped Harry.

As he did so, he heard Alpha chuckling in his mind, 'Your delight at the thought of the suffering of mere mortals is a sign of your ascension nearing its end, Master: soon, your rebirth shall be complete and, on that day, the next Master of the Nexus shall be complete! And the world will weep tears of blood from their very souls…it's only a matter of time, Sire!'

Harry said nothing in response to that.

Nexus

One of the last places in his Dark Tower that Harry discovered was a single chamber beneath the main staircase that rose up into the Tower and down towards the dungeons.

Unlike other chambers, this one was concealed by a large, spiral-shaped mosaic that seemed to go on forever, sort of like a cross between a coiled serpent and the Ouroboros symbol, but, when Harry lifted a hand to inspect the interesting design, he was a little surprised to discover the seal-like door springing to life at his touch.

Seconds later, the door opened, revealing a large chamber that was nothing but a second winding stairway that led down into the belly of the earth where, eventually, it opened out into a vast dome-like structure, which seemed to be completely devoid of life.

And yet, as Harry entered the dome, he felt his body tense up while his blood ran colder than cold could be as he heard an ominous, otherworldly roaring sound filling the chamber.

Looking around, Harry saw nothing but the dome.

However, as he glanced up, his eyes widened with a mixture of alarmed disbelief when he saw what looked like a mass of writhing, swirling, thrashing shadows, which seemed to make up a large cluster of blackened cloud-like shapes with flashes of fiery-red, gold, white and silver dotted here and there throughout the writhing mass.

Frowning as he eyed the strange sight, Harry drew himself up to his full height before he whispered, "What in the name of Darkness are you?"

As if responding to his question, the mass grew thicker-still before Harry's eyes widened as a single black shaft of the strange energy flew down to the ground; as it struck the ground, spreading smoke and embers everywhere in its landing, the blackened mass took on the form of what looked like a young girl with raven-black hair, milky-pale skin and eyes that seemed to be pure-white, like a blind man, but with something in their eyes that made Harry shiver even as he looked at her.

The girl wore a single, black gown, which seemed to drift around her, like living shadows, as she looked up at him before, giving him a warm, friendly smile, she dropped to her knees.

"Hail to you, Lord Morningstar, Master of Darkness and Damnation! It is an honour to serve you once more, Master; please, order me to do what you will. My brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and friends are yours…as am I."

"And…who are you?" asked Harry, looking up at the black mass for only a moment before he returned his attention to the girl as she answered him.

"My name is Ariana Dumbledore, Master: Obscurial, Shadow Maiden, Demoness of Destruction and, most-importantly, to you anyway, your new pet, if you want me to be…"

While Harry felt confused, if not amused by the girl's frankness, he saw her look up at him with a childish grin before she cocked her head to one side before she addressed him again.

"So, not to sound weird or disrespectful here, Master, but…would you mind if I call you Harry?"

YOWZAH!

Talk about an amazing opening to a truly-dark-natured adventure: having been murdered, Harry is now reborn as some kind of Dark God, but what will he do about those who wronged him and made him die as a human?

Also, WOWIE-WOWIE-WOW!

Ariana Dumbledore is ALIVE – so to speak – and seems eager, if not pleased as punch to serve Harry: how might a certain someone handle this little surprise if and when its revealed to him?

Keep Reading to Find Out

Next Chapter: The Dark Egg hatches and the new-and-improved Harry James Potter is born…or reborn, as the case may be, but like all newborns, the Dark God is ravenously hungry, but not for flesh: he is hungry for revenge!

Please Read and Review

AN: Portrayals

Alpha – voice: Robert Wisdom

Lucifer – voice: Benedict Cumberbatch (As if it could be anyone else)

Ariana Dumbledore: Rachel Pattee