Disclaimer: I am nothing but a worshipper of the great J.K. Rowling playing in her universe. Anything you recognize is not mine.

A/N: Updated 17-05-2005

DARK PHOENIX

Chapter 2: Voldemort's Turn-around

The last few days had been utterly hilarious.

Harry's relatives had avoided Harry at all costs. They were obviously afraid of him. Not just afraid: terrified. And though it could be annoying at times, Harry was having a better time than usual. The fact that they were avoiding made access to food a lot easier and chores non-existent. Harry used his new free time reading all the magic books in his possession, learning as much as he could, and training physically.

He had no idea what had happened when Vernon had hit him. So he wasn't going to count on it anytime soon.

His training had actually progressed quickly, too quickly for it to be normal. "Then again," Harry thought, "when have I ever been normal?" Something was happening to him, that much he was sure. The question was, was it magical or just the fact that his genes were calling for a growth spurt and he had, for once, the food to back it up? Then again, it could be a mix of both. He was a wizard after all, and it was logical that magic should grow with age as well.

The incident with Vernon also had another side-effect. Harry realised that some people respond very well to threats. He had spent years trying to avoid his relatives' wrath by obedience and subservience only to be locked in a cupboard and starved, occasionally beaten. The one time he actually stands up to his uncle, he ends up with more freedom than he ever had.

There were other incidents when the Dursleys proved themselves responsive to threats. When Harry had received his Hogwarts letter, Vernon had given Harry Dudley's second bedroom. And the threat of Sirius had helped his situation somewhat. It wasn't very fair to use fear against someone, Harry realised, but Harry had had enough of fair. He had an advantage and he didn't intend to lose it.

DPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDP

One night, a few days before his birthday, Harry was troubled. His relatives had been restless during the day, as if they were planning something. They kept glaring at him when he wasn't looking, though they didn't do anything else. Thinking he would figure out this mystery another day, Harry fell asleep forgetting to strengthen his Occlumency shields… The proved to be a most enlightening experience…

For the first time in weeks, Harry didn't dream of torturing his relatives. When he became aware of himself, he was sitting in a dark room luxuriously furnished. He was watching a fire, drinking some sort of beverage. Harry knew he was asleep and dreaming, but even though it was a dream, something was obviously not right.

Then it clicked. This was Voldemort sitting in a chair and Harry was in his mind! Harry tried to escape silently (if silence and noise were possible in a mind).

"Good evening, Potter." The voice resonated in a place without matter, making the serpentine voice even more unsettling than usual. "I have been trying to contact you for quite a while now."

Damn! Voldemort knew he was there. Harry struggled to wake up.

"Wait, my dear Harry. I only wish to speak with you."

Harry as stunned enough to stop thrashing against the immaterial bounds. Since when did Voldemort call him "dear"? And wanted to talk, not kill? Curiosity won over and Harry stayed still, wary.

"And what would you want to speak of with me, Tom?" Harry said the last word with a sneer. Infuriating Voldemort really was quite a bit of fun, and for anyone else, likely to be deadly.

To his astonishment, Voldemort only chuckled. Now Harry was really disconcerted. Voldemort, the insane and sadistic Dark Lord, had a sense of humour?

"If anyone earned the right to call me by my birth name, it would be you, Harry. No one ever escaped my wrath four times, five if you count my diary…" This was getting worse. Voldemort complimenting the Boy-Who-Lived? Is the world still turning 'cause something not right here, Harry thought to himself.

Voldemort heard the thought though. "Don't worry, Harry. The world is still turning and I believe you did earn a compliment or two. And before you ask, we share a powerful mind link, so it is easy to read superficial thoughts."

Harry strengthened his shields as much as he could without breaking the connection. This conversation, however unsettling, was certainly interesting.

"Okay, Tom, you're really freaking me out. We've been speaking for over five minutes and not only have you not insulted me, you actually praised me and you chuckled." Voldemort just chuckled again. "I think you're trying to make me crazy" Harry continued, "I think I prefer you trying to kill me. It's less disturbing."

"No, no, I'm not trying to drive you insane. An insane Harry Potter is the last thing I desire."

"Then what the hell do you want?"

"I want to make an offer."

"An offer, right," Harry was really starting to believe he was in twilight zone. "And what offer would the Dark Lord make to the cause of his downfall? To the teen that has made him look a fool by escaping his grip again and again?"

"It is very simple, Harry. I want you to join me." A very long mental silence followed.

"WHAT? Are you completely mad? Yes of course you are, you're the psychotic Dark Lord. You killed my parents, Cedric and one of your followers killed my Godfather. I won't even mention the fact that you've been trying to kill me for over fifteen years. What in hell makes you think I would want to join you?"

"The fact, Harry, that I have been in your head. When I possessed you, I learned more about you than anyone will ever know. I know how you think. I know who you are, like no one else cares to know. Therefore, I know I can give you what you want."

"If you think I want to become a Death Eater, you know nothing. I will never be slave; I would die before that happened."

"You misunderstand me. I do not wish for you to be my servant. I want you to be an ally, an equal…"

TBC