At The Crossroads

Disclaimer: I own nothing (that you recognize)

Thanks to: Serpentine Silver for being my first reviewer

Author's Notes: Nightwisp – I don't think I want to have Harry go to Hogwarts at eleven. I have other plans for him at eleven. He needs to cultivate his 'dark personality' :P


Chapter 2 : The First Day Since The Last

A day after the attack

A huge crowd had assembled in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. After yesterday's surprise attack by Voldemort and his Death-Eaters, Hogwarts had been chosen as the temporary Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. As of present time, nearly all of the 90 or so members of the Order was already seated, silently chatting. No doubt, talking about yesterday's events.

The atmosphere was dull and solemn. The Order had suffered a crushing defeat yesterday. Exact statistics were not yet known, though it is rumored that more than 30 Order members had been killed, while only approximately 9 Death-Eaters had been killed or captured in action.

Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Order, Defeater of the previous Dark Lord, Adlar Gridelward, Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot or Wizarding Court's Jury and several other more long-winded titles now strode in with the school's faculty members who are also part of the Order.

Dumbledore's clear blue eyes, usually accompanied by the familiar, almost trademark twinkle, showed no emotion whatsoever. His face was grave and hard, wrinkles more prominently displayed then ever before.

He had called for the emergency convention of the entire Order. There was so many things to be discussed, so many plans that had to be made, and so many questions currently unanswered…

"Fellow members of the Order. Yesterday we have suffered a tragic defeat. I must admit that we have incurred a huge loss of lives, and it pains me to say that the Headquarters at Godrics Hollow has been completely and utterly destroyed. I know that you have many questions to ask. This is the reason for tonight's Order Meeting. But you must all remember one thing. We as the Order of the Phoenix have sworn to safeguard and protect the Wizarding Britain and stand against the Dark. No matter what happens, we will never lose hope. For Good will always triumph over Evil". And with that, Dumbledore concluded his speech.

"And now, lets get on to business. Before we answer the unanswered, is there any reports to be given? Severus?"

Severus "Snivellus" Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts and a spy of the Light started to speak. "The Dark Lord has obviously planned for a while ago. However, I assume that he informed only his Inner Circle, which I am not a part of, about his plan. The rest of us Death-Eaters were only summoned and informed one hour prior to the attack. I myself was not allowed to take part in the battle. The Dark Lord has specifically wanted me to remain behind to brew healing potions for the eventual wounded Death-Eaters.

"Thank you, Severus. Anyone else? Alastor?"

Mad-Eye Moody, Auror Captain, began to report, in his usual growling voice, "I was not there at the battle so I can't comment on it. By the time an Auror squad has been assembled after receiving news of the attack, we still faced the difficulty of getting to the scene of battle. Voldemorts Anti-Apparation Wards seemed to cover the whole neighborhood. We had to apparate nearly 5 miles from Godric's Hollow. Portkeying was also impossible. By the time we arrived, it was too late."

"The entire neighborhood was destroyed by Voldemort. He practically incinerated a radius 2-3 miles around the Hollow. The flames were just dying down when I left the scene again this morning. The entire place; there was nothing left. Just burnt earth and a few rocks here and there."

"Thank you Alastor."

"I assume the question all of you must be thinking of is how did Voldemort manage to penetrate our defenses, or to put it simply: How did Voldemort find Godric's Hollow?", Dumbledore finished, bringing up the question in everyone's minds.

Arthur Weasley stood up and started to question, "Yes Albus. How on earth did You-Know-Who break the Fidelius Charm?"

"I'm afraid our Secret Keeper, Peter Pettigrew has betrayed us all to Voldemort. Severus has only informed me last night. Pettigrew had gone into service with Tom", Dumbledore answered grimly.

There was a huge uproar following this piece of news. Everyone was feeling a mixture and shock and anger. How could Peter Pettigrew have turned?

"It is also with great regret that Harry Potter, the elder son of our prominent members, James and Lily Potter (who had been excused from the meeting) is declared missing and feared dead…"


Harry though, is neither missing nor dead. At this point of time, he is unconscious and being brought inside Slytherin's Lair, main base of operations for Voldemort and his Death-Eaters.

Tom Riddle now stood inside his private chambers, wondering what exactly to do with the unconscious boy now lying on his bed. There was many things to be arranged. He decided to keep the existence of the boy from everyone else for now, at least kept from most people. The Dark Lord, however, would not reveal the true identity of the boy. Not to anyone in the distantly foreseeable future.

First things first, the Dark Lord had to find someone to teach the Dark Arts and other magic to the boy.

Speaking of which, Harry had started to awaken.


Harry awoke, still feeling a little drowsy. He could not remember the events of the previous day clearly. All he recalled was a huge battle going on in the manor and a jet of green light hitting him.

Looking up, he found himself in unfamiliar surroundings. The room, though having a dark atmosphere to it, was lavish and resplendent. It was lighted up by six flaming torches, spread strategically around the room.

"You have awakened".

Harry turned to the source of the cold voice to see a tall figure with glowing red eyes staring back at him. He was determined not to show any signs of fear to this stranger though.

"Who are you. Where are my parents", Harry asked.

"I am Lord Voldemort. You parents have abandoned you during the battle yesterday. I was the one who brought you here.

"I don't believe you. Mum and Dad would never leave me behind!", he shouted frantically.

"Or would they?", came the cold voice of Voldemort.

Harry did not know what to think, or what to do. Had his parents really left him behind? It seemed most likely to be true, seeing how his parents had treated him in the past.

He felt a wave of anger pass through him. His parents did not care for him. He never could seem to please them. But Harry realized only now that they never really wanted him around, and had left him to die.

'How could they', he thought furiously.

"I do not have all the time to waste. I know that your parents do not love you, have neglected you and now had abandoned you. They are FOOLS! They do not realize your immense potential. You will grow up to be an extremely powerful wizard. I now offer to raise you as my heir. I will train you in magic and help you reach your potential."

It was then that Harry made up his mind. He would not need his parents. Since this man was willing to take him in and train him, he would do all his best and show the world Harry James Potter is not one to be trifled with.

And he would eventually have his revenge against his parents for leaving him to die…

"I will stay.", Harry said firmly

Voldemort smiled in satisfaction. Had the boy disagreed or put up a struggle, he would have him eliminated. But he preferred this outcome.

"Good".

"How should I address you?"

"You shall address me as Lord Voldemort!", the Dark Lord replied.

"But that sounds horrible", Harry protested

"Crucio"

Harry screamed out loud and fell to the floor as the most excruciating pain ever struck him. It felt as though white hot knives were continuously stabbing through every inch of his body. Never in his life have he felt such pain.

Fortunately, Voldemort released the curse after a few seconds, leaving Harry shaking on the floor.

"I will not tolerate insolence from you. This is good practice anyway. You must eventually learn to dodge the Cruciatus Curse."

"On second thought, (this time Voldemort scowled in disgust) I shall allow you, and you only to call me Tom Riddle. Now come with me."

"All right, Tom"


Voldemort gave a click of his fingers and a house-elf appeared beside them, dressed in dirty rags, and looking fearfully at him.

"What is Skippy can do for Master", the creature said while trembling in terror.

Harry looked greatly amused at the house-elf's fearful expression. He had never seen such a weird creature.

"Prepare a chamber for Harry here. You will address him as Young Master. Now go!", said Tom. The house-elf immediately disappeared with a crack.

The Dark Lord turned to Harry and stared at him for a moment. He then took out his wand a gave a swish. Harry was now instantly clad in black robes of a deeper shade than the usual one Death-Eaters wore. A large green serpent was emblazoned on the front of it. It also lacked the pearl-white masks of Tom's minions.

"This will be your standard attire. For now, that is"

After thinking for a while, Voldemort said to Harry,"The first thing you must learn is never to show your true feelings. Always hide your emotions. Only weak people wear their emotions on their sleeves."

"So remember this clearly, always hide your feelings and expressions.", the Dark Lord instructed

Harry schooled his face into an expressionless mask. "Got it, Tom", he said in the same icy tone Tom had used.

"Very good. Another thing to remember is never to trust ANYONE! You trusted the Light. You put your faith in your parents. Where has that led you? Abandonment.". "So bear in mind, trust no one but yourself."

"Now tell me what little you know about the state of the Wizarding world?", enquired the Dark Lord, though he said the last two words with malice.


The Dark Lord had just explained to Harry about the current condition of the Wizarding World. He told Harry about the war between him and his Death-Eaters and Albus Dumbledore and his filthy muggle-loving Order, along with the corrupt and inefficient Ministry of Magic.

"So you were the ones who had attacked the manor". 'The boy is perceptive and has a fast mind. Excellent.' Voldemort thought.

"Indeed. But would you have seen the true colors of your parents, of the Light side, had the attack not taken place?", Voldemort sneered.

Harry had no answer to this. Tom was right.

"Anyway, time for a more important subject. Your education."

"I want you, Harry to start learning magic as early as possible. Have you any experience in Magic?", Voldemort questioned.

Harry had indeed learned a little about magic. Since in the past where he spent nearly the whole day cooped inside his room, he had taken to taking his parents spell-books and reading through them.

It helped to kill time and relieve boredom at first. It wasn't long before he was fascinated by it. Neither was it long before he was completely engrossed with magic. Spell-books, Potions manuals, guides on Magical Creatures, encyclopedias on Magical Plants and Herbs, he was interested in them all.

It was probably the only thing that kept him from going mad from boredom, his thirst for knowledge. However, he had been a little disappointed that he was not able to perform or try out any of the spells as he had not a wand.

This he all told to Voldemort.

'Impressive. This will make things a lot easier since the boy has a pretty good background and foundation already'

"I must say this would simplify things for me. Tomorrow I shall hold a meeting with the Inner Circle, my most trusted followers. We shall discuss your education among other matters. You shall be there."

"However, you will not say anything. Your true identity will not be revealed to anyone.", said Voldemort, his cold voice a little more stern than usual.

"But now, I will teach you something very important. It is not really related to magic, but very essential nevertheless. Your Mind."

"There are among others, magical Arts known as Occlumency and Legilimency. The former is the protection against mental intrusion by others, while the latter is the complete opposite- the art of breaking into people's minds and scanning through their thoughts. Mind-Reading, as the useless muggles call it."

"You are my heir. This makes you an obvious target to wizards who will no doubt try to break into your mind to extract information. That is why it is so important for you to learn these two arts, especially Occlumency, even before you start your magical education."

"In Occlumency, there are 2 main ways of protecting your mind and thoughts. The first requires a lot of mental strength and will power, by creating virtual walls and barriers in your mind as mental defenses, and bringing them up whenever someone tries to intrude."

"Till now, are you able to digest what I am saying?"

At Harry's confirmation, the Dark Lord continued, "The second way is more complex and subtle. Occlumens using this method are usually skilled in the first, which they employ as a backup. This method involves the subtle selection of specific memories, which can be made up, and allowing the intruder to view only it. One must have an extremely organized mind to be able to employ this method, as it allows them to freely pick any memories at will, or realistically weave false ones."

"This method is more useful as it enables the Occlumens to lay false thoughts down, giving the wrong information to the intruder, causing him to turn the tables on the latter."

"Also, since an intruder, while in a person's mind, can feel exactly what said person is feeling in that specific memory, a good Occlumens can plant memories of extreme agony, pain or simply pure hatred or grief. Either of which would cause the intruder to be filled with agonizing pain and forcibly forced out of the mind. Yes, that is how powerful it is."

"I do not expect you to be able to defend your mind by yourself in the near future. However, I want you to be able to know, able to sense, when someone is attempting to probe into your mind. To do this, you need to be able to clear your mind of all thoughts and emotions, and to do it swiftly."

"Eye contact is one crucial factor in facilitating Legilimency. While a powerful Legilimens may not really require eye contact, it is usually needed. Once you look into a person's eye, even for the shortest of moments, he might be able to start to penetrate your thoughts. That is why you have to be able to detect an intruder as fast as possible. Which brings us to clearing your mind."

"If one has a cluttered mind, or one packed with emotions, it is very difficult to sense the probing of an intruder. On the other hand, a clear mind can sense even the lightest of probings from the most accomplished of Legilimens."

"That is why, starting from tonight, you will practice emptying your mind of every thought and emotion, and keeping it in that state. Every night before you sleep, you will do this practice. Try to be able to clear your mind as fast as possible, and hold it in that state for at least an hour. Meditation, some wizards call this practice."

"Also, I will constantly probe your mind lightly every time I see you. I want you to try to detect my probing. If you do, you will inform me. If you can't, you will practice until you can. Is this clear?"

"Yes, Tom".

Harry had been intrigued about the two arts. He never knew there were magical arts involving the mind. But, he was quite excited about being able to detect intrusion and defend his mind. Yes, he would certainly practice this 'meditation' thingy.

"One last thing before I release you to your chamber. From now onwards, besides probing your mind, I will cast the Cruciatus Curse, which you had a taste of before, at you every moment I see you."

"You will attempt to dodge the curse or suffer the pain. This is the best way to practice avoiding it. With time, your reflexes will be sharpened and quickened to the point you can avoid it instinctively, being able to 'sense' it coming your way."

"So always be on your guard. Do not disappoint me.", Voldemort finished.

Harry shuddered at this thought. Though of course, he knew it would eventually prove useful. 'Hopefully I can also start learning magic from tomorrow. I will just have to see the outcome of the Inner Circle meeting', Harry thought before saying, "I will not disappoint you".

"Can I take my leave now, Tom?"

At the Dark Lord's nod, Harry left Voldemort's chamber and allowed himself to be guided to his own by Skippy the house-elf, who was waiting for him outside.


Harry's chamber seemed to be a level below the Dark Lord's. He did not know just how many floors and levels this place seem to have. It was practically like a sprawling huge, twisting and winding maze.

Like the previous chamber he visited, his too was furnished beautifully (in a dark sense), though not as luxurious as Voldemort's. Facing the entire room was a portrait of a sneering, scowling wizard with a dark expression on his face. A label at the bottom read, "Salazar Slytherin- Lord of the Most Noble and Cunning House of Slytherin, Founder of the Dark Arts, Co-founder of Hogwarts Magical School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

So this was a portrait of Slytherin, whom Harry had read about in "Great Wizards and their Actions" by Antinov Bagilnori.

The room, which was large and spacious also had a logo (on one side of the wall) of a serpent entwined around a sword, fangs dripping venom, with twin lightning bolts on each side of the snake encased sword. Harry assumed this to be the Slytherin family crest.

The room was lighted up by six silver torches, each of which was intricately shaped and curved to look like silver serpents so that the torches' flames would seem to be spewing from its mouth.

The last item in the room that caught Harry's interest was a huge mahogany bookshelf that was devoid of anything but a large piece of parchment lying on its bottommost shelf. Said piece of parchment also seemed to glow blue every few seconds.

Harry walked over to inspect it. Upon careful inspection, Harry found out that the piece of parchment was actually some sort of a book retriever. To summon a book, one simply have to write the books name (just using their bare fingers). One could also 'write' in a specific category and the Retriever would show a whole menu of books which correspond or involves said category.

This way, the person did not have to go all the way to the Great Library in the Lair, just to find a book. This revelation excited Harry a lot. 'Great! I could get almost any book I want. Shall try it tomorrow.', Harry thought.

Harry now sat down on the carpeted floor and began to try to empty his mind. It was no easy task. Most of his thoughts and feelings, he easily pushed out of his mind.

But it took him a significant amount of effort to clear his mind of the hatred he felt towards his parents and everything associated with the Light, which had neglected and not bothered about him, and now had left him in the lurch.

Even harder was it to keep his mind in the empty state, for the hatred always seem to creep back inside. When Harry finally managed to keep his mind clear and empty for an hour, he was thoroughly exhausted and plopped onto his bed, falling asleep almost immediately.


Finally done! Next chapter will probably have two parts. We will see the Inner Circle meeting, look at Harry's education and of course, his FIGHTS!

I hope Voldemort isn't too OOC in this story. Tell me what you think.

Please Review! I would appreciate all feedbacks. Suggestions are also welcome.