Light in the Shadows
Spell of Time
Seductive Darkness
Harry goes to another world, he is a death eater, everyone else is alive and light, he is voldemort's right hand, he tries to persuade himself to come back
A dark green skull shone with a fierce brightness over Privet Drive. The feeling on death lingered on, and even the muggles to sense that something was amiss. Harry Potter knew what it was, and wished he did not. Voldemort was gone, but his immeasurable Death Eaters remained, and muggle hunting was a cheerful, friendly game for them. Reporters and newspapers were continuing to write up reports of strange murders. The victims were always in perfect condition, yet they were dead. Few wizards and witches remained, and none would tell the muggles how the people really died, for it would mean an immediate sentence to an insane assailum. Of course, magic could be used to break out, but that would only lead to further probing and investigations from the muggles. So everyone kept quiet.
After the war had ended, Harry had returned to Privet Drive because there was simply nowhere else to go. Number 12 Grimwald Place had been completely destroyed in the last battle, and all that remained of Hogwarts was a smoky scent hanging over a pile of rubble and dead bodies, all with blank expressions upon their faces. Among the bodies lay people Harry had once known, gone to school with, fought alongside. Of all of them, only he had survived.
Harry rolled over onto his side, and stared at the window. A scream was heard and then silence. Hooded men sprang out from the house across the street and quickly ran down the street, where they promptly apparated. Harry sighed and looked the other way. He could try and stop them, of course, but what was the point? New Death Eaters appeared every day. Even Harry was amazed at the number of followers Voldemort had rallied in his reign.
"Boy! Get down here!" Harry cursed and fell out of bed, his sheets tumbling in a great heap to the floor.
"Yes?" he replied with a dull tone, staring up at the exploding face of his uncle.
"Your-your people are here. They came right up to the door and said, 'Does a wizard or witch live here?' Now-now you tell them to go away right now!" His face was purple and rapidly changing color to a deep scarlet red.
"You must be mistaken," Harry mumbled, turning back to the stairs. "Everyone I know is dead." Uncle Vernon showed now trace of sympathy or any change of emotion, for that matter. He grabbed Harry by the back of his shirt and dragged him to the front door. Standing there was a young man with red, curly locks and an older man with black hair. Both stared at Harry with disappointment. The older man turned on the young one.
"You told me this was the right address!" The younger one did not flinch, instead he fixed his gaze upon the other man's face.
"It is the correct address," he replied coolly. The man looked at Harry, shook his head in disbelief, and stamped his foot angrily.
"Dammit! You do see the same little boy as me, correct?" he hissed vehemently. "He looks like a tiny gust of wind would knock him right over." Harry cursed once more, and a fist connected with the older man's nose. The man grunted and fell over. Harry leapt over him and stared down at him, all the while pointing his wand at the man's chest. He seemed so familiar.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
"Sirius Black," the man mumbled, eyeing Harry's wand carefully. "Are you the one?" Harry backed off the man, and suddenly whirled around once more and shouted, "Petrificus Totalus!" The man fell limp. Suddenly a very tall person tackled Harry. Fortunately, Harry was able to throw him off quite easily and knock him out, too.
"You can go, now," he said quite coolly to Uncle Vernon, who sputtered in indignation, then stomped off the tell Petunia what had happened. Harry quickly cast a Petrificus Totalus upon the two men and awakened them. "Who are you?" he hissed. Both men were silent. Neither seemed to be willing to speak from their own free will. "Are you Death Eaters?" Harry hissed. "Sirius Black is dead. I know you're imposters. Show yourself and your pain will be brief."
The older man with shaggy dark hair stared at Harry. Of course he could not move, but his bright blue eyes shone dangerously, and Harry knew he was no Death Eater, nor his partner. He undid them, and held his wand at the ready.
"Who are you?" he demanded once more. The older man peered at Harry curiously, and then turned to the younger one.
"Yup, definitely him. He hates Death Eaters. Let's take him." Harry immediately stepped back and stuck out his wand like a sword.
"Try and take me," he whispered in a voice so tiny both men had to strain to hear it. The younger one pulled out a bright white cloth, whispered, "Phoenix Tears," and tossed it to Harry, who could not perform the Banishing spell quickly enough. The cloth landed softly on his shoulder and immediately transformed into a long, sweeping white cloak. Harry looked down at his hands and saw to his utter astonishment that they were emitting a soft glow. He felt a faint whirring sound deep within himself, gritted his teeth, and vanished.
When Harry came to, he found himself sprawled on a hard, wooden floor surrounded by dozens of unfamiliar faces that, at the same time, seemed so familiar. Harry leapt up immediately, and reached for his wand, only to find that it was not there. He approached the nearest person, a young girl about sixteen with long, flaming red hair. Red hair…Harry thought. No… Harry stood inches from the girl and looked into her eyes. Grief. Pain-stricked sorrow. Fierceness. He knew that fighting spirit only to well.
"Ginny?" he whispered. The girl backed up.
"How do you know my name?" she demanded. An older, plumper woman walked up towards the girl and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder.
"What is your name?" the woman said with a faint of hope in it.
"I'm Harry Potter," Harry replied evenly. Gasps filled the room, and yet another couple came forward. The man had long black hair pulled straight back into a ponytail, and the woman had a huge mass of red curls. The man slapped Harry across the face.
"How dare you mock us!" he hissed. "Maybe you're the "one", but don't you go insulting us like lower class citizens!" Harry wasn't listening. The woman's eyes entranced him. They were the perfect shape and long, thick lashes surrounded them. But Harry was bewitched by the color. A dark emerald green with flickers of gold in them. They were his eyes.
"Mom?" he said softly, stroking her cheek. "It's you, isn't it." The man grabbed Harry and shoved him without mercy to the ground, where Harry's head hit the floor with a sickening crunch.
"Stay away from my wife!" the man bellowed. Harry's vision was a swirling fog, and he tried to decipher what was going on. He was so confused. A strong, slender hand grabbed the back of his shirt roughly and dragged him up. Harry found himself face to face with Dumbledore.
Only, it wasn't him. His hair was pure white, without a single knot or wave to ruin the perfection of it. His beard was gone, replaced by creamy, pale skin that shone brightly. His eyes were the most different, though. Instead of a warm, tinkling brown, they were pure white with faint remnants of silver along the edge.
"Merlin…" Harry trembled. He ran a hand through his messy hair in frank bewilderment. The man from before came forward.
"Now you mock me once more!" he laughed. "My apologies for before, I forgot myself and who you are. James Potter, pleased to meet you." Harry swayed backwards, and would have fallen down to meet unconsciousness if another man had not run up behind him to catch him.
"Geez kid, you're light." Harry spun around to see the young face of his godfather. Unlike the time Harry had seen him last, he was twinkling with laughter and looked excited and happy. Harry couldn't help but smile.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"He's no one." James grinned.
"I'm serious, who are you?" Harry repeated.
"No, that's me," Sirius doubled over in laughter. No one else did.
"Sirius, that would be a lot funnier if you didn't say it TEN TIMES A DAY!" James bellowed in annoyance, while his friend grinned sheepishly.
Harry felt his forehead. Way too numb. Even after Voldemort left, it still hurt him constantly. Why would it suddenly stop now?"
"Excuse me, could any of you possibly tell me where I am?" he asked to the crowd of people chattering nervously around him. They paid him no heed. "Excuse me?" Harry held out a hand, thought Dragissimos! and waited patiently for people to notice the huge, billowing, foggy creature soaring above their heads. Harry watched his dragon contently for a few minutes, and then suddenly was awoken by the sudden scream of a lady. Then one of a man.
"What the hell!"
"Merlin, what is that?"
"Ginny, get out of here!" The plump woman shrieked. Harry calmly held his palm open, and the huge cloud dragon slowly made its way back into his hand and vanished, its only remnants a thin fog swirling about the room. Everyone was silent and was staring at Harry with mixed fear, amazement, and confusion. James stepped forward.
"You can call a Krettle?" he frowned in wonder. "That dragon was real, right?"
"Of course it was real!" Harry grinned. "It moved, thought, and lived."
"But no one has ever summoned a magical Krettle before! How could you?" James cried in desperation. Harry had to admit the way people thought he was an ignorant young kid who didn't know anything was starting to irk him beyond reason.
"Let's just say I'm a very special person," he concluded lamely, with a bit of annoyance in his voice. James gave him a wary look at that but finally accepted it.
"All right, so where do you come from?" he shot at Harry.
"How did you find me?" Harry replied just as quickly. James's eyebrows lowered dangerously, and he blinked slowly.
"Insubordinance is something we don't tolerate here," he whispered. "Especially to your betters." Harry spun on his heel and walked promptly over to Dumbledore.
"I'd like to speak to you in private," he said firmly. "I have a few questions to ask you, and I am sure you are itching to question me." Dumbledore nodded, and led Harry away (with protests from the crowd of people in the room) towards a long, narrow hall. It seemed familiar.
"Are we in Hogwarts?" he said faintly. Dumbledore seemed pleased at this (and a bit relieved).
"Yes. Did you go here?" he said.
"Yes," Harry replied. "I did." Harry suddenly found himself at a large, stone gargoyle. "Lemon Drops?" he suggested meekly. To his amazement, the gargoyle leapt aside. Dumbledore, meanwhile, stared at Harry in curiosity. Suddenly, it seemed to register in his mind. His eyes shone with absolute delight, and he motioned for Harry to go up the stairs. Harry looked upon the room that was so different from when he had been in it last.
It looked rather like Mad-Eye Moody's office, which all sorts of gadgets and Dark Detectors and such. Fawks was perched on a stand, his eyes gazing in Harry's so intensely Harry had to look away. He settled in a comfortable, maroon chair and Dumbledore sat across from him. The man placed his long, narrow fingers under his chin and stared at Harry.
"Am I correct in assuming that you are from another time?"
"I-I don't know," Harry said honestly. "I know some people here that are my age, but… it's not possible…" He tried to look apologetic, but Dumbledore simply smiled.
"You're James son, aren't you."
"Yes-how did you know?" Harry said in amazement. Dumbledore chuckled.
"You look exactly like him. And Lily is your mother, from those green eyes, correct." Harry nodded. Dumbledore's face suddenly grew grave and somber, but he brushed it aside and smiled reassuringly once more at Harry.
"Harry, you are aware of the fact that you are in a different dimension, correct?" Harry nodded meekly. This Dumbledore had an air of presence that demanded complete loyalty. "Could you tell me…who you lived with in your world?" Harry narrowed his eyes dangerously, and for a brief moment Dumbledore shifted uneasily.
"The Dursley's," Harry spat. Dumbledore receded.
"Petunia and Vernon?"
"And the pig," Harry snarled with absolute disgust.
"The pig? I was not aware that they had any pets."
"This one was simply more pig than human!" Harry said furiously. "He was a person, though, if you can call him that. Dudley?" Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.
"Then, if you could please tell me where James's friends were during that time? Peter, Sirius, and Remus?"
"Don't say that filthy name!" Harry cried in desperation. "I can't bear to hear it! You're not saying that none of them betrayed my parents to Voldemort here?"
"Harry, what happened in your world?" Harry glared at the old man, and sank back into his chair.
"My parents went into hiding when I was one, because Voldemort was after them. They made Peter their Secret Keeper, but everyone thought it was Sirius. Peter betrayed them, and Sirius went to Azkaban for twelve bloody years!" he sobbed the last part out. "Then he finally got out, but I killed him!" Dumbledore rested his elbows on his desk and placed his curling fingers in his beard, stroking it thoughtfully.
"You killed Sirius?" Harry sunk even lower in his chair.
"I as good as killed him!" he choked. "Voldemort baited me with him, and I went to rescue him. He ended up rescuing me and dieing on me! It's my fault!"
"Harry, would you like to go see everyone again? I'm sure Sirius is similar to the one in your world. I know he can't replace your Sirius, but it may help you a bit. Want to try?" Harry nodded silently, and stood and followed Dumbledore like a robot. He dreaded meeting James again. After all, their first meeting hadn't gone so well. All to soon, he was back in the first room with a crowed of expectant, confused people there.
"Well, did it work?" someone shouted.
"Of course it worked, you idiot!" Sirius screamed back. "I did it myself, along with Dumbledore and James and Ron! How could it not work?" Harry stared at his godfather with a deep longing in his heart. This Sirius had no idea who he was, or what he had meant to him.
"Um…everybody?" he tried. That did it. Everyone shut up quickly and focused on him. Harry hesitated, but at a reassuring look from Dumbledore, he continued and plunged ahead. "Um…it seems that you sort of summoned me from another world or dimension or something. I know a lot of you here back in my world. So, maybe if you could all come introduce yourselves or something? Maybe then we can find out why you think I'm the "one" and what you want me to do. That's all I guess." A tight crowed formed around Harry and he backed up for fear of getting trampled.
"Silence!" Everyone turned to look at Dumbledore in an identical manner. "Please, we are civilized people. Form some sort of line or organized system, if you please." Mumbling, everyone formed a sort of rough line in front of Harry. James was in front.
"James Potter," he said solemnly. "And sorry about before. I'm a little wary around new people and a little paranoid at times."
"A little?" Sirius called out innocently from the middle of the line.
"So, did you know me?" James asked innocently. Harry pretended to be interested in his feet. He didn't want to answer the question. "Did you?" Harry suddenly looked up at him, and James was startled to see tears in his eyes. He let it drop and left the line. Lily was next.
"Lily Potter, pleased to meet you," she said shyly. Harry shook her hand in excitement. When he touched her, little butterflies ran up his spine. Here he was with his parents. They were here. Harry saw many people he had known in his world, and their faces made him smile in recognizable recognition: His parents, Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Professor Sprout, Moody, Molly and Arthur, and several others whose names he couldn't remember. Ginny was next. Harry grinned widely when she introduced herself.
"I'm guessing from before we knew each other in your world?" she smiled. Harry nodded happily, unable to speak for a few moments.
"We're sort of…going out," he said sheepishly. Ginny stared at him in utter shock, and then her face broke out into a huge smile.
"That's weird," she said finally, chuckling to herself. Harry kissed her hand in a gentlemanly manner, and then proceeded to the next person.
"I'm Bill Weasley," the red haired man said in a quiet voice.
"Bill!" Harry laughed. "I knew you, too. In fact, I knew your whole family. Did you marry Fleur here?" Bill choked and tears began streaming down his face. Ginny hurried over to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulder.
"Shh, Bill. It's okay. There, there." With a shudder and one last defeated look at Harry, Bill left. The next person in line shook his head in sympathy.
"Poor thing," the girl said in a depressed tone. "She was killed by Death Eaters a few days before the wedding. Bill shut himself in his room for days. Wouldn't speak to anyone." Harry instantly felt ashamed of himself for bringing the woman up. "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way." Harry's eyes opened and he threw his arms around the girl.
"Hermione!" he sobbed. "Merlin, it's really you!" Hermione backed up.
"Did you know me?"
"What is this?" Harry tried not to laugh as he held up the long, dress-like white gown. James didn't smile, though. He narrowed his eyebrows and seemed to take Harry's words as a personal insult.
"That is the robes of the Order of the Phoenix, and we fully expect you to wear them without comment," James said bitterly. Harry stifled his smile and pulled the white gown over his head. To his astonishment, they instantly felt heavier than before and laden with all sorts of different weighted objects. "Basic materials," James answered for him, as Harry pulled out bottles of Veritaserum, Polyjuice Potion, a beozar, a leather wand holster, and countless others that Harry couldn't even name.
"This is amazing!" Harry said honestly.
"And it becomes an invisibility cloak when your mind is in need of it," James added. Harry strapped the wand holster onto his right arm. Holsters were quite useful in times of quick and decisive thinking. Pointing the end of the wand at your fingers, you simple pointed your arm in the direction you wanted the spell to be cast. Much handier, and rather stylish in the homes of the wealthier wizards and witches.
"So, what do I do now?" Harry asked. James smiled.
"There is a party tonight to welcome the new recruits. I think many people would be honored to have you attend, that is, if you want to." Harry considered it, and without any hesitation confirmed his attendance.
"Harry! I'm so glad you made it! I need to talk to you," Ginny said as she raced through the crowd to eagerly pump the hand of a very startled, yet pleased, Harry. "Harry, I've been given the task of informing you of several…necessary things you need to know. Could you walk with me, please?" Harry was only too obliged to take the redhead's hand and be tugged out of the Great Hall and into the corrider.
"Now, as you probably know, Voldemort has murdered numerous amounts of innocent people." Harry nodded. "Well, obviously, as we are the strongest resisting force for the Light, we're huge targets. Therefore, he does get the better of us on rare occasions." She stopped at this and closed her eyes, fighting the urge to cry. When she had regained her composure, she resumed talking. "We always do our best not to remind the people who've lost loved ones of their deaths, as it takes their mind off of their work and makes them feel extremely distracted and depressed."
Harry didn't know what to make of this new Ginny. She looked the same, yes, except for the newly haunted eyes, but judging by her words, she was at least 6 years more mature than she looked. She spoke confidently and sure of herself, and never faltered. "Harry, are you listening to me?"
"Oh, yes," he said apologetically.
"Well, as we try not to bring up our losses, there are a few, well, massacres that you should be aware of. Can you handle this?" Harry wasn't quite sure he could. In fact, he was almost quite sure he couldn't.
"Yes."
"All right." Ginny broadened her shoulders and prepared herself. "Well, when Voldemort attacked Hogwarts, hundreds of students were killed, including some young Order Members."
"I thought you had to be seventeen to join, though," Harry said in confusion.
"Yes, but times were so horrendous and we were desperately in dire need of new fighters. They were, um, Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Ron Weasley," she lowered her tone for the last name. Harry couldn't speak, how could he? How could he come all the way here and not have Ron? How could he die?
"No!" he shouted, kicking a nearby portrait on the wall. "No, he's not dead!" Ginny attempted to restrain him, but he was over a foot taller than the skinny, petite redhead. "Get off me!" he roared, shoving Ginny off. It was like having Ron die all over again. The first time had destroyed Harry enough, but to learn of his death a second time?
"Ron, you doing all right?" Harry yelled over the swarming sea of Death Eaters and Order members. Ron was busy dueling Lucius, Crabbe, Nott, and Bellatrix simultaneously.
"No!" he shouted back. "But stay where you are, I'll be all right, mate." Harry swerved around and found himself face to face with Draco.
"Stupefy!" Harry screamed wildly, but Draco dodged it and grabbed the front of Harry's cloak.
"Stupid Potter!" he hissed. "I'm on your side, Snape and I are. We're really only killing off Death Eaters. Only Order members can see us, something wacky that Dumbledore did, all right?" Harry stuck his wand menacingly at Draco's throat.
"I don't believe you!"
Suddenly a voice carried over the battlefield. "Harry, let him go!" Remus shouted in panic. Harry lowered his wand warily, and sprinted off to help Hermione. She was battling no less than six Death Eaters and doing splendidly. Suddenly, a jet of light struck her in the chest. Hermione screamed out in pain and thrashed around. The Cruciatus Curse. Harry raised his wand to stun the caster of the Unforgivable, but Ron beat him to the punch. And he didn't stun the man.
"Avada Kedavra!" he bellowed. All was silent as the Order members turned towards Ron with pity and disappointment. The Death stared at Ron in openmouthed horror, and collapsed onto the ground, where his crumpled form lay unmoving. Ron knelt down by Hermione and helped her up.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she insisted. She pecked Ron on the cheek. "How are you?"
"I'm all right," Ron said quietly. Harry knew he was lying. He, too, had seen Bellatrix kill George, and he, too, had seen the surprised redhead topple forward and crash his head into the rock in front of the cave, where blood exploded from his head and soaked his body. Harry hugged his best friends and pulled them closer to him.
"We'll get through this.," he whispered. "I love you guys."
"I love you both, too!" Hermione sobbed. Ron didn't speak. He was staring at something over Harry's shoulder, thinking fiercely.
"Get down!" he roared suddenly , shoving both Harry and Hermione into the ground. He stood firmly in his position and at that second, a jet of green light struck him on his shoulder. He mouth moved into the shape of an O and he looked down at Hermione with pity. Then, he fell. Hemrione screamed hysterically and grabbed his body, shaking it furiously.
"No!" she shrieked. "Ron you idiot, get up! Ron!" Harry sat there in absolute and complete shock, staring at the unmoving body of his best friend. "Enervate!" Hermione croaked, pointing her wand at Ron's body. "Enervate! Enervate! You stupid moron, wake up!" Harry thought of Ron's last moment, when he mouthed that strange word.
"He was saying love, Hermione," Harry said quietly. "He was saying love."
A sob caught in Harry's throat, and he turned away suddenly to hide his tears. "Harry, it's okay," Ginny said gently, taking his shoulders and spinning him around to face her. Worry lines were etched in between her eyes, and her mouth was dropped in a depressed thought. "Harry, I know. He was my brother. How did you know him?" Harry stared at Ginny in anger.
"He was one of my best friends!" he shouted. "My bloody best friend, and he went and died on me here, too!" Harry wretched himself free of Ginny's grasp and stormed off to lock himself in a classroom. He opened his eyes reluctantly and realized that he had entered a strange room. A very strange room indeed. Several students were busy dueling with each other, and a young girl with bushy hair was eagerly engrossed in a thick, ancient looking book. Harry walked up to her and touched a finger to her head. His hand went right through it.
"Hermione?" The girl looked up and smiled invitingly at Harry.
"Hey, about time you got here. You are in charge, after all. Hey Ron, the doofus is finally here!" Hardly allowing himself to look, Harry spotted Ron and choked. Ron's red hair was curly and bright, and sticking out all over his head. His used robes were several inches too short, and his wand looked battered and beaten.
"Harry, what took you?" he grinned. Harry's throat suddenly popped, and it opened up.
"Ron?" he whispered. "Aren't you dead?" Ron's eyebrows raised.
"Harry, I'm not real," he said quietly. "None of us are. We're reflections. Look around you." Harry did, and shivered as he recognized the old D.A. room.
"Am I in the Room of Requirement?" he hoarsed. Ron nodded and smiled.
"You wished for things to be the way they were, and here we are, the way we were, but no longer are, and never will be again."