Author's Note: This chapter introduces a darker aspect of the story. Please read with an open mind as this chapter will 'change the game' if you will allow me that turn of phrase. I want to start the plot quicker and allow myself the true deviation from canon. There are parts of this chapter and the following chapters that are depicting violence and gore. The disparity won't be as sharp as the story progresses, I promise. Happy Reading and please review your thoughts! It only takes a moment and I read every one of them!
The foothills of the English countryside held a dark secret. Somewhere among the grassy plains and slopes was an unplottable estate. If an unwanted visitor were to stand in the exact spot of the entrance, there would be no way for them to know that a vast mansion stood like a dark obelisk right in front of them. However, the evil and ill intent this palace exuded would be enough for that visitor to flee quickly. None knew of this place but the master of it and the few loyal followers that come for rare meetings.
Those permitted to look upon this hidden estate would see a vast gated courtyard with rare and exotic magical plants arranged in strange patterns among the freshly cut grass and fountains shaped like malevolent magical creatures. But their eyes would undoubtedly be drawn to the immense mansion of dark stone. The palace roof seemed to touch the sky, and the square building was big enough to cover the whole range of sight at the entrance. Vast windows and archways peppered the front, with rounded brick corners carrying the balcony overlooking the courtyard. There was no banner or flag to tell of who owns this huge castle, but no one could come there and not know that it belonged to the affluent and aristocratic wizard Lucius Malfoy.
Lucius Malfoy was of tall and lean build, with platinum blond hair that reached his shoulders. He was clean shaven and thought less of men with facial hair. There were very few Lucius did not think less of, those being himself, his wife Narcissa and heir Draco, and his master the Dark Lord Voldemort. But Lord Voldemort was not and will never be the owner of Lucius' prized mansion, that title was his and his alone.
The master of the estate was currently striding purposefully down one of the many hallways toward his personal quarters, a place even his wife seldom visits. Servants, muggles under the imperious curse, lined the hallway and kept their faces downward as Lucius strode by. He paid as much attention to them as the furniture. There were house elves kept as servants as well, but they were not seen or heard unless called upon. The muggle slaves were a display of Lucius' dominance as much as they were for utility. The Malfoy lord liked to see those he thought lower than him in binds of magic they could never escape.
The dark wizard reached his private quarters and took out his wand. His placed the tip of his wand on the door and tapped a complex pattern only one with a memory as keen as his would remember. The door opened and Lucius rushed inside to lock it behind him.
Beyond the door was a dark corridor of stone lined with torches holding strange red flames that cast an eerie crimson glow. Lucius moved through the corridor until it opened into a rounded chamber that was massive enough to fit even the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts inside. The crimson torches lit along the walls were the only light and the ceiling was a dome of dark obsidian. The only thing in that giant hall was a stone slate in its center lifted to waist height, clean and unadorned though it was used many times. Lucius did not stop walking until he was upon it. With a swish of his wand the slate was encumbered with a small greenish figure bound by invisible magic. The house elf squirmed futilely, eyes looking about wildly for escape.
"Dobby," Lucius said softly, his deep voice carrying evil intent. "Did you really think your nightly escapades would escape my notice?" Dobby's breath hitched and his struggling increased. His eyes were rolling in their sockets and a low moan left his magically gagged mouth. "I knew from the beginning you left to someplace unknown, and when you returned I placed a tracking charm on you." Dobby looked at his master sharply and Lucius laughed, a chilling sound. "Oh, you didn't know? It's actually a good thing you left, since that showed me a flaw in my system. That problem has of course been solved. Now all of my servants have tracking charms on them and none can ever escape again."
Dobby slumped onto the stone tablet, his struggling replaced with despair. Lucius felt a heady euphoria at the sight of such hopelessness. With a casual lifting of his hand Dobby's body racked with unimaginable pain. A sorcerer of his level of skill in wandless magic could perform the Cruciatus curse with barely a thought and a move of his fingers. The frosty smile on Lucius' lips widened as he watched his servant seize up in torturous strain. His fingers twitched and the curse was released, causing Dobby's arched back to fall onto the slate and his bulbous eyes to fill with unshed tears. An instant was the curse on him, but Dobby felt the pain for what seemed an eternity and felt it still even as the curse lifted.
"Where did you go?" The soft words of his master had a pull Dobby couldn't escape. The spell keeping his mouth closed with gone but not the one holding his body. Dobby wanted to lie, to flee, but knew he couldn't hide the truth from his master. The words struggled past his lips more than his body against the Cruciatus.
"Harry Potter's house!" Dobby bit out finally, and the reward for his answer was more pain.
Lucius lifted the curse after two sweet seconds and asked another question. "What did you do there?" It was unexpected that Dobby would go to the Boy-Who-Lived's residence. Was he seeking aid, or giving away secrets?
"St-stealing Harry Potter's mail." came the raspy response, causing Lucius even more confusion. And vexation of the master meant pain for the servant.
"Why did you steal his mail? What was your full purpose for your continuous visits? Tell me!" Lucius' voice was the crack of a whip on Dobby's back leaving physical marks that welted and bled.
"Dobby stole Harry Potter's mail to keep him thinking his friend weren't writing to him. Dobby wanted Harry Potter to stay away from Hogwarts! Dobby want- wanted t-to sa-ve H-harry Pot-t-ter!" Dobby knew he was dead after that confession. There was no escaping a death of agonizing torture, but he was compelled to continue. Lucius looked on silently, his eyes cold grey spheres of ice. "Dobby heard of master's plot, the plot to kill with the cursed book and wanted Harry Potter safe. Harry Potter is too good, too pure to-"
Lucius quieted the house elf with an impatient wave of his wand, his lips curling in disgust. Too good? Pure? The boy was a half-blood son of a mudblood whore and a blood traitor. There was nothing pure about that scum-born boy.
Lucius cursed. If the boy told anyone then the Malfoys could be implicated. He knew Dobby had the crest of Malfoy on the disgusting soiled sack he used as clothing. If Potter recognized it or told someone, then there would be no question of retaliation if he kept up with the original plan. Now the Dark Lord's ambition of being resurrected was halted because of this servant's misguided adoration of a half-blood cur. Lucius looked down at Dobby with unbridled hatred and cancelled the silencing spell.
"Did you tell Harry Potter of the book?" Lucius asked the tortured elf. Bulbous green eye stared at their master with weary insolence.
"Dobby said nothing of the book! Kill Dobby! Dobby would rather die than serve you!" The elf cried with surprising vigor. Lucius turned those cries of defiance into cries of anguish with a curse, though in his fury he felt he could strangle the creature with his bare hands. The dark sorcerer suddenly had a thought. A nostalgic idea of pure evil. He leaned toward the weeping elf to speak cruel words softly.
"Your death will not be swift Dobby. I would have you conscious for this, but the failure rate is too high for aware subjects. Stupefy." Lucius used his wand to shackle Dobby with physical bindings and started to inscribe runes upon his sallow flesh. The smell of burning skin soon permeated the large domed chamber. Dobby's greenish skin was now an ugly brick red color where the runes were branded. Lucius continued inscribing runes onto the stone tablet and in a circle around it. When finished Lucius stood in front of the slab with Dobby laying sideways and started to whisper a mantra of such evil the very air became a dark miasma that swirled around him. The chanting became louder and even unconscious Dobby writhed in obvious pain, his thin face a rectus of agony.
Then Dobby's body began to morph. His thin arms grew longer and thicker, gaining huge muscles and a purplish hue. His hands became claws with long, pointed finger nails and a strong grip. His body became larger, much larger, elongating past the space of the stone tablet though the binding held him still. Dobby's face changed grotesquely from kind, thin features with large eyes into a monstrous demonic visage with small cruel eyes, high cheekbones, a shrunken nose and razor sharp teeth. Horns grew on his head in place of hair, leaving the now bald head looking too small for its big, muscular body. His screams went from a high pitched squeal to a deep, rough sound like hearing a lion roar in unison with a mammoth. The unholy cries filled the space and echoed off the walls, clashing with Lucius' chanting and creating a cacophony of sound that would chill the bones. Even when the dark sorcerer was finished with his incantations the sounds continued for several seconds.
Then silence returned, broken only by Lucius catching his breath and the deep respiration of the demon before him. With a flushed face the Malfoy lord inspected his subject. It has been quite a long time since he attempted demonic invocation, but the mantra was burned painstakingly into his memory. The Dark Lord showed him how to bring demons from the Outer Dark and chain them to mortal beings. The pleasure Lucius took from seeing his creations wreak havoc on muggle filth was second only to the nightly ministrations of his wife.
With a jerk of his blond head the stone slate turned upward and rotated so now the demon's body was facing Lucius. In place of the small house elf was a towering figure of evil, with massive shoulders and long muscular arms. The mauve skin of the fiend was cracked and peeling where the runes were inscribed, and its vile eyes were now aware and watched Lucius with a malevolent intelligence. It didn't struggle against the shackles that held it to the stone, but Lucius knew that if unbound the beast would attempt to kill him and everyone in the mansion.
"Your name, devil. What was it?" Lucius looked unflinchingly into the beady eyes of the fiend before him.
"Mal'kur'flesh Zhi'helfir" The beast muttered, its deep voice a rumble of hot coals on unguarded skin. The air between the sorcerer and demon started to rise in temperature. Lucius checked that with a wave of his wand and smirked. The demon attempted to use its true name to escape its shackles. A demon of fire, then. The blond sorcerer needed the true name of the devil to bind it to his will, without it he couldn't control the beast.
"The body that holds you answers to me, Mal'kur'flesh Zhi'helfir. You will not try to escape or harm me or any in this building. I have a different task for you." Lucius' mouth curled in a smirk as the demon before him acquiesced to his commands. He never used a house elf for a subject before, but it seemed the magic that bound them to a wizard's will held even after invocation. That makes things easier than to just loose it on an area and then kill it when the deed was done.
Lucius cautiously inspected the beast, prodding it and searching for weak points and flaws. He found none. The demon was a true work of art.
"I will use you to purge the Wizarding world of mudblood filth and blood traitors." Lucius spoke in a fervent whisper. "Use any weapon or magicks you wish, devil. Your first task is to find the boy Harry Potter and kill him!"
A flash of recognition flickered in the devil's eyes but Lucius looked down for a moment and didn't see it. He took out a ribbon made of acromantula silk and placed his wand to it. It glowed a pale blue color for a moment. Lucius then wrapped the ribbon around the bulky arm of the fiend.
"Just a precaution." He said to himself before addressing the monstrous demon. "You will use that if the wizard Dumbledore gets involved in any way. I will have you complete your task soon. Death to the mudblood scourge!"
"Death to the mudbloods." The devil repeated in a guttural growl that sent a thrill of anticipation down Lucius' spine. "Death to Harry Potter."
A chilling wind blew through the open window of the Burrow's kitchen, causing an icy finger to trace down Harry's middle and raise the hairs on the back of his neck. He looked out the window to see the shining sun and clear blue sky, but his mind became troubled by an unknown force. He shook his shaggy head and willed himself to forget it and enjoy the moment.
"Harry were you listening?" Molly Weasley called kindly and Harry made a blank face that shown plainly that his mind was elsewhere. Ron chuckled from beside him and nudged him in the ribs.
"We're travelling by Floo Harry." He said and did not seem surprised by Harry's answering look of confusion. Ron just nodded his head toward the fireplace. It was quite large, much larger than the Dursley's fireplace, and for some reason it had a merry fire going even though it was an August morning that already had gained a bit of heat.
"Floo travel is an easy way to get to other magical areas, as long as they have a fireplace connected to the Floo network. All you need is Floo powder. Percy, show Harry how it's done." Molly said and Percy reached for a small urn on the mantle that Harry thought all this time held the ashes of a loved one. Percy grabbed a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the fire. Instantly the fire turned green which unnerved Harry for a reason he couldn't explain. Percy then stepped into the fireplace and turned to look at them all.
"Diagon Alley!" He said in a loud, clear voice and in a flash of fire he was gone. Harry was astounded.
"Whoa! You travel like this all the time?" He asked in wonder. The Weasleys all gave him a look that said plainly that they did and weren't impressed by it anymore. "Okay me next!" He said excitedly and then added, "Please." when Mrs. Weasley rose her eyebrows. She smiled and held the urn out for Harry to grab some powder. Harry took some of the soft dust and threw it into the flames. The emerald green fire once again rose incomplete images in his mind and a distinct feeling of dread, but Harry took a deep breath, closed his eyes slowly and when he opened them the feeling was gone.
Harry stepped into the fireplace and was assaulted by ashes flying up his nose. He lifted his head out of the path of the ashes.
"Diagon Alley!" he said as clearly as he could with a mouthful of ash. Then it was like the grate under him fell away and he was spinning and falling. Scenes, locations of other fireplaces spun past, making him feel sick. After a long moment of spinning and wondering if it would ever stop, the travelling ended with Harry being spat out of the fireplace as if he were kicked in the backside. He stumbled forward and knocked over a cart filled with books.
"Nope. Floo travel is out. Never again." Harry muttered as he picked himself back up and dusted off his robes. As he started on the task of picking up the knocked over cart he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
"Harry!" It was Hermione Granger, Harry's other best friend. Hermione looked almost the same as she did when Harry last saw her in June: lightly tanned skin, bushy brown hair tied back in a hasty ponytail and a kind smile that exposed her rather large front teeth. The only difference Harry saw was that she wore a pale blue muggle sundress and sandals with straps that crisscrossed up her calves. There was also a blue hairpin in her hair.
"Hello Hermione! I'm glad to see you!" Harry exclaimed, grinning. Hermione embraced him with a quick hug.
"Me too! Did you enjoy your holiday?" She said in his ear and then held him at arm's length.
"Yeah the Burrow is brilliant! And watch this!" Harry answered and then looked over at the books still on the floor. He reached out his hand and said quietly, "This thing is floating." and a book from the pile rose into the air to fly neatly onto the cart. Hermione gasped.
"You learned wandless magic! I can do a little too, but it's a bit daunting when I have to make my own spells. Did you read the whole book?" She rattled off and Harry let it wash over him, happy that his other half was near him again. As they began their discussion of mantras and movements the fireplace flames glowed green and out came Ron with an entrance much neater than Harry's.
"Ron! It's good to see you!" Hermione began and Ron looked at her and smiled.
"You too Hermione. Merlin, this place is a madhouse!" Ron said and Harry realized that the bookstore he appeared in, Flourish and Blotts, was indeed filled to the brim with people or more specifically, women. Everywhere Harry looked there was a woman young or old, placing glamour spells on their faces and preening in conjured mirrors. The normally quiet bookstore was overrun with groups of loud females that lined every aisle. Harry could see the store clerk hurrying about with a face that promised to never again make the mistake of hosting any event whatsoever.
"What's going on? Is it some kind of concert?" Harry asked and Hermione shook her head causing her wild hair to swing about her face.
"Gilderoy Lockhart is here doing a book signing!" She answered excitedly. Ron groaned.
"That fop is here? No wonder all our Defense against the Dark Arts books are from him!" he complained and Hermione rounded on him.
"He's not a fop Ronald! Gilderoy Lockhart is a world renowned monster hunter and adventurer! His books are best sellers for a reason!"
"Yeah, because his hair care recommendations on the back covers of what is pretty much just trashy romance novels, Hermione!" Ron argued back and Hermione went pink even as her face scrunched up in anger.
"Hey let's just get our books and get out of here before we get trampled." Harry cut in and his friends stopped arguing and followed him. Harry walked to the front of the line, ignoring all the outraged looks he and his friends were getting from the lined customers. He saw one of the many kiosks with all of Lockhart's books on them and grabbed every title he needed. Hermione and Ron did the same and then they went to the front counter, pushing past the crowd.
"Hey, wait like everyone else!" A middle aged woman protested. Harry looked over at her and she gasped. "Harry Potter!"
Soon all the heads in the store swiveled to get a look at Harry or more likely, his scar. Harry huffed, but otherwise did nothing to stop the attention. Maybe he could use it to get a spot in the front of the line and get out of here. Soon a jovial voice rang over the clamor.
"My word! Harry Potter and Gilderoy Lockhart in the same place at the same time! Where is the boy?"
It was Lockhart himself. He had a clean, handsome face with ocean blue eyes and wavy blond hair that looked like he maintained it better than most women. He wore a sort of battle robe, like a mix of shining silver armor and blue robes lined with gold. Harry had to admit Lockhart's were quite ostentatious, but battle robes in general looked pretty cool. Lockhart smiled showing perfectly lined, shining white teeth.
Harry ran a hand through his hair irritably and saw a flash of a camera go off. Lockhart looked like Christmas came early. He reached forward and grabbed Harry, almost making him drop his books, and rushed back to the stage.
"Lockhart and Potter: Sorcerer superstars!" he said grandly, making Harry cringe. That was so lame! Harry looked away from any camera flashing his way. "This is a story for the front page of the Daily Prophet if there ever was one!" More camera flashes. Harry felt his cheeks burning with humiliation.
"Harry Potter might have been just coming in here to get his school books signed by me, Gilderoy Lockhart, but now he's getting not only that but all of them, my complete works, free of charge." The crowd roared their vapid approval. Harry looked to see Ron hiding his mouth and shaking with silent laughter and Hermione looking at him with sympathy.
"However!" Lockhart continued, quieting the masses. "However, Harry gets something else I have kept secret," he paused conspiratorially, savoring the curious looks and attention directed at him, "Yes, I am proud to be the one giving the news. I, Gilderoy Lockhart, am joining the staff at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as professor of Defense against the Dark Arts!" The crowd went ballistic. Harry was temporarily blinded by the camera flashes and his mind was whirling from the news. Even just barely meeting him, Harry knew he wouldn't stand an entire year with Lockhart as a teacher. Lockhart pushed Harry away flippantly, the moment with him over. Ron and Hermione came up and they flagged down the store clerk before the attention Harry had was gone completely.
"What a blowhard! How many times does he say his own name each day?" Ron groused and Harry laughed at his friend's irritation with the attention seeking blond.
"He does like the sound of his own voice a bit too much, now that I've heard him speak in person. But his books prove he is a great wizard, so I can understand if he's a little full of himself." Hermione defended, which made Ron scoff and Harry to stare at Hermione in disbelief.
"That doesn't even make sense!" Ron said and Harry agreed.
"No one should be that full of themselves Hermione. All that does is make them empty headed with no time for others." Harry countered and Hermione lapsed into quiet contemplation. Ron looked at Harry strangely before shrugging it off as Harry being Harry.
"Good one. Gotta remember that one next time Hermione wants to get smart." Ron joked and Hermione smacked his arm.
"I don't need to get smart, I already am. Unlike you!" She said and for once Ron just laughed instead of arguing back.
They finished their purchases and went to exit the store. Right before they stepped out, someone walked in front of them and blocked the door.
"Did you enjoy your moment of fame Potter? You must be happy this time your parents didn't have to die for you to get it!" Draco Malfoy mocked with a derisive smirk. His platinum blond hair was slicked back smoothly and his perfect eyebrows were slanted downward above malicious gray eyes. His silk robes of deep green were lined with silver, matching his Hogwarts house colors of Slytherin. In his manicured hand was his wand pointed not too subtly at the three.
Harry took a deep breath while holding back Ron just in case the ginger wanted to defend him. Ignoring Hermione's whispers of 'Ignore him!' Harry looked at the blond who, he realized was shorter than him and grinned.
"Looks who's the big boy shopping for books all by himself! Just last year you had your mommy and daddy getting it all for you but you're all grown up now aren't you, little Draco! Good job wearing your pull ups from here on!" Harry cooed in an overly baby voice that caused Malfoy's face to turn red and Ron to laugh loudly. Malfoy turned to him.
"Have some respect Weasel. My breeches cost more than your father's monthly salary." Before Ron could react violently Harry stepped in front of him and sneered at Malfoy. "Now walk away before I make you soil them, Malfoy. You don't have your two shadows with you, I have mine." Bright green eyes locked on cool gray in a battle of wills. Green won. Malfoy looked away in anger, but looked back for the last word.
"Watch yourself Potter. You're not going to skim by this year. I'm going to make sure your time at Hogwarts is pure Hell." The blond emphasized the last word and turned his gaze to Hermione. His expression was filled with such hatred and contempt Hermione gasped and stepped back. Before Harry could say anything Malfoy was leaving, muttering darkly under his breath.
"Honestly, that was pretty tame compared to our usual conversations with him." Hermione commented lightly, though her voice held a tremor that betrayed her thoughts of Malfoy's parting look.
"That's the whole reason I'm learning this wandless magic." Ron said. "So I can teach Malfoy a lesson and they won't even know it's me." Harry laughed.
"I can't say I haven't thought about that myself. But forget him. Let's catch up to your family Ron."
They left the book store and found the rest of the Weasleys coming out of the Apothecary. Mrs. Weasley had both twins by their ears and was dragging them out the front door while Ginny followed behind, laughing at her brothers' punishment.
"What did I tell you about messing with the store's ingredients?" Molly said with a vicious tug on their ears. "What were you thinking, switching toad legs with newt legs as if no one would notice? Quiet!" She screeched when Fred opened his mouth to say something. She let go of their ears and took out her wand. The twins back up quickly and started apologizing desperately. "One more mishap in public and I'll switch your hands and feet and make you walk home. Now hurry up, Ginny needs school robes."
Harry followed the Weasleys and while they shopped he and Hermione caught up with their summers. Hermione was pleased on his progress with wandless magic, and wary of the new Quidditch move he learned from Charlie. She went to France in July while Harry was at the Dursleys and visited the different magical areas there.
"It was all very fascinating, but I wish my French was a bit better before I went. I don't think the locals didn't fancied my accent much." Hermione commented regretfully. "But enough about France, did you learn more about Dobby the house elf Harry?"
Harry shrugged. "Not really except he that he probably belongs to the Malfoys." Hermione narrowed her eyes.
"The Malfoys? And what do you mean 'belongs' to them?" she asked pointedly.
"I mean Dobby is a slave to the Malfoys and seemed to escape for the sole purpose of stealing my mail and giving me a useless, overly cryptic message." Harry responded tightly. The mail theft was still a sore spot for him. Hermione was shaking her head sadly.
"If he would have come to me I would have tried to free him." she said and Ron butted in.
"Only the master of a house elf can them by giving them clothes. Everybody knows that." he said and Hermione made an indignant noise.
"Oh really? Well maybe I should be asking you about house elves since you're suddenly an expert on them!" she retorted making Ron huff and roll his eyes.
"Not everybody Ron." Harry added. "I didn't know anything about this clothes business."
"You know what I mean Harry."
"No Ronald, what do you mean?" Hermione asked with a bite on each word.
"I mean all the purebloods know about it." Ron went on unthinkingly.
"Well that explains that doesn't it?" Hermione said hotly. "You hear that Harry? 'Everybody' means purebloods! Never mind that Harry is considered a half blood and both of us were raised by muggles. Aren't we just privileged to have a pureblood friend to tell us what apparently everybody knows?" Harry cringed at Hermione's sarcasm but Ron bristled.
"So now I'm suddenly not allowed to be pureblood? It's not my fault I was told things about the magical world before you!"
Harry tuned out his friends arguing and focused on finishing up shopping. Soon he was hugging Hermione goodbye and promising to find her on the Hogwarts Express. One bumpy Floo ride later and he was back at the Burrow putting away his purchases.
The rest of August was a blur of mock Quidditch games, practicing wandless magic and finishing homework. By the time he was going to bed the evening before September 1st, Harry was confident he could wandlessly pull any object toward him, shrink and resize his trunk and light things on fire. That last one he didn't try much due to not being able to put out the fires he started without a wand. All in all, his new hobby was started to become more useful than ever. Harry even thought that he might be better at wandless magic than with a wand. As he fell asleep across from a snoring Ron, Harry felt that maybe that wasn't so bad.
September 1st at the Burrow was absolute bedlam. It seemed Harry was the only one that even thought of packing the night before. Every redhead in the house was running around frantically, grabbing this and that and attempting to pack it into their rapidly filling suitcases. With only an half an hour left to get to King's Cross, everyone piled into Mr. Weasley's Ford Anglia (which was magically expanded inside) and they rushed off the train station.
All the Weasleys ran to platform 9 ¾ and practically jumped through the barrier. Harry and Ron were dragging behind, and when Ron ran through the wall with his shabby trunk in tow, Harry followed at a heady pace. But he promptly slammed into the barrier at full speed, causing his trunk to bounce off the wall and open, spilling his robes and muggle clothes everywhere. Hedwig in her cage was panicking, flapping her wings and barking loudly.
Harry grabbed his things frantically, avoiding the eyes of any passerby that looking at him curiously. He slammed his trunk shut and tried the barrier again but to no avail. The wall was just a wall.
"What's going on? Why can't I get through?" He whispered, looking around for anyone that might be magical and could help him. Was he really the last one left to get to the Hogwarts Express? He checked his watch. Only a minute before 11, he wasn't going to make it before the train left. Harry resigned himself to waiting for Mr. Weasley to come back for his car. Maybe he'd know what to do next.
Then suddenly he heard a woman scream. And then there was a loud screeching, like a train putting on the brakes, and then a deafening crash. Harry had but a moment to look toward the sounds before he was throwing himself to the side to avoid being flattened by a rushing train compartment aimed right at him. The compartment slammed into the barriers and exploded. Harry was thrown off his feet and felt as if he were spinning before hitting the ground hard. He struggled to get back up and spat out blood. A lance of pain raced up his left leg. One of his eyes wouldn't open all the way and his hair was matted down to his forehead. All around him muggle were screaming and running. It was chaos.
Then he saw it. A hulking purple figure in the smoke walking toward him like a surreal nightmare. It was huge, well over three meters tall with massive arms of muscle and horns that rose more than an arm's length above its head. In its right arm it had an immense great sword that was dark with blood and alit with a black flame. The beast stopped at a muggle man that was kneeling down holding his bleeding head, and grabbed him roughly. The man shrieked and struggled before the demon shoved its huge sword into the man's middle, silencing him. After the sword was pulled out, the man's body exploded in a fiery gore that made Harry nauseous. Then the beastly form turned and saw Harry on the tracks, and started to run right at him.
Harry jumped up and ran the opposite way with a burst of adrenaline, looking over his shoulders desperately as the beast gained on him. His trunk lay forgotten near Platform 9 3/4 as Harry raced away toward the station's entrance. The demon was slashing wildly at anything in its path, creating a charnel scene of grisly death and destruction. It came close to Harry and made a grab at him. Harry dodged and turned to thrust out his hands.
"Burn!" He yelled and a yellow flame erupted from his hands to splash harmlessly on the beast's face. The demon grabbed Harry's outstretched hands and lifted him up to eye level.
"Harry… Potter…" it rumbled with a voice that cooked Harry's skin and caused heat rash on his face. Its other arm that held the sword of black flame rose to slash across Harry's middle.
But the sword stopped midway. The demon huffed and grey smoke steamed from his flat nose to assault Harry's face. Harry moved his head away and looked to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley with their wands out looking more dangerous than Harry had ever seen them.
"Expelliarmus!" Mrs. Weasley cried and Harry was released from the monster's grip. "Accio Harry!" she followed and Harry's body was suddenly moving rapidly toward her. "Are you okay Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked with a quick look at the boy. Harry nodded and then answered the affirmative when he realized Arthur wasn't looking at him. "Good. Stay out of the way. We already called Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic. Help is on the way." Ron's dad then focused fully on the demon in front of them. The demon roared an earsplitting, hellish sound. Harry's mind was suddenly filled with wild images of ripped bodies, burning buildings and despair. He wanted nothing more than to flee, to get away from this being of death and crawl into a hole to weep. Harry shook his head and the images ceased. No, he was here and he couldn't run when Ron's parents were here to protect him. Harry stood up and took out his wand. Then was pushed back to the ground by Mrs. Weasley.
"Stay down Harry. Let the adults handle this." Molly ordered and then started chanting and waving her wand in an intricate pattern around them. Abruptly, a shining dome of light started to form around them. She then pointed her wand straight up and cried, "Protego Maxima Radii!" and the dome of light solidified and expanded to cover them and an area of around 5 meters. Molly then pointed her wand at Arthur who was steadily dodging sword strikes and throwing spells and started to chart again. Harry saw red and gold magic pour from Molly's wand and gather around Arthur, and he began to move faster and his spells started to stagger the beast.
"How are you doing this?" Harry asked wonderingly. Molly looked at him without stopping her flow of magic.
"This is the support charm Amicus Auxilium Harry. In the last war this magic was used by our side to fight against You-Know-Who and his forces. Dumbledore taught us these spells. Magic to speed up response times, and make an ally's magic more potent." Harry was amazed. He never knew Ron's parents were so strong. He resigned himself to learn this magic at any cost.
Arthur raced forward with a spell that bound the demon's legs to the ground and pointed his wand across his body. Magic spun out the tip and coalesced into a blade so potent that Harry could feel its magic from inside the barrier Molly put up. Arthur jumped impossibly high, high enough to touch the rafters that lined the top of the station and rushed down swiftly at the struggling demon. With all his might he swung his wand-sword at the demon's face. An unholy scream erupted from the beast and black flames sprouted on Arthur's chest as he was thrown back.
"Arthur!" Molly screamed as Arthur landed painfully on the train tracks. He struggled to stand as the beast broke its legs free of the spell and rushed toward him. Mr. Weasley rose his wand to block futilely as the demon thrust its meaty fist into his stomach. Arthur was blasted off his feet and crashed into the ceiling above them before falling onto a toppled train compartment. The demon spit something black and smoking out of its mouth and turned back to Harry and Molly. As it roared and flew at them faster than its large body should be able to move, Molly stood and reinforced the Protection spell.
"Harry listen to me. If it breaks through the barrier I want you to run as fast as you can away from here. Don't try to fight it. Do you understand me?" Harry looked up at Ron's mom, ready to argue. But as he looked at her, with her red hair flowing about her determined face, her full bosom heaving with effort and her wand sparkling with magic he found himself speechless. Harry merely nodded his head, unable to form words. Molly smiled at him briefly and looked back resolutely at the beast that was almost upon them.
The demon grabbed its blackened great sword with both hands as it ran at them and readied a powerful strike. Harry cried out in warning as the sword clashed with the Protego shield. Molly winced, but held her ground. The devil slashed again and again at the barrier, screaming demonic curses mixed with Harry's name.
Harry felt a wave of shame pass over him, realizing that it was he the demon was after and Ron's parents stood in its way to protect him. Just like his parents against Voldemort. He knelt there powerlessly as Molly and Arthur risked their lives to save him. Never again did he want to feel so helpless before such evil. He wanted to help, to protect himself. To fight. Harry saw Molly taken to one knee and her face was splattered with blood. The horrific monster slashed again at the shield, sending splinters across the surface. Molly fell on her back.
"RUN!" She screamed but Harry didn't hear her. He looked up at the nine foot tall devil as it raised its sword for the final blow and found that he couldn't run. Never again could he run and let anyone die for him.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry cried with both his wand and left hand thrust out at the creature. The doubly powerful spell hit the demon square in the chest and it staggered back and stumbled to the ground. Its sword flew from its hands and landed in front of Harry with the pommel and blade still smoking. Without thinking Harry grabbed the sword. His handed were assaulted with a flame so hot he almost let go, but he held on and raised the blade with a strength unknown. Harry rushed at the fallen demon and brought the sword up for an overhead slash. The demon looked straight at Harry with its beady, black eyes and rose a hand in defense. Harry yelled incoherently with the scorching sword in burning hands and slashed down at its chest.
Black ichor exploded from the beast's middle as the black blade opened a jagged hole upon it. Harry dropped the sword immediately and cried out at his ruined hands with regret. Boiling demonic blood sprayed Harry's face and clothes causing even more torture for the boy. Harry staggered back away from the demon, clutching his face in agony and was dismayed to see the beast sluggishly rise.
The demon held its bleeding chest and stood shakily. He looked over at its sword and started to shamble toward it before it was stopped by a spell hitting its arm and causing green tentacles like an octopus' to form and wrap themselves around its body. The demon struggled with the rapidly forming wraps until it was almost completely consumed. Harry looked over at where the spell originated and saw five red cloaked wizards with wands raised at the devil.
"Aurors…" Harry heard Molly whisper hoarsely. He looked at her and then back at the demon. It still had one arm free and with it, the beast grabbed at something small on his other arm. It pulled the small pale ribbon free and unexpectedly disappeared.
The Aurors were suddenly there next to Harry, checking over him and Molly. Harry was helped up and interrogated on the situation. Harry felt unfit to answer any of their probing questions. How would he know how the demon got there? He couldn't think; all Harry wanted to do was lay down and sleep.
Other wizards started to appear. Wizards in black cloaks that pointed their wands at various parts of the station and it was fixed. Trains were repaired and put back where they belonged, walls were instantly made new and soon King's Cross looked like it never had a rampaging demon in it at all.
Arthur and Molly were shortly transported to St. Mungos hospital for wizards and when Harry was about to be given a portkey to do the same, a voice stopped him.
"Harry Potter will be transported to Hogwarts Hospital wing." Professor Dumbledore's calm voice washed over the area and all the wizards in the area stopped to look at the tall wizard.