Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Dabbling in the Dark Arts

7/30/05

Harry watched through narrowed eyes as his parents congratulated his younger brother for accurately performing lumos – possibly the easiest spell in the book. He barely concealed a snort when Dylan puffed up his chest as if he had just defeated a vicious monster. Of course, whatever Dylan did was always worth congratulating – their father had even congratulated Dylan for successfully vandalizing the living room.

"Lumos," Harry hissed softly, watching as a small ball of light emerged from the palm of his hand. "Nox," he quickly added when his father shot him a suspicious glance from the other side of the living room.

After making sure nothing was out of the ordinary, James returned his attention to his younger son. He chuckled slightly when Dylan demanded that he have his own wand. "When you're older," he smiled, ruffling Dylan's hair affectionately, "but for now, you can use my wand."

Taking one last glance at his family, Harry stormed into his bedroom, kicking Dylan's pet cat, Flea, out of his room. Reaching under his bed, he pulled out a book labeled, "Dark Arts for Beginners." Flipping angrily through the book, tearing several pages in the process, Harry muttered incoherent words under his breath.

"Why is it always Dylan?" he seethed before stretching out his hand, "Occludo." The door slammed shut before several clicks followed; indicating that the bedroom locks had been activated. Harry slumped against his bed and closed his eyes, trying to reign in his anger before things started to explode again – like the last kitchen.

A cynical smile spread across Harry's lips. His family obviously didn't need or even want him…Of course, the feeling was mutual. His life was wonderful, he convinced himself. He was better than Dylan. He didn't need a stupid wand to perform magic. He could teach himself magic. He was going to be a great wizard one day. He didn't need friends. He didn't care if his family and relatives hated him. He wasn't lonely…

"As they say, if you say it long enough, you might just believe yourself." Harry muttered darkly.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

"Severus, are you all right?" Dumbledore asked worriedly when his Potions Master stumbled into the office looking like he had been run over by the Knight Bus three times in repeated succession.

Snape dropped himself into one of the chairs as Dumbledore offered him a cup of tea that he gladly accepted. After taking a few sips, he straightened himself and waited for the questions the headmaster was dying to ask.

"What happened?"

"The Dark Lord brought in a muggle woman three days ago. I'm not sure what he wants from the woman, but he has been torturing her relentlessly for three days and nights straight. He's used anything and everything he could think of to torture her – including but not limited to the Cruciatus Curse several times.

"Today, the Dark Lord called in his Death Eaters to aid him in torturing the woman – however, we were not to kill her. I don't know what the muggle has that the Dark Lord could possibly want, but she wouldn't budge in her resolve to remain silent. Angered by the woman's insolence, and not willing to kill her yet, he turned his wrath to us. None of his Death Eaters escaped unscathed today. I'm in good condition compared to the rest."

"Who's this woman?"

"All I know is that she's a muggle. When I saw her three days ago, she had fair silky, raven-black hair and stormy blue eyes." Snape murmured, narrowing his eyes slightly when the headmaster smiled in amusement. "Today was a different story – she hardly even looked human."

"What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked, his previous amusement replaced by curiosity and apprehension.

"Lacerations, bruises, and punctures covered every inch of her skin. There are even traces of scorch marks on her body. Most of her bones are shattered – I doubt even Madam Pomfrey will be able to mend her…and her eyes have been gouged out." Snape finished in a light whisper.

"And she isn't dead?" Dumbledore asked tentatively.

"She's hanging on by a thread, but the Dark Lord refuses to let her die. He threatened to kill all the medics if she died before he allowed her to." Snape answered, taking another sip of his tea.

"What does Voldemort want with a muggle woman? If it's information, couldn't he have used Legilimency or Veritaserum?"

"That's the problem. She appears to be immune to both Legilimency and Veritaserum." Snape sighed, feeling a migraine coming on. "And it has been confirmed that there isn't an ounce of magic blood in her. I think there's something protecting her from both Legilimency and Veritaserum – but I can't pinpoint what it is exactly without alerting the Dark Lord's suspicions. I believe the Dark Lord knows what's preventing Legilimency and Veritaserum from working, but he wouldn't tell any of us. Lestrange was almost killed for asking a second time."

"Whatever the woman is hiding must be important if she is willing to suffer and die for it. Try to see if you can find out more about what the woman is concealing that could be so important to Voldemort." Dumbledore stated before adding, "Be careful – don't put yourself in unnecessary danger."

"I won't."

"All right, now there's something I need you to confirm…" Dumbledore began, but was interrupted by Snape, who knew exactly what the headmaster wanted to know. After all, all that had concerned the headmaster for the past eight years had been the Potters, the Prophecy, the Phoenix Members, and the Dark Lord.
"Potter wants to celebrate his sons' – excuse me, son's – eighth birthday at the Quidditch World Cup." Snape sneered, purposely stressing the fact that James was only celebrating Dylan's birthday. He didn't particularly like any of the Potters, but if James disliked Harry, then in Snape's opinion, Harry was worth some of his attention.

"At the Quidditch World Cup?" asked Dumbledore, eyes widening slightly. "Voldemort could choose that time to kill Dylan and kidnap Harry."

"You try and tell Potter that." Snape snorted. "Anyway, the elder Potter (Harry) isn't going anywhere – he's going to stay home." Snape explained. "Black, Lupin, and some other Ministry Members and Aurors will be accompanying Potter and his family to the Quidditch World Cup for extra security measures."

"I still don't like this idea, but I doubt anything I'll say is going to change James' mind." Dumbledore chuckled slightly. "He's always been stubborn. Will you be accompanying James and his family?"

"No, the Dark Lord ordered me to brew a highly difficult potion. I can't afford to be distracted for the next three months. "

"Oh?" Dumbledore asked, his interest piqued, "Is it…for the woman?"

"I hardly doubt that." Snape snorted. "It's the Tutamen Potion – the highest form of protection that can be brewed."

"What does Voldemort want to be protected against?"

"Nothing," Snape answered smoothly. "He doesn't need to be protected…I think this potion is for someone else…Do you know what the key ingredient of the Tutamen Potion is?" When Dumbledore looked like he was going to try to sort through his memory of potions, which was tucked in a deep corner of his mind, Snape continued, "In this case, it's the Dark Lord's blood. The Dark Lord is going to try to protect someone through his own blood."

"How strong is this potion?"

"It depends on who is providing the blood. The stronger the witch or wizard providing the blood, the stronger the potion – with the Dark Lord's blood, I believe this potion might be the strongest Tutamen Potion ever brewed in history. The effects of this potion will last until the Dark Lord dies."

"What could Voldemort possibly be planning?" Dumbledore whispered, stumped by the Dark Lord's recent actions. The idea of Voldemort protecting someone – anyone, even a Death Eater – was absurd.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

"Daddy's taking me to the Quidditch World Cup for my eighth birthday." Dylan taunted as he placed up eight fingers. "Too bad you have to stay home and watch the house. Don't worry; I'll bring you back a souvenir. What do you want - popcorn, soda, or a balloon?"

Harry gritted his teeth as he watched his younger twin dance and twirl around the living room. It didn't surprise him that he was being left out of his own birthday. He knew he would be left out the moment Dylan suggested having his birthday during the Quidditch World Cup.

"Oh, I almost forgot, it's your birthday too. How sad…" Dylan trailed mournfully as his lips pulled down into a deep frown. Harry rolled his eyes as Dylan lapsed into silence, looking like he was really trying to find a solution to the problem. "Oh well," Dylan concluded cheerfully with a devilish grin.

Harry glared at his brother as his fingers twitched in agitation. One more word, Harry silently swore, and he would strangle Dylan – consequences or not.

"Stop giving me that pathetic look! If we didn't share the same birthday, your last seven birthdays wouldn't have been celebrated at all! There are only birthday parties on July 31 because it's MY birthday. Mommy and Daddy don't care about you. You knew that, didn't you? Why don't you just disappear? You're a wizard – make yourself disappear! No one would notice anyway. No one's going to care. Do us all a favor and leave."

"Shut up," Harry hissed.

"Make me!"

Harry swiftly grabbed their father's wand, which was protruding out of Dylan's oversized coat pocket, and held Dylan at wand point.

"What are you going to do, hex me? Or do I have to remind you that you don't know any spells." Dylan sneered while trying to back away. "The wand is useless to you; now give it back to me before I get Mommy and Daddy!"

"I would shut up if I were you." Harry hissed, digging the wand further into Dylan's flesh. "I can do so much more than you can ever imagine. I can make you scream and writhe in pain like you have never done before. Don't come near me again or I swear I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life."

"MOMMY, DADDY!" Dylan shrieked. "HARRY'S THREATENING ME!"

Lily and James stormed into the room just in time to catch Harry shout, "Expelliarmus," and watch Dylan fly across the room and into the wall with a sickening crunch.

"Harry, what are you doing?" James hissed as he wrenched his wand from his elder son's grasp.

Harry gasped in pain as his father wrapped his hand around his wrist in an iron grip, nearly crushing his bones.

"Look at what you did to your brother!" James ranted.

"He deserved it." Harry spat.

"Where did you learn magic?" Lily demanded, cradling Dylan to her chest. "You're lucky Dylan's all right. If anything happened to Dylan…" she began awkwardly. She was saved from finishing her threat when Harry interrupted with a fury that matched his father.

"You'll what? Kill me? Put me up for adoption? Because if that's your big threat, then do it. Kill me – disown me – like I care." Harry shouted even as tear threatened to spill from his eyes. "You've wanted a reason to kill me ever since I was born, right? Or maybe you were hopping that I'd be killed by someone else – that way, you wouldn't have to feel the guilt."

"Don't you dare talk to your mother that way…" began James.

"What are you talking about Harry?" Lily interrupted as tears spilled from her eyes.

"You've always favored Dylan, which I don't care." Harry lied. "But your biggest mistake was to keep magic from me! I don't care what you try to do to stop me – I will become the greatest wizard in history."

"Harry…we're your family." Lily whispered.

"Well, I don't need any." Harry retorted as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "All I need is magic."

"That is enough!" James roared. "You are never – and I mean ever – to practice magic again."

"Why can't I learn magic? I know I can do everything better than Dylan if you just gave me a chance!" Harry yelled back while trying to wrench his hand from his father's vice-like grip.

"Lily, make sure Dylan's okay." James stated as he easily lifted Harry off the ground and over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I'm going to lock Harry in his room while you call Albus and the others. I think the Prophecy's coming true."

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

"Lily, what happened?" Sirius asked the moment he stepped in from the fireplace.

"It's Harry." she sobbed. "He injured Dylan."

"How?" asked Dumbledore, who had just entered the room.

"I don't know – Harry used James's wand and blasted Dylan into the wall. Harry knows magic…I don't know how, but he does!" Lily replied while trying to muffle her sobs. "James and I never taught him anything. I don't know…James thinks the Prophecy is coming true…"

"I think I know what happened." James replied as he stalked into the living room with an armful of books.

Mad-Eye Moody, a fellow Auror who had been accompanying Sirius before Lily's urgent call immediately picked up one of the books and flipped through the pages. "The boy is dangerous," he finally murmured as he turned another page, "how he got his hands on this Dark Arts book is anyone's guess. The Dark Arts in this book are simple and harmless enough but…"

"Dark Arts book?" asked Lily, eyes widening slightly. "But we don't have Dark Arts book in our house."

"A mystery indeed." murmured Dumbledore as Mad-Eye passed the Dark Arts book to Sirius for further investigation.

"I think the prophecy is accurate on Harry's intelligence." Remus interrupted. "To have learned these spells at such a young age without aide…It reminds me of You-Know-Who."

"What should we do?" Lily asked.

"Keep all wands out of Harry's reach." Dumbledore immediately replied. "Someone's going to have to watch him around the clock. Lily, I don't want to hurt Harry, but if he continues down this path, we will have to kill him for the sake of the world."

"No…don't." Lily pleaded. "I promise Harry will never touch magic again! I swear…just don't."

"I'll do what I have to do, Lily. But I will try not to harm Harry if I can help it." Dumbledore replied with a grave frown.

"Picked up anything, Sirius?" Mad-Eye asked as Sirius continued to flip through the Dark Arts book. "Do you know who it belongs to…if you do, then we'll know who's been helping Harry learn magic."

"Uh," Sirius paused for a second, "this is my book."

Sirius grimaced as several pairs of eyes glared at him – some surprised and others murderous.

"I can explain…" he quickly shouted before James decided to jump him.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

TBC

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Thanks for the wonderful reviews on the last chapter!

Next Chapter:

"Oh McGonagall, you're here."

"That's Professor McGonagall!"

"Wouldn't that be a child lover?"

"The proper term would be pedophile…but you didn't hear that term from me."

"Gather the others and be prepared to attack the Potter's residence in 15 minutes."