Harry was all of four years old and very sad.
This seemed to describe him most of the time nowadays. He'd levitated one of Dudley's brownies to himself a few weeks ago and Aunt Petunia had screamed when she saw it. Uncle Vernon had soon taken his belt to Harry in order to beat the freakishness out of him. Except it hadn't helped cause when Harry was locked in his cupboard he'd unlocked himself somehow and gone to the kitchen to get some food. What he hadn't known was that Uncle Vernon had been at the kitchen at that hour and had exploded in fury when he saw Harry. He'd screamed and beaten Harry black and blue that day, but by the next day Harry had mostly healed.
Things hadn't gotten better since then. Both Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia screamed at him and beat him daily to ensure they got rid of the freakishness. Harry wished with his whole heart that it worked. It didn't matter that it had made him feel special at first, now it only made him feel miserable. He really wished he could just be normal.
One day it all changed. Harry was being beaten by Uncle Vernon when his Uncle decided to drag him back to his cupboard but then he suddenly slipped and fell on top of Harry.
For one second Harry felt like he was being suffocated and then the next he was everywhere and he was flying and he was wrecking the kitchen as he distantly heard his relatives screaming.
Hours later Harry wakes up in his cupboard under the stairs sore and hungry. He's still trying to remember what happened when he hears a voice.
'Where is this?', the voice demanded angrily.
"Wh-who are you?", asked Harry, disoriented and confused, "Where are you sir? I can't see you."
'What is this place? Why can't I-who are you?'
"I-I-", Harry licked his parched lips, but it didn't help much, his mouth was as dry as the desert.
'Speak up! What is the meaning of this! WHY AM I HERE?!'
The voice sounded angry and Harry was getting more and more anxious, "I don't understand!", he wailed, "Where are you?", he asked as he looked around his dark cupboard.
'WHAT DO YOU-', the voice suddenly halted, 'What in Merlin's name is that?!', the man screamed as Harry felt something within him fight to get out and destroy everything.
"No no no no no", Harry chanted as he suddenly felt himself being enveloped by something and then rattling around his cupboard wildly until the door gave way. Once outside his cupboard Harry calmed down and slowly opened his eyes and found that he was in the hallway, his ruined cupboard right in front of him.
"What?", he gasped.
'Oh no', the voice said, sounding beyond frightened, 'Oh no, oh no, oh no. This can't be right, this wasn't supposed to happen, this isn't how it was supposed to go!'
"Sir, are you okay?", asked Harry tentatively.
'Nothing is alright!', the voice shouted and Harry tried to cringe away but found that he couldn't and he wasn't able to tell where the voice came from either.
"BOY!", Harry jumped as he heard his Uncle come thundering down the stairs. Harry backed all the way back to the wall, yet Uncle Vernon never came close to him.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE NOW WITH YOUR FREAKISHNESS?!", screeched Uncle Vernon, spittle flying everywhere.
'Who the hell is that?!', demanded the voice.
"Th-that's my Uncle sir, maybe you can tell him what happened. I don't understand", said Harry, hoping that maybe this stranger could help him.
"WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?!"
'Shut up you oaf, do you have no idea what this child is?! Do you want to die?!'
"ANSWER ME BOY!", shouted Uncle Vernon when Harry didn't answer him.
"Can't you hear him?", asked Harry in a small voice.
"HEAR WHO?!"
'Oh for Merlin's sake just what I needed!', the voice fumed.
Uncle Vernon made no sign of hearing him. Harry shrank even further into himself, "The mister, he's pretty upset, he was shouting earlier, that's why that happened", Harry pointed at what used to be his cupboard.
"He's lost his mind!", shouted Aunt Petunia, still standing at the top of the staircase.
"A mad freak", Uncle Vernon spat and looked at the cupboard, "No", he shook his head, "A mad monster! MONSTER!", he screeched at Harry.
Harry felt tears fall down his cheeks and swallowed a sob.
'What a vile creature', the voice said. Harry didn't know what those words meant, but he was strangely comforted by them.
"We need to get rid of it Pet", Uncle Vernon said to Aunt Petunia, "We can't have it in the same house as Dudley, look at what its capable of!"
Aunt Petunia looked doubtful for a second and then she nodded, "Yes, yes you're right! Lets drop him off at a church, they'll know what to do with him."
'He doesn't need a fucking exorcism!', the voice shouted.
"Yes, yes, one in London, very far from here", Uncle Vernon nodded and went to grab his keys.
"Out!", he shouted when he opened the front door and Harry quickly scrambled out, still trembling in fear.
Harry was similarly commanded to get into the backseat of the car and then Uncle Vernon drove off at top speed. A few hours later they were in front of a small rundown church somewhere in London. The voice had been cursing at Vernon the whole way over and Harry had started to think that he might like the voice a little bit. He was already treating Harry better than his relatives ever did.
Uncle Vernon opened the car door for Harry and dragged him to the front of the church, "Now you stay here", he hissed and walked back to his car. Once inside he rolled down his window and shouted, "BURN IN HELL!", before he sped off, leaving Harry behind.
Harry sniffled and hugged himself.
'Ugh, why me', the voice mumbled, 'Look', he began, clearly addressing Harry now, 'You're better off without them. They're trash and I wouldn't want my worst enemy to be under their care.'
Harry sniffled again and hugged himself tighter, "Thank you mister."
'Whatever.'
"Who are you though? And why can't I see you? And where are you?"
The voice gave a longsuffering sigh.
'I am Lord Voldemort, the most powerful wizard to ever walk this earth', he said, 'You are magic too. I can sense you've been trying very, very, very hard to deny this, but you must accept it. The sooner the better.'
Harry blinked, "How do you know this mister?"
Another sigh, 'Trust me, I can see.'
Harry looked down at his feet. He didn't have any shoes or socks on and it was freezing outside.
"What if I don't wanna?", Harry mumbled, wriggling his toes on the cold concrete.
'Then we'll both die, most likely.'
Harry startled, sniffled and started to silently sob.
'Oh fuck, uh', the voice cursed, 'Look, its not like that – fuck – please calm down!', he pleaded desperately.
"Why?", Harry sobbed.
'Because the Obscurus inside you doesn't like you getting upset!', hissed the voice.
"What?", Harry was confused. And cold. Very cold.
'Shit its growling', the voice cursed and Harry thought he could hear it too. It sounded almost like an angry dog.
"Sounds like a dog", he said.
'Its not a dog, trust me.'
"Sounds like one", Harry sniffed, "I always wanted a pet, but Aunt Petunia would never let me", Harry suddenly perked up, "But now I'm not with them anymore so I can have this!"
'An Obscurus isn't a freaking pet!'
"An Obus- Osu –Oscu", Harry bit his lower lip, "Imma name him Spot."
'What? No!'
Just that second the church front door opened, revealing an elderly priest who was very shocked to find Harry there.
Harry was quickly bundled up in a blanked while the police arrived and upon their arrival he was interviewed and asked about his relatives that abandoned him. Harry was able to tell them his aunt, uncle and cousin's names, but not their last names, nor his own last name.
By the time the sun was up Harry was in the office of an orphanage where they were processing him as Harold Green.
"Just for the paperwork hun, as soon as we can figure out what's up with your folks you'll get your real surname back", the lady explained.
"Okay", Harry murmured as he fiddled with his new shoes.
'Nothing about this is okay', groused Voldemort. He'd been giving a steady line of commentary since everything started. Harry greatly appreciated him. He wondered if this was how it felt to have a friend.
"Don't worry, everything's gonna be fine", Harry told him.
"Who are you talking to hun?", the lady asked.
Harry figured she looked nicer than Uncle Vernon so it was safe to tell her, "To Volleymol, he's my friend, but nobody can see him cause he's a wizard."
The lady smiled brightly at him, "Sure thing hun", she said and went back to work at her desk.
'That's-that's not why you can't see me', said Voldemort, sounding tired. 'And my name isn't Volleymol or whatever, I am the Dark Lord Voldemort!'
"Kay", hummed Harry, "But I'm not good with names, but I'll get better at yours, cause you're my first friend."
'I am a Dark Lord that will rule over this whole planet!'
"Kay."
Voldemort gave a groan of impatience, but Harry figured it was okay since he wasn't lashing out at him like Uncle Vernon normally would.
Time went by. The Dursleys were never found. Harry become officially Harold Green. Voldemort moped and grouched on a daily basis.
Time flew.
One day James and Lily Potter woke up from their coma and discovered one of their sons had been missing for two years with nobody the wiser.
Yet no amount of tears shed and Ministry officials fired brought back their son and so time simply kept flying by.
Harry was ten years and eight months old when he was dropped off at the orphanage after his fifth and latest failed adoption.
'Well, fuck them', groused Voldemort, 'No future Dark Lord should grow up in a house full of filthy Muggles anyway.'
"Not turning into a Dark Lord Vol", said Harry as he skipped into the orphanage, "Hi Nick", he greeted one of the older boys that was waiting for him by the door.
'Not turning into a Dark Lord yet, Harry, yet.'
"Hey Harry, ready to go out with the boys tonight? We found a store that has no camaras", said Nick as he followed after Harry into the orphanage and to his old room.
"Dunno Nick, Miss Jacobs is gonna try comfort me after this and she knows about what the boys get up to", Harry tried to dodge going out with Nick and his boys. It had never not spelled trouble whenever they managed to drag Harry along.
'If you get us caught by the police again-'
"I'm not gonna get caught by the coppers", said Harry exasperatedly, "And that was once!"
"Exactly, once", said Nick, not missing a beat and completely used to Harry talking to Voldemort. This was one of the reasons why Harry loved being at the orphanage.
"Nobody is getting dragged to the slammer", Nick continued, "Mickey's got a new knife too, so if anybody's gonna give us any trouble he's just gonna wave it a bit around."
'How is that going to stop the police from taking you in?!'
"Dunno Nick, you know how Mickey gets when he gets a new shiny", Harry said uncertainly.
"The store sells homemade crumpets."
Harry immediately dropped his bag on his bed, "Count me in!", he said with a wide smiles.
"Brill", Nick grinned and was off.
'Your inane obsession with crumpets is going to land you in jail someday', said Voldemort, sounding rather pissed.
Harry rolled his eyes at his best friend, "Least it'll be worth it."
Voldemort didn't answer him, but Harry knew in his heart that his friend was probably making a disgusted face at him.
"Oh Harry I'm so sorry!", Miss Jacobs wailed as she stormed into his room and proceeded to try hug the life out of him, "Those awful, awful people will never know what an angel you are!", she suddenly pushed him away, allowing him to take a gasp of precious air, "You didn't let your sticky fingers get the better of you, did you?", she asked harshly.
"No Miss Jacobs! I learned my lesson!", gasped Harry before he was yanked back into her arms to be smothered.
"Oh I knew you would never, my sweet angel!", she wailed.
'If I had a body I'd be throwing up now', groused Voldemort.
'Don't be rude', Harry reprimanded.
Hours later, when the sun had long gone under and Miss Jacobs had gone to sleep, Harry, Nick and the boys were sneaking out of the orphanage.
Harry was perhaps the best out of all of them as he simply needed to tap into his magic and he would float out of bedroom window and land as softly as a feather would on the ground two stories down.
'You could at least have taken all my teachings to run away. There are many of my followers that would harbour you until you are old enough to continue where I left.'
"Uh-huh", said Harry and noiselessly flew over the orphanage fence, "This is much more fun though."
"Shush Har", said Sandy as she finished scaling over the fence, "Not all of us have alien blood. We need to be quiet."
"M'not an alien", muttered Harry, stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and pouted.
"Sure, sure", she said, "Yer a wizard", she made wavey fingers at him.
'One day-'
"Shush Vol", Harry said, already knowing his friend's opinion on Sandy. Not that Harry really disagreed, mind, but he still thought killing people he didn't like was overkill.
They met up with Nick a few minutes later and walked another block to meet up with the boys. Mickey already had his knife out and was playing around with it.
'Oh great, the moron has a new toy.' Harry couldn't really disagree.
They arrived at the store about an hour later, Harry tapped the doorknob once and they all piled inside.
"You're the best Harry!", sheered Nick as he jumped the counter and started to fiddle with the cash register.
"Yeah yeah", Harry said absently as he only had eyes for the crumpets inside the glass counter. He tapped the glass once and it disappeared, letting Harry grab the plat full of crumpets. Harry immediately bit into one and made a face. They were dry.
'You could easily control the world you know. No wizard in history has ever had as much power as you do, yet all you want are some fucking crumpets', Voldemort complained loudly.
Harry dug a pinky into his ear, "Eh, it makes me happy. What's it to you?", he took a turn around the store as it was being ransacked by the others and grabbed a box of apple juice.
'I've taught you-!'
"Yeah, yeah, all you know about magic, yadda, yadda, but its cause you wanna live vicariously through me and I thought we both agreed that ain't healthy."
'I'm the person who taught what vicariously means, you don't get to use it against me!'
Harry groaned through he mouthful of dry crumpet and made to sit outside the store on the sidewalk, "Not this again! Vol you need to get over it! You're me best friend and as such I gotta tell you that being evil ain't the shit my man."
'I'm not deigning an answer to that murder of the English grammar', Voldemort sniffed.
"Whatever", said Harry, his mouth still full of dry crumpet that went flying everywhere when he spoke.
'Just drink your juice and for Merlin's sake stop speaking with your mouth full!'
"Sure mum", Harry smiled as he punched the straw into his apple juice box.
'You're insufferable.'
"Hey Harry, the cash register only had a few quid, mind doing that trick of yours for a bit? Angelo owes Jack the Hack over a hundred", said Nick as he came out of the store, about ten quid in hand.
Giving the few quid a side-glance Harry bit his lower lip, "He better not give 'em to Jack like that, they disappear after a few hours."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll tell 'im", said Nick as he handed the few quid over.
Harry put the quid on his lap and waved his hand over them in the motion that Voldemort had taught him and soon had a little over a hundred pounds that he gave back to Nick, "He better change them at different places."
"Brill, thanks Harry, you're the man", said Nick happily and soon him and his gang were leaving the store behind. Harry only got up from the sidewalk when he had eaten all the crumpets. He went to stand at the door, blinked at the cash register and made all the money he'd made disappear about an hour ago reappear and closed back the door, making sure to lock it up before he left.
'You're such a bleeding heart', groused Voldemort, sounding thoroughly disgusted.
"Yup", grinned Harry and started to make his way back to the orphanage in his own leisurely pace.
Next day Angelo was on the newspaper, along with several other boys of Nick, since they tried to spend their magic money at the wrong place. And because Mickey whipped out his knife at the least opportune moment. Again.
"See the type of hooligans that roam the streets nowadays!", wailed Miss Jacobs as they all ate their breakfast.
"Yeah, um, terrible", said Nick, looking very intently at his oatmeal.
"Terrifying", agreed Sandy, mouth full of toast and left hand under the table to hide her bruised knuckles.
'The hooligans aren't only on the streets', commented Voldemort.
"Don't be mean Vol", murmured Harry, but only after he swallowed. He didn't need another lecture.
A couple months later Harry was sitting in his room reading 'Teaching Your Unruly Dog Tricks' when he got called by Miss Jacobs to come downstairs.
"If its another couple trying to adopt me I'll scream", muttered Harry as he set the book down, "I'm trying to learn here and those people are the worst for Spot."
Spot, as always when he was talked about, gave a light growl in the back of Harry's consciousness.
'For the love of Merlin don't remind me', shuddered Voldemort, who would always insist that he was paying all his previous life's sins by living in close quarters with an Obscurus.
Spot growled a bit louder.
"All your whinen' is making him upset – Spot, no, down boy, down!"
Spot gave another low growl and settled down.
'That everybody isn't already dead in this orphanage is a miracle of itself.'
"What did I say about whinen'?", groaned Harry as he reached the last of the stairs. Eyeing Miss Jacobs' door warily Harry took a deep breathe to steady himself and knocked on the door.
"Come in!", came Miss Jacobs' overly cheery voice from within.
"Please don't be another couple looking for children", Harry whispered and opened the door.
At Miss Jacobs' desk sat an elderly lady in a very antiquated dress, her hair done up in a tight bun. When she turned around to look at Harry her eyes widened and she gasped.
"Harry Potter?!"
'Well, at least she doesn't look like she's here to adopt you', mused Voldemort.