Hello, my dear readers. Unfortunately, this will be the last chapter posted until the end of July, when I return from my vacation. Review, favorite, and follow like crazy and when I return I may give you an extra extra long chapter. c;

Please enjoy another installment of Welcoming Darkness.

Review responses will be posted at the end of the chapter.

Around ten o' clock the next day, Harry softly closed the door to his room.

He soundlessly headed to the Floo Room, shouldering his endless black bag.

Opening the two doors, he slipped inside the room. Knowing it was too early for Damon to be up, he was comfortable with turning his back on the entrance.

With no hesitation, Harry grabbed a handful of Floo powder and walked into the fireplace, calling out a simple,"Diagon Alley."

Arriving, Harry was satisfied to see witches and wizards just getting there, starting the day's incessant crowds.

He headed towards Gringott's, needing money for the day.

Approaching the carefully sculptured structure, Harry entered the marbled lobby with a cold and indifferent expression on his face - the expression all respectable purebloods use.

After about forty five minutes, Harry left the wizarding bank his bag definitely heavier than before.

As Harry walked with the gradually growing throngs of people, Harry debated with himself as he passed the entrance of Knockturn Alley.

Making his decision, Harry started turning towards the feared alley when he heard a familiar voice.

"Harry!"

He turned, his brilliant eyes scanning the witches and wizards for the speaker.

Theo and his parents were calmly pushing through the crowds, both of his parents' eyes holding a concerned look. Harry mentally sighed for the sympathy that is sure to come.

"Good morning, Theo, Anabelle and Alexander. I reckon you're all doing well?" Harry politely greeted, a small smile curling on his lips.

As the respected pureblood family finally stood in front of Harry, Alexander spoke.

"I am so sorry for causing you trouble, Harry. I didn't realize the way your fathe-"

Harry waved a tired hand in the air, dismissing his apology.

"There is not any need for an apology, Lord Nott. It is really my fault and I give my apologies for wasting the money you put in to get me a seat at the spot you did." Harry said instead, giving a bow.

Theo hit Harry lightly of the shoulder, shaking his head and giving a puzzled smile.

"Enough with the depressing conversation,"Theo said, giving his a pointed look that said,'I expect an explanation later,"in about twenty minutes we are meeting Draco and a few others at Madam Malkin's."

Alexander and Anabelle gave a smile, dismissing themselves with a promise of finding them later.

Harry and Theo set out to Madam Malkin's. Before they could take a few steps, however, Theo turned to Harry to give him a frown.

"Wait. Did your family give you money for your supplies?"

Harry gave a very Slytherin smirk, his eyes revealing nothing.

"Of course not. I stopped by Gringott's."

Theo's eyebrows furrowed in a puzzled-looking manner. A look of understanding suddenly dawned on his face.

"Oh Salazar. Another Slytherin surprise, is it?"

Harry's smirk grew.

"I guess you could say that."

In truth, Harry had about three vaults belonging to him alone, not including the Potter one. He inherited all three by being a direct descendant of the royal blood of Slytherin, proving this by his Parselmouth ability.

He was richer than the Potters, possibly even more so than the Malfoys.

Theo didn't need to know that little fact though.

As the two best friends arrived at Madam Malkin's, Draco Malfoy and a group of five other boys and two girls stood, waiting.

Theo greeted the group with a small smile, his mask in place.

Draco raised his eyebrows at Theo before turning to Harry, his mouth opening to no doubt ask about the little stunt James pulled at the World Cup.

Harry gave a miniscule shake of his head, his mask in place. Draco immediately understood the message.

Draco instead eyed Harry with a cool eye.

"Hello again, Potter."

Harry inclined his head, a small smile touched his lips.

"A pleasure to see you again, Malfoy."

Theo turned to the other five, gesturing to Harry.

"Pansy, Daphne, Blaise, Greg, Vincent, I'd like you to meet a really good friend of mine. Don't freak out when you hear his name, he is quite opposite of what you may think. Now, meet Harry Potter."

Harry gave a smug smirk as three exchanged incredulous glances and two looked on blankly.

He stepped up, his brilliant eyes scanning the five.

"Yes, I do suppose I would react the same way if I were one of you," his voice was soft as a pureblood smile twisted at his mouth,"but I would appreciate if you gave the the chance to prove myself towards you all. I assure you, I am as unlike my family as my brother is for Slytherin." Harry got a few humorous snorts at the end.

Pansy stepped up, taking in his darkly handsome looks.

Harry Potter had dark, fine hair that reached his lower back and a devilish sort of smile. His eyes burned into Pansy's, the color so brilliant it took the color emerald to the next level.

He was about the same height as Draco though his legs looked to be long and elegant.

All in all, he looked the definition of a worthy and honorable pureblood.

Pansy gave a derisive smirk and stepped another step closer to the handsome boy, holding out her hand.

"Pansy Parkinson."

Harry gently took her hand in his. To her surprise, Harry raised the hand to his lips, his eyes burning into hers.

"It's a pleasure, Miss Parkinson."

Harry let go, watching with casual interest as light pink dusted her cheeks.

"Pansy? Are you blushing?" Draco quipped, laughing as she turned even a darker shade.

She slid a killing glare to Draco, who just smirked smugly in response.

Harry turned to the other girl, a smile on his lips.

The girl raised an eyebrow but held out her hand to his.

"Daphne Greengrass. It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry."

Harry kissed her hand as well, his eyes never leaving hers.

"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you, Miss Greengrass."

Harry gently let go of her hand, turning to face a grinning Blaise Zabini.

"Blaise Zabini. Will you kiss my hand too?" Blaise held his hand out jokingly, his eyes holding warm humor.

Harry raised an eyebrow. To Blaise's shocked astonishment and the others' surprise, Harry took his hand in his and pressed a small kiss to the back.

"Didn't believe me?" Harry jokingly said, laughing along with Blaise and releasing his hand.

Harry then turned towards the other two piggish-looking boys.

He shook both of their chubby hands, his eyes scanning their blank expressions.

"Well, now that we are all acquainted, let us shop!" Theo called out.

Walking away from Madam Malkin's, the group tried to decide what to do first.

Spying the entrance to Knockturn Alley, the soon-to-be Slytherins apart from Harry exchanged soundless smirks and nods of agreement.

"Let's shop in Knockturn Alley, shall we?" Draco said, his eyes locked on Harry for a reaction.

Harry's expression remained blank, though he was smugly smirking inside.

"Why not?" he called out instead.

They all entered the forbidden alley, anticipating Harry's behavior.

'He's from a Light family, there is no way possible he's been here!' All but Theo thought.

Oh how they were wrong.

Harry bowed his head so his bangs slid to cover his features as they passed madly cackling witches and eerie wizards.

Seeing this, Draco smirked. He's scared already!

"Let's go in here for our wands," Blaise suggested, turning into a dusty shadowed shop.

Harry internally laughed. This shop of all!

Everyone else followed, exchanging grins of anticipation.

Entering the shop, they were greeted with a dark, shadowed room. Countless creepy and eerie objects littered the shelves and table tops, making the shop seem unapproachable.

"Mr. Silicino?" Pansy called out.

Appearing through a seemingly invisible door, Mr. Silicino eyed the customers.

He was a creepy man, oddly skinny and twitchy. His eyes were unnervingly mad, in a way.

As soon as his gaze landed on Harry, he gave an abrupt jerk.

Mr. Silicino immediately started cowering, his frightened gaze on the icy expression of Harry.

"Mr. Sili-" Daphne tried.

"M-mr. P-potter. A p-pleasure to s-see you." He tried, ignoring everyone else.

Harry gazed unblinkingly at the cowardly man, his brilliant emerald eyes cold and unforgiving.

"Mr. Silicino," his tone was frigid,"always a pleasure to see you."

The man shook noticeably, his eyes wide.

"D-do you n-need anything t-today? I-I can help y-you. Anything."

Harry strode up to the man, his expression shadowed and stony.

"Mm. Your debt would be fantastic, actually."

The man's eyes widened with terror.

"B-but I-"

Harry cut him off with one glare, leaning towards him, his eyes boring into his.

"Listen here, and listen now. Me and a few friends here need a wand. Show us your most valuable merchandise and give our chosen wand to us free. You don't want to imagine the consequences instead shall you refuse, do you now?"

Every single eye was trained on Harry, including Theo's startled ones.

Mr. Silicino shook with relief at the simple request and he nodded several times, trying to catch a hold of himself.

"Y-yes, Mr. P-potter. I'll be right b-back."

Harry watched with a sort of distant satisfaction as the man scurried back through the 'invisible' door.

As soon as he disappeared, a choked silence fell over the group.

"Harry, how does that man know you?" Theo asked, speaking the question everyone had on their minds.

Harry hooded his eyes with his long eyelashes.

"I've been quite acquainted with Mr. Silicino for awhile now. I admittedly saved him from a vengeful wizard in Knockturn one day using wandless magic. He has owed me a debt since then and is fulfilling it right now."

Pansy stepped up, her eyes narrowed.

"So you shop here?"

Harry's brilliant eyes landed on hers and he gave a careless shrug.

"Mm. Quite a bit."

Draco raised an eyebrow at Harry before shrugging as well.

"I guess it shouldn't be such a surprise. I mean we've all been shopping in Knockturn for years. This really just leads to prove you're as Slytherin as we are. Congratulations, Potter."

Harry regarded him with respect shining in his eyes.

"You may call me Harry. Thanks, Malfoy."

"In that case, call me Draco."

For a moment, both shared perfect mirroring smirks, purely signature. Theo's eyebrows furrowed unnoticeably.

"Mr. Potter.. I am ready to fulfill your generous request. Who will be first?"

Harry extended his hand gracefully with an almost too handsome smile towards Mr. Silicino, motioning to the girls to go first.

"Miss Parkinson and Miss Greengrass?"

Both girls shared a look and rolled their eyes, stepping up nevertheless.

"Harry, you're way too charming to be safe," Daphne remarked, smiling a teasing smile at the handsome boy.

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Hm. So, if I use manners I'm called "too charming", and if I don't I'm called "rude". How is that fair?"

Pansy and Daphne laughed at that, turning their backs to find their wands.

Finally the two were situated with wands and fitting holsters.

Harry motioned for two of the other boys to go ahead, preferring to be last.

Draco and Theo stepped up eventually, allowing the man to take their measurements and whatnot albeit tensely.

"Hey, Harry."

Harry turned his head to look at the crookedly grinning Blaise, a small smile on his mouth in response.

"Hello, Blaise. Did you want to go next?"

Blaise shook his head, humor dancing in his warm irises.

"Just because your first impression of me was in a feminine sense doesn't mean you have to treat me like a lady."

Harry gave a warm laugh at the words, raising one elegant eyebrow.

"A lady, you say? If you insist," he gave a signature devilish smile as he raised his voice,"oh, my lady Blaise, would you kindly do me the honor of going before me, just so I could take a casual peek at your glorious ass without being rude?"

The others, not counting Crabbe and Goyle, burst into laughter at the outspoken words.

Blaise gave a suggestive wink and faced his back towards Harry.

"Well, if you say so. Here you go, dearest!"

The others gave another laugh at the two grinning boys.

"You know," Mr. Silicino said casually,"I've never seen Slytherins act so freely in public. But then again, if you are fairly acquainted with Mr. Potter, I say not one would dare say a thing around here-"

Harry gave him an icy look, shutting him up pretty quickly.

Everyone frowned at him once again, their eyes confused and calculating. The worst look in a Slytherin's eyes if you were the one they were curious about.

"He merely meant the shoppers and shop owners in Knockturn Alley would barely notice our uncharacteristic behavior once they laid their lucky little eyes on my gorgeous face and body."

Pansy and Daphne both raised their eyebrows at him as he shrugged. The shrug said,"Well? Not much I can do about that."

Theo shot him a look which clearly said,"Bull shit."

He gave a glare back to his best friend, shaking his head almost unnoticeable.

The others obviously weren't convinced, though they decided to decode that comment later.

Finally, after one hour or so, it was his turn.

Mr. Silicino's unnerving eyes burned with a kind of.. excitement.

"Finally, Mr. Potter, I am to find you a wand. I have waited quite awhile. Shall we see which wand will choose you?"

Harry refused to look away from his mirror-like gaze, preferring to stare back with as much intensity as he was.

"Of course."

In reply to that, he gave a sort of mad cackle and left to the back to fetch more wands.

Theo stepped up to his side, fingering his new wand, a slight frown on his face as he stared at Harry until he finally looked up.

"What's wrong, Theo?" Harry asked quietly, his eye brows furrowing together in a hint of concern.

Theo shook his head, his eyes confused. He took a small glance behind to make sure no one was watching them.

"It's nothing, Harry."

Harry raised his eyebrows, turning so his body completely faced the taller boy.

His voice was low. "Theo, we have been best friends for quite a long time. I know that face. What's bothering you?"

Theo heaved a sigh, unaware of the grey eyes watching the two from the corner of the store.

"I don't know, Harry. It's just.. I'm worried."

Harry's face didn't betray one hint of emotion. Until you reached his eyes.

From years of deciphering those eyes, Theo knew they were practically burning with concern and confusion.

"About..?"

Theo lowered his voice to an ever lower pitch than before.

"About what you were telling me earlier back at the manor. At first, it sounded amazing for you to become a fully Dark wizard by becoming a Master," understanding finally dawned on his face,"but what if you can't-"

Harry held up a hand, his eyes staring intensely into his.

"Do not worry, my friend. We'll talk about this at a different time, but not here."

Theo bit his lip, but nodded nevertheless.

Before he joined the others at his back, Harry put a hand on his shoulder, a smile pulling at the edge of his lips.

"Stop worrying, Theo. If it's any comfort to you, I've been studying this process for quite a while. I know what I'm doing."

Theo gave a smile in return as Harry finally released him.

Draco Malfoy narrowed his eyes as he saw Theo finally step away from Harry, his grey eyes calculating.

Mr. Silicino returned with quite a few boxes piled in his arms.

He gently opened one of the boxes and laid the wand in his hands, an expectant smile on his face.

Harry held the wand between his fingers, shaking his head immediately as he put the wand back.

Wand after wand Harry shook his head, wand after wand he placed back into their respective cases. His eyes glinted in the dim light with impatience.

"Such a powerful core.. I wonder..."

The wand Master disappeared to the back once again, appearing rather suddenly with a wooden box.

Waves of pure, untainted magic poured off of the case, Harry feeling immediately drawn to the mysterious box made of wood.

Mr. Silicino carefully slid the lid off, holding the wand out to the eleven-year-old.

Harry gently picked up the wand, feeling a pleasureable tingle as black sparks fell from the tip.

Mr. Silicino made a noise of triumph, his eyes boring into the slender form of Harry.

Harry inspected the wand, his eyes taking in the gorgeous wood.

The powerful wand was a glossy black, not one blemish in the fine wood.

"That wand you have there is a solid 8 inches of Ebony, commonly known as the Tree of Death. Before telling you the core, I must inform you of the last wand owner. The last person to own this wand was the original creator. He was also the very first to cast the Killing Curse. Could you name this person, Mr. Potter?"

Harry met his eyes with astonishment in his eyes.

"Salazar Slytherin."

Mr. Silicino gave a clap, his eyes excited.

"Every person I've given the wand to was rejected in history other than you. You see why it is interesting that Mr. Slytherin's wand would choose you?"

Harry inclined his head, the initial shock over.

"Very well, I suppose I would consider myself an enigma to most."

Mr. Silicino's eyes bored into Harry's.

"Have you figured out the core?"

Harry gave a glare and his eyes went cold.

"Of course, I'm not stupid. Basilisk venom."

Mr. Silicino gave another excited clap and waved him away.

Pulling away from the counter, Harry picked up a suitable wand holster and placed it on his right forearm, the opposite of his wand arm.

Seeing this, the others stood up from the many places they were sitting and headed towards the exit.

Before leaving, Harry turned to Mr. Silicino, giving a bow, a pureblood dismissal.

"Demitri Silicino, your debt has been repaid. I thank you."

Exiting through the door, Harry caught the unnerving eyes and manic grin of the mad wand master.

Hope you guys liked it! Also, I had a few questions for future chapters. Though I prefer writing slash, I am willing to accept straight. Who would you want to be paired with Harry? Would you like Damon and Harry to become closer, or drift away at Hogwarts? Do you want Harry to become Darker and Damon become Lighter?

By the way, I apologize if this is a bit more crappy and rushed as my past chapters. It's really late and I need to continue packing! Disregard the grammar mistakes and whatnot, I'll fix them sometime.

Review Responses: Thank you to war sage, Kendra Dhyanna, Han Cini, TheBlackWerewolf282, Alice, Frozen Demigodess13, Artificial Glory, Nanettez, and Janus for reviewing!

Alice: Indeed, I do think that is one of the many reasons why James and Lily resent him so much. I hope the last chapter has met your expectations. :)

Frozen Demigodess13: Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. I very much love Harry's Dark side and whatnot, if you couldn't already tell. Yes, I do agree James and Lily is quite out of character, though there is a very sepcific reason behind that. I'm not planning a makeup, though that can always change. Thank you again. :)

Nannettez: Thank you and I am pretty sure you won't see much of that after the boys go off to Hogwarts! Thank you for the input.

Kendra Dhyanna: Thank you so much for your reviews, they really help and motivate me! Don't worry, Snape will be a prominent character in this story. Lily pretty much is with James, thought a lot is manipulation. Thank you again!