Second chapter at last! Wooohoo! Anyways I don't own any characters except for Shadow Vampro blah blah blah, hmm Zoe was right, writing disclaimers is boring…
Chapter 2: Self control
The rest of the journey continued in silence. Ron and Hermione had been called to their prefect duties an hour after the incident with Malfoy, which left Harry alone with Shadow. Shadow was silent, unmoving apart from his eyes darting about the yellowed pages of his book, and the movements of his hands as he turned the pages, delicately as if they would crumble at the slightest touch. As if sensing Harry's eyes on him, Shadow looked up;
"Yes?" Shadow looked up, his golden eyes locking with Harry's bright green.
"Oh nothing… I was just… thinking …" Harry replied, drawing his wand from his pocket and examining it in his hands. At that moment Harry felt a searing pain in his scar, he cried out, at least he thought it was him, the cry sounded more…animal than human. Harry looked up through his blurred eyes to see Shadow bent over clutching his left arm. Shadow looked up at Harry and Harry saw that the previously golden eyes had transformed to scarlet slits, much like those of a cats.
"What… are… you…" Harry gasped, almost passing out from the pain.
"I…am…" Shadow trailed of, screaming as he fell to the floor in agony, his skin adopting a grayish quality. With a final gasp, Shadow looked up and harry saw the face of Lord Voldemort, or at least a resemblance to his arch enemy. The now possessed Shadow spoke, in a voice that made Harry's blood turn cold;
"Harry Potter… I hadn't expected for this meeting to occur so soon…" gasped Shadow, slowly getting to his feet and drawing his black wand, seeing it clearly for the first time, Harry noticed the ancient symbols etched onto the slim length of wood. As Shadow's wand was pointed at Harry, He could do nothing but stare into those cold eyes that surely meant death for the young wizard. Shadow began to speak the curse that would mean Harry's death; "Avada…" He seemed to choke on the last word "No…" Shadow gasped, knelling over onto the floor, "I am no longer your tool…" Shadow said, blinking, his eyes returning to their former colour, his skin becoming pale again. Shadow then leant back and rested his back on the seat, Harry opposite him, staring at him with a cold expression, like he had just been betrayed.
"What was that?!" Harry exclaimed, getting to his feet and pointing his wand at Shadow.
"That… that was interesting" said Shadow, his eyes closed, his chest heaving. "Why… what did you think it was?" Shadow questioned, turning his head to look up at Harry.
"I think that it was a death eater making an attempt on my life" Replied Harry, a hint of anger in his voice. "Explain yourself, NOW!" Harry shouted his anger paramount.
"Alright alright, for all intensive purposes, I cannot tell you the full reasons for my actions, that I am afraid, needs to remain private. But I will tell you this, A storm is coming Harry, you and your friends are caught in the middle of it…" Shadow trailed of, and slumped as he hit unconsciousness.
Harry watched as they dragged Shadow of the train, still in shock after what he had just witnessed. As he stared into the distance, Ron and Hermione came running up to him.
"Harry, you alright mate?" questioned Ron.
"We heard what happened; we couldn't believe it, why would he try to kill you!" Hermione rushed, panicking slightly at the thought of someone wanting to kill her best friend, in such close quarters.
Darkness, how I love thee, your cold embrace, the sweetness of your touch, I will treasure you always…
Shadow could hear voices. He was asleep, yet conscious at the same time. Once voice was strange to him, unfamiliar, but the other, he welcomed, the soft tones, the well spoken manner of the man, the wisdom and experience that emitted from that mans mouth was truly something to admire. Yet Shadow felt a deep, deep down loathing for the professor, an emotion that did not belong to him.
"…and if you think Dumbledore, that I am treating anyone with THAT MARK etched onto their arm, you can forget it!"
"Please Poppy, I beg of you, treat him, he is very valuable to us and a future asset to this school, if you will not treat him for his sake or mine, treat him for the sake of Hogwarts."
"Fine! But if you think I'm going to start fixing up death eaters for the sake of Hogwarts, then think again Albus!
"I understand completely Poppy, and I thank you greatly."
Shadow opened his eyes to see a woman dressed in long scarlet robes striding from the room. He turned his head to find himself looking up at the soft electric blue eyes that belonged to Hogwarts headmaster.
"Nice to see a familiar face around this place, good to see you again Professor Dumbledore." Shadow sighed.
"I've heard about your somewhat rough ordeal on the Hogwarts express, both cursing young Mr. Malfoy and your run in with Potter. Shadow may I remind you of the deal we made before you came to this school, in return for attending this castle you told me that you would control your darkness." Explained Dumbledore.
"I know, I know. It's just being so close to Harry Potter, I'm just not used to it. I'm sure I can control it from now on." said Shadow.
"You'd better, need I remind you that this school will not tolerate the dark arts. Which reminds me, your timetable, first lesson tomorrow, defense against the dark arts, how convenient." Said Dumbledore, handing over a thin sheet of parchment over to Shadow. "Well I must take my leave now, get some sleep and rest up, you have a long day tomorrow." He added with a smile. As he left Shadow could not help but wonder. Wonder if he could even control his darkness. Certainly Dumbledore was thinking the same.
Shadow walked freely from the hospital wing, nursed back to almost perfect health. He was medically perfect physically, but the recent possession had left his mind confused and left his emotions saddened. He had almost killed Harry Potter! What was he thinking! Or perhaps, Shadow reasoned, he wasn't the one doing the thinking at the time, maybe that action was in the hands of someone else…
As he strode purposefully towards the great hall for some much needed breakfast, he walked past the crowds of people passing the other way. He was not used to this; he was being stared at, no doubt that the previous nights events were that day's gossip. How much like ordinary muggle schools Hogwarts was, no matter what was taught, or how much a different world it belonged, Hogwarts was formed not by magic, but by clicks, social groups and all of that trivial boring nonsense that Shadow refused to become involved in. he very much doubted that there was a click for his type of social preference. Although the slytherins were making a good attempt. But he must remain in control. That was how he liked things, his way. If he was not in control, he found things to be much more problematic, for him at least.
He reached the top of the staircase leading into the entrance hall when he heard a soft hissing coming from behind. Curious of the sound, he turned and followed it. It led him to a dusty old tapestry of a glorious golden lion woven on top of a scarlet background. As Shadow reached out and pulled back the material, he discovered a small, dark tunnel leading away from the hall. He decided to follow the tunnel to discover the source of the hissing noise. In truth, he was curious. It was always his weak point, or so his father told him. How he hated to think of his father, how judgmental he was, how unforgiving. And how furious he would be when he found out his son had been sorted into Gryffindor, the house he so despised.
Shadow cast the thoughts of his father out of his head, unwilling to open himself up to such trivial nonsense that was his emotions. Instead he focused on the figure standing twenty feet away from him in the dark and dusty corridor.
It was a girl, of that much he was certain, but his perfect eyesight adjusted to the lack of light and he realized who was standing in front of him.
"Ah, Hermione wasn't it? To what do I owe this, unexpected pleasure?" Shadow said, his tone mocking.
"Shadow" she took a few steps forward "I'm curious, I want to know what exactly you are." She replied, her head cocking to one side.
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean, I am just like everybody else." Shadow whispered. How could she possibly have known there was anything different about him, what happened on the train was unknown to most pupils, the story being that Shadow had fainted in the compartment. But of course, she was one of Harry's best friends, of course she would know, he would have told both her and the redhead everything.
"I know what happened on the train, I know that you were possessed by Voldemort. But the way Harry described it, it seemed like you were completely taken over, and the only person Voldemort has been able to do that too is Harry, because of the connection, so how could this happen to you?" by the end of her speech, Hermione seemed to be talking more to herself than Shadow. He wondered whether he could slip out unnoticed by her, when she suddenly looked at him. "Do you have some connection to Voldemort?" she asked. Shadow could feel what little colour drain out of his already pale face, and when he replied, his voice shook with anger;
"That…is a conversation for another time. See you in class."