A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. I thank all of you for your suggestions, they've been helpful. I've also noticed some of you have mentioned my lack of background for Lord Xanatos, I have a reason for that and all will be revealed eventually.

Chapter Two: So It Begins

Harry awoke early the next morning. The sun had not even peeked over the horizon yet and his classmates were still snoring softly, well all except Crabbe and Goyle; their snores shook the very walls around them. He hissed softly and made way for the bathroom. After washing up and spraying a copious amount of expensive cologne along his neck, he walked up to a small cage at the foot of his bed.

Persephone. Wake up my sweet. The large lavender serpent raised her head sleepily and opened her piercing grey eyes.

Master, is it always necessary to wake me at the crack of dawn? I need my beauty sleep; my scales are dulling in color.

You are far to melodramatic my dear, now come so we can eat.

Master, there is something I wish to discuss with you before we go.

Yes?

The old man, the long-beard.

Dumbledore?

Yes, there is a rotten smell about him, like rats that have wasted away in a pile of feces. I do not trust him.

Am I in danger?

No, I believe he has plans for you and your death would not benefit them, at least not yet.

Is he a user of the dark arts like myself?

No, perhaps once, but his smell is not that of the dark ones, not like Lord Xanatos.

What do you mean 'perhaps once?'

One can never remove the taint that the dark spells etch on your soul, you may be able to hide it, but it is a scar that can never be healed, Lord Xanatos told you this when you agreed to learn the dark arts, with power comes certain consequences.

But one must embrace the scars for they remind you of who you are and what you've done to accomplish your goals. If you deny the darkness once you suckle from its breast, it would be as if you were denying a part of yourself, denying your very existence. That is a worst sin than killing a man; unforgivable even.

Lord Xanatos has taught you well master. This Dumbledore has committed a crime against his own being, for what reasons I can not tell, that is beyond my power to know through smell alone. He keeps a phoenix perched in his office, perhaps trying to stave off the evil he unleashed so long ago.

Then he is fooling himself, I embrace the darkness fully and it has wrapped me in its cold embrace, but I refuse to become a psychotic killer, like Voldemort was. He was an animal, effective yes, but a beast nonetheless.

You will become a powerful and wise dark lord master.

Thank you, now let's get some breakfast shall we?

Yes.

With that Persephone slithered up Harry's outstretched arm and curled around his shoulder, close to his ear to whisper advice to her master. That was the task that her former owner, Morgana, gave to her the day before Harry's eleventh birthday, when the Hogwarts letter was sure to come.

Harry put on his Slytherin robes, which were a swirling combination of black, sliver, and emerald. He pocketed his wand and marched up to the Great Hall, which was empty save the teachers and a few Ravenclaws.

"Ah Mr. Potter, how are you this morning?" Albus Dumbledore called out upon seeing him in the shadows. "Come here my boy, we did not get a chance to speak much after the sorting last night."

"Sure thing Professor." Harry nodded, gliding forward with all the grace of a true pureblood. "How are you sir?" he asked, now standing in front of the elderly wizard. He noticed Dumbledore's azure eyes twinkle in the light and made sure not to make direct eye contact. Professor Snape noticed this and scowled.

"Oh, very well Mr. Potter, but the real question is how have you been all these years? I have not seen you since the night..."

"My parents died?" Harry asked. "It is not a painful subject for me Professor, I never knew them and have had wonderful adoptive parents."

"Yes, they treated you well?"

"Absolutely, I have known nothing but kindness from them."

"They took you from your rightful guardians, do you not feel anything about that?" McGonnagal asked in a sudden outburst of emotion.

"I have known more love from them that anyone else, they have cared for me, fed me, taught me, and gave me all I could ever want, they are my family not the muggles." Harry stated strongly. "Did those muggles teach me how to walk? To talk? Did they stay by my bed at night when I was sick and read to me? Did they throw me my birthday parties? Did they even send me one present? I know they could have! They could have contacted you, but no they did not, as a matter of fact no one from Britain even attempted to contact me or my 'real' parents and believe me they are my real parents, if not by blood then by right. They, Professor, they are my family and there is nothing that will ever change that!"

"Mr. Potter! Apologize to the Deputy Headmistress!" a plump, aging witch commanded.

"No, it's okay Professor Sprout. Leave it be." McGonnagal sighed. She appeared to be hiding a well of emotion behind her stern eyes as she gazed at the boy-who-lived. "Mr. Potter, I trust there will be no further outbursts on either of our parts?"

Harry took a deep breath. "Yes Professor, please forgive me, I hope to learn much in your class."

"I hope to teach you much. Please have a seat, your classmates should be up soon."

"Mr. Potter, can I speak with you in my office during lunch, we can eat up there."

"Of course, Headmaster, no problem at all." Harry went to the Slytherin table and sat down just as Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle entered.

"Harry, good morning!" Pansy greeted, sitting next to him and beginning her breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon with pumpkin juice.

"Good morning." he replied pushing his plate away.

"Yo, Potter, you not hungry?" Goyle asked stuffing his face with sausage. Harry gazed at him in annoyance.

"Didn't want to start cannibalizing my own like you Goyle."

"What's that supposed to mean."

Draco laughed. "He just called you a pig you dunderhead!"

"Hello? You are Harry Potter yes?" a dreamy-eyed blonde asked as she approached his seat. She stared at him for an uncomfortably long time and Harry figured she would do so until he responded.

"Yes and you are?"

"I'm Luna Lovegood, Ravenclaw."

"Lovegood?" Pansy asked. "Doesn't your family own the Quibbler?"

"Why yes we do."

"What's the Quibbler?" Harry asked.

"I understand why you've never heard of it, living in America and all." Luna stated smiling. "It is a magazine that produces the truth about the Wizarding world's most vast mysteries."

"Really?" Draco smirked. "My mother says it's a load of bullocks."

"Most of the unenlightened believe that to be true, however those who see, can tell we speak nothing but the facts." Harry narrowed his eyes for a moment and nodded, as if coming to a decision. He raised his hand and took hers.

"A pleasure to meet you Luna." they shook and Luna smiled wider than before. "I'll see you in our shared classes then." with that she returned to the Ravenclaw table, where Hermione waved excitedly at Harry. He waved back and returned to his fellow Slytherins.

"And just how are you going to use that freak?" Pansy asked disgustedly.

"First, she's in Ravenclaw, so she's got a good head on her shoulders and her family owns a magazine, I may be able to do something with that in the future."

"I still don't see her use, I mean everyone thinks her father is a crackpot and the magazine a sham."

"Indulge me won't you?"

"Whatever." suddenly the ruffling of feathers filled the Great Hall as hundreds of owls swooped down to deliver letters, packages, and other assorted items to the Hogwarts students. A large raven glided in behind the owls and landed directly in front of Harry. It let out a happy caw as Harry lovingly stroked its back.

"What have you got for me Hermes?" the boy-who-lived asked taking a large, black envelope from the bird's claws. He opened the letter, which turned out to be from Xanatos. It stated that he arranged Harry's dark arts lessons to take place in a room he had discovered when he attended the school sixty years prior. It was called the Room of Requirement; providing whoever was inside with anything they needed. The dark lord would send a map with the room's location later that week with complete instructions as to what to do once inside. He went on to warn Harry once again about the dangers of displaying his knowledge of advanced magic and that he could expect a letter from Morgana and Seth the next morning. Harry crumpled the letter and ripped it apart before stuffing the remains in his bag.

They continued their meal until the headmaster announced that it was time for classes. Harry glanced at the sheet he found on his trunk the night before and saw that Potions was the first class of the day, with the Ravenclaws. They made their way to the familiar dungeons but turned from the path that led to the Slytherin common room and down a hallway that led to Professor Snape's 'lair' as the older students had called it when they took them down to the dormitories.

As they sat down, Harry noticed that another student seemed to be staring at him, however, gone was the curiosity that swirled in the eyes of the others. No this student glared at him with unmistakable hatred, but the reason for this was lost on Harry. To his knowledge, he had never met this student before.

"Draco, who is that?" he asked, turning to the platinum blonde pureblood. Draco gazed at the boy and shook his head.

"I don't know, he was sorted into our house last night, but I didn't catch his name; come to think of it, he was giving you the same look at the feast."

"Odd." Harry stood and marched up to the wizard, who had short hair with long bangs that covered up one side of his face. His eyes, pitch black pieces of charcoal, seemed to burn brighter as Harry made his approach.

"What do you want Potter?" the boy hissed venomously, tensing up as the boy-who-lived placed his hand on the boy's desk.

"Do you have a problem with me?"

"Other than your existence? No." he spat.

"What have I done?" Harry asked inquisitively. "Honestly I don't think I've met you before."

"You don't know me Potter, but believe me, I know you and you will pay for what you've done." before Harry could interpret the boy's cryptic statement a loud bang signaled the arrival of professor Snape. He quickly took his seat in between Pansy and Draco just as the potions master appeared from the doorway.

"Silence, I will have no foolish wand waving in my class." the professor shouted. "I can teach you to brew the greatest of potions, enthrall those around you, destroy those who would attack you, and even put a stopper on death itself." he leaned against his desk, drawing his robes around himself. "Now then, who can tell me where you would find a boazor?" all the Ravenclaws' hands shot up simultaneously as did Harry, Draco, Pansy, and the unknown Slytherin. "Well, if it isn't Hogwarts' newest celebrity." Snape remarked with a sneer. "Your fame will not earn you favor in my classroom Mr. Potter, now I believe you think you have the answer."

"A boazor is a stone found in the stomach of a goat and can be used to cure most poisons, except the venom produced from a basilisk, which can only be cured by phoenix tears."

"Correct Mr. Potter, it seems you are more knowledgeable than expected. Twenty points to Slytherin."

"Thank you Professor." Harry said smirking. Snape frowned and began the lesson, which consisted of identifying proper potion ingredients and their usage. The boy whom Harry had confronted earlier, continued to seethe in the shadows, never taking his eyes off Harry.

"Your assignment is to research three of the ingredients we've discussed and write a paper on them, I expect two feet of parchment at minimum, you are dismissed." As they filtered out of the classroom, the unknown Slytherin, who Snape had addressed as Vincent Gaunt, slammed against Harry nearly knocking him over.

"What the bloody hell is his problem!" Pansy huffed. After regaining his balance, Harry told his friends to go on; he had something to discuss with the professor. They nodded and left Harry and professor Snape alone.

"What is it Mr. Potter, I am extremely busy."

"If you wanted to know, why not use legilimency on me like you did last night?" he smiled and sat in front of the now curious professor.

"Just how do you know about legilimency?" Snape asked resting back in his chair.

"My parents taught me much in my short time on this planet and they taught me to defend myself against a legilimens three years ago; however, you are more powerful than my occulmency. Sadly three years simply isn't enough to stop a master of the art, at least I caught you in time."

"In time for what?"

"There are some memories that are best kept secret, don't you agree?" Harry asked. A strange look flickered across Snape's eyes before he nodded. "You seem to not be very fond of me, though it seems to me that you are not fond of anybody, your anger towards me seems especially...potent."

"You're arrogant just like your father Potter!" the professor hissed.

"Ah, I see." Harry replied. "It is James who you hate and now that he is no longer around, you wish to take it out on me; I assure you that whatever resemblance I have to that man is strictly skin deep. I may have the same hair and face, but my mind is my own and I will prove to you and everyone else that I am not my 'father'."

"We shall see." Snape whispered, half to himself. "Now go on, you have charms next I believe."

"Very well." Harry stood and headed for the door, but stopped just short of the exit. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for whatever it was that James did to you." with that he left. Snape gazed after him for a moment, then returned to the paperwork on his desk.

Charms had been an interesting ordeal. As Harry entered the class, a small wizard, professor Flitwick, was teaching the levitation spell. "Remember class, swish and flick!" he squeaked. "Ah, Mr. Potter, professor Snape sent a message telling me that you would be late. Please take a seat."

Harry sat down next to the boy who had lost his toad on the train, Neville Longbottom. "A pleasure." he nodded in the boy's general direction, focusing on the feather in front of him. Far too easy. "Wingardium leviosa." the feather immediately drifted upward, touching the ceiling. Flitwick clapped excitedly. No one else's feathers even compared to the height that Harry's had reached.

He smirked as Draco scowled at him in jest and Pansy sneered good-naturedly. Neville sighed disappointedly and Harry decided to earn his trust. "Hey, don't worry, I've been practicing these simple spells since I was little. You'll get it eventually." he whispered. Longbottom smiled and nodded continuing to practice throughout the class and actually had it levitate two minutes before dismissal.

Harry made to leave, but was stopped by Flitwick. "Mr. Potter, I've never seen a first year master that spell so quickly, I'd like to congratulate you. You know, your mother was an excellent charms student."

"I've heard. Thank you very much professor, I don't want to be late for Transfiguration, so..."

"Oh, of course Mr. Potter, please don't let me keep you." Harry gave a small bow and left; Flitwick still scurrying about the room excitedly.

Transfiguration proved to be amusing for Harry. Upon entering he noticed that everyone sat around waiting for the professor. The tabby sitting on McGonnagal's desk seemed to look on in amusement. He stepped up to the desk.

"Hello, professor, how are you?"

The cat shifted and morphed until McGonnagal, somewhat surprised by Harry's perception, sat on the edge of the desk. "Ten points to Slytherin for keen perception of environment." the boy-who-lived took a seat near the back of the classroom. Vincent Gaunt glared at the smirking wizard, even when taking notes on the principles of Transfiguration, his hatred seemed to permeate the air and attempt to strangle Harry with its shear volume.

"He really doesn't like you huh?" Hermione asked nodding at Gaunt, who was hunched over his paper, scribbling acrimoniously.

"Maybe one of his parents was a supporter of Voldemort's reign as dark lord and lost their wealth when he was destroyed." Harry speculated. "I"m surprised, you didn't flinch or anything at his name."

"Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself." Hermione explained.

"I wish the rest of the magical world shared your sentiment." he replied. "It gets annoying after the first dozen times."

"Yeah, it's kinda pathetic." the brunette sighed. "I feel sorry for them."

"Well I don't." Harry growled. "It was their fear and inaction that led to his coming to power in the first place. They got what they deserved."

"That's horrible."

"I know, but that's how I feel."

"Well, let's agree to disagree okay?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded and smiled at her.

"Sorry for that little outburst."

"No problem does it have to do with your par..."

"Don't finish that sentence!" Hermione snapped her mouth shut and look down in a combination of anger and shame. "I apologize Hermione, it is a touchy subject for me. People compare me to James and Lily, but I'm not them."

"I can see how that would get annoying after awhile." Hermione said. Once class was dismissed, they stood and left. It was time for lunch and Harry told Hermione to tell Pansy and Draco about his meeting with Dumbledore. She nodded and was about to go when Vincent Gaunt emerged, blocking her path.

"Well if it isn't Potter's mudblood trollop." he sneered glancing at Harry. "Tell me scarhead, when do you plan on using this bitch? Cause mudbloods are only good for one thing..." a resounding slap echoed through the corridor and Vincent rubbed his cheek tenderly. Hermione stood eye to eye with the pureblood, face crimson with rage.

Vincent drew his wand, but Harry was faster and used the disarming spell to send the boy flying into a nearby wall. He stood and wiped a trail of blood from his busted lip. "You'll pay for that, both of you." despite his words, he turned and left.

"Do you need me to walk you to the Great Hall?" Harry asked.

"No, you need to meet the headmaster, I'll be fine." Hermione replied heaving.

"If he bothers you again, tell me." Harry let Hermione go and approached the gargoyle statue that led to the headmaster's office. He stood there for a few moments, not knowing the password to enter. As if hearing his thoughts, the statue moved aside to reveal a staircase. Dumbledore must have opened it for him.

He took a deep breath and ascended until he reached a great, polished wooden door. He knocked and heard Dumbledore say 'enter.' The ancient wizard sat at his desk, stroking the phoenix that Persephone had told Harry about that morning. It gazed at him wearily, as if it were able to see the dark magic around him, though that was impossible, because he had only begun training in the dark arts days before his birthday. He knew a few fire curses and some fear spells, but had yet to be taught anything that could land him in Azkaban.

"Harry, please have a seat and I will summon some food for us." Albus said smiling. "How has your first day of classes been so far?"

"Excellent actually." Harry smiled. "However, a certain student seems to have it in for me."

"Who?"

"I believe his name is Vincent Gaunt."

"Gaunt?" the headmaster's face seemed troubled for a moment, but he soon regained his composure. "No, that would be impossible."

"Professor?"

"Nothing Harry, nothing at all." the old man sighed as a plate of sandwiches appeared in front of them. Harry reached over and took one.

"The thing is, I have no idea why he would hate me so much; there's no logic to it."

"Perhaps his family supported the former dark lord."

"I thought that as well." He could sense that Dumbledore knew more or thought he knew more than he was telling him. "He accosted Hermione in the hall and I had to use the disarming curse on him before he harmed her. I just wanted you to know before he reported me to a teacher or something like that."

"If miss Granger collaborates your story, then there will be no problem." Albus said reassuringly. "I'm certain that his anger will subside with time."

"Maybe, but I doubt it." Harry shook his head. "I would like for this not to escalate further; after all, I just got here." He took one last bite of his meal and stood. "Classes will be starting again soon, I'd best be going."

"Of course Mr. Potter, have a pleasant day."

"You as well headmaster."

After Harry left, Dumbledore stood and approached the window that overlooked the Forbidden Forest. The phoenix shrilled and flew onto his shoulder. "Fawkes, I hope my suspicion is just that, a suspicion and no truth comes of it." Fawkes rubbed his beak through the headmaster's beard soothingly. Albus scratched the top of Fawkes' head before glancing at a lavender box in the corner. He was drawn to it, but knew that if he gave in, everything would come back full circle. He couldn't allow what happened all those years ago happen again. He tore his eyes away and focused on the students' flying lessons.

Harry stood next to his classmates as an older witch, not quite as old as McGonnagal, with spiky, gray hair and yellowish hawk eyes paced in front of them. He shrugged his shoulder trying to return feeling to it after just putting Persephone back in her cage. She didn't like to go outside during the day.

"Now class it is time for your first flying lesson I am Madame Hooch and I want you to put your hands over your brooms and say 'up'."

Harry scoffed, extended his arm, and said, "Up." the broom instantly shot into his hand. He smirked noticing that only a few others could even get the broom to move. Draco had successfully caught his broom as had Vincent, whose lip had curled into a terrible upward position, indicating rage.

"He seems constantly pissed off." Draco laughed.

"Yes, I wonder why." Pansy stated, broom in hand. "I heard about the incident after Transfiguration, you defended that mudblood?"

"What did I say on the train?"

"Very well, but it seems highly irregular for a Slytherin."

"My reputation amongst the Slytherins is inconsequential, they will respect me, because the must and if need be I will prove it." they heard a commotion behind them and saw Vincent taunting the Longbottom boy with his new remembrall, dangling it above his head. "This, however, is getting ridiculous."

"Now Longbottom? What could be so..." Harry raised his hand and signaled for her to silence herself. He marched over to Vincent.

"Why don't you get a life Gaunt?" He asked smirking. "You surely have better things to do than prove what a waste of life you are."

"You really must have a hero complex Potter, if you want to help him so bad, then come and get this back from me." with that Vincent hopped on his broom and took off.

"Get back down here!" Hooch shouted.

"He's baiting you." Draco sighed.

"Should I?"

"No, Madame Hooch will get him down."

"That's no fun." Harry stated getting on his broom. "Besides, I'm going to put him in his place before he tries to disrupt my interests."

Once they were both airborne, Harry and Vincent raised around the Hogwarts grounds. They circled each other over the forest and Vincent drew his wand. "Come on Potter!"

"Fine, you want me to shame you in front of everyone? Very well." Harry brought forth his own wand and the two prepared for their first duel.

"Expelliarmus!" Vincent dodged and countered with,

"Atero Plene!" a lavender beam of magic shot straight for Harry's head. He swerved and watched as a nearby tree truck was shattered.

"Playing for keeps huh Gaunt?" Harry growled, enraged by Vincent's audacity. What was he going to tell the teachers? Harry fell? Laughable! "Very well, Nihilus Flamma!" Damn it, Xanatos isn't going to like this! The black flame missed Vincent by a hair and the arm of his robes combusted violently.

He tore the cloth from his robe leaving his arm exposed. It was burned slightly, but not enough to be called serious. "A dark spell Potter? Do you mock me!"

"Mock you?"

"Glacialis Forago!" instead of striking Harry, it hit his broom. It froze over and shattered. Harry blinked twice before plummeting into the dark shadows of the forest. He thought he heard terrified screams before he hit the ground and everything was black.

A/N: Next chapter coming soon!