Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't own Kingdom hearts. I also don't own Star Wars but that's irrelevant.

First Steps into Darkness

Harry awoke and sat bolt upright. He looked around frantically before he realised he was back in his bed in the Gryffindor common room. He sighed in relief as he took in the familial surroundings, "Just a dream." He then realised what this could mean. Was this another glimpse at one of Voldemort's plans? "No" he thought aloud, Voldemort wasn't in it and neither was anyone else for that matter. On top of that is scar didn't hurt which was always a god sign. "No" he repeated as if trying to convince himself. He decided to file this one away as 'excessively strange, yet natural', and that it wasn't worth further thought.

It was only then that he noticed he was alone in the dormitory. He looked at his watch "midday?" he thought puzzled. It wasn't like him to sleep in on a weekend; then again he had stayed up into the small hours in order to finish his a potions essay. Quickly getting dressed he ran down to the great hall and to he Gryffindor table where he met up with his two best friends, Ron and Hermione. As he expected, Ron was diving head first into a roast dinner, while Hermione was reading a rather old looking book on some sort ancient magic, periodically shooting looks of disgust towards Ron. Harry suppressed a laugh and took his seat between them.

"Afternoon Harry" Hermione said jokingly also suppressing a laugh.

"Year where you been?" Ron fought a mouth full of roast potatoes to ask this question, something that didn't impress Hermione.

"Nowhere, just been a sleep. Had this very strange dream last night" he offered by way of an excuse. Hermione glanced up over the top of her book with a worried expression. "Not anything to do with Voldemort," Ron flinched, "just strange, that's all," Harry quickly added realising his mistake. Hermione looked concerned, but didn't press the matter. "So what are we doing today?" harry asked thought he already half suspected the answer.

"WE" Hermione put great emphasis on this part, "are going to research this Pure-blood Prince" she ignored the grown Ron gave her.

"What's with you and this guy, he done nothing but help harry and you won't get off his case. " besides it's only a book.

"Yes Ron and books never hurt anyone" Ron fell into defeat. The dark events of the events of his second year were all stemmed from a signal book; the memory still gives him the creeps.

"Fine, you can waste your free time for all I care. I'm going to spend my time doing something I enjoy for once" With that he stormed of up the Gryffindor table towards the common room, taking with him the gaze of a good number of students. Hermione glared daggers at the back of Ron's retreating head before turning and leaving in a similar fashion heading to the library.

"Just great…" Harry sighed. Once again he had been left standing in the no man's land of one of Ron and Hermione's epic battles. He thought about which side he should take. He wanted to go after Ron but he had to admit that he was curious to know more about the half blood prince. He sighed deeply as he left for the library. "Ron's going to kill me!"

Harry made his way slowly to the library, dreading the mood Hermione would be in when he got there. As I turned out she didn't mention Ron at all, which if anything just made Harry feel even more uncountable about the situation. Having no lessons that day meant that Harry could spend hours researching uninterrupted. But without Ron to liven the atmosphere, he soon began get board. Hermione, still fuming about Ron didn't say much, leaving Harry to his own devices. He found plenty of information on half-blood creatures, even things about the various wizard princes that there had been over the many years, but no half blood prince. Even Hogwarts a history hadn't offered a clue to the princes' identity.

It was late afternoon and still no closer to learning the truth. Hermione had so may exhausted books around her it made a small fortress, partially blocking her from view. This was probably for the better though as it meant that she couldn't see a timidly approaching Ron.

"Hay Harry, Hermione, found out anything yet?"

"No, nothing" replied Harry

"Hermione simply turned the page in the book she was reading and didn't offer him a response."

"Well I'll just get started reading these then" he said quietly as he took some books of the nearest shelf and began to read through. Despite the extra set of eyes the hunt became no more fruitful. In fact by the end of the day the Harry was seriously considering that the prince had popped out of nowhere stayed just log enough to graffiti on his potions book before disappearing again. The group left the library with both Harry and Ron having the sinking feeling that they would be back bright and early the next day.

As they rounded a corner on their way back to the Gryffindor Tower, they collided with a rather short third year Hufflepuff. The Hufflepuff in question was knocked back on to the floor, and was now looking up at the trio in apparent terror, as all the colour drained from his face.

"You ok?" asked Hermione in a somewhat motherly tone. The boy only managed to stutter a few inaudible words picking himself up, and running away in the opposite direction.

"I think you got an admirer Hermione," said Ron trying to hold back a fit of laughter. That night ended like any other. Hermione would read some book or other, while harry and Ron would indulge in a game of wizard chess or exploding snap. Eventually Ron and Hermione departed for the night leaving Harry under the impression that he wanted some time alone to revise his quidditch tactics, in reality he wanted time to think about the previous nights' dream. He sat by the fireplace until one by one the last of the Gryffindor retired, leaving him alone in the room.

He thought long and hard about his strange dream. He analysed it from every angle but got no closer to unlocking its secrets. It was far to real to be just a dream, yet it didn't seam to have anything to do with Voldemort. It was not filed with visions of death, or with glimpses of Voldemort's plans yet it clearly wasn't natural.

He could feel himself being pulled into a deep sleep, maybe he would get similar dream, but then suddenly his scar began to prickle. With in moments it burned like liquid fire, he tried to stand up, but immediately collapsed back into the chair. He could feel the world growing dark once more, but this time he knew the dream would not be pleasant.

He was standing in a cold marble room, which looked to be part of a castle. He was standing in what appeared to be it's thrown room. It was long with a high sealing adorned with the banners. Next to him he could see a jet black thrown, and at the opposite end of the room a great wooden door, inscribed with images the details of which he could not make out, but was cretin weren't pleasant. From behind the door came a horrific scream. It lasted for around thirty seconds before being abruptly silenced. In burst Voldemort flanked by Bellatrix Lesranges. Voldemort walked towards his thrown, then realising he was being followers screamed at her to get out. Voldemort was definitely livid at something, this meant something had gone wrong for him, which meant something had gone right for Harry.

Voldemort fumed up to thrown and began to scream at some disembodied figure leaving Harry scared to move even though he new couldn't be seen or heard.

"HOW DARE HE TALK TO ME LIKE THAT! HOW DARE HE ORDER ME, I AM LORD OF THIS WORLD! I AM LORD VOLDERMORT!" His voice blistered with rage and contempt as he spat out every last syllable.

"You were never lord of this world and you never will be," said a soft clam voice, that cut through Voldemort's rage like a knife. Harry spun around in shock to see who had the audacity to challenge Voldemort so openly. If he hadn't he would have seen the briefest ghost of fear flash across Voldemort's face, before it was repressed.

The voice was that of a man, or at least Harry thought it was, it was impossible to tell. Whoever it was wore a long black coat that was fastened from top to bottom with a hood pulled low casting their face into shadow. He wore large black boots and both hands were incased in black gloves. The overall result was to shield every last inch of the man from the eye. All though harry could not see the man properly, he new that he was not someone to be messed with. His presence screamed power in ways both Voldemort and Dumbledore could only dream of, the vary air seamed to darken around him.

"Voldemort…you failed us."

"I AM NOT YOUR PUPET TO COMMAND! I AM LORD WOLDERMORT!" He screamed at the shrouded man in what Harry could tell was an attempt to intimidate him, but the man didn't so much as flinch.

"Need I remind you, that the only reason that you are 'Lord Voldemort' is because we gave you the power to be so."

"NEVER, I REQUIRE THE HELP OF NO ONE!"

"Really?" Said the man in amused tone. "If I remember correctly, it was we who first gave you the idea of the six Horcrux and instructed you on how to make them. When you were all but destroyed, was it not us who sent Quirrell to you? And it was us who gave you the knowledge of the ritual that gave you this body you process today? Clearly you don't need are help." Voldemort glowered at the man with pure rage and hatred burning in the slits of his eyes, but was unable to do anything. The man turned to leave, but stopped a few paces later and turned his head to Voldemort.

"Don't rely on them to much. The more you use them, the closer they get to your heart. They feed on the darkness within it you see. They get to close and… well, don't let them get to close."

"I can control them, they won't get my heart."

"Of cause not" he replied in a slightly patronising voice. "By the way, the boy is watching." With that the man turned to stare directly at Harry from under his hood and through the darkness, Harry thought he could just see the glint of crystal blue eyes. In the background Voldemort screamed something to someone, but harry didn't listen. He was transfixed, staring at the man, searching in vain for glimpse of something to humanise him. Then the room began to fade into darkness. The great door, the white marbled walls, the thrown and even Voldemort himself had faded. But still Harry stared at the man, tying to pierce through the darkness and still the man stared back into to Harry. Now the mysterious man was all that remained in the darkness that he could so easily be apart of. His image lingered, for a few seconds and just before it vanished, he spoke seemingly directly into Harry's mind.

"…Almost…Time"

For the second night in a row, Harry awoke and sat bolt upright, this time however he awoke in a cold sweat. Who ever that man was he was going to be a problem. And what was he giving to Voldemort? A new weapon perhaps, what ever it was it couldn't be good. He rolled over to look at his watch, 03:27 in the morning. He sighed, he wasn't likely to get anymore sleep, it was going to be a long night.

It seemed like iternity, before he started to hear the first signs or life stering in the otheres with whom he sheared his room. Finishing replaying his dream for the 1000th time, he got up and went down into the common room to wait for his friends. Some forty five minutes latter, he, Ron and Hermione, found themselvs sitting in the great hall. After the usual brekfast, for most of which Harry seemed rather distent, the trio set of for another session of hunting down the identity of the prince, though this time without any objections from Ron. The group spent the most of the morning in silence, until Ron discovered something he felt needed to be brought to the groups immidate attention.

"Isn't that Hermione's secret admirer over there?" both Harry, and Hermione looked like they had been hit with the confoundus charm. Seeing there look's of confusion Ron decided to elaberate. "You know, that Hufflepuff third year from last night." Harry had to struggle to hold back a fit of laughter, whiel Hermione had to struggle to hold back hitting Ron. But shore enough there sat the boy they had run in to the previous night. Up one realisng the three older Grifindors were looking at him, he gave a shrill squeek and devied to hind his face behind the book he was reading.

The trio laughed to themselvs and thought nothing more of it. The day wore on with no clue to the princes identity coming to light. Every now and then one of the group would steal a quick glance towards the Hufflepuff boy on the next tabel, and evert time he would dive for cover beneath his book. Eventualy it was time for the library to close and for everyon to head of to their common rooms. The trio had bearly reached the grate staris when they heare the smug voice of Draco Malfoy coming from a little way ahead of them. Realising that trubel was bruing they decided to to race ahed and find out what was happening. Turning the corner, they found the Slitherin in question towering over third third year Hufflepuff from the library.

"Leave him alone Malfoy!" shouted Harry as he raced to join the scene, Ron and Hermione right behind him.

"Year, why don't you pick on someone you own size for once!" continued Hermione

"Shut up Mudblood. You to Potter if you know what's best for you." Turning to the third year. "Should have know you would have been part of Potters little fan club. Let me guess your another little Mudblood aren't you. Should have known you would all hang around together. You and the blood traitors," nodding to Ron "one happy little family."

"Shut up Malfoy" was all Hermione could reply through the tears that had started to form her eyes.

"Why you little…" retaliated an enraged Harry, while Ron's face turned a shade of red that closely matched his hair.

"Why what are you going to do?" Malfoy sneered raising his wand, an action that the golden trio immediately copied. The situation was that there was now four wands raised at each with the full intention off being used. Malfoy was preparing to cast the opening curse to the four way duel, when he was interrupted by the third year who until now had remind silent, in fact up until now no one present had acutely heard him speak. Now however he spoke in a voice that was as calm and soft as it was out of place coming form the boy.

"There is no need for violence, surely" he stated, the others looked in shock but he continued still with his back to them. "After all, I would hate to have to hurt you" this comment was directed solely to Malfoy, who starred at him in disbelief.

"You? What could a third year do to hurt me" he laughed moving a step closer and raising his wand. The other three raised their wands threateningly, taking a step close to close the gap.

"Don't try anything or-" They were cut of by the year's perfectly calm voice. A voice calm despite the fact that he had a sixth year who stood at least a head taller then him with wand raised to his back, moving aggressively towards him.

"I worn you, Malfoy, you shouldn't underestimate people because they look to be beneath you."

"Ha, Don't make me laugh, you're just a pathetic Mudblood like all the rest." Hermione flinched as he made the blood comment. "I going to enjoy this" he smiled to himself, raising his wand up to back of the boy's head, ready to cast a spell.

"Hrrrm" the third year sighed to himself as Malfoy prepared to attack.

"Malfoy don't-" was all Hermione could scream as he lunged forwards his wand out stretched. But he never got the chance to utter a single word. What happened next happened so fast that the trio didn't have time to shout a warning to Draco. As he lunged forward, the third year spun round, in a blur of black and yellow. As he did so he produced from out of nowhere a long silver bladed sword. He moved so quickly that he was able to stab Malfoy in mid flight, strait through the shoulder, and with enough force to slam him into the wall pinning him in place. Malfoy splutter in pain and shock, finding his wand had flown from his hand and his right arm now unresponsive, he looked down at the third year, who was now sporting a rather sinister smile. He clenched his still functional left hand into as tighter fist as possible and launched it at him. Before he had even come close to landing the below, he felt a blistering pain in his other shoulder. He looked to see a second identical sword was now pinning that arm to the wall as well. He looked into the eyes of the third year, they were cold, and uncaring, and had a distinctive inhuman quality to them.

"I told you not to make the choice to fight likely" the forth year told Draco in a calm, soft voice that was somewhat reminiscent of how Dumbledore would speak, only darker. With a quick smooth action the blades were removed for the wall and raised pulling Draco of the ground so that all his weight was forced down onto the sword tips. He squirmed weakly as he tried desperately to dislodge himself, trying to stand on air to easy the pressure on the blades.

Harry, Ron and Hermione, were completely shocked by the events that were unfolding in front of them. They stared dumbfounded at the third year and the impaled Malfoy, as the colour drained from his face. Finally Harry overcome his shock enough to speak, although somewhat weakly. "…What?… how?…" but that was all he could manage. The third year turned and smiled at the gaping trio before speaking to them.

"Please wait a moment, while I deal with are friend here" He tuned back to Draco. As he did he began to change. Before their eyed, he began to grow rapidly. His body changed to that of a seventeen-year-old, his clothes also changed. His black and yellow Hufflepuff robes elongated to meet the needs of his new size. The yellow faded into black as the robes reformed them selves into a black leather trench coat. His shoes grew into strong leather combat boots, which were mostly covered by a pair of heavy black trousers that meet an equally black plain jacket. The only shred of colour to be found on his cloths was a strange blood red marking that covered the bottom of the back of his coat. It looked like a stretched heart, with two black spiked bands crossing through it. The trio didn't know it but they had just seen the heartless insignia for the first time His face looked essentially the same, except older, with the exception of his eyes which now seamed cold and unnatural.

"Who… are you?" Hermione demanded wand now raised, Harry and Ron quickly flowing suite. "I worn you, don't try everything" she quickly added. The stranger surveyed the three, not bothered by the tree wands trained on him. His eyes came to rest on Hermione, staring deep into her eyes. She could feel him probing her and shifted slightly under his penetrating gaze. He smiled slightly but let it fade as he noticed the tears that still hung around her eyes from Draco's earlier Mudblood comment.

He turned back to a now whimpering Draco. "You made the lady cry" Before Draco could utter a word to his defence, the man, in a single quick action, twisted both blades in opposite directions. The blades, which still supported Draco's full weight, tore even greater tares in his shoulders. He squirmed under the immense pain, before he fell still. His blood trickling down the length the blades and dripping of the hilts, pooling on the flaw below. His head lulled as he passed out from pain and blood loss. The blades were withdrawn from within him, allowing him to fall to the floor in a crumpled heap resting against the wall. The man turned to the three remaining Gryffindor. He smiled at them as he flicked his wrists to remove the excess blood from his swords.

He took a step forwards and was met with a wall of wands, all of which directed at him. He stopped and looked calmly at the hostile faces of the trio. "Who are you?"

"What don't you recognise me, and I thought I was your friend" he said in mock outrage.

"Friend, after what you did to him" Hermione spluttered. "Why would you do a thing like that? You don't even care do you. You're heartless!"

"You really are the smartest witch of you age aren't you" the trio looked at him slightly unnerved. "Your right, I am heartless aren't I" He smiled to himself then nodded to the group turned and began to walk off down the corridor.

"Stop where you are" Ron commanded, but was ignored except that the stranger raised a hand and waved behind him slightly as he left. "I mean it" no response. "Last chance, stop or else." The man stopped dead, he paused, and turned

"Or else what?" he asked, still using the soft voice but now with a definite cold undertone. The trio raised their wands threateningly ready to cast their spells. The stranger drew the two long blades from his shoulder harness and assumed a fighting stance. "So be it!"

"Stupify" Shouted Ron

"Expelliarmus" cried Harry

"Petrificus Totalus" Hermione yelled

The three spells tore down the corridor towards their mark in a blur of red and white sparks. The mark sighed to him self as the spells rocketed towards him. Then, with inhuman precision, he swung the swords in to the path of the on coming spells with such ferocious speed that they appeared no more then a silvery blur. The curses rebounded of the blades, crashing in to the walls and sealing around him leaving creators where they hit. The trio gaped in disbelief at what they saw. They overcome their shock and began to fling every hex, jinx and curse they knew at him. Every spell met the same fate, not one making it through to land a blow.

"Come on give me some credit, show me some proper magic. Show me why they call you 'The Chose One', I want to see if you worthy of your reputation."

Harry glared at him, he had never been this furious at anyone other then Voldemort before. Right he thought he wants a proper spell, then I'll give him one. "Expecto Patronum." The silvery stag erupted from the tip of his wand, and charged at the intruder. Instead of moving out the way, he stood there calmly as the Patronum quickly approached. Just as the Patronum was about to hit him, he moved in another silver and black blur. The stag came to an abrupt halt roughly seven strides behind the man, perfectly motionless for a moment. Harry stared in pure horror, as the top half of the stag slid left, while the bottom part fell to the right, the cleanly severed halves, hung in the air for a few second before vanishing.

"My turn" the man said, forsaking his soft tone for a much darker and harsher one. The three quickly went to raise a shield, but not nearly quick enough.

"Proto-" Ron shouted, but he was cut off. In a black and silver blur, the man bolted down the corridor at brake neck speed. He went strait into a shoulder barge, which hit Ron with so much force that it lifted him clean into the air slamming into the wall behind. Ron fell the ground unconscious. The man immediately stopped for a second in exactly the position that Ron had filled seconds before. He was so close to Hermione that he could whisper something into to her ear if he wanted to. Her eyes winded in fear, as she realised what was about to happen. In another silvery blur, the man brought one the sword hilts crashing down onto her head. She crumpled to the floor, unconscious under the force of the attack. Harry turned and released a Reducto curse but hit nothing but wall behind the space the man had occupied half a second before. He turned around just to see a fist came flying towards him. It made contact, launching him into the wall behind, he dropped his wand and staggered forwards dazed.

The man surveyed the damage caused to the corridor and then turned his attention to the three unconscious bodies of his opponents, sprawled across the floor. Finally he turned to the semi-recovered Harry who was now standing seemingly rooted to the spot glaring at him. He chuckled slightly to him self as he admired the devastation he had caused. "A valiant effort" he congratulated Harry using his softer voice once more. "Truly worthy of a Keyblade Master"

"What did you call me?" harry demanded, confused by the new tittle the man had given him, as well as the concussion he could feel forming.

"Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough," the man said moving to the still unconscious remains of Draco. He waved his had over him. The holes in his shoulders began to glow with a strange white light. When the light faded, Harry was astounded to see that he had been healed. Event the holes in his robes were repaired with perfect precision. Next his entire body began to glow with the same white light, when it faded he had completely disappeared. The process was repeated for Ron and Heroine, healing, mending the cloths and making them to vanish. Next the man turned his attention to the corridor. It began to glow. The light faded to show that all of the damage done to the walls caused in the fight had been repaired. The corridor looked exactly as it had done before the fight. It was impossible to tell that anything had happened. Finally he turned his attention back to Harry for the last time.

"What have you done to my friends?" harry asked as sternly as he could, but failing to hid his fear for there safety.

"Don't worry about them, they're perfectly safe. I simply healed them, purged their memories of are little encounter and sent them to there beds. They'll wake up in the morning feeling as good as ever without the slightest notion that anything out of the ordinary having happened. You however, Keyblade Master, will not have the comfort of such ignorance. Oh no, for you, this is only the beginning."

"Who…what are you?"

"Good question, you will find out soon enough no doubt. In the mean time all that there is left to do is for you to step in to the darkness".

Harry charged forwards in a last desperate attack, but stumbled when his foot sank a few inches through the floor. He tried to pull it free but found that it was stuck fast. When he looked to find what had latched onto him, he found that he was standing in circular pool of darkness. He froze as he recognised it from his the dream two nights before. He began to sink further and further, he tried to move his other foot but found that it was now also ensnared by the dark energy. He looked up to see the man standing over him smiling down as he sank further and further into the portal. With the darkness up to his waist, he gave up trying to pull him out with his strength alone. He grasped for his wand, if he could just reach it he maybe able to levitate himself out. He stretched and strained himself towards his wand, but it alluded his fingers by a couple of inches. As he leaned towards his wand his left had brushed the surface, and immediately become trapped he struggled to free it, but it only caused him to sink faster. With the darkness now up to the base of his shoulders, he clawed desperately at the edge of the portal in a futile attempted to keep head above the surface, but soon that arm was pulled down with the rest of his body. With the darkness around his neck, he looked up into the smiling face of the man one last time before his eyes were covered and his world fell into darkness. Finally he recognised him, the black coat, the boots and gloves, the cold crystal blue eyes and the way the very atmosphere seamed to darken around him. He was the man that confronted Voldemort in his dreams.

The man stood in the corridor alone. The dark portal had now closed up and any hope of Harry returning through it vanished with it. Looking to where the portal had once stood he noticed the long tubular shaft and recognised it to be Harry's wand. He picked it up and examined it, twirling it in his fingers as he did so. "It's funny what significance these wizards place in these little wands of theirs," he mused to him self out loud. He examined it for a few seconds before securing in a pocket on the inside of his is coat.

He stood as if weighting for something for a few seconds before the very air seamed to part before him, revealing a dark void like portal that hung silent, motionless and shrouded in darkness. The stranger looked at it for a few seconds and them stepped brazenly into it, vanishing as he did so. The portal remained open for a few seconds in his absence before closing into nothingness leaving quiet, peaceful and empty corridor.

AN: Well second chapter done. Sorry for the long delay, I was writing the plot of my other story I'm working on. WATCH THIS SPACE!!!! Thanks to myONE reviewer, Jigoku-Kouzanchou, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Remember to leave any world requests in a review. Six weeks of school now so expect quicker updates.