Ok people, a bit of a time jump here again. I couldn't do much with Harry's training, as it was mainly repetitive and boring so I cut it out. I'll do my best to describe it in later chapters though. Oh and Harry will be called Raiden from now on, although all characters who don't know about his new name will still call him Harry. This means pretty much everyone except for Voldemort at present.
Blah = mind speech.
'blah' = thoughts
'blah' = parseltongue
Chapter Three: Letters and Diagon Alley
Harry was sitting down in the park behind a group of trees, his eyes closed. The young wizard was meditating, focusing on healing his latest batch of bruises from Dudley and his gang. Although his master had frightened the Dursleys witless by appearing in front of them and promising to kill them if they harmed Harry again, (not bothering to tell them that he actually couldn't), the two elder Dursleys had left him alone while turning a blind eye to what Dudley was doing. Voldemort couldn't do much about this, but he encouraged Harry's hatred of the whole family, promising him that when the time came, he would be allowed to have revenge. Thus, Harry got a lot better at self-healing very quickly.
His other magic lessons included building mental shields, which Voldemort told him was called Occlumency. He then had to explain Legilimency when Harry told him that he was picking up on other people's thoughts. Apparently his early training in magic had awoken latent talents in the young savior that should have remained dormant until he was older. Harry had spent several weeks strengthening his shields to block out the oppressive weight of the thoughts that people around him were unconsciously broadcasting, and then had fun practicing Legilimency on his classmates. Most of his practice came at the expense of the Dursleys though.
Finished with his meditation, Harry opened his eyes. He had grown over the past two years since he had become Voldemort's apprentice. He had managed to scare Vernon and Petunia into giving him a proper amount of food so he was the proper height and weight for his age, as well as being quite fit due to the martial arts lessons that he'd been forced to take along with Dudley. The fat whale had complained about the hardness of the exercises and promptly dropped the lessons after two weeks. A bit of manipulation by Harry ensured that he could continue them and he thoroughly enjoyed himself. After two years he was about mid-way through the rankings, and his teacher was thrilled with the dedication he showed to learning everything properly. It didn't hurt that the training helped Harry to avoid the worst of the beatings that Dudley liked to try and inflict. He still ended up with bruises but not so many.
Harry stretched and rose, working out the kinks in his back and knees from sitting still for so long. He could now meditate for several hours on end although the average length was an hour. Extending his magic like Voldemort had taught him, Harry was able to sense that there were no people near him and he emerged from behind the bush.
Voldemort smirked from where he was watching. He had spent some time away from his apprentice, using the time to research ways of getting his body back, but he found that he was happy to be back around Harry. Having someone voluntarily spend time with him who wasn't afraid of him or trying to kill him used to be unfamiliar to the Dark Lord, but he liked the change. He also liked the direction that Harry's thoughts were going with regard to his future Dark Lord training. The amount of anger the boy was harboring towards his relatives was growing daily, and Voldemort fed this as much as possible. Only one thing concerned him, Harry's anger was directed solely at the Dursleys, he didn't seem able, or willing, to extend it to all Muggles.
"Harry," he said, appearing from thin air behind the wizard. Harry jumped; he really hated it when his master did that. It wasn't fair that Voldemort could shock the life out of him by disappearing and reappearing the way he did.
"Yes Master," he replied, the annoyance coming through clearly in his voice.
Voldemort frowned. Reaching out a hand, he brushed Harry's scar, producing a satisfying wince from his apprentice. "Watch your tone apprentice, if I had my wand you would be in a lot of pain right now."
"Why," Harry questioned. He knew that he was pushing it slightly, knew that Voldemort was still a Dark Lord and therefore quite capable of hurting him should he want to, but he was still annoyed at his master.
"Because I would not be above using the Cruciatus curse on you if I could do so at the moment. What's got you so annoyed anyway?"
Harry blinked at the answer, and decided to back down a bit. Voldemort had explained the Unforgivable curses, telling him that he wouldn't be able to cast any of them until he was older, and he didn't want to experience the Cruciatus curse anyway.
"I'm annoyed, Master, because you keep popping out of thin air and scaring me half to death. I can't sense you like I can everyone else and that makes me nervous."
"Hmm. Alright, I'll work out a way of letting you sense me without causing you any pain in your scar. For now, I came to tell you that I'm leaving again for a while, and I probably won't see you until you start Hogwarts. I need you to do two things for me while I'm gone."
"OK. What?"
Voldemort blinked, he had expected a bit more of a debate. He supposed that Harry didn't like the threat he'd made, which was the whole point of making it but the lack of debate was still surprising. The threat hadn't been an idle one, and Harry knew it, so maybe that was why his apprentice hadn't argued further. Returning his attention to Harry he saw that the boy was looking at him with curiosity, and a hint of worry.
"What's wrong?" the Dark Lord asked.
Harry shrugged. "Nothing much, just thinking about how I'm going to know it's you when I see you again" he replied.
Voldemort snorted. "You'll know it's me, idiot, because your scar will react. I know I've tweaked our connection so it doesn't, but I'll make it react so you'll know it's me and then it will go back to normal."
Harry blinked. "OK. So I'll see you at Hogwarts then. What about Dumbledore?"
"Leave him to me. Make sure you have your shields up at maximum around him though, but keep your fake mind at the front. We don't need him wondering how an eleven-year-old wizard can create mind shields with the strength that yours have. Now, I need to tell you the two things to do before I have to leave."
Harry nodded; his fake mind was simply layering all his miscellaneous thoughts outside his shields and keeping the shields on low alert, so that no one who was looking would encounter them. He looked quizzically at his mentor, inviting him to give Harry his tasks.
"Firstly I want you to continue working on your magic. Work on your levitation and invisibility, along with summoning and banishing objects. Also keep up Occlumency and Legilimency. Apart from that just keep in mind the fact that when you get your wand, it doesn't mean that you have to lose the wandless magic. Wandless magic is almost a lost art, and having this ability can only help you. The second thing I want you to do is start thinking of a name."
"A name, Master?" Harry asked, confused.
Voldemort nodded. "You remember that my name used to be Tom Riddle?" he said. Seeing Harry's nod he continued, "I changed my name to Voldemort because Lord Riddle didn't sound very intimidating, and it has a hidden meaning as well."
"What meaning?" Harry questioned.
Voldemort smirked and Harry groaned. That smirk meant one thing and one thing only. "Research, my apprentice, research. If I tell you its French it should help you at the library. My point is that Lord Potter doesn't sound intimidating either. That and because of your status as the "Boy Who Lived", if there was even a hint that you were going Dark, you would be thrown in jail before you could say "Stop". However, if you created a new name, when the time comes to reveal the existence of Lord Voldemort's apprentice, no one will know it's you."
"Brilliant. So, Harry Potter will be my name in public, but to you and me, and eventually your followers, I'll be Lord, whatever I choose my name to be."
Voldemort nodded. "Precisely Harry. Also, in a few years, I'll make a grand reappearance and start working to strengthen the Wizarding World again. This should cause the public to start clamoring for you to "defeat" me. What a shock it will be for Dumbledore when you side with me. His "Savior" going Dark, what a pity."
Harry smirked. "Yes Master. However, could we also do something else with that idea?"
"What?" Voldemort queried. He was curious to see what Harry's devious Slytherin mind could come up with. He wasn't disappointed.
"When you make your reappearance, you let it be known that you have an apprentice, but nothing else about them. Everyone will panic trying to find out who it is. I can continue at Hogwarts, helping to gather followers, and strengthening our numbers for when we reveal our plans for the magical world. No one will suspect me, as I will supposedly be their "Savior" and meant to destroy you. Therefore, I can undermine Dumbledore's efforts to stop you from inside."
"The ultimate spy," Voldemort said. Master and Apprentice smirked at each other before Voldemort rose.
"Good. I like this plan but remember that plans are not set in stone and need to be flexible and able to change as situations change. Think of a name. When we meet again, tell me what it is, and also tell me if you discovered what my name means. I'll see you at Hogwarts."
So saying, Voldemort vanished into thin air again, causing Harry to huff in frustration. He walked out of the park and towards the library. He needed to start work on his tasks. His eleventh birthday was only a few short weeks away.
Slipping into the library, he greeted the librarian with a smile. The people of Little Whinging didn't believe the Dursleys for the most part. They were still a little wary but that was because Harry himself was wary of them. He didn't trust adults too much, the only one he really trusted was Voldemort, and that was because the Dark Lord had never lied to him. He might have withheld information due to Harry's age but never had he lied to him. Slipping into the section on languages, Harry moved to the French section.
After two hours, and much frustration, Harry finally had his answer. Voldemort meant "flight of death" or "flight from death" depending on how you translated it. Snorting to himself Harry murmured, "Why would he call himself that unless, no. Is his greatest fear death? That would explain why he took those precautions that he won't tell me about yet. Now, what about a name for me?"
Harry switched sections, finding a book on mythology. He had liked the shape of his scar ever since he knew about it. It was a cool shape he thought. Unconsciously, he looked for names pertaining to lightning. After another hour, he had come up with one name that he liked.
"Raiden," he murmured. "Lord Raiden. Yes, that works. Brilliant. Lord Raiden, Apprentice of Lord Voldemort. Watch out Wizarding World, here we come."
A few weeks later Harry or rather, Raiden, was waiting for the mail. Although the Dursleys hadn't acknowledged it, today was his eleventh birthday and he was expecting the arrival of his Hogwarts letter. Sure enough, when the mail came through the slot on the door, the Hogwarts letter came with it. Raiden picked up the letter and tucked it in the waistband of his trousers, making sure that his shirt covered it. With the precious letter safely secured he took the rest of the mail in to his relatives.
Breakfast passed in silence, with Raiden eating quickly lest Dudley or Vernon take what was left on his plate. Once he'd finished, he rose and took the dishes into the kitchen, washing them rapidly before leaving them to dry in the rack. He then walked calmly into the living room.
"Uncle Vernon, I need to go to London," he said. Vernon looked up at his nephew. Privately he was rather afraid of him, as he feared what his unwelcome relative might do if he was provoked enough. He scowled at Raiden's request.
"Why," he snapped. Raiden withdrew the letter from his pants, keeping it carefully out of Vernon's reach. He let his uncle see the green writing, and the seal on the back before enjoying the sight of his uncle's face going from red, to white, to sickly green. Petunia, who came in to see what was wrong, seemed especially scared and angry at the letter's appearance.
"You haven't said why you want to go to London," Vernon said, huffing slightly.
Raiden smirked and narrowed his eyes. "It's obvious isn't it Uncle? I need to get my school supplies."
"You're not going to that freaky school so you don't need to go to London," Vernon said triumphantly.
Raiden scowled and raised his hand. Concentrating on what he wanted, he levitated Vernon out of his chair and spun him in a circle, before tipping him upside down and repeating the circular spin. When Vernon was deposited back in his chair he looked sick and fearful.
"All right, all right. We'll take you to London. Just don't let anyone see you bringing that stuff back with you."
Raiden smirked. "Of course Uncle Vernon, you're very kind," he said smoothly. Vernon snorted but made no other comment. Petunia and Dudley had been cowering in their seats at Raiden's display of magic and did nothing to impede his progress out of the lounge.
Reaching his cupboard, the young Dark-Lord-in-training growled. The next thing on his list of things to change about his living situation was to somehow manipulate the Dursleys into giving him Dudley's second bedroom. Still, the most important thing was getting his school things so he hurried out the door when he heard Vernon yell that they were leaving.
After a tense car trip, Raiden was in London. Voldemort had been very explicit in his instructions as to which street the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, which was the gateway to Diagon Alley, was on. Raiden found it without any trouble, as it was on one of the main streets. He took a breath; firmly fixed his "don't mess with me or I'll hurt you" mask on his face and stepped inside.
Instantly, all talk stopped. The witches and wizards inside recognized him as a gust of wind had revealed his scar, and his black hair and green eyes were distinctive anyway. The crowd surged round him variations of "Welcome back Mr Potter," coming at him from all angles. Finally he got tired of the throng and snapped,
"Can you all please back off and give me some room. I'm here to buy my things for Hogwarts, not to entertain you lot. I can't breathe with all of you around me!"
Looking shocked, the crowd backed off, allowing Raiden unmolested passage to the back of the pub. Unnoticed, Professor Quirrell, who was Defence against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts moved up beside him.
Raiden turned upon sensing the man's presence. Inclining his head he asked, "I don't believe we've been introduced. Who are you?"
"P Professor Q Quirrell" the man stuttered. Raiden frowned as his scar reacted. He swept his eyes round the area to discover only him and the Professor. His scar reacted again and he narrowed his eyes.
"Very clever, Master, to possess a teacher. Now what do I do," he muttered. He jumped when a voice whispered from the turban, "Get your supplies. We can talk at Hogwarts,"
Shrugging, Raiden stood back and allowed Quirrell to tap the bricks that would open the wall. Smiling, he memorized the pattern, in case he needed to get back in on his own sometime. The wall opened and Raiden stepped into Diagon Alley for the first time.
'Right, first things first. I need to go to Gringotts.' Smoothly, he weaved his way up the street, avoiding the throngs of people who were shopping as well. Most of them didn't go near him, as he was unconsciously projecting his aura which clearly said 'Stay away.' Reaching Gringotts he slipped inside, walking up to the nearest teller.
"May I see my vault please?" he asked politely.
The goblin frowned at him, before asking, "Do you have your key?"
Raiden shook his head. "No sir. I don't know who has it, but I want it back if possible. Is there only the one key?"
The goblin looked a bit perplexed. "Yes there is only one key Mr, er,"
"Sorry sir, my name's Harry Potter."
Raiden expected the goblin to be shocked but all he received was a calculating look. "Mr Potter. Very well. I can look up who has your key and then use the Gringotts summoning charm to reclaim it for you. Hold on."
"Summoning charm?" Raiden asked.
The goblin looked annoyed briefly but explained, "All Gringott's keys have an automatic summoning charm that we can activate if a client loses their key or it is otherwise stolen from them. You obviously didn't have your key in your possession which is most irregular. Now, the key should be arriving any moment. Ah there it is."
A small golden key appeared on the desk, along with a slip of paper. The goblin frowned. "Hmm, it would appear that a Mr Albus Dumbledore has been in possession of your key. Nevertheless, the key is yours and he will not be able to touch it without your explicit permission if you put a drop of your blood on it."
Raiden raised an eyebrow but did as requested, seeing the glow fade around the key as the blood was absorbed into it. He reached forward and picked it up, smiling as he felt the small weight in his hand. Closing his fist around it, he smiled at the goblin.
"Thank you sir. May I visit my vault now?"
The goblin returned the smile, showing two rows of sharp teeth. "Yes, Mr Potter you may. I'll have Griphook take you down to the vault. You may withdraw as much as you wish, as the vault is actually your trust fund, set up by your parents before you were born. Your vault will automatically refill up the specified amount from your family vault which you will gain access to upon your seventeenth birthday. Have a good day."
"You too sir," Raiden replied before heading over to meet the goblin that the teller had waved over. He followed Griphook to the carts and got in one. The ride down to the vault felt like a muggle roller coaster and Raiden thoroughly enjoyed it. He walked up to the vault as it opened and stared in shock at the amount of money inside.
"Wow," he breathed. He forgot for the moment who he was, forgot that he was a Dark-Lord-in-training, and just allowed himself to be an eleven-year-old boy with a lot of unexpected wealth. Busying himself, he grabbed a bag that lay just inside the vault and filled it with several handfuls of Galleons, several handfuls of Sickles and several handfuls of Knuts. Figuring that he would have enough for both his shopping and for the term, and knowing that he could come back afterwards if he needed more spending money, Raiden exited the vault and rode back up to the surface.
Upon leaving the bank he stopped and though for a minute. 'Right. I have money. Now I need a wand. I'll need to have a wand with me from now on. Where did Voldemort say was good for wands? Ollivanders that's it.'
He spied the wand shop up the street and headed for it briskly. He stepped inside, hearing the bell announce his arrival. Scanning the shop he spotted Ollivander hiding in the corner. He smirked and said, "You might as well come out, I can sense you there."
"Now how did you do that Mr Potter? Not many can sense me when I stay there; coming out of the shadows like I normally do is part of the experience of getting your wand. Never mind, I don't want to know. Which is your wand hand?"
Raiden studied the old wand maker before answering cautiously, "I'm ambidextrous but I use my right hand more than my left on average. Why do you want to know?"
"Some wands work better for right handers, and some for left. No one quite knows why, they just do. Try this one."
Raiden took the wand, feeling the wrongness straight away. He waved it anyway, curious to see the effect. He grinned when the counter exploded as a result. Ollivander snatched the wand away from him, repairing his counter with a wave of his own wand at the same time.
"Beech and dragon heartstring, ten inches," he said, giving another wand to Raiden. He took it, feeling this wand's wrongness as well. Shrugging he waved it around. The shelves on the far side of the store blew out; dropping the wands they held onto the floor. Ollivander looked a bit miffed but as the pile of failed wands grew higher and higher he seemed to brighten up a bit.
"Tricky customer, I like those. Now," he paused, looking hard at Raiden, and more particularly his scar. Moving slowly, he held out a final wand. Raiden reached out and took it, feeling his magic react in way that he liked. It was warm, inviting. The wand's magic fused with his own, making the wand his, and his alone. No one else would now be able to use it.
Paying for the wand, which he learnt was the brother of Voldemort's wand as well as an arm holster which would allow him to draw his wand by flexing his wrist, he exited the shop and headed for the trunk store. There he bought a trunk with several compartments. Unlike most Hogwarts students, he would need the extra space for the extra things he planned on bringing with him.
Smiling, he paid for the trunk, and took it out of the shop. He had paid extra to have his trunk shrink and enlarge upon hearing the command word. He smirked, and then quietly hissed Shrink in parseltongue. Having the command words be in a language only he and his master could speak was very helpful he thought. Grinning, he headed for his next stop, the bookstore.
After buying all his first year books, as well as a few others that looked interesting, such as Hogwarts: A History and books like The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, and Finding Your Inner Animal: A Guide to becoming an Animagus. He didn't think that he could do the Animagus spell yet, but it would be useful for if he ever decided to attempt it. After buying another few books on the recent history and political make-up of the wizarding world he left. The books were all in the second compartment of his trunk.
He walked past the Quidditch shop, only vaguely interested in the new broom in the window. He was more interested in the robe shop, Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. Stepping inside he saw a pale boy, with white-blond hair and a slightly pointed face being fitted for robes as well. Shrugging, he moved to another assistant and stepped up onto the stool next to the other boy.
"Hullo," the boy said. Raiden nodded a greeting back, watching his robes take shape around him. He looked up as the boy asked, "You going to Hogwarts too?"
"Yes," Raiden answered. Then, feeling that he might as well make friends, he held out his hand. "I'm Harry Potter, but please ignore the stupid fame. It's a load of crap."
The boy shook his hand, gripping it firmly. "Harry Potter huh. My father mentioned that you were my age but I didn't expect to meet you so soon. My name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. Do you know what house you're going to be in yet?"
Raiden shrugged. "I don't know that yet, Draco, but I'm hoping for Slytherin."
"Slytherin!" came the shocked exclamation.
Raiden frowned. "Yes, Slytherin. I've heard that it's the house for those with ambition and cunning, both of which I have in abundance. I know my parents were Gryffindors, and I know what happened to them. I also know that they would be proud of me no matter what house I'm in. I am not my parents."
Draco held up his hands. "Whoa, Harry, I was just surprised. I think you'd do well in Slytherin. That's where I'm hoping to go as well. You do know that the Wizarding World expects you to be a Gryffindor don't you?"
Raiden smirked. "Then they'll be shocked won't they. Are we friends?"
Draco gave him a calculating look. "I'd like that, if you're agreeable that is. I think the next seven years are going to be interesting."
"You can say that again," Raiden agreed. Just then their robes were finished and they paid for them before leaving. Just outside, they stopped and Draco turned to his new friend.
"Um, I'm supposed to meet my father in the pet shop, he said he'd buy me an owl for my birthday. Do you want to meet him?"
Raiden shrugged. "OK. Er, why do you want an owl?"
Draco gave him a weird look. "They carry the post and they're the most intelligent of the animals we're allowed to bring to Hogwarts." Giving Raiden another sideways look, he led the way to Eyelops Owl Emporium. Walking in, the two boys found a man that looked almost exactly like an elder version of Draco looking at the various breeds of owl that were available. He turned as they entered, and his eyes landed on Draco, before shifting to Raiden.
Raiden drew himself up, remembering Voldemort telling him that this man was his right hand man and that they had planned for Lucius to escape Azkaban by pleading being under the influence of the Imperius should anything happen to the Dark Lord. Voldemort needed him sane so allowed him to have that contingency plan in place.
"Father this is my new friend, Harry Potter," Draco said eagerly.
Lucius' eyes widened, before settling on the scar and then looking directly into Raiden's eyes. Inclining his head he said smoothly, "Mr Potter, it is a pleasure to meet you. Are you looking forward to attending Hogwarts?"
Raiden raised his eyebrows and then bowed slightly. "Mr Malfoy, it's an honor to meet you as well. Yes I'm looking forward to Hogwarts. As I told Draco, I'm particularly looking forward to shocking the Wizarding World by going into Slytherin House."
The former Death Eater's eyes widened again. "Slytherin, Mr Potter. How unusual. Your parents were Gryffindors."
"Yes they were sir; however, I am not my parents. And, having to live with the disgusting excuses for Muggles who call themselves my relatives gave me plenty of opportunity for practicing manipulation and trickery."
"Of course. Do you want to accompany us while we finish our shopping? We could help you deal with the, ah, undesirable elements while you finish your business."
Raiden smiled coldly. "I assume you're talking about the impressionable idiots outside? Yes I'd like that. What do you still have to get?"
Draco broke in at that point, casting an impatient look at his father for monopolizing his new friend. "Only the apothecary and here. How about you?"
"The same. Shall we?"
Draco nodded and the two began looking at the owls. Raiden was drawn to one in particular, a large black hawk owl that glared fiercely at anyone and everyone, except him. The two locked gazes and then the owl hooted regally and flew to Raiden's shoulder. The shopkeeper stuttered as the owl that never chose anyone and was almost half-wild sat calmly on the shoulder of the Boy-Who-Lived. A glare from said boy shut him up and he rang up the prices for Raiden and then for Draco. Once both owls had been bought, including cages and treats, the two future Slytherins exited the shop and headed for the apothecary.
They spent a good amount of time browsing the shop, getting their supplies for school, as well as extras of all the ingredients, it never hurt to be prepared in case of accidents. Also, several other cauldrons in pewter, silver and gold were purchased, in several sizes for later years.
Once all the purchases had been made the three stood in the Alley. Raiden looked uncertainly at Draco and Lucius. "I suppose I should be getting back, my Uncle," he sneered the word, "will be waiting for me. I'll write when I get my stuff sorted."
"OK Harry" Draco responded. "Will you be OK with the Muggles?"
Raiden smirked. "They haven't been too bad to me; I managed to scare them into submission. Besides, I can always manipulate them, they're really stupid."
"Take care of yourself Mr Potter, I wish to be able to meet you again in the future. I feel that you and Draco are going to be good friends."
Raiden nodded and then replied, "I will Mr Malfoy. Draco, expect a letter from me soon. Where do you live?"
Draco chuckled. "Just address the letter to me and your owl will find me. I'll do the same. See you at Hogwarts."
Raiden nodded again before turning and leaving the Alley, exiting the Leaky Cauldron and spotting his Uncle's car nearby. Making sure his trunk with all his precious new possessions inside it was shrunk and safely in his pocket, he walked towards the car. The only magical item he kept outside the trunk was his wand, which he kept on him. Deciding to test the drawing capability of his holster, he flexed his wrist and caught the wand as it slid into his palm. Satisfied, he re-holstered it, which involved letting it go and it automatically returned to the holster. Smirking, he got in the car, having let the owl go inside the Alley with instructions to go to his home. The owl had hooted and flown off so Raiden was expecting it to meet him there.
"Well boy, did you get what you needed?" his uncle growled.
Raiden smirked and drew his wand again. "Yes Uncle Vernon I did. Now, can we go home please?" Vernon snarled, but gulped upon seeing the wand half hidden in Raiden's sleeve. Turning back to the road, he put the car in gear and started back to Little Whinging. Raiden settled back in the car and closed his eyes, hardly able to wait until he started Hogwarts and began gathering friends and allies for the future.