Seven Days:
He took a shuddering breath as he prepared to announce his presence to Voldemort, resigned to the fate described in the pensieve. Harry didn't hear the words that came out of Voldemort's mouth as he turned, his mouth twisting into something to evil to really be called a grin. The Dark Lord raised his wand, and he had to fight every instinct to resist pulling out his own. He heard the killing curse, and felt it hit him, the energy draining from his body as he collapsed. Around him, he could tell that Voldemort had fallen too, but teh world turned black too quick.
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Thump. Thump. Thump.
Harry blinked his eyes open at the bright light surrounding him, and searched for the thumping noise that persisted. Everything he could see was bright white, like someone had bleached King's Cross station. He pulled himself to his feet, and was finally able to look around him, and saw a young child playing with a ball with a sense of disinterest. Wasn't he supposed to be dead?
"You always ask such stupid questions." The boy had stopped bouncing the ball, letting it bounce down the walkway. It took a minute, but he realized where he knew the kid from.
"You're Voldemort, when he, I mean you, were a kid." Harry felt his jaw drop, but couldn't find it himself to worry about that considering the situation.
"Just as we saw me in Dumbledore's pensieve, I'm the horcrux within you. He tried to tell you so much, but even that wasn't enough to save you." Tom was looking at him with intelligence that no one in an eleven year old's body should, "And yes, you are dead."
"Then aren't you dead as well?"
"Yes, I have been destroyed." He worried his lip, "Though, after so long, I've grown attached to you. I'm not certain you couldn't convince me to pass on alone."
Harry blinked, "You'd let me live."
"It's not as simple as that." The kid said seriously, beckoning Harry closer, "Wizards don't know much about horcruxes, and usually make their hosts something that can't talk. A horcrux can choose to let its host live if the host can beat them in a challenge. So long as the body is intact."
"So, if I beat you in a duel or something, you can bring me back to life?"
Tom grinned, "Or something." When Harry nodded he continued, "My challenge is to give you seven days, seven important days. You spend 24 hours in each day of my choosing, and I'll let you live. You can't reveal yourself, and you can't change the course of history. Do you accept?"
"Which days?" Harry asked cautiously.
"Oh, you don't get to know that. You will be transfigured to look different each day, but you don't get to know which day, or the part you get to play." The grin widened, "Do you accept the challenge, or your own death?"
Harry paused, if he failed the challenge, he would die. If he refused the challenge, he died. He really had nothing to lose by giving the challenge a shot. He nodded and held his hand out to the horcrux, which smiled and shook his hand. "Good luck," The young version of Tom said as he faded into his first day. What had he gotten himself into?
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(Note: Hello, embarking today on another new story. Chapter 2 should be posted tomorrow. Let me know what you think, and if you have any suggestions. -SlytherinsScribe)