Humanity's Inhumanity
Four years had passed since the shadow man took Harry under his wing. Four years since Harry took up a blade and began his new lifestyle. In four years' time, Harry had changed a lot. He became more like the shadow he lived alongside, who trained him in the art of killing. Harry didn't change just mentally, but he changed physically as well, other than growing. He didn't know why his hair started to become white and interlaced with his black locks. He couldn't explain how his formerly tan skin turned a pale white. Harry suspected it was something to do with his contact with the Dark World Inhabitant. He was just glad his emerald-green eyes stayed the same, if becoming a little more dull and intimidating due to his training.
Harry was now eleven years old and ready to take his last test to completing his training. If he passed he would become a swordsman in every right like the shadow man, if he failed… well the world would still run if Harry wasn't alive anymore. He slung his sword around him so it dangled behind him and grabbed his shield in his left hand, he patted dust from his black tunic, similar to the one his mentor wore, and was ready to set out once again.
Shadow had sent Harry out three days ago to track down and kill a beast like the Manticore he killed years ago. For some reason that he wasn't sure of, magical creatures kept ambushing or following after the duo around in an attempt to kill and eat them. Harry assumed that it was due to the magical cores inside their bodies and the mythical creatures could sense it. It still didn't explain why they didn't attack him when he was still living on Privet Drive, but he didn't really care as they just provided him with more experience in his skills and abilities.
This was the first time he would actually be hunting down one of these magnificent creatures. The ones he usually fought tracked him or Shadow stalked them and directed them towards the beginner swordsman. Most of the time they were small fry, little things like the small blue creatures with an iron-clad grip that traveled in groups and had almost managed to break his arm. The tougher ones they came across were the ones the shadow man dealt with. But now it was time for Harry to grow up, to fight one of the stronger monstrosities by himself.
"-eak! Get your skinny arse over here and make breakfast! Hurry up or its lashes and a month in the cupboard boy!" A very familiar voice screamed out at him, a certain voice he hadn't heard in over four years. A whale of a man stomped out of the forest cover, red face fuming red contrasting against his thick grey mustache. "Boy! You heard me! Get to it or its the belt for you!"
Harry stood motionless, his face void of expression as he was trying to comprehend how his uncle found him, and why he wanted to find him in particular. The only logical explanation for this was that it was some type of magical animal that could take the shape of things familiar to him.
"That's it boy! Take your shirt off and turn around!" the tub of lard ordered, causing Harry to flinch and grip the sword handle. He had faced worse than this, he wouldn't be defeated by his past fears.
Fear
Harry shook his head, a small smile gracing his features. That was the answer to what this thing was, it took the form of what you feared. Harry's smile turned into a smirk. Looks like he found a creature worthy enough to be his test.
The fat man, sensing the child didn't fear him anymore, disappeared and in its place floated what looked to be a blob of black sludge. The blob shot forwards and encased the arm of the young swordsman in front of him, preventing him from pulling his sword. "Shit." He cursed silently. Harry dropped his shield and attempted to claw the black sludge off his arm, only to have his other hand become trapped. The sludge slowly drooped and slid down his arms like a liquid and covered more of his body.
"Din's Fire!" Purple flames roared to life and surrounded the black sludge, causing it to jump off of Harry. The sludge convulsed and started to take another form. Broken emerald eyes gazed at the older child. It was him before he met Shadow, who he used to be. "You bastard! You dare take my form!" Harry ripped his sword out of its sheath and pointed it at the malnourished six year old. "Die!" The sword spun out of his hand as Shadow stood in front of him, blackened sword stretched out.
"You're a foolish child, a disgrace. I'm disappointed, I thought I trained you better, yet you are incapable of controlling your emotions. The key to being a great swordsman is killing your emotions! Yet you have failed that is why-"The shadow was stopped mid-rant, Harry had thrusted his smaller, dark grey almost black sword through the stomach of his mentor.
His teacher melted away into the all too familiar black sludge and melted into the ground. Harry swiped his shield off the ground quickly and stood in a ready position. He quickly rolled to the side as the ground began to rise, and out shot a spike made from the black sludge. Multiple spikes shot up as Harry was forced to roll to dodge them all. The tip of the spikes shot towards the black-clad child in an attempt to skewer him but he managed to dive out of the way.
The black sludge melted back into one spot and reformed itself into another shape. This time it was an older version of himself. Clad in a blood-stained black tunic, dull eyes that couldn't be called emerald anymore, gleamed with a hint of insanity. His hair had turned a pure snow-white and a psychotic grin stretched wide across his face.
The fear creature didn't move, it just stood in place watching Harry with that crazed expression, taunting him. "That's not who I'll become." Harry's voice wavered slightly. The older version of himself only grinned a little bit wider, making the psychotic smile painful to look at. It could sense the fear again. "I won't turn out like you!"
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Black dripped onto pale skin, staining it. The dull green eyes of the older man stared unblinkingly from the ground as its body fell over with a heavy thud. Harry's sword slipped out of his grip and stabbed itself into the ground, he panted heavily as sweat slowly dribbled down his forehead. The thing was dead and had turned back into sludge. It stopped moving and didn't look like it would again, so he assumed it to be dead, if it could die.
With a sigh Harry pulled a glass bottle out of his pockets and scooped the sludge up, before placing it back carefully. He thudded against the ground in exhaustion. "Maybe I'll sleep here for the night." The pale-skinned boy mumbled to himself quietly before falling dead asleep.
A cold flash of steel
Blood spattered across pale white skin
The tips of his mouth curled up in a cruel twisted smile
Bodies lay scattered across the bloody plains
The only person left besides himself was a wizened old man in long purple robes, his once long beard cut down haphazardly.
"Kneel before your superior." He commanded sharply.
"How could you do this? Why would you cut down your friends, your family?" The old man pleaded for answers.
The elder's brow furrowed in anger as the black-clad swordsman met his questions with silence. He raised a wooden stick, a sickly green color glowing at the tip "Answer me Harry!"
"Ah!" Harry gasped for air as he woke with a startled jolt shooting through his body like lightning. "Shit, it's almost noon." He cursed underneath his breath. Harry had learned to be able to read the sun's position as he travelled with the shadow man.
Harry lifted himself off the ground and dusted himself before grabbing his sword and running out of the hole-littered field from yesterday's fight against the fear creature. The little clearing was filled with trees that were upturned when the creature tried to impale him. Harry dusted himself off before running off through the foliage and made his way back to his shadowy mentor.
It was a couple of hours later when Harry noticed something off. He was pretty sure owls didn't fly around during sun up, or follow people for that matter. A copper brown owl flew just overhead hooting at something, he didn't know what, so it was a surprise when the owl flew in front of his face causing him to pause in his sprint. He noticed a small little rolled up note attached to its leg with red string. The owl hooted once and he stuck his arm out to let it land, only to have the owl stick the leg with the note on it out. He gently took the note off of the owls' leg, causing it to fly away with one last hoot.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc, Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
"Huh. Magic school, that's interesting." Harry muttered, flipping over the note only to see a second page.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
By Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
By Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
By Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
By Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
By Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
By Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
By Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
By Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions
"Not my type of thing." School was never his thing, being bullied by Dudley every day left bad memories and impressions on him about anything relating to school, even if it was a magic school. The time Dudley and his gang tied him up and dunked his head in the toilet was one of his worst memories about school. Still nothing compared to his Uncle.
The letter caught fire in a flash of purple, gently floating to the ground as Harry left and continued to walk through the forest. He was getting close, he could see the triangle Shadow carved into trees so they could find their way back to their current camp.
The triangle was one big triangle made of three smaller triangles, the Triforce the shadow being called it. It could grant a wish to any who touched it, as long as the person had an equal but great amount of power, wisdom and courage. If someone unworthy touched it, it would shatter and the three pieces would find their way to the most suitable person to wield it. Power would choose someone with a great amount of strength, Wisdom would choose someone with a higher intellect than others, and Courage would find their way to someone who had the courage to go against opponents stronger themselves without a hint of fear.
Link, his mentor had said, had possessed the piece of Courage. When he pulled the Master Sword, a sword said to be able to fend off the darkness of any creature the wielder may face, the Sacred Realm was opened and Ganondorf, Shadow's ex-master, tried to take the Triforce for himself and it shattered upon his touch, leaving him with the piece of Power and giving the princess of the land, Hyrule, the piece of Wisdom. The Triforce of Courage was left with the man whom the shadow being was reflected from, Link.
Over the years the shadow man had let him know just how much he hated the man. He respected him for his strength, not any ten-year old could just pick up a sword and shield and kill giant insectoids in the Deku Tree or giant dinosaurs in caves, and electrifying parasites inside of whales. That didn't stop him from hating the goody two shoes of a man, for he was a man now, pulling the Master Sword from the pedestal from the Temple of Time made sure of that, shoving him through time by seven years.
Harry clambered up and over a large tree root that stood in his way. An engraving met his eyes as he faced a large flat stone wall on the other side of the root. The Triforce was engraved on it with the symbol of what Shadow called a "Sheikah Stone" or simply, a Gossip Stone, in the middle. The symbol was three triangles side by side over an eye with what appeared to be a teardrop falling down from the direct middle of the eye.
"Dins Fire!" Purple flames licked the surface of the stone wall, somehow not heating up the stone cold surface. The flames started to be absorbed into the two engravings and when the flames were completely gone, the symbols flashed purple before the stone wall faded away as if it was never there. Harry stepped into the dimly lit cavern. Torches lined the walls, barely giving off enough light to see. The light from outside disappeared as the stone wall faded back into existence once the black and white haired boy finally stepped through. A small smirk traced his lips as he stepped forwards, ready to show his mentor his catch.
And that's it for now everyone, I hope you enjoyed my second chapter.
To Rotomknight: Shadow does not know anything about cars, I was just too lazy to write a description for a big chunk of metal with wheels.
I'm glad that people like this story so far! It gives me tingles on the inside. If you liked it Rate and Review! If you didn't like it… Rate and Review anyways, as long as it isn't a pointless flame I appreciate any help and ideas I can get.