Series: Choosing a Darker Path

Book 1: Beginnings

Chapter 3: Of Might and Magic

Author's Note:

Ç Denotes the use of parseltongue Ç

See the end of the chapter for more notes

By the morning I was feeling slightly better but still had a headache. This of course was not helped by the incessant banging I was greeted with. Soon I heard the ever exasperated voice of my lovely Aunt.

"Boy! Why has breakfast not been made yet!" she screeched.

I quickly sent a mental command to Amicus to get inside my shirt and fled the cupboard to begin the day. Once I had completed my morning chores I was pierced by my Aunt's glare and was told to leave the house. Apparently, I was disturbing her peace and had no business being indoors on such a nice day. Oh, spare me. If I don't strangle the woman by the end of the week, she will be lucky. Frankly I had grown quite weary of her incessant nagging and belittling. Though now that I thought about it, leaving would allow me to not have to deal with her so the prospect wasn't so bad. With that in mind, I quickly made my way to local park and found a secluded area of heavy brush. I sat down by a tree and on queue amicus appeared from under my t-shirt and began to speak to me.

Ç Master, why do you not let me bite those filthy humans who treat you so? Ç He said curiously. Ç I could kill all three of them with no trouble Ç He explained. As much as it would thrill me for him to do so I had to deny him.

Ç I do not want you to do that because I do not know what would happen to me if they were to die. I would rather not go to an orphanage or to a foster home which could be worse. I know how the Dursleys think and I can avoid the worst of their machinations if I am clever Ç I reasoned to him. The sound that Amicus made could best be described as a sigh. He then hissed out in a slightly annoyed tone.

Ç Very well master, but I must insist that you practice your gift then more often. You must learn how to use it to defend yourself. I do not trust the fat human to not lose the miniscule self-control he possesses and hurt you permanently. I will not abide such a thing master Ç Amicus said sternly.

And thus, the rest of that day was spent reaching within myself and forcing my gift to react to me quicker and with more strength. I worked on the branches and small bits of rubbish around me. I would pull things towards me, push them away, crush them, burn them, freeze them, shatter them, etc. Amicus made it very clear that I needed to be able to do all of this without breaking a sweat. I did agree it would be important. I was quite sick and tired of the normal people in my life ruining any enjoyment I might be able to scrounge up.

Over the next few weeks I continued to practice my gift. Amicus can be very demanding. The damn snake always calls me master, yet it seems like he is in charge sometimes. It wasn't as if it was a bad thing though. The more I practice the gift the easier it is to use. I no longer tire when doing simple things. I soon discovered that my gift also allowed me to do some pretty complex things if I concentrated hard enough. Honestly, it could be best be described as an extension of my will. If I wanted something to happen hard enough, I could make it happen. I soon found that I could actually mold objects into other objects if I really tried. It required a lot of focus and thinking about the mechanics of the change. I had to imagine the starting point, the ending point and a series of in between states. This discovery was made when trying to repair a piece of furniture that Dudley had managed to break without the proper screws. Because of course a 9-year-old is the best repairman. Honestly, how cheap were these people. But it seemed I truly was a good repairman because I could simply will things to become fixed. That made cleaning up after my oaf of cousin much easier. Not only could I repair damage but I seemed to be able to banish any dirt and grime from object. I wonder where it all goes. Perhaps to another dimension? I am sure I had read about possible theories on such things in my physics books. Either way it was a trivial matter.

Speaking of the wonderful whale, Dudley and his gang of friends had become particularly annoying lately and they started to get more physically abrasive as they grew. Dealing with them in my normal way had become tiresome and Amicus' constant nagging about killing them all really was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because well frankly having someone care about me to go to drastic measures was touching and it was a curse because the more he talked about it, the less awful the whole idea sounded. I mean I needed the elder Dursleys, well at least Petunia. But Dudley had no real use to me. He was a constant annoyance. However, keeping his parents somewhat civil, at least civil for them, was helpful sometimes. His friends however, had no value. With that calculation in mind, I soon discovered that I can be quite the vindictive little wretch when I want to be. I certainly had a darker side that longed to shine and my targets soon became the loathsome children that revolved around my cousin.

The chase started like any other game of Harry Hunting. It had grown colder as September drew to a close and thus my labored breathing felt like knives through my throat and lungs. On top of that, I had been using my gift quite a lot that day before Dudley and his friends decided to have some fun so I was quite tired and not in the mood for any of this nonsense. I could tell that the fastest of them was catching up to me. Pierce Perkins had always been the strongest of them and was certainly their quickest. Not as quick as me, but since I was off my game today he was catching up. I soon found myself sprawled on the concreate with him looming over me, a sadistic smile plastered on his face.

"What are you going to do now freak" he sneered.

I could feel blood begin to trickle from my split lip and as I wiped it away I could feel white hot rage building behind my calm expression. It was unfortunate softer tissue didn't have the strength that other parts of my body did due to the bonding with Amicus. Thankfully Amicus had also transferred rapid healing to me with the bond and thus the lip sealed quickly. I walked slowly towards Piers with a burning fire in my mind. You would think after all this time I would have gotten used to them, but alas I just couldn't. I could not accept that these tormentors who were clearly inferior to me in every way could still get the better of me from time to time. Even with my intellect, my cunning, my gift, it seemed I wasn't good enough to stop them.

"You haven't really tried" a small voice said mockingly from the back of my mind. It was a voice of a child, about the same age as me. I didn't really recognize it. It was cold and distant. But with it also came a feeling of pity. It's as if it empathized but was angry I wasn't doing anything about it myself. I suppose that voice was right in a way. I haven't used my gift to force them to stop. I haven't shown them my abilities. Perhaps if I gave this boy just a taste of my power, he would stop. I could show him that I was truly better than him in every way. Surely, he would submit then.

"Yes" the voice said. "You are strong, they are weak, they deserve none of your mercy. Crush them with all your might. Don't win the battle, that will only delay the conflict. If you want it to stop you must win all of the battles that have yet to be fought" I heard the voice say in a deathly whisper.

Yes. I shouldn't be afraid of him, I shouldn't be afraid of any of Dudley's cronies. I should show them all that they can't mess with me or they would suffer severe consequences. Piers would serve as a good example. As I was lost in my own thoughts, Piers seemed to grow frustrated that I was seemingly ignoring him and decided to kick me in the side to refocus my attention. With my thicker hide the blow was much less pronounced then I am sure he hoped it would be. But regardless, it could not go unpunished. It was not long before Piers found himself on the ground unable to move. I looked at him with a wry smile on my face as I slowly stalked towards him. My shadow loomed over his face and as he made a valiant attempt to struggle against the invisible restraints holding him to the ground, his expression morphed from one of anger and frustration to that of a terrified child. Once his ill-conceived notion of power was gone, all that was left was a sniveling coward.

"What are you doing freak! Stop this! Let me go! What is wrong with you?" his voice began to shake as he realized the reversal of the roles he had come to expect each of us to play. I slowly circled him as I considered how best to educate him in the error of his ways. Pain would be the lesion but how to administer it would be a challenge. I could use my gift to shatter his bones easy enough, but that would leave visible injuries and could lead to them accusing me of attacking him with mundane means, with the evidence to back it up. No. I would need to be clever about this. I would need to hurt him under his skin. I had never tried anything so subtle with my gift. This would certainly require a fair amount of control.

"What's the matter Piers, have you fallen and can't get up" I said in a sickly-sweet voice. It seemed that Amicus chose this moment to come slowly out of the top of my t-shirt and lay on top Piers who had gone deathly pale at the sight of the serpent. He must be very afraid. After all Amicus was nearly two feet long at this point and nearly 4 inches thick. Not your average gardener snake to be sure. Amicus was now starting directly in to Piers' eyes and he had his fangs bared. I could see the strings of deadly venom drip from the fangs.

"Now Piers, let's get one thing straight. You will not ever push me again. Or I swear to you it will be the last thing you do. You will convince Dudley that Harry Hunting is no longer fun. And you will do whatever I say, when I say it. Is that clear?" I spoke quietly.

"f-ffuck you" he cried out in a defiant attempt to deny me. I think not. I reached out with my gift and could feel him. His fear, his anger, his frustration. Everything seemed to be open to me. I began to imagine a flowing energy crackling between my fingers as I stretched my hand out. At first there was nothing, but soon I could feel the tiny hairs on my arm stand up and could actually see small blue sparks snap between my fingers. Well this should be interesting. I let the energy build up until my hand began to shake. Once I began to feel a bit of pain myself I let the energy release and watched transfixed as a sharp snap of electricity shot from my hand and slammed into Piers. He convulsed violently and cried out in clear agony. All the hair on his body stud on end, blood flowed out his mouth as hit bit his tongue and his eyes rolled back in forth in their sockets. Once I had expended much of the energy I willed it to stop. As his tremors died down, I kneeled next to his prone form and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Are you done, Piers. Will you listen now" I said in a quiet voice. The fear in his expression was palpable and permeated the air.

"y-yes" he managed to stammer out.

"Good." I said in a much to chipper tone. "Then I believe it is time for you to return to the whale and tell him that you lost me. Don't you?" With that I released my gift and I no longer restrained him.

Seeming to recognize my dismissal Piers shot to his feet and took off in the opposite direction. It was only now that I could process the emotions that were flooding my mind. Using my gift like that. Forcing someone to bend to my will so completely felt good, really good. That level of control was intoxicating and based on the sweet noises Amicus seemed to be making he seemed to approve of my actions whole heartedly.

Ç I am proud of you master. Ç Amicus said simply. Ç Finally you have stopped allowing the other human hatchlings to intimidate you. Now you must show the other disgusting humans that you are the one in charge. Ç

I thought about that. The Dursleys were become a nuisance that needed to be dealt with. I couldn't legally leave there care for another 8 years and I would be dammed if I allowed them to continue to treat me the same way for all that time. I was confident that I had developed my gift enough to fight back. But I was unsure how I would go about it or when.

Ç All in good time, my friend. Ç I stated vaguely. In good time, indeed. There was also that other voice to consider. Amicus hadn't commented on it so it must have been a construct of my own mind. How I do not know. Perhaps it was a manifestation of my darker side, or some other entity that I was as yet unware of or perhaps the simplest explanation was the right one. I had simply just imagined it. It was an interesting thing to think about at any rate. Later that night I considered another possibility. Perhaps it had something to do with whatever was locked away behind the wall in my core. I had continued to chip away at it. Slowly but surely. The tendril connecting it to the storm cloud that was my gift continued to grow in thickness and luminosity. As I finished and finally drifted off to sleep I was assaulted with dreams of another boy in another time. However, these dreams were quickly forgotten and their meaning was unclear to me.

Over the next few weeks, I began to plan as to how I would confront the Dursleys. Time was dragging on and soon it was October 31st. I would say that it was the Dursleys least favorite day, other than perhaps my birthday. Halloween was a time when the freaks were normalized and the Dursleys certainly couldn't have that. But of course, with a child they just had to deal with It and pretend to be enjoying the day just as much as Dudley seemed to be. Obviously, I was not involved in any festivities but it was no matter, I could create my own. Tonight, I would strike swiftly and decisively. I could not tolerate their treatment any longer. I would show them who is really in control in this house. I would be their servant no longer, they would serve me instead. Of course, sometimes things do not go as I plan. I would soon have to change my intentions drastically as the many deceptions were unveiled.

It was late into the evening when I decided the time was right. Dudley had just arrived back from his sweats expedition. I am quite sure he did not need any more sweats but my opinion was irrelevant, for now. I schooled my features and with a determined expression, led Amicus to the kitchen where the Dursleys were sitting at dinner.

"Boy what do you think…." Vernon was cut off as a Dudley wailed at the top of his lungs.

"Mummy, Daddy, Harry has a huge snake!" the boy screamed. The two elder Dursleys eyes widened in horror as they saw what Dudley was referring to. Vernon began to tinge red and shook with visibly suppressed fury.

"Boy! You will stop this freakishness at once and will put that beast out of this house! I do not know where you got that thing but I will not have it, you hear me boy!" As he ranted he stood up and pointed his fork at me menacingly. It was comical watching him threaten me when I looked at it objectively. Had I not known that he could truly be vicious I would have thought he would be joking with his silverware antics.

"Oh, you mean Amicus. Well he is mine and I shall not be putting him outside Uncle. It is a bit chilly out tonight and he does not like the cold. In fact, I think he would much prefer to stay indoors now. I understand that he scares poor Dudley there but I am afraid that he is just going to have to deal with it" I said in a tone that would be more appropriate for small talk, rather than what Vernon wanted to be a shouting match.

"How dare you! I am going to give you the beating of your life" Vernon said as he approached me. "You will learn…" Vernon trailed off as he found he could no longer move. In fact, I am sure that he was quite alarmed that he also could no longer speak. I could see him shaking as he tried to physically force his way through my hold on him. The practice I had gained with Piers just a few weeks ago had made the whole thing pathetically easy. However, being able to turn the tables on Vernon and have power over him in what he would no doubt consider his domain was just as thrilling as it was with Piers. It was time to show Vernon how truly weak and pathetic. To that end I gave him a wry grin and started speaking.

"Now, now Uncle, I think you will drop that and will speak to me with a bit more respect" I said in a patronizing voice as if I were scolding a small child. I used my gift to twist Vernon's pudgy fingers until I heard a satisfying crack and the clang of metal as the fork dropped to the floor. Vernon's face portrayed the agony that he was in but he could not cry out as I had locked his jaw in place. I was just starting to think about all the painful ways I could manipulate Vernon with my gift when my attention was diverted to an ash stricken Petunia who seemed to have gotten a hold of herself enough to speak.

"Boy! Stop this now, how are you doing this, you must stop!" She screamed in a shrill voice. She began to rise from her chair, but was forced back down a moment later. I had no plans for her to get it in her head that she could defy me either. Her entire dementor had changed when she felt the oppression of my gift upon her. Where once there was defiance and indignation, now there was despair and meekness? She then began to babble in a defeated tone.

"This shouldn't be possible, Lilly could never do this!" she cried out. Those words definitely caught me off guard. Lilly was my mother's name. Why would my mother be able to do anything like me, unless she was like me? She had the same gift? My thoughts were cut short when Vernon lunged for me. It seemed that my momentary lapse in concentration had given him the opportunity to break free of my mental restraints. As I felt my uncle's hands touch my shirt, I slammed my palm against his chest and willed him to be forced backward. Unfortunately for him, my emotions were a little on edge due to the confrontation and my intent was a bit more than strictly necessary. Still it was interesting to observe a flash of purple light erupt from my hand and cascade upon Vernon's torso. I heard the distinctive cracking of ribs as the force caused Vernon to be unceremoniously flung across the room and slammed into the wall, with a resounding thud. He dropped to the floor leaving a small trail of blood as he dropped. He then slumped to the ground. I almost thought I had killed them man when I was disappointed to see that he was in fact still breathing. A pity truly. I then spun on the spot and faced Petunia. Her shock at seeing her husband so utterly defeated by me was replaced by sheer terror when it seemed that she realized I hadn't forgotten her comments.

"What did you just say about my mother" I asked her in a cold tone that told her exactly what I would do if she did not tell me the truth. Seeing what had just befallen her husband, Petunia seemed to think it was wise to not antagonize me further. She cleared her throat, steadied her breathing and then began to speak.

"Lilly was like you, a fre….different" she said slowly, her voice shaking as she almost insulted me and my mother yet again. However, it was not the insult that caused her to feel my ire. Insults I was used to, but this? This was something else entirely. They had kept possibly the most important thing about my mother from me. My mother had been unique like me, she had powers. She wasn't as utterly normal as the rest of her family. I suppose it made sense. I had to inherit these gifts from something. My parentage was as good an explanation as anything else. Now that I thought on it, I would bet that my father was unique as well. These thoughts made it very difficult not to make my Aunt scream until she passed out. But I needed to restrain my fury. I had other questions that needed answering. I took a moment to look over at Dudley who had remained remarkably quiet this entire time. Though the reason for this was soon clear to me and I must admit that my mood did pick up at the sheer absurdity of the sight before me.

Amicus seemed to take it upon himself to find a comfortable spot to watch this all go down and was therefore sprawled lazily on the table and was actually licking Dudley's face. The sight would almost be cute if it weren't for the menacing hissing that indicated the snake mannerisms were more in line with a predator tasting a future meal rather than a pet giving a gesture of enduement. This actually earned a grin a chuckle from me until I was pulled back to my Aunt by a small cough from her. I turned to here and pinned her with a deadly serious glare.

"Tell me everything you know and I may just not decide to kill you tonight" I said calmly. Petunia looked at me as if truly seeing me for the first time. It was clear that this woman hatted everything about me. But her hatred was masked by the sheer amount of fear she had towards me at this moment. That would suffice I suppose. I didn't need her to like me to listen to me. I was quite sure she would tell me the truth. After a tense moment of silence, she began to tell her story. She began by revealing the true nature of my gift, the fact that both of my parents had it as well, and also the circumstances that had brought me here. She explained to me about a secret society built on magic. She explained how my mother was a witch, the first in the family and how my father was a wizard whom came from this society and had married my mother. To hear her tell it, I should have grown up there for not a murder who killed my parents. Apparently, I killed this man who was feared by the other witches and wizards and thus was considered a bit of a hero. I could point out that my current living arrangements speak to how much they actually care about someone they consider a hero. But I had other things to consider. I would almost believe she was telling more lies. However, I had seen what I could do and I suppose magic was as good of an explanation as any. Also I am confident when I say that Petunia wouldn't have the creativity to come up with a story like that if she had years to prepare it, let alone tell it to me off the cuff as she now was.

"If what you say is true, then why am I here?" I asked. "You clearly hate me and don't want to take care of me. So why was I not sent to live with someone else from this magical community?"

"You think I wanted to take you in…" she began hotly. I was quite please when a simple sharp look from me got her into a much more amiable tone. "Look, we didn't have a choice. The headmaster of Lily's school gave me a letter and told me that you were the only thing that would keep us safe from the murder's followers. If we didn't take you in, he made it quite clear that they may come after us."

"And why was the headmaster of my mother's school making decisions about my living arrangements?" I bit out. This was frustrating. While knowing the truth gave me some answers, it brought up a greater number of new questions.

"He was a friend of your family, at least that is what I remember Lilly saying. I thought your godfather would take care of you, but clearly something prevented that from happening" she said in a tone that showed she really didn't care one way or the other.

"Godfather? What were my parents religious?" I asked her. That would actually be quite amusing. A witch and wizard being Christians. Oh, what would the medieval era monks think of that? I mean I didn't really believe in any of that tripe, but hey magic was real so who knows. But while this could be an interesting philosophical debate, it was hardly relevant at the moment.

"What? I don't think so. Lilly never really mentioned anything and if your father was anything it was likely one of the pagan religions. I think godfathers for wizards are just like trusted friends that you expect to take care of your children if something happens to you. But what do I know. I don't want to know anything about them." She said.

"Fine what was his name then?" I asked.

"You expect me to remember? I wanted nothing to do with your lot. All I know is he was your fathers best friend. Beyond that I really didn't bother to find out. The only reason I know is because he was at the hospital when you were born." She said tensely.

"Fine, fine whatever. Who is this headmaster that seemed to be taking care of things?" I asked her. I needed to get as much information from her as I could before I plan what I am going to do next.

"Albus Dumbledore. He was the one who brought you here. He has been paying us for your care. He mentioned in the letter that your parents left you a large amount of money so you could be looked after." Her face at this admission showed that she actually seemed a little embarrassed at the fact she was being paid and yet my care was so piss poor. Oh, now she wants to feel guilty? The nerve of this woman. I really did hate her, much more than she knew.

"Look what a fine job you have done" I said sarcastically. "Do you still have this letter?" I asked. I wanted to see for myself what this Dumbledore character had in mind for me. Especially what he was thinking sending me here of all places. She gave an affirmative nod, so I released the hold I had on her and told her to bring it to me. She looked like she was about to argue before she thought better of it. Good she was at least learning.

Ç Amicus, I have a new plan for us. Considering recent information, I do not believe we shall be staying her any longer. If there truly is a society of magic, then we shall go there. I will find my place there and I can be rid of the Dursleys. I am famous after all. I am sure I can find someone who will take me in. Ç Dudley paled even further at hearing me speak the snake language. I couldn't help but smile as Amicus continued to taunt the boy while letting me know that the idea sounded as good as any to him. It certainly was amusing that taunting Dudley seemed to be his favorite new activity. Amicus then decided to tell me that he would very much like to eat the "fat one" before we left. As much as I wanted to just let him, that would not do. I needed to be cautious now. If this Dumbledore was paying the oafs for my care, that means he might notice the loss of their other child. While I don't think he ever visited as I am pretty sure I am observant enough to notice the comings and goings in this house, I am pretty sure the Dursleys would not be subtle in their grief for an eaten Dudley. Plus, the threat of me killing him gave me leverage over them. I never had to do it, so long as they think I would. The fact that I planned on killing all three of them someday was hardly a factor.

Ç Perhaps a different time Amicus. I promise I will get you lots to eat later Ç I said attempting to placate my pet. Ç Do not worry, we will come back for them Ç I finished. Just then Petunia slowly walked back into the room and shakily handed me the letter. I did note that this fabled letter seemed to be written on a much thicker sheet of paper than I would have expected. Also for something that was nearly eight years old, it looked to be in fairly good condition. Though honestly the strangest thing about it was that it looked as if the letter had been penned with a calligraphy pen or something. The appearance of the letter was certainly a curiosity. One that I fully intended to examine later. However, its content was far more important at the moment.

"Sit" I commanded Petunia. She obediently sat down and anxiously eyed my snake. "Dear Aunt Petunia, don't worry you're vacant little head about Amicus. You don't try anything and he won't kill you or your precious dudlekins. He only kills people when I tell him to." Of course, Amicus hadn't actually killed any people with my command or not, but she didn't need to know that. Well come to think of it, I wasn't with him all the time. The images of Amicus hunting the nationhood children brought a small smile to my lips. I looked over to the other two occupants of table and I felt they were both cowed for the moment. I looked down at the heavy letter and began to read.

Dear Petunia Dursley,

My name is Albus Dumbledore and I am sure you are no doubt confused about the young child you have found on your doorstep. It has been a long time since we have last spoken, but I am sure you will remember me. Well to answer the burning question I am sure you have about the child I must tell you what has transpired recently in our would. I have the regrettable task of informing you that your sister Lilly Potter, along with her husband has been killed by the wizard Voldemort. I am sure you know who this man is as Lilly had said she informed you. I am very sorry for your loss and while I do not wish to burden you or your family further, there is the issue of Little Harry Potter. He is very important to us and as your family I have no doubt that you will want to ensure he has a good home to go to. As you no doubt have deduced the toddler on your doorstep is young Harry and I leave him now in your capable hands. While you were not Lilly's primary choice for guardian, circumstances have come to pass that Harry will be safest with you and your family. Take note however that in turn your family is safer due to his presence in your home.

In order for you to understand my meaning, there are some other things you should know. Voldemort is also dead, or as close to it as one such as him can be. Harry is responsible for this, due to a protection left by his mother. While I confess the nature of this protection is yet undetermined, I do suspect that the love Lilly had for Harry had something to do with it. This protection will extend to you and your family due to blood protections I have placed around your home. Why should you need such protections? Well even though Voldemort is gone, his followers are most certainly not. It has quickly become well known in our world that Harry was responsible for Voldemort's downfall and as such they will be after him. As such they will looking for any link to him they can find. I am very sorry but it seems that your relation has also become known to select individuals in the wizarding government and I cannot trust them all to keep this to themselves. You must understand that Voldemort's followers are very vindictive people and I would hate for something bad to happen to your family, especially with the recent birth of your own child. I am sure you can find it your heart to give Harry a place in your home. For the good of all your family.

However, it is very important that Harry grow up in the right environment. He is going to be hailed as a savior for defeating Voldemort and it is imperative that he play his part. In order for stability people need idols and heroes to look up to and envy. Harry must be that for the common wizarding public. But in order for that to happen, he must grow up with a strong work ethic, humility and most importantly he must not be allowed to become arrogant. Such a thing could create an image that would tarnish the work that must be done to defeat the forces of darkness once and for all. To that end, it is very important that Harry not know about his place in the wizarding world. I would much prefer that Harry not even know about magic until he is collected for school when he turns eleven. So Petunia if you do this for me I will give an incentive. Harry's parents left him an inheritance and you will receive £2500/month for his care. This should help you provide for his needs while also giving your family a bit of extra spending money for the added burden. Do not worry about any pesky logistics. I have taken care of everything. If I am satisfied that you are meeting my conditions, then the money will simply appear in your account.

I hope that you will take my words to heart and just know that I will know if things are not adhered to.

Your faithfully,

Albus Dumbledore

As I finished reading the letter, I began to stew in my anger. So, this is why I had to suffer. It seems my life was simply a series of moves in this Dumbledore's chess game. I was merely a tool to be used as he saw fit. Keep me ignorant, compliant and in his own words humble. Well the bastard had another thing coming if he thought I would be his puppet. Perhaps Voldemort was the monster this man made him out to be, or perhaps not. Both he and Petunia had mentioned that this Voldemort character had followers. While notorious murderers sometimes amassed a fanbase and sycophants, they rarely gained followers. Followers were a symbol of either a cult or more often a political cause. In any case this man wasn't simply the murder I thought he was initially. It seemed that there was some sort of conflict in this wizarding world. There were clear defined sides. Voldemort and his followers were on one and Dumbledore and my parents were on another. It was certainly a lot to take in and before I made any judgements on what this conflict entailed and my opinion on it, I would need to have more information. It was food for thought at the very least.

As I was contemplating this I heard a groan of pain from Vernon. Honestly, I had forgotten all about the despicable man. He still appeared to be bleeding from his skull and was looking a little pale. As much as him bleeding to death would make me happy, the implications of the letter made it clear that Dumbledore was at least keeping some sort of watch here. How I could not be sure, perhaps he had his own followers who came by every now and again. I didn't find it too likely but I suppose he could also use some kind of magic to monitor things. Though since no one had come bursting in to stop what had gone on tonight, such monitors clearly had limits if they were in place at all. So many questions on this new world with so very few answers. In any case, Vernon's continued survival had a purpose for now. It seemed tonight would not be the night he dropped of the mortal coil, shame.

"You might want to take him to hospital, he seems to have managed to cut his head open" I said in a mocking tone. "But before I let you get to it I have a few more questions. I intend to leave this residence for the time being. I need to know how to get to this wizarding world that I am hearing so much about tonight. They must have establishments where I can learn more, libraries, historical records, shops, etc." She looked as though she would like anything but to help me further, but it seemed that the prospect of me leaving had clouded that notion completely.

"Diagon Alley" she said hoarsely. "Lilly went there every year to get her supplies. It is the only place I really know except for her school Hogwarts, and I don't even remember where she said that is. Either way you should be able to find everything else from there" she concluded.

"And where would I find this Diagon Alley" I asked with genuine curiosity.

"London" she said flatly. "The main entrance is through a pub that is on Charing Cross Road" she said looking towards her increase ill looking husband. I signed as I noticed this. Yes I suppose I should be rapping this little conversation up shouldn't I?

"Alright Petunia, I will not be returning in earnest until I need to for my own letter. I may stop by from time to time just to keep up appearances, though I will do my best to avoid this residence. I will of course still be going to school and if anyone asks, I still live here. You will not speak of this night to anyone, or I swear to you that I will be back and I will torture you three just as you have tortured me all these years and then I will kill all of you, very slowly." I stopped speaking just long enough to ensure my words had sunk in. "Am I understood?" I asked her. At my hard tone, she anxiously looked over to Dudley and then Vernon. Finally, she looked at me with clear trepidation.

"Yes" she stammered out.

I extended my arm near the table and simply sent a mental command for Amicus to come. He began to wrap his body around me, just the way he likes. I then purposefully strode out of the room. I stopped by my cupboard momentarily to take one last look. There wasn't anything of value to really take and I planned on getting new things once I established myself anyway. I was already wearing decent school clothes, so there was no need to change. I turned away from the cupboard and walked out into the cool night air. My steps rang of the empty street. I looked towards the dark cloudy sky. Well I suppose now is as good as any. I thought of where I wanted to go. I pictured every detail I could in my mind and shut my eyes in concentration. Soon I felt the familiar oppressive crushing feeling and disappeared with a resounding crack.

Author's Note: Well that is it for that chapter. I do apologize for the late release of this. A unforeseen medical emergency had me laid up for a while and unable to peruse this with any real conviction. However, everyone should be happy to know that I have fully recovered and fully intend to get back on the Monday release schedule. Please let me know what you guys thought of this chapter. I hope I didn't portray Harry's shift into violence too starkly. I tried to convey that these feelings had been pent up for a while and he really just needed the right push.

How will Harry cope with being on his own and free. What mysterious will he discover about the world he has never known, about his family, his past and perhaps his future. Find out in the next chapter "Diagon Alley".