Re-Edited and Re-Posted on December 18, 2012.
Author: HatefulRodeo
Story: Harbinger
Notes: So I know I marked this as complete but I never know when to leave well enough alone so here is another chapter. Snape is loyal to the Harry since he made the vow to protect him. So wherever Harry's loyalties are so are Snape's. I also raised the rating to M just in case. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing and I make absolutely no money from this fic. J.K.R. owns all rights to Harry Potter. *Sniffles*
Previously:
He focused his mind, clenched his wand tightly, and turned on the spot, with a crack he disapparated into that dark night. What waited for him was unknown but Harry knew he was no longer their little beacon of light.
From now on he would be the Dark Lord's harbinger; the bringer of darkness. He relished the coming time when the traitor's screams and pleads would rent the air, saturating and mingling in with the stench of their spilling blood.
~~~~~~~~~******Chapter 2******~~~~~~~~
Harry landed shakily on his sore feet; sore from the hours of back breaking labor his aunt forced him to complete so her garden out shown all the others. Never did it occur to Petunia that she was just as capable of doing the weeding as Harry was.
The teen knew without opening his emerald eyes that he made it to where he wanted to be. His magic was the one thing that never let him down; in his hard yet short life it had been the only thing that always tried protect him from harm.
Harry knew he made it to Malfoy Manor; the tantalizing feeling of dark magic reminiscent of the way Lucius' felt poured forth from the very walls in the room where he stood, caressing his thin form almost in welcome.
He opened his dead green eyes, looking at the Dark Lord sitting directly in front of him. The skeletal white face was expressionless, only a look of veiled curiosity and assessment was present in those crimson eyes.
The thin teen wondered how the Dark Lord knew he was there as he was invisible. But then again Voldemort probably felt his magic when he apparated in. Yes, the Dark Lord would know if Harry was present anywhere.
He watched as the crimson eyed man raised his hand to still the agitated Death Eaters and halt their progress to seek out the un-seeable threat to their precious Lord. Never letting those blood red eyes move from the spot where the invisible wayward Lion now stood.
The raven haired teen was confused. Harry thought he would have to slay a few Death Eaters to even have the chance to speak to the Dark Lord about his desires to join his ranks. However, he would not look a gift horse in the mouth. Harry waited, quietly, for the Death Eaters to heed their master's words and settle down.
More confusing to the sixteen year old was the look the Dark Lord was still giving him; it held no malice, or hate, just curiosity and something that could be respect. Harry didn't know that when he apparated into Malfoy Manor he passed through, and shred, several hundred years of old blood wards and protections.
Doing something that the Dark Lord had been assured was impossible by the Malfoy Patriarch. Once again Harry unknowingly proved himself exceptional for all to know and all to see. Once again he had unknowingly cast himself out as different. Proving he was a freak even in the wizarding world.
Removing his invisibility cloak, so he may look into those crimson eyes without any barriers in the way, he spoke in a cracked, soft voice; "I've come to join you."
Harry continued to look into the Dark Lord's eyes. He saw the distrust flaring up in those crimson depths and then what looked like resolution in those eerie orbs. The raven braced himself for what was to come; may it be painful hexes or dark curses. He steeled his resolve to endure it all if he must.
He felt the Dark Lord's overwhelming presence trying to gain access to his mind, clawing at his weak Occlumency shields. Harry lowered them as quickly as he could. He knew without a doubt that the Dark Lord could break through them if he needed to but it was a show of trust on the green eyed boy's part.
Harry thrust his life of to the front of his mind to be watched like a movie; from his cursed birth, his abuse at the hands of his relatives, the many trials he endured every year at Hogwarts. Every emotion; the hate, anger, despair, loathing, and disappointment all flowed to the forefront of Harry's tired mind. Everything was easily seen and felt by the Dark Lord currently residing in his mindscape.
The battered teen gasped when he felt a sudden warmth coming from the Dark Lord's presence in his mind before as quickly as it came it was gone and the Dark Lord was pulling gently out of his mind.
The Dark Lord sat for a while, a thoughtful expression on his thin face. Finally, the snakelike man looked at the beaten and broken boy in front of him; "You wish to join me, Harry? Why should I trust you? How do I know this is not a trick?"
The emerald eyed teen admitted it was a good question but one that was unwarranted; "I'll show you my sincerity my Lord." Without another word Harry pulled of his threadbare tee shirt, exposing a torso filled with brutal, angry, and jagged scars, countless bruises and open cuts. His ribs and spine clearly visible from the weeks of starvation and neglect.
Once the assembled eyes had looked their fill Harry spoke again. His quiet voice tight in a mixture of sadness and fury; "Why would I serve the Light? Why should I give my loyalty to a man who allowed this" here he gestured towards his battered torso "to continue happening to me at the hands of my relatives for all my life?"
"Why would I stay loyal to a side that has never cared for my wellbeing or my happiness?! At least here I know where I stand. Here I know my worth even if it is nothing. I won't be treated like a pig for slaughter; fattened up only to be thrown to the wolves when the timing is right!"
"I'm done being their savior! I'm done being their pawn! I'm a sixteen year old boy and they expect me to save them all! How am I to do that when no one has trained me or helped me? No, they want to throw me into danger and watch me survive so they can measure the growth of their little pig!"
"NO MORE! I'VE HAD ENOUGH! I AM NO ONE'S SAVIOR! HOW CAN I BE WHEN I CAN'T EVEN SAVE MYSELF?!" Crazed, broken, laughter laced with despair and soul deep tiredness filled the grand room, erupting from the Gryffindor's lips. Many of the assembled Death Eaters couldn't help but cringe at the sight of the boy's broken body and words so full of pain.
But the most unsettling thing was the laughter; it rang hard, empty, and cold against the white marble walls, expounding in hair raising echoes as it bounced off the high vaulted ceiling.
The Dark Lord stood, walking slowly to the still laughing emerald eyed teen. Voldemort raised a large slender hand and pressed a long finger to the boy's dirty temple. Harry felt the pulse of dark magic come through the Dark Lord's finger and all he knew, as he fell, was darkness; blissful, quiet darkness.
The Dark Lord caught Harry and called for a house elf. He gave the trembling creature instructions in regards to the scarred, thin, body in his arms when the creature appeared; "Take the boy to one of my guest rooms, clean him up and tend to his injuries. Do not let him leave the room under any circumstances."
"You are to provide him with food and drink when he wakes. You are to ensure that he eats and see that he has a proper bath. Provide him with new clothes once he is bathed. You will alert me when he is finished washing and is dressed." The little elf nodded, took the small teen's body into its arms, and popped away.
The Dark Lord gazed at his Inner Circle, waiting for one of them to speak. Lucius broke the tense silence first; "My Lord, if what the boy says is true and he is indeed coming to our side that is a massive blow to the Light." The Dark Lord nodded his bald head regally and gestured for Lucius to continue speaking.
"My Lord, forgive me, but is what Harry claimed true? That he was abused by his muggle relatives and Dumbledore let it happen? I was led to believe that the boy was well cared for, spoiled even." When Lucius finished speaking all eyes fell onto Severus Snape's stiff form as Severus was the man who had brought them that piece of information.
"Dumbledore has always assured me that the muggles treated Harry well, maybe a bit strictly, but well. I see now that it was a lie. The Headmaster preyed on, and fed, my hatred for the boy and by doing so making me blind to what was going on right in front my eyes." When he was done speaking Severus shook his head in self-disgust.
The Dark Lord spoke; "That is in the past Severus but in the future you should not allow your feeling to cloud your judgment. Next time I may not be so forgiving." Severus nodded and bowed low, mumbling his apologies, to his Lord.
"Now back to Lucius' comments. Yes, if Harry joins us we will deal a great blow to the Light and in turn Dumbledore. Especially if we can spread the word that the Golden-Boy was abused and neglected for years while Dumbledore assured us all he was well taken care of and protected by his muggle family." The Dark Lord sneered at the word family; his sneer was mirrored on several of the assembled Death Eaters' faces.
"Yes, we can injure, or kill, two birds with one well-placed stone. No one is to harm the boy in anyway and you are not allowed to let anyone else know that Harry is here. We will keep this information closely guarded and use it when the timing is perfect. Besides the boy will need rest and medical care for at least a week just to get back to something considered healthy."
Voldemort cast his red eyes around when he finished his words, letting his Inner Circle see the deadly seriousness of his order and the pain that would come if they disregarded it in any way. Many replies of "Yes, My Lord" and "As you wish my Lord" were heard from his most loyal and trusted followers.
The Dark Lord dismissed them and made his way to his study to review what he saw in Harry's mind; the abuse and hate Harry suffered through was so reminiscent of his own childhood. Sitting his skeletally thin body down Voldemort waded through his troubling thoughts.
Nagini slithered over, making her up the large wingback chair, and around her master's bony shoulders. She seemed to sense her master's distress and offered comfort with a squeeze of her powerful coils. The Dark Lord smiled slightly, caressing his familiar's large scaly head, and lost himself to the dark thoughts of his own childhood.
Well I'm not sure how far I'm taking this story only time will tell. I hope you enjoyed Chapter Two.
All Mistakes Are My Own!
