Shadow Phoenix

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter as well as the Characters taken from it. I don't earn any money from this Story.



This Story starts after the fourth book

I use OotP somewhat as a leading line and steal some parts of the original key events.

At least at start, but not too much, I promise^^ (crosses fingers behind back)



Special thanks to my Beta Raina.





Chapter 1: The Power of a strong Will.



Harry fell exhausted onto the small bed in the small room in 4 Privet Drive that his so called family allowed him to stay in. They made him work as much as he could, once again. He didn't really mind. They didn't dare to hurt him any more. Not since his Godfather paid them a little visit.





Harry smiled to himself. There was nothing worse to them than a wizard, apart from a wizard who was also a mass murderer. Sirius Black wasn't guilty, but Harry didn't intend to share this information with his aunt, uncle or cousin. However, he still had something to do.





He stood up and went to his trunk. It once only had contained his clothes and school supplies. Now, after he had magically enlarged the interior, it had several rooms inside. Each of them way bigger than the one the Dursleys provided him with. He stepped in.





Inside was a room with only a single piece of furniture.. It was a throne. It was proof of his decision and an artefact he would soon need. The decision he made after Cedric’s Death and the revival of Lord Voldemort. He would do whatever it took to defeat Voldemort AND to protect his friends and their families.





From his last encounter with the Dark Lord he knew he just might defeat him if he continued the way his friends led him. But he could NOT protect them. Some would die. This was something he would not let happen. And there was only one way to prevent it.







One single way.



He went through one of the doors in the back of the room into his Potion Lab. There were several dozens different potions brewing at the moment. He looked after each of them, adding ingredients if needed and discarding those which had gone bad. He then filled the successfully brewed potions into small bottles and put them into a storage room. After this he went to the last two of his potions. The most difficult and potent he ever brewed in his entire life.







One was the potion required for becoming an animagus. There was a lot of it in the huge kettle and Harry was very pleased to see it was alright. But it was not yet ready. It had to brew for another two months, but the ingredients were expensive and he didn't want to start anew.





The second was in a very small kettle. Just enough for himself. And it was finished.





The price he did pay, and would have to pay, for the powers this potion would bless him with was nothing he could let another pay. A sigh escaped him, as he filled the potion into a cup.





He remembered being tortured with the cruciatus curse. It was horrible. Yet it was thanks to that fact, that he could take this potion. He had to have already felt worse and still stay sane. The next six hours he would pay a price of pain.





He went into another room. On one side of the room was a wooden chair with magical chains to restrain whoever was to sit on it and a small table beside it. On the other side of the room were target dummies..
Several of them were burnt or cut in ways no human could survive.





This room was Harry's masterpiece.



It had been horribly difficult to enchant so that he could cast spells without the Ministry or someone else noticing. It was something he had yet to share with his two best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They knew of course, that he had enlarged the space inside his trunk.





Ron had been laughing half an hour after he discovered that there was as much space inside the trunk as was inside the Burrow, the home of his entire family. Hermione even helped him by transfiguring and enchanting one of the empty rooms into a bathroom.





It was way better than the one the Dursleys wouldn't let him use anyway. And the one they would let him use ... well, he was really glad he did not have to. As usual even though he had to do all the cooking, they hadn't given him much to eat.





He didn't care. One of his rooms in here was a kitchen, and there was a room where he stored food supplies. All enchanted to not go bad. If they knew, they would stop giving him food completly and Dudley would try to get some of it.







His cousin didn't care that Harry was a wizard. He simply had bullied him because he wouldn't get punished for it and his father did as well. Now that he would get punished, he didn't dare to do more than call him 'freak'. Harry had a special potion in store for him. It would not do him any harm. Not at all.





Harry knew too well, that taking revenge on him could only lead to more pain and revenge. Instead he would help him. The potion would rid him of his fat, and Harry hoped that this would let Dudley at least accept magic and be different to his parents, who hated it more than anything else.







But that wasn't important right now. Harry put his wand and glasses onto the table. Then he sat himself onto the chair. He took a deep breath, before he drank down the most powerful potion he had ever brewed. It tasted disgusting, but he had had worse. After it was empty he threw the cup away.





“Restrain!” he said calmly, even though the potion was already giving him pain. Pain that spread slowly from his stomach outwards.







Chains wrapped themselves around his body and restrained his limbs. He now could no longer move. Harry endured the slowly spreading pain within his body without any sign of discomfort. It was over three hours later, that the pain conquered the last part of his body, his eyes. Closing them, Harry began to whisper curses.





If Voldemort could have heard them, he just might have respected Harry for it, but he couldn't and luckily no one else could either.







The pain in his eyes was so strong; he wanted to dig his nails into them, for the pain to cease. The chains prevented him from doing so. Finally after the six hours were over, the pain subsided and the chains fell to the ground. Harry couldn't stay upright anyway.





He had a very hard time not to fall asleep that very moment. But he knew he had to stay awake, at least for the next few minutes. He took his glasses from the table right beside him and transfigured them, to simple but unbreakable glass, because his sight was now perfect.





Finally he stood up, deciding that a walk might be just what he needed. But first he had to check if his body had changed. Looking into the mirror he found that thankfully there was only one change. The pupils of his eyes were no longer round, but slits.



That one he expected. He smiled and charmed his glasses to hide this change, and then put them back on. Then he noticed that on his wand and body were webs of colourful light that didn't look like they belonged there. At the very next moment he knew, it wasn't the look, it was the feeling he got from them.







He looked at them and tried to think of what they may be doing. Finally after carefully observing them and casting a random spell, he knew that they were the tracking spells which would immediately alert the Ministry if he did any magic outside of this room.





After a little experimenting Harry managed to get them off him and his wand. Happy to be now able to do magic outside of Hogwarts he got out of his trunk. Just to see another tracking charm all over the house. It was mixed with the charm which held everyone that wanted to harm Harry or his family outside of the house boundaries.





He could still not use his magic inside the house. Sighing he left. Thankfully no one noticed him leaving. They would just give him even more work, if he was seen going outside. Harry just strolled around.





As fate plays out, he had to come across Dudley and his little gang. One of his minions spotted Harry and began to grin wickedly.





“See there is that little Freak again. Where have you been? We didn't see you since last summer... why don't we have a nice little talk?” he said, meaningful clenching his fists.





Dudley warily opened his mouth, but stayed quiet when Harry to his surprise answered: “Why not? I'm just in the right mood for this little 'talk'. But dear cousin Dudley and the others shouldn't interfere; don't you think so too Dudley?”





“Suit yourself.” Dudley said. “But don't kill him. He is one of my friends.”





“Oh come on Big D! Don't joke around like that! He isn't much of a fight. This will be easy!” the boy said, before he swung his fist at Harry.





Catching his wrist and pulling the boy towards himself, as well as giving him a hit into the stomach later, the bully lay defeated to Harry's feet. Dudley's gang was terrified.





“There cousin, I didn't kill him, just as you asked. Now I've something to talk to you about. Care to come with me?” Harry asked politely.





“Yeah... You take care of him!” he ordered his gang, before he joined Harry.





Harry walked into the direction of the Dursleys house, slowing down as soon as the gang couldn't hear them any more.





“Dudley, I want to suggest you a little deal...” Harry began.





“Why would I want to make a deal with a freak like you?”





“The answer is simple.” Harry told him smiling. “You are obese. I know you don't want to diet or do sports.. But I don't think you're stupid enough to not know that if you keep going on like this it would mean high risk of heart attack or the likes of that. Also without all that fat, you might actually be really handsome, not only in the eyes of your mother. Then you might get girlfriends that are really interested in you and not only spreading their legs for you to stop you from bullying them or their friends. That slut in your gang not counted.” Harry could clearly see that Dudley was more than angry about Harry's words, but didn't respond.





“I can give you a potion.” Harry offered. “If you'd drink it, you would slowly loose these extra pounds within two months. All you have to do, is to cover it by pretending to diet. Also during the two months you'd have to drink four litre of clear water each day, if you don't want to get a headache. So you should diet by drinking a one litre bottle of water before each meal. After that two months, you wont get obese ever again, no matter, how much you eat. I give you my word, that there are no side effects other than the headache which you can avoid by drinking water.” Dudley seemed to fight with himself.





“What do you want in return?” he asked finally.





“Not much... just that you distract your parents now and then. You'll for example have to ask your parents out for dinner or lunch in a restaurant. I'll give you the money you'll need for this of course.”





“You don't have any money!” Dudley claimed.





“I do. My parents haven't been poor people. Quite on the opposite in fact, but there is no need to let your parents know.... they wont get any of my money anyway. Naturally to not let your parents get suspicious of us, you will have to insult me as usual. Don't stop once we're alone, except if you're 100% sure nobody will notice.” Dudley seemed to fight with himself a little longer.





“Prove it!”, he demanded finally. Harry sighed and took out his wallet, showing Dudley some of it's content.





“Of cause this Muggle money is just a little bit of what I have at me at the moment, but wizards money won’t count for you, will it?” Harry smiled, he hadn't seen Dudley speechless for a long time.





“I'm in.” Dudley suddenly decided, then hesitated a moment, before he held out one of his hands for Harry.
Harry took his hand and after they had a handshake, Dudley found one of the notes in his hand.





“This one is a bonus.” Harry said smiling. “I'll give you that potion as soon as possible. But remember. No sudden being nice to me, drink your four litre water each day and keep our deal.”





“Yeah... Freak.”





“Well, we shouldn't arrive together... “, mentioned Harry, before he felt an icy chill going down his back.







“Shit!” he cursed, drawing his wand, spinning around and searching the empty street with his eyes within just a moment..





“Stay behind me.” he ordered.





“What's going on? Why is it suddenly so cold?” Dudley asked.





“Dementors are near... I don't think more than one or two, but you don't want to meet one, believe me! They'd suck out your soul and eat it.” Harry took a bar of chocolate out of his pocket and gave it to his cousin.





“Eat this, but slowly! It helps against the cold and the feeling that you'd never be happy again. I don't have more than this one, so it'll need to last till we are at home.” Harry’s free hand gripped Dudley's shoulder and together the both of them hurried back to the house, while Harry cast a charm on them, so no Muggle would give them their attention.





“You mustn't do magic! It's forbidden! You'll get expelled!” Dudley claimed shocked.





“There are exceptions, besides I got rid of the tracing spells on me and my wand. On the house is another one. I can't get rid of that one, without activating it in the process, so it's still there..” Harry explained.





“But if you can't use your magic there, what will happen, if they follow us?”





“The house is protected. They can't go in, and I'm just taking you there anyway.” Once they got near enough to the house, Harry sent in Dudley, undoing the charm on him.





“Stay inside! I'll take care of the Dementors!” Harry ran into the direction the cold was coming from. Then he saw them. Two Dementors, just as Harry had assumed. And one of them was just about to attack a little girl that was crying on the pavement.





“EXPECTO PATRONUM!” The bright shining figure of a stag erupted from the tip of Harry’s wand and barely made it in time to the girl.





The Dementor who was too distracted by his prey got impaled by the Patronus and with a gruesome scream, not even near human, he dissolved into a puddle of blackness that seemed to be even more disgusting than the original Dementor.



The other creature wasn't as stupid or greedy and escaped into the sky. While Harry picked up the still shaking girl, while his Patronus stepped onto the black puddle. There was a sharp hiss and the puddle shrank, till just a shadow on the street remembered of it. After this the Patronus vanished.





“Come on boy! Bring her in. I'll get some chocolate.” a female voice said.





Harry looked up and saw Mrs Figg. He had been sent to the weird, cat loving woman several times by his Aunt before, so he didn't hesitate to go in. Even if she didn't treat him much better than the Dursleys did. But he still had the Charm on him, so she wasn't a Muggle. And Dumbledore had told Harry, that no witches or wizards lived within a radius of several miles from the Dursleys house.





That was why Harry didn't put away his wand, after laying the girl onto the couch he waited for Mrs Figg to return. Soon she was back with several chocolate bars and a cup of hot chocolate. She put a few drops of hot chocolate into the girls mouth and just moments later her eyes opened. Still shaking, the girl drank greedily and slowly relaxed.





“Do you feel better, now?” Mrs Figg asked unusual soft. (Unusual as far as Harry knew...)





“Yes. I'm warm again and the scary feeling is gone!” the girl said.





“What happened my dear?” Mrs Figg asked..





“Hmmm.... Don't know.... suddenly it got cold.... like winter but colder, and then it was like I could never be happy again.. But then there was a guy’s voice and a unicorn! I don't know what he said, but it made the cold and sad go some... I think I was carried by someone like a princess! And then you were there and gave me hot chocolate, which made the last cold and sad go away.” The girl looked around, but could not see Harry, even though he was just to steps away from her.





“Were is that boy? I want to say thanks...”





“He is already gone.” Mrs Figg said, realizing that Muggles couldn't see Harry.





“I'll tell him thanks from you, when I see him. OK?” The girl seemed to be a little disappointed, but agreed.





“There, my dear. If you are sad and cold again just eat some of this to make you warm again.” Mrs Figg gave her some chocolate bars.





“Thank you, but I have to go home now. Mum will get worried if I don't.” Harry pointed his wand at the girl.
He didn't really want to, but he had to. It was law.





“Obliviate.” he said soft, eradicating the last minutes from her memory.





“You meet this nice old lady on your way and talked some with her. Finally she gave you some chocolate and now you're going home.” Harry said, replacing her memory with his story. The girl went home, an absent smile on her face. Mrs Figg sighed.







“I know it had to be done, but I don't think its fine to alter the memory of such a little girl.” she said.





“I agree, but it had to and if I hadn't the Ministry would have to alter a lot more than a few minutes. She would most likely get permanent damage from altering that much.” Harry mentioned. “Besides, I think you have something to you need to tell me, don't you?” His wand was pointed at her.





“Alright, I'm a squib. I'm here to keep an eye on you for Dumbledore. But you should go home now, the Ministry will soon react to your use of magic and I've to contact Dumbledore, so he can stop them from expelling you from Hogwarts.”





“They won’t. I got rid of all the tracking spells on me and my wand.”





“What?”





“The only one I couldn't get rid of is the one on the house.”





“How is that possible? A student shouldn't be able to do such things. That's Auror level.”





“I still did. You need to contact Dumbledore and the Ministry. Someone has to take care of that shadow which remained of the Dementor. But I'd rather not have them know, what I did. At least not the ministry.” Harry left her house and went back to the Dursleys. The charm on him undoing, right after he was on the street again.







***





He gave Dudley the potion that very evening. Dudley drank it instantly.



That night a letter came, saying:



We have to talk.

I'll send someone to get you at 10pm tomorrow.



Dumbledore



At 10pm the next day, Dudley was with his parents in a restaurant to celebrate that he decided to start his 'Water diet'.