Twisted Silver

Disclaimer: Not mine. Simple enough?

This is my first fic so please be gentle. Review will be welcomed with open arms!


Chapter One

In two minutes, Harry Potter was to turn sixteen. He sat silently on his bed watching the glowing numbers of his watch. No one ever seems to understand why time passes so slowly at these moments, which is what he is thinking about right now. 30….20…10…5…Now! as as the numbers changed a barrage of owls flew through the window, nearly filling the tiny room that was his bedroom. There were some owls he didn’t recognize but decided eventually that they must be school owls. The first he opened was from Hermione. A long letter came with it but he threw it away without looking. Each letter she had sent so far this summer had nothing but empty platitudes. The gift, of course, was a book. How to Become an Animagus by Meredith Sphinx. Harry sighed at the sight of it, memories of Sirius flooding his mind.

“Let go of it” He told himself, a mantra he had had to repeat many times “Breathe deeply, calm down, it is not your fault that he died, it was an accident”.

His guilt over what had happened in the Department of Mysteries had affected him deeply, creating a great change in his personality. He was more studious now, more logical. Placing the gift aside, he opened the rest of the packages. More letters that were more like condolences. In the end, he received chocolates, cake and a biography of the Chudley Cannons. Three owls were remaining. The first was his school letter, listing the equipment he would need for his sixth year at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. The second was his OWL’s, of which he received six in total. Not a bad effort, but he secretly thought that the results may have been biased to his being the Boy who Lived. The last owl however, did not bear the school seal. He opened the letter it carried slowly.

Harry Potter,

Best wishes on your birthday. Maybe now you are old enough to understand that which you have been shielded from,

Lord Voldemort.

Harry’s immense shock came with a hissed “Bloody hell, what’s he up to this time?” After checking the package that came with it he realized that there were no untoward spells on it and that it was safe to open. Another book, the title read Light and Dark, a history of the chasm in Magic society by Amelinda Caraspoor. A Quick look at the introduction and Harry read throughout the night, his eyes never roaming from the book. The first think it taught him was the difference between light and dark magic, why there was a difference, but it also taught him much that he had never considered, such as how some dark art spells can be used for good and vice versa.. When he finally finished reading, dawn had crept through the window making it time to get up and do his chores for the Dursleys.

The bacon was slightly burnt. A slap to the head. He missed a spot weeding the garden. A kick to his stomach. A broken plate. The belt across his back. He never complained, just took the punishment without question.

“Finally learnt your lesson, Boy” Vernon snarled, “This is what you deserve you freak, having all your friends insult me, all I have ever done is put a roof over you head, clothe you, feed you, and how do you repay me? By telling nasty lies to your little friends. Oh yes, you will pay for this boy. Now go make dinner and be quick about it!”
“Yes uncle Vernon” Harry muttered as he scurried into the kitchen, more work to be done before he could run to the solitude that is his room.

Finally the day came to an end and Harry was allowed to go to his room. But the day was not all work, during his chores he had been thinking a lot about Voldemort’s gift to him. As he sat on the bed he pulled out his ink and parchment, seriously considering how to write his thank you.

He signed his name in what could possible come close to a legible scrawl and called Hedwig to him. “Take this to Tom Riddle please, be safe and wait for a reply” She didn’t look happy but flew out the window on her mission nonetheless.

Riddle House

Voldemort was sitting on his throne when there was a tapping at the window. When the owl was allowed inside it flew straight to him. Messy writing with the name Tom Riddle written on the address.
“That’s interesting” he muttered to himself.

Tom,

Thank you very much for the gift, it was insightful to say the least. Yet it also left me with many questions unanswered. If I could ask a favour for my birthday? I would request that I could correspond with someone who has a better understanding of such things, perhaps one who is on your side. I would ask specifically to correspond with Draco Malfoy, as once school begins there would be no questions asked from others as to I a I am talking to. Note I am asking your permission to do this. If you agree please only relate to Draco my intentions and I would do the rest.

Sincerely, Harry Potter
‘oh, very good, very good. Already asking permission of me are you now? We could make you a follower yet my boy. But what of the request? Harmless really, Draco was not a Death Eater yet, and therefore could not give away any information to the boy. Hmm,has has obviously thought this out, how very Slytherin of him. Why not give him what he wants for now and see what will happen….’

“Lucius!” he called. His favourite Death Eater cam quickly to him. Each day he thanked the ministry for giving Lucius back to him. And to think, all it took was about a fifth of the Malfoy family’s money. Bribery can get you anywhere.
“Yes my Lord?” Lucius kissed the hem of his robes as was befitting of his station.
“I wish your son to do something for me. Harry Potter will write to him wsomesome questions and I would strongly advise he answer them. Perhaps he could gain a new ally in the Boy who Lived this time.”
“Of course, my Lord” Lucius repled, although a questioning look had slid across his face. “I shall inform him at once” With that he swept out of the room.
‘Hmm..this should be good’ Tom mused as he left to his chambers.


Privet Drive

Another day passed, much the same as before and just as he was about to go to sleep for the night Hedwig flew in the window.

Harry,

I was rather pleased at your response to my gift. I have considered your request and agreed. Young Mr. Malfoy has been informed and shall be waiting for your letter. Perhaps now we may come to an understanding.

Voldemort.

On the back of the letter there was a list of curses and hexes that he might be particularly interested in looking up. It seemed odd to Harry that the one person who wanted to kill him most was also the one teaching him what he wanted to learn. Pleased with his reply, Harry immediately started a letter to Draco. ‘If I’m going to be friends with him I better get used to that. Not Malfoy, just Draco’.

Draco Malfoy,

I know you may not wish to correspond with me because of all that has happened between us these past years. But I am offering a truce for now. Not friendship, that is something I must earn form you. I hope that this does not inconvenience you in any way. I do not know exactly how to start this but the questions I think I should begin with are listed below.

Thank you, Harry Potter

Hedwig once again went flying into the night, as Harry lay on his bed, thinking of what may come from this venture, whether it be good or bad.

He woke to a loud thumping sound outside his door. “Boy, get up! Don’t think for a moment that you can just sleep in whenever you want. Get down here and make breakfast!”

He reached across to the bedside table for his glasses, noting that he certainly had slept in. It was already Eight o’clock! Throwing on his oversized clothes and running out the doorway he apologized and began to start the day. On his way down the stairs he tripped, glimpsing Dudley’s smelting stick being drawn away quickly.
“Look Dad, the freak can’t even walk properly!” Dudley creamed but Harry heard very little of what he said through the laughter of his family members. He limped into the kitchen as quickly as he possible could and lit the stove without even saying a word. But inside his head he could only think of revenge. A revenge that he would set in place in only one year, when he was legally allowed to do magic. ‘I will hurt them as badly as they have hurt me’ he thought, dreaming of legal torture techniques, funnily enough what he could do with a mixture of products from Fred and George Weasley’s business.

After breakfast was gardening, in many ways Harry’s favourite chore, which he certainly did not tell the Dursleys. As they left to go to a business lunch he crept into the shed, moving around boxes until he found what he was searching for. As he placed the cigarette upon his lips, a calming effect immediately came over him. Funnily enough, it was Dudley who had started this by pacing his cigarettes in a very bad hiding spot. One day, Harry had decided he was curious as to what it was like and immediately liked it. The way when you breathe it in, it fills your lungs tightly, a sweet taste upon your tongue, a hype that could only be created by the chemicals that reside in them. Yes, he knew that they were harmful and could kill him, but so could Voldemort so where was the problem? When he had taken the last draw, Harry carefully put out the stub on the garage floor and buried it outside. During this short respite, he wondered about what would happen at school this year, how people have changed over the years, and exactly what position he was in now.

Whats in store for Chapter Two: Harry goes Shopping!