Harry Potter and His Shadows (ADOPTED STORY ON HIATUS)

chapter 4

Harry was curled up in 'his room' in the manor, wondering how the hell he got into these strange situation. He'd had a stressful week and a weirder day. He'd woken up that morning to find a wrinkly old house elf by the name of Rosy staring at him with those big sad house elf eyes. When his eyes opened she'd squeaked and jumped back, shaking her head so furiously he thought her floppy pointed ears may just fall off. She stuttered out a quick "Masters guest is to join him for breakfast in half an hour," before disappearing into thin air. Perhaps Dobby wasn't so strange for a house elf after all. He'd taken a quick bath, when his shadow had risen into thick oily smoke, offering to check who would be in attendance at breakfast. Harry had agreed eagerly, and his shadow had left.

At first he had found it strange, sending his own shadow away. To walk in the light and see no dark silhouette following him. It was something people rarely ever noticed, a shadow. That's why Shadow Mages were so dangerous. No one knew which was meant to be there, and which was watching them. Cherie, as he'd come to be known returned swiftly. Cherie had come from shadow and Harry, as it was Harry's shadow, he had always taken care of Harry. So Cherie was born.

He reported that Crouch, Nott, Malfoy, the LeStranges and the Dark Lord were downstairs waiting for him, but that lower level death eaters were wondering the halls. Harry had wanted to avoid the Death eaters, so after changing into black trousers and a purple shirt, he'd simply shadowed into the shadow of the empty chair next to Voldemort. He looked around to confirm what Cherie had told him, only the inner circle were present. Do you question me, dearest? Harry smirked at the thought of ever doubting his loyal freind and turned his attention back to the Death Eaters, and took a seat. This was the first strange thing. Apparently sitting next to the Dark Lord was a major crime, as Bellatrix jumped up hissing with her wand pointed at him. Voldemort rose to curse his favourite follower, strange enough, but everyone in the room looked shocked when Bellatrix sat on the floor looking around terrified. Voldemort had turned to Harry, whom had just shrugged, confused. Do you approve my dear? I had her shadow whisper her deepest fears and insecurities to her. I couldn't allow her to curse you now, could I? Harry giggled and murmured a quick thank you, before resuming his seat. "What happened?" The dark Lord questioned. Harry ran a hand through his messy hair, worried that his Cherie had got him in trouble. "My shadow is very protective of me. Now he doesn't have to hide his existence, he's a little eager to help I guess. He just had her shadow whisper to her. It can be rather disconcerting the first few times." Harry had just shrugged, very uncomfortable talking to anyone about this, or at least unused to it, whilst the Dark Lord stared at him almost in wonder. It was disconcerting, Harry was used to being stared at with anger or hatred. This was just plain weird. Would you like me to look in his shadow my Harry? I could see what he is truly feeling. "No!" All the death eaters in the room, excluding Bellatrix, were looking at him like he was crazy, how the tables had turned

and he'd flushed bright red. He turned towards Voldemort, apologising. "Sorry, I should be used to it by now, but sometimes I forget other people can't hear what Cherie is saying." Voldemort tilted his head slightly, red eyes narrowing. "Cherie?" Harry huffed, he was beginning to tire of explaining himself. "Well I can't keep calling him my shadow. All shadows are mine, so I've named a few that I see most regularly."

Harry had then spent the rest of the day wondering the manor, once the death eaters had left. According to the shadows around the place, it had once belonged to the Dark Lord's Muggle grandparents, whom he had killed in the sparsely furnished living room, nicknamed the Red Room for its bloody tale. Harry had made sure to avoid that room. He'd found several secret passages and now knew of five ways to escape, should the need arise. And that was the other strange thing. Whilst Harry had been here, he didn't feel the need to leave. He was safe from the Dursleys and Dumbledore would never know what happened. Voldemort didn't even seem that crazy now that he wasn't out for his blood. According to Voldemorts shadow, whom he had mostly been avoiding, the Dark Lord was in his study, planning something. Harry hadn't asked what was being planned, not wishing to incur the man's wrath through a stupid invasion of privacy.

Eventually the Death Eaters had returned, so here he was, sitting on his bed stroking Lucifer. Who was Lucifer? Well, that was the final strange thing of the day. Apparently Malfoy Senior's shadow had taken a strong liking to him, more than most Shadows did, and had abandoned Lucius to spend the day with Harry. Oddly enough in dog form. Yes. Harry had a pet shadow dog called Lucifer. Why was it always him!?

Just as Harry began to fall asleep from boredom, loud shouting roused him and jerked up in shock when Snape, Lucius and the Dark Lord stormed into his room, closely followed by Bellatrix. Whilst Lucius looked furious, and Snape solemn, it was Bellatrix that worried him. The glee in her expression only spelled trouble, though Voldemort seemed merely curious if anything. "What the hell's going?" He asked, annoyed that he couldn't have even a few minutes if rest from the craziness of his life. Lucius opened his mouth, clearly ready to shout when Snape interrupted. "Potter, I knew you were just like your father but this is worse than anything he did. Lucius knows what you've done, and as you can see, isn't best pleased about it." Malfoy spluttered his face turning bright red, and Harry was sure no one had ever seen a Malfoy this emotional before. "Not best pleased! It's an invasion of privacy! This is probably all a trick by the light to steal our secrets and plans and weaknesses and...." Suddenly Malfoy fell silent and everyone in the room turned to the Dark Lord, who was calmly replacing his wand after silencing the blonde. "Compose yourself Lucius. You're acting a disgrace." Voldemort turned towards Harry, red eyes gleaming, and Harry knew without the shadows or his scar that old snake face wasn't happy. "Well Harry? Did you steal and read Lucius's shadow?" He blinked and felt the urge to laugh hysterically. They really thought he'd stolen Lucius's shadow? How ridiculous! "That really isn't how it works. I can use my abilities to read surface thoughts and emotions, even through Occlumency shields, but the only way I could get everything was if your shadow was willing to tell me and betray you! Whilst Lucifer has taken quite a liking to me, I have no interest in anything hidden by your mind." He smirked, and felt the prickling if his scar die down, of course Voldemort knew if he was telling the truth.

"You lie!" Bellatrix had enough of this disgusting half breed brat, he was obviously spying for the light. Her Lord would know this and kill him, then the Dark Lord would finally pay attention to her, and make her his queen! After all, she was the most loyal of his subjects, and most beautiful. "The boy speaks only the truth Bellatrix, Lucius's shadow is right there." The death eaters all looked at the dog sitting comfortably in Harry's lap, and Lucius flushed red in embarrassment. Damn, that little brat was always getting one over them! Why could her Lord not see that he should just kill the boy!

Harry snorted as Bellatrix's shadow whispered her thoughts in his ear, before turning slightly queasy at the images she had of her and Voldemort in her head. The death eaters looked on in shock as the dark dog in his lap jumped of, morphing into a shapeless shadow, before gliding across the room behind Lucius. Voldemort, however, only had eyes for him. "You are all dismissed, I would like a word with Harry on my own." Snape and Lucius left immediately, looking wearily at Lucius's shadow. "But my lord!" Bellatrix screeched. Merlin, that woman had to be part Banshee! "Begone Bellatrix!" The crazy woman huffed, before stalking out if the room, and Harry was left alone with Voldemort.