The Darkness is in my Veins

Chapter I: Signs

Darkness. 

It was something that Harry James Potter was very much used to. The room around him felt cold, like ice. He snuggled into the undersized blanket his relatives gave him. He shifted uneasily in the bed, feeling himself being dragged into his subconscious.

A plume of smoke enveloped him and he felt an invisible force wrap around his leg, like a rope, drag him out of his bed in a whirlwind of black. He fell into darkness, into a void pit. 

He hated his dreams, if he could even call it that. It felt like he was trapped in an eternal hell where he would be subjected to all his worst memories played back to him in vivid detail. 

Soon, he crash landed into what felt like a rough patch of bush. The smoke slowly subsided and Harry forced himself to open his eyes. He was greeted by a familiar sight. It was a small cottage, lying undisturbed within a quaint village. He recognized it well. The place where all his troubles began: Godrics Hollow.

It was a dark night, an eerie mist surrounded the house...no sound was heard, it was uneasy silence. The moon was barely visible, shielded by the dark clouds. The silence was only broken by a loud crackle coming from behind.

Harry's eyes widened. Magic, Harry thought. He felt it. It felt like something, like a barrier had been broken. He turned back to see who had caused the noise.

A figure wearing a dark cloak walked dauntingly towards the house. In his hand, he wielded a pale white wand shaped like a grabbing claw. Harry knew who this dark spectre was, it was Lord Voldemort. He could do nothing but watch as the Dark Lord made his way to the fence.

The door of the cottage flew open and Harry turned to see his father, James Potter, standing at the door. His eyes were wide in shock upon seeing the approaching figure. He ran back inside the house. Harry heard him shout from the inside.

"Lily!" exclaimed James. "He's here! He's here! Take Harry and go!"

Harry heard the faint footsteps of his mother heading up the stairs. Voldemort was now at the doorway, his wand at the ready. A bright flash of light! and the door fell down with a loud thud.

Voldemort swept into the room, he looked as if he himself had no legs, that he was floating. James glared at the Dark Lord with a dark expression.

"Voldemort..." muttered James as he stood firm near the stairways.

"Potter," he said coldly. "Move aside." His voice felt like it held no room for an argument.

James inhaled and puffed out his chest. "Why should I?" he asked bravely.

"You have taken something from me which does not belong to you," Voldemort said. "Now step aside!"

"Never!" cried James as he ran forward to strike at him. Voldemort only sighed as he waved his wand in a swift motion and in a blink of green, James fell over, dead. Harry stared at his father's cold face, his eyes etched in an eternal fury.

Voldemort sighed and kicked the corpse aside and walked up the stairs, slowly, the tension rising with every step. Lily quickly ran into the room and placed him inside his cradle. Baby Harry smiled at his mother, she smiled at him sadly.

"Its okay, Harry..." she cooed. "You're going to be okay."

Everything moved so fast, loud shouts ran through the room. Harry could only cover his ears to what would happen next...

A flash of green light! So bright that it hurt Harry's eyes but one word came through it all: Avada Kedavra!

His mother screeched as her life was forcefully ripped from her body. With a thud, Lily Evans fell down dead. Harry cried at the memory of his mother's passing, her eyes cold and her body gone stiff.

Harry expected Voldemort to approach him and strike the killing curse but instead... he sighed. Slowly Voldemort removed his hood to reveal his face and it wasn't what Harry had expected.

It wasn't the face Harry had seen in his first year-- a pale face, almost snake-like in its appearance with two slits for a nose and red eyes, crimson as death itself. But it wasn't that, it was like the man he saw from the diary but older, with black hair and a chiseled look with some aged wrinkles on his face that seemed to highlight his attractiveness instead of subtract it. It made Voldemort look almost human.

"Harry..." the Dark Lord spoke. He chuckled darkly. His voice was calm but a hint of anger laid within. "That name does not do you justice...it does not do your mother justice."

Harry's eyes were wide as the dark Lord approached baby Harry in an attempt to take him. Suddenly, a crackle and he was pushed to a wall.

He groaned as he recovered on the ground. He approached Harry again, though he was a bit more cautious.

"Dumbledore's magic..." muttered the dark lord. He whipped out his wand and aimed it at Harry's forehead. 

Little Harry began to cry. Voldemort immediately tried to touch him but stopped as his hand neared his chest. He took it back. 

"I'm sorry...my son," he said. "That I have to do this to you." 

Son? Harry was now more than shocked. Was this a memory or some kind of false implant? He couldn't guess but he was still very frightened. Voldemort aimed his wand at his forehead. 

"When the time comes when your magic matures, this mark will lead you back home...your real home." 

He aimed his wand straight at Harry's forehead. All of a sudden, the whole room was enveloped with a bright light! Harry shielded his eyes as he heard of the spell make contact with his flesh. As soon as the light died down, Voldemort was no where to be seen, no cloak at all in sight. Harry walked towards the crib where he saw his baby self stand quietly. On his head was the lightning scar. 

"Lightning, the ancient sigil of House Rivalneth," he heard Voldemort's hissing whisper aloft. "You are your mother's son, Estelion, the son of hope." 

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter of my new fanfic, the darkness is in my veins. I hope to continue it but juggling it with my other fanfics isn't easy. I hope you understand that. 

-Nathan Polancos

---Published August 16, 2021---