Dark Harry: Reign of Riddle

Chapter 3: Where Am I? by Harry Potter

Harry shuttered.

He found himself in a dirty room.

All he could see was stone. Only a small grate at the top of his cell let in light.

He struggled to his feet. His nose picked up the faint scent of sea salt.

As he turned around, large metal bars obscured his vision. Outside there were traces of a dark hallway.

At this point, he could be anywhere.

It's not like stone and salt was much of a clue.

He tried to stand up, but gravity seemed to be working against him.

Instead his back connected with the wall, silently he fell back to his knees.

Harry rubbed his head.

Everything hurt.

What just happened?

His mind groaned softly, forcing him into a trancelike state.

He faintly remembered screaming.

Then there was this large cloaked thing. It was coming for him.

He had tried to shoo it away, but it wouldn't move.

Whatever tried to attack him must have been dangerous.

The image of Dudley's motionless body echoed through his mind. That was awfully strange; considering that the cloaked thing hasn't even tried to hurt his cousin.

So what had happened?

What had attacked dudley?

Wherever he was, it was getting very cold, very fast. He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his cousin's oversized hoodie around himself like a blanket.

He sat alone.

Hours flew by in the briefest of seconds.

Soon, he would receive his first visitor.

Dark figures passed over his line of vision.

A loud creaking sound echoed through the halls. He was afraid. And that did not happen often.

As fear coursed through his veins, all he could do was wait to look upon the face of his captor.

And so, when he looked into the eyes of a soldier, relief washed over him. He was held here by humans, not monsters, humans. And yet what humans could be so cruel to imprison him here?

The lady strode over to him.

She grasped his shoulder in his hand before heaving him to his feet.

Harry looked at her, feeling young and helpless.

"P-please, I need help. I can't remember what happened. My cousin may be hurt, I need you to find help."

She looked at him, her eyes were that of a warrior. No light shone within. A laugh rang from her lips, almost as loud and terrifying as was the grinding of the metal bars.

"Yes. We know about your cousin, and I must say, I am rather impressed with your alibi."

Harry looked up at her as she forcefully steered him down a dark hallway. "Alibi?" He whimpered fearfully, for he was far too tired to try and be brave.

"Yeah." She laughed again, "I had a cousin too you know. He was a good man, or so we thought. I mean it when I say this, but he was truly evil incarnate. As a child, he could spin webs of lies faster than a spider could of silk. I almost believed him from now and then, he was just that good-"