Nico, Voldemort's Older Brother (Being Rewritten)

Harry IV

Trigger Warning: Implications of Abuse

"I can't believe that that... devil-spawn is going to Hogwarts!" I ranted to Hermione and Ron. "I bet he's a Death Eater and is trying to kill me!"

"Harry, calm down," Hermione reasoned. She looked exasperated for some reason. "He's probably harmless."

"Yeah, totally harmless." I muttered, "About as harmless as a poisonous snake!"

Ron nodded. "He must be trying to sabotage your school year!"

"Snakes aren't poisonous, Harry. They're venomous. Do your research." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Think reasonably boys, does he know of his relation to He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named?"

I tried to argue. "Well no, but—"

"Does he have a Dark Mark?"
I shrugged. "I didn't check, but he had a jacket on."

Ron grabbed me and Hermione. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go look!"

Hermione shook her head, "We could get in trouble."

"Me and Ron are going whether you are or not."

"'Ron and I' would be the proper thing to say," Hermione called after us.

We ignored her and hurried up the stairs. I led us to the room and burst in, wands out.

"Nice to see you, Harry," Nico said mockingly, "Who's Tweedle Dumber?"

"Take off your jacket," I said.

Nico paled, automatically grabbing his arm. "No,"

"Why?"

"Because it's my business." Nico zipped up his jacket, pulling up the collar.

I walked over to him and held his arms in place while Ron pulled his jacket off. Nico struggled like his life was at stake, but we finally succeeded.

I gasped at the sight of what his jacket had been covering. There were various scars on his arms and across the rest of his body. It looked like he had been tortured and been sent through, well, hell.

It gave me the familiar feeling of empathy. The Dursleys had inflicted similar scars upon me, both physical and emotional.

I unconsciously pulled my robe sleeves closer to my body. Most of my scars were hidden, but I couldn't take a chance.

Nico glared at us. "Happy now?" He spat.

No, I wasn't happy. Who could have hurt Nico like so? If Nico wasn't evil, at least whoever caused the scars was evil.

"Harry, the Dark Mark." Ron hissed, tugging on my sleeve.

I looked at his left arm, no mark. Then I looked at his right arm, no mark, but what was this! I grabbed his right arm and lifted it up, on his underarm was the Dark Mark! "Ha! He has the Dark Mark!" I yelled, all my previous empathy for his disappearing.

Nico just rolled his eyes, "Look again, genius."

I looked again, it looked kind of like a Dark Mark. But it said SPQR in black letters, had a black figure and had a couple of lines under it. "This must be a new Dark Mark!" I cried triumphantly.

Nico raised an eyebrow, "How do you know it isn't a regular tattoo?"

I hesitated. "Because it has a black...thingy on it?" I sounded unsure, even to me.

Nico sighed. "Such stereotypes."

"Whatever," Then I exited with the shred of dignity I had left.

"I seriously thought that he had the Dark Mark," I said to Ron once we were out of earshot.

"Well, you're probably right." Ron said, "The black thingy must be a Dark Mark!"

"I don't know," I glanced back at the closed door, behind which was Nico di Angelo, a kid my age who had been through at least as much—if not more—bad things as I have.

"So?" Hermione looked up from the book she was reading, "Does the teenage boy—who had been one year old when You-Know-Who still lived—have the Dark Mark?" It was obvious she disapproved of our actions.

"No," I answered, a feeling of shame creeping upon me. "We should have listened to you, Hermione. He's just a normal kid."

"But he has all those scars!" Ron added, "You should've seen his arms, Hermione! They're all covered in scars and it's hideous!"

At that moment, I was glad I learned all those glamour spells to hide my scars. The Dursleys usually stuck to emotional scars and bruises, but sometimes marks were left behind.

"He's such a freak."

I froze at the word 'freak.' That was what they had called me. I tore out of the room, barely pausing to mumble out an "excuse me", before going into Ron and I's shared room. I stumbled, collapsing on the bed. How I wished I could not be friends with Ron, but I knew if I turned him away, I would lose his entire family. Mrs. Weasley was like a mother to me, Fred and George like my brothers. If I lost them... I probably wouldn't survive the Dursleys. Mrs. Weasley's packages were probably the only way that I didn't starve to death over the summers I was stuck with the Dursleys.

It was actually quite strange that I was allowed to stay with the Dursleys for the remainder of the summer. Dumbledore usually didn't let me leave the Dursleys—no matter how much I begged and pled.

"Harry?" The door creaked open. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," I looked down at my hands, pulling my knees close to my chest.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Hermione asked, shutting the door and sitting down next to me. "Ron's an idiot, don't listen to his words."

"The word he called Nico... that's what the Dursleys call me." I said quietly.

"Oh Harry," Hermione said sadly. "You are not a... a you-know-what."

"Thanks, Hermione," I smiled slightly.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide with concern. "I'm here for you,"

"I know that,"

"You can always come with my parents and me over the breaks," Hermione offered, "They wouldn't mind,"

"Thank you, Hermione, but I don't think Dumbledore will let me." I frowned, "He says that I must stay with the Dursleys for my safety."

"How is that in any way safe for you?" Hermione asked, "You don't always have to listen to him, Harry. If you need somewhere to stay, my door is always open."

I smiled at Hermione, choosing to hug her instead of saying anything. "You're the best friend anyone could ever ask for, Hermione." I looked her in the eyes, "Never let anyone ever tell you anything different."

Hermione laughed softly, "I'm supposed to do the cheering up here!" She objected jokingly. "Thank you, Harry. The same to you,"

"You're like my sister," I said tentatively.

"Aw," Hermione cupped my cheek, "You too—I mean, you're not my sister." She laughed, "But you're like my brother."

"I've always wanted a sister." I added, "Brothers sound so... loud."

"That's true—just look at Ron's family."

"I don't think Nico's evil," I said, thinking objectively. "No one's born evil. If he's evil, it's not because of who he's related to."

"That's very mature of you, Harry." Hermione beamed, "I think the same thing."

"Now let's just hope Ron will see reason."