THE OLD SWITCHAROO

J K Rowling owns all the rights to the books and the amazing characters she created. I write only to satisfy my imagination and use my creativity and make no money from my writings.

Chapter 1 – The Unnoticed Death

Everybody had been so relieved when Harry had been saved. From what a hysterical Hermione Granger had said, the Dementor which attacked Harry on their way to start their third year at Hogwarts, had actually made contact with Harry's mouth for a few seconds when the new DADA Professor Lupin had conjured up a patronus stopping the Dementor and driving it away. Fortunately Professor Lupin's efforts had saved Harry before the boy's soul could be truly sucked out of his body.

The boy managed to be revived and was hastily given chocolate and then seemed to be no worse for wear and was soon back to his old self except for a natural feeling of confusion and weariness. Upon arrival at Hogwarts the boy was taken directly to the infirmary where he was pronounced to be in his usual condition upon his arrival back at school but shaken due to his very close call. He was then given some food and a dreamless sleep potion and was soon fast asleep.

Or so it was thought.

In reality the soul who was known as Harry Potter was in the body of the Dementor which had sucked it out hours before on the Hogwarts Express and was well on its way to giving the Dementor its favorite nourishment. Now the only soul that resided in the body of Harry Potter was the sliver that had attached itself to the boy's essence on October 31, 1981 – one Tom Marvolo Riddle.

The two souls had co-existed for nearly 12 years in the boy's body. Due to the magic suppression spells placed on the Dursley residence fueled by Harry Potter's own magic, the magic in both souls was not up to full potential. The famous "blood wards based on Lily Evans Potter's love and blood" which Dumbledore had told his followers provided protection for her son as long as he resided with Lily's blood or in other words, as long as Harry lived with his mother's sister, he would be untouchable to those who wished him harm, were nothing but a lie.

The self-proclaimed Leader of the Light had used some very old and very dark magic to keep the boy a virtual prisoner at the Dursleys. Only Dumbledore and anyone he personally chose could contact the boy or get through the wards. Dumbledore had sealed the Potters' Will on November 1, 1981 and appointed himself the child's magical guardian as, after all, his godfather Sirius Black, had betrayed his parents to Voldemort and would shortly be sent to Azkaban.

Harry had been left with just enough magic to save his life from the abuse and starvation to which he was subject due to the Dursleys' terrible treatment of him. Dumbledore had arranged it all. The Dursleys were paid a monthly stipend to bring the boy up to be "humble" as well as to make sure no one had contact with him from the magical world. He was also to be molded into a child who knew better than to fight back or to do well at anything. The Dursleys had laughed to themselves as they would have done all of the things ordered by Dumbledore for free but getting paid for it only sweeten the deal.

It had taken Riddle's soul quite some time to recover from the stress of being forced from his body and thrown into a baby's soul. This, coupled with the shock to the young Potter's body at the time of the occurrence and the immediate abusive treatment which started once the child was placed with the Dursleys, had taken its toll on Riddle. It had been several years before he could get his bearings so to speak and by then he was too entrenched in the boy's own soul to take over. It hadn't helped that the boy's magic was being drained not only by Dumbledore's wards but by the constant drain to keep Harry Potter alive. Apparently Dumbledore had underestimated the abuse the Dursleys were capable of giving even to a young, innocent baby.

It was because of all of this that Riddle had not been able to take complete control of the boy as what wizards call the magical core is in reality a person's soul. Since Riddle's was entwined with Potter's soul, it was a constant struggle for Riddle not to be completely overwhelmed by the dark blood wards. It had made him weak but not defeated.

It wasn't until Harry Potter finally went to Hogwarts that the effects of the blood wards started to dissipate, as he now needed to actually be able to use his magic if not in full but more than he normally would under the Dursley wards. It took the 9½ months of being away from the wards for Harry Potter to regain most of his magic but then he would be sent back to the Dursleys wards and the spells would be recharged and his magic hindered trying to keep himself alive.

Due to Dumbledore's machinations, no one from Magical Britain could gain access to the wards due to Dumbledore's guardianship and the "need to protect Potter from his enemies" and since it affected his magic only at the Dursleys there was no need for Dumbledore to place the more traceable spells on the boy to limit his magical power.

Dumbledore had Madame Pomfrey under a special spell whereby she would only be able to notice and fix Harry Potter's injuries which happened to him at Hogwarts such as Quidditch mishaps, the hexes thrown at him by Slytherins, etc. Dumbledore had made it especially clear that NO ONE OTHER THAN POMFREY WAS TO GIVE HARRY POTTER MEDICAL TREATMENT. This was for Harry's protection as who knew if the child's enemies would imperious another healer if they were to treat Harry for his health.

But now Tom Riddle was in charge and at last, not only had a body but a plan, mostly thanks to the stupidity of the Ministry of Magic.

Tom had been able to observe Harry Potter's life and exploits at Hogwarts from his own point of view and not that of others or even Harry Potter himself. While Harry slept Tom was awake and therefore heard and saw more than Harry ever could, such as Dumbledore sneaking into the boy's dorm room, placing silencing spells all around and casting charms on the boy to act reckless, become lazy, to be grateful and extremely loyal to Dumbledore and to a lesser extent to the Weasleys.

Tom could even sense the potions which were also placed in the boy's morning pumpkin juice. Voldemort had gained an unofficial mastery in potions and was a veritable genius in that field as well as in many others. The only reason he relied on Severus Snape so much was because brewing potions took time, time which he did not have being Voldemort.

Thus, he could identify the potions given to Potter during his time at Hogwarts. Some strapped both his bodily and magical strength and were only stopped just before the school term ended and he would need to adjust to survive the Dursleys. There were potions to make him even shyer than he already was so that he would not be able to make friends other than those of Dumbledore's choosing. Others were directing him to hate and mistrust any and ALL Slytherins, most especially Snape and Draco Malfoy.

Then there was the good old end-of-the-year obliviation Dumbledore did on the boy whenever Harry found out about something which Dumbledore didn't want him to know. Tom had decided that all of this would stop – especially the obliviations. Harry's body was now in the control of Tom's magic so hopefully if he was still sent back to the Dursleys, he wouldn't be limited like Potter had been.

Of course according to the "plan" Tom would make sure he would not be sent back or under the control of the potions.