Note: This is my first ever story and I'm testing the waters more than anything else. Advice is welcome 3

Prologue

Harry stood in the Great Hall alone. He'd finally done it. It had taken him until his third year, but he had done it. Ever since he had entered the Wizarding world, he had hoped they would be able to help him – or at least fix him. But what he found had severely disappointed him. These people would consider him a freak too. Magic was wonderful, and he had been awed that it existed. Yet, the beauty of magic was ruined by its users. So arrogant and wasteful. They barely scratched the surface of its abilities and yet they considered themselves oh so superior to 'Muggles'. A slur if ever he'd heard one.

His venture into the Chamber of Secrets had been the breakthrough he needed. It likely would have taken him decades without the help of the 'dark' wizard Salazar. It was fascinating translating Salazar's personal diaries. His entire life was dedicated towards methods of achieving immortality and more power. It was as Harry was delving into Salazar's experiments that he came across a method that was impossible for him to turn away from. The method while perfect in every other way, had one major downside. The very reason Salazar gave up on his research into this area.

Once the procedure was done, any magic use would be painful. Even the smallest 'Lumos' spell would apparently cause unimaginable pain. Truthfully, though, Harry thought it would be an acceptable loss in exchange for being able to live as he needed. He'd lived without magic for thirteen years; it would take some adjustment and he'd mourn the loss of the thing that would give him this opportunity. But performing this procedure was far more important for him.

Never mind the fact that it would result in him being effectively immortal, though it was more of a side-benefit than the true reason he wanted to go through with this breakthrough. He couldn't really care less about being immortal, but the method it was achieved was essential for his wellbeing. In truth, losing his access to magic may be more of a blessing than a curse. The magical world was full of corruption and lies.

Everywhere he looked he saw it. The downtrodden Half-Bloods and Muggleborns, the way other species were looked down-upon. The fact that almost all the Death Eaters were free by using what was clearly, even to the thirteen-year-old, a fictitious alibi. Dumbledore had tried to mask this truth from him and the other first generation magicals in Hogwarts. However, the second they left the school it was soon apparent as to how the magical world truly was.

Not only that, but Harry was certain someone was manipulating him. His meeting with the Weasley's was far too convenient, not that he'd noticed it at the time. It was as if someone was guiding him towards the 'lighter' elements of their society. He had needed to employ his own Slytherin traits just to find information about the recent blood war that he supposedly ended.

Harry assumed it was Dumbledore who was pulling his strings. He had no proof and couldn't be absolutely certain of his suspicions. However, what he did know was that the headmaster had lied to him several times. The latest lie was to say that there was nothing to worry about the fight with the millennia old basilisk. Harry had initially believed him; That Fawkes had healed him of the Basilisk venom completely.

How wrong he was. It only took a glance at Salazar's own tomes about basilisks. In them he found that there was a very good reason the snake's venom was deemed 'unsurvivable', and that's because it was. Fawkes' tears would only delay the inevitable, perhaps even given him a decade more to live, but that was hardly the century of life expectancy a wizard had naturally.

Harry had found it curious to note that Voldemort had never extracted Slytherin's tomes from the basilisk chamber. Then again, it was as secure as a Gringotts vault. It was likely that the man had probably been unable to keep a personal library in order to stay moving. It was well known that Voldemort never stayed in one place for too long during the war and as much help as an expanded trunk may have been, there was always the chances that the charms would fail and the books would be lost forever.

Harry was shaken from his thoughts as the crash of something against the large double doors resounded within the room, dust floated down as it was disturbed by those trying to gain entry.

Dumbledores voice abruptly sounded, as if coming from all around him, 'Open this door at once!' He had never heard the old headmaster use such an aggressive tone of voice before. Nevertheless, he ignored the instruction and continued with his work. If he could have used the chamber to do Salazar's procedure in secret, he would have. However, he needed access to the magical nexus that lay within the Great Hall.

It was the perfect location for him to perform the ritual. He'd already been in here for a few hours, using the early hours of the morning so that he would be alone. The doors were sealed with yet another trick from Slytherin's grimoires and should hold for long enough for him to finish.

The nexus in this room was the entire reason Hogwarts was built where it was. An intersection of what Wizards called lay lines; Magical pathways that ran across the earth. All magical areas were built around one and Hogwarts was on the strongest nexus ever found to date. There was a very good reason for its reputation as the safest place on Earth after all. Hogwarts' wards could draw from the nexus far faster than any army could cast against them. Or, at least, that would have been the case if the defences hadn't been left to decay for centuries. In truth, Harry could not tell if it was simple neglect or something more purposeful.

He had nearly completed the ritual circle now. Slytherin had done almost all the work before he realised his projects weakness. Harry was simply completing it. It was his hope he could find a way to perform magic after the ritual was complete, but that was for the future. In the centre of his ritual circle lay what could only be described as a magical artifice, a combination of both magic and science. Its limbs were a facsimile of a humans. Miniature pullies, pistons and hydraulics coated the bronze-looking metal. Not a single piece of the creation was organic; the technology used was something that wouldn't have looked out of place in the Victorian era, though it was far more complex than the Victorians could ever have even imagined.

The interesting thing about the construct, was that the body was clearly designed to resemble that of a female with artificial breasts that lay on its chest. Its heart-shaped face was astonishingly well defined and detailed for something covered in mechanisms and mechanical threads in the place of muscles.

Slowly, Harry lay beside the construct and began channelling his magic into the circle to start the arcane reaction, the magical nexus began fuelling the ritual now that it had begun. The booming of the door almost matching the rhythm of the magic in the circle. He slowly closed his eyes and focused on his breathing as he felt his magic and soul leave his very body.

Distantly he heard a crash as the doors finally failed to hold back the aged headmaster, a flood of curious students and staff behind him. Harry knew the ritual would prevent any interference now that it had finally begun.

Those who entered the Great Hall could only watch as a violent storm of violet and black tinted magic surrounded both bodies. They watched wearily as the ritual slowly and painstakingly completed itself. A small ethereal light began emerging from Harry and ever so slowly drifted over to be absorbed by the construct.

The violet-black magic shifted to surround the construct alone flowing over its form. Within moments the magic began to solidify and shift to a more olive tone as it took the form of realistic, human-like skin. As the magic grew thicker and solidified on the body, it became more and more human looking.

The witnesses could only watch as Dumbledore cast charm after charm at the circle to find a way of reversing it to no avail. Auburn hair sprouted from the constructs head as the magic creating the skin dissolved. It seemed as if an age had passed before the ritual came to an end. If it wasn't for some sections remaining uncovered by the magically crafted skin, she could easily pass as human. Her hands were clearly artificial, some sections of her torso and legs were also left uncovered.

As the protective barrier around the circle faded, the construct opened her eyes and looked around. The second her startled eyes lay on Dumbledore and the others her mouth opened to speak and a feminine voice came through, "Oh, Bugger."

However, before anything more could be said or done, there was another voice; This one from an unexpected source. Harry's original body. It spoke in an almost sibilant tone "At last, I have control!"

Looking closer it was clear that there was something incredibly wrong with Harry's original body as what should have been emerald green eyes had turned a vicious blood red. Dumbledore seemed astonished at this turn of events, though his eyes flashed with a familiarity.

He said but one word as he raised his unique wand towards the Crimson-eyed Harry, "Tom. I had wondered how you survived."

"Dumbledore." The figure hissed, a glint of madness in his eyes as he swiftly withdrew Harry's own wand from his robes.

Harry, on the other hand, was completely bewildered. The ritual worked as it should, though the influx of internal sensations would take some getting used to. He was still recovering from the information that was flooding his mind. The sheer differences in body were overwhelming him, though somehow his new brain seemed able to cope.

His newly artificial vision allowed him to see magical eddies and currents flow gently across the room, causing more chaos in his senses. Nothing felt familiar as his whole perception of the world had changed so drastically. When his eyes glanced upon the two speakers, all he could see were the violent whirlwinds of magic within them.

He could see the ambient magic of the room flow like a river with him sitting where several of the streams met. Harry tried to get up, but unlike 'Tom' was having trouble getting his new body to cooperate.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The second he heard those two words; he made the connection. The possessed body used exactly the same tone as the dementor-retrieved memory of his parents' murderer had. 'Tom' was Tom Marvolo Riddle, the one known as Lord Voldemort. He'd had a piece of Voldemort in him all this time! It made sense, the parselmouth ability had never been in the potter bloodline and his mother was never known to have it.

Whilst Harry was stunned by the revelations he was experiencing, Dumbledore had conjured a barrier, protecting both himself and those behind him who still seemed frozen in shock, unable to process the happenings ahead of them.

"You'll have to do better than that, Tom." Dumbledore taunted in a calm tone.

Harry's mind seemed to be working much faster than ever before; even though he was struggling to cope with his new senses and motor control. Voldemort had made phylacteries, soul containers were a alternative method Slytherin had stumbled upon before he thought of creating an artificial body. The ancient wizard had swiftly discarded the idea for while it made the user more powerful, it would likely cause insanity and a loss of morals.

Harry only now realised what the diary that led him to the Chamber of Secrets truly was. He never realised before, blinded by his own search for knowledge. But the fact was indisputable, Voldemort was a lich!

"That is not my name!" Tom screeched sibilantly as he cast another killing curse, this time without incantation.

Harry was slowly getting used to his new environment and was slowly managing to move his arms. He watched as the second curse was once again blocked by the conjured stone of Dumbledore. Harry was incredibly frustrated at being unable to move but persevered. Slowly and silently getting to his feet behind the self-proclaimed 'Lord Voldemort'.

"My name is- oof" Dumbledore and those he was attempting to protect watched as Tom fell to the floor, interrupted by a metallic fist impacting his new bodies head. Harry's new body – completely naked stood behind the unconscious dark wizard. The artifice that was Harry Potter spat on his old body, "You leeching bastard!"

"Harry?" Came Dumbledore's amazed and unbelieving question. Harry opened his, now her, mouth to reply, only to discover that she had run out of energy. The pressure that the ritual had placed upon her very soul had exhausted her beyond measure, regardless of having an artificial body. Her legs ceased to hold her up as she collapsed in an undignified bundle next to the resurrected dark lord.

Dumbledore took a moment to gather himself before he conjured a blanket on the naked figure and turned to the still stunned students and staff, "Go back to your dorms, we have much to investigate."

There was no response.

"BACK TO YOUR DORMS!" He shouted this time, breaking them from their trance.