Summary:

In a different world, where Neville is the prophetical child and Voldemort conquered Britain years ago, Harry Potter lost his parents and grew up jaded, lonely and angry. Revenge was the only thing that mattered to him. But it was also unattainable, because the whole British government was on his kill list: notable Death Eaters like Barty Crouch Jr, Bellatrix Lestrange, Terrence Yaxley and even the Dark King himself, Lord Voldemort.

So, in his moment of desperation, young Harry struck a deal with the devil. Well, not with the devil exactly, but with a being— a man who lived in the diary— named Tom Riddle. Tom, who possessed his adopted brother Draco Malfoy, who tricked Harry into a vassalage oath, who trained Harry to become an assassin, and who, despite his cruelty and games, had become the only thing that anchored Harry to sanity.

In his seventh year at Hogwarts, Harry experienced many things— murder, betrayal, adventure, victory and war. What he didn't expect, though, was finding love in the unlikeliest place.

Warning: Slash

/PAST/ : flashback scenes

Chapter 1

Whenever Harry Potter Malfoy reflected back on his life, he wished he was dead.

Off course, that was why he always tries not to think about it. His life, that is.

Because, sadly, he didn't really have one. A life. A real life, one that is worth living, a happy one, a safe one, a normal one. No matter how he wished for it. No. All he had experienced was a series of terrible, unfortunate events. A Shakespearean tragedy dressed in blood and gore, and magic so dark that souls are ripped apart.

All the world's a fucking gladiatorial stage, and all the men and women merely waits their turn — to kill or be killed.

In a corner of the Slytherin dormitory, deep in the heart of Hogwarts, Harry turned over in his bed and buried his face in his pillow. His scar was hurting all day, which was never a good sign.

Someone was probably going to die.

Harry wished it was him.

Harry signed. It was best not think about it. The future, that is. Because he didn't have one.

Oh yes. Now, you may ask, what is he talking about?

After all, he was young, rich, a good-looking boy and a powerful wizard. He was the captain of the Slytherin quidditch team, a good student, popular and well-respected among his peers. He was the adopted son of Lucius Malfoy, the British treasury secretary, and the adopted brother of Draco Malfoy, the influential Head Boy, and he was the future heir to the illustrious Potter line.

Future? He should have a future so bright that the sun fades by comparison. He should have a future so bright that he ought to party every night in celebration and lie with a different girl every week.

He should be happy.

Harry scoffed. If you only knew, then you'd wish you were dead too.

Harry shut his eyes and tried to drift asleep. He needed to sleep. He needed to have his strength and wits about him tomorrow, to deal with Tom. That bastard who never leaves him alone.

So, sleep away.

It was just that the nightmares never stop.

Never.

Because he was the boy-who-remembers.

He would always remember that day. That beginning. The day that everything was taken from him; the day that Harry Potter died; the day that a young boy, who lost everything, who willingly forsook the world, swore to destroy the Dark Lord Voldemort and the whole British government.

/PAST/

"Happy birthday, honey," said Lily Potter cheerfully as she kissed Harry on the forehead. "How old is my little hero today?"

"Six!" shouted little Harry chirpily, and he hugged his mother over a pile of presents. "Can I please, please open my presents now? Oh please mummy, please!"

"Now, prongslet. You know the rules," replied James Potter as he peered at his son from behind the Daily Prophet. His hair was messier than usually.

"No presents until the party. You'll have to wait for our guests."

Harry pouted just as his mother levitated things onto the dining table—plates, drinks, his birthday cake with its magical exploding candles.

"BUT... it's almost time!" Harry turned his big, green eyes toward his father. "I'll just open one, then? Oh Please!"

James set down his newspaper, the August 1st edition of the Daily Prophet. Diagon Alley was burning on its cover under the headline "Muggle-born Registration Act riot turns violent: suspected Order of Phoenix sabotage kills three in a deadly blast".

He leaned toward Harry.

His father had a wicked grin on his face.

"No presents until the party. Sirius, Remus and Peter will be here in a minute. Wanna guess what uncle Sirius got ya?" James wiggled his eye-brow and made a swooshing motion with his hand.

"YES! A broom?" Harry gasped and jumped onto his chair. His wide, toothy grin was just like his father's.

"Oh wow! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you!"

Lily rolled her eyes, but suppressed a smile amidst the boisterous laughter of her husband.

She reached down to straighten his tie, and frowned when she noticed the snake and skull symbol on his robe – the symbol of the Ministry of Magic. Then, all the happiness seeped out of her.

She shuddered unconsciously. Oh, how she hated that place. How she hated thinking about her James working there every day— working for him, that monster— the Dark Lord Voldemort.

It had been five years since Voldemort came to power and the mighty Order of Phoenix had fallen. The Dark Lord wasted no time in transforming the wizarding world into his own twisted, rigid, fearful society that worshipped blood-purity and hated people like her... The mudbloods.

And what success he had.

Upon sizing power, the Dark Lord promptly stripped everything in the old Ministry of Magic. He fired everyone (and killed many as well) and inserted his Death Eater into every crevice of the government. They brought with them a new hierarchy—one with military efficiency and precision, but, most importantly, one with uttermost devotion to the Slytherin Heir and his ideology.

Lily always thought it was creepy how much the Death Eaters loved their leader. Their devotion wasn't just limited to pretence, brought on by ambitions and fears— which was the public's view of the Dark Lord— Oh no, the Death Eaters honestly revered him and his stupid, bigoted ideology.

Those pure-bloods loved their leaders so much that they didn't even protest when the Dark Lord decided to do away with many ancient wizarding laws to make his own.

The Muggle-born Registration Act was one such a new law— an atrocious and bigoted thing— and Lily was sure it was just the tip of the iceberg.

Lily didn't know what the Dark Lord could've promised the pure-bloods. Yet, it was impressive how quickly he managed to convince these ancient and powerful houses to forgo tradition. Then, Voldemort's new administration made their first major decreed. A manoeuvre so brilliant that it even dazzled and surprised her.

Voldemort convinced —or more likely forced— rich and powerful pure-bloods to open up their wallets. He used that money to hired many people for his new government and had his Death Eaters indoctrinate them properly. He opened up a propaganda department and imported Muggle's way of accounting. Oh, the irony! The momentary boost in employment was enough to jump start the recovery and boost morals.

In one short year, the economy recovered and many war-torn wizarding communities had been rebuilt. The new riches and prosperity made people forget the past... It made them blind.

That was when Lily realized how out-dated and corrupt the old ministry of magic really was. And that was when she finally — finally, after years— realized the war has truly ended.

It made her sad.

And fearful.

Fearful not only for herself, for she already suffered humiliations following the Muggle-born Act (Also, she had lost her job as a Ward Master at Gringotts Wizarding Bank).

No, she feared for her son. For her Harry.

Feared for the world Harry will live in. With a dreadful resignation, she feared that Harry will grow up to believe what he reads in the papers; to believe what they teach in the schools; and, one day, to believe that her blood is as dirty and shameful as they'll tell him.

Lily sighed as she patted her sons' head absently.

Yet, on some level, she had to admit that Voldemort wasn't as cruel as she had previously thought.

To her surprise, the Dark Lord didn't demand the immediate eradication of Muggle-borns. He understood that they were, in fact, necessary, especially given the small size of wizarding populations. Eventually, he even placed new provisions into the Muggle-born Act to allow for "high-performance Muggle-borns to arise above their ancestry and to be rewarded with opportunity for equal citizenship".

Whatever that means.

Still, Lily supposed she should be grateful to be alive.

Both James and she had been members in the Order of Phoenix and they were both pardoned at the end of the war. Pardoned by Voldemort himself, no less.

The mass pardon for light wizards was the second most popular move by the new ministry. Light wizarding families numbered just as many as dark ones. And truthfully, the light side was always more popular in public opinion. Well... at least they used to be.

Therefore, as a gesture of reconciliation, the Dark Lord had absolved many of those who fought against him in the war, declaring them to be victims of trickery by Albus Dumbledore. Aside from the more ferocious warriors (who got tried as war criminals and received public executions), most of them were released. Some of them were stripped of their titles and their jobs; most of them their money. But they were alive.

(Although Lily did hear whispers of rumours that the pardon was merely a public facade, secretly, Voldemort marked many ex-order members for assassinations. But she had no way to confirm this.)

James and Lily were placed under house arrest for a few years, but they were, eventually, able to return to a semblance of normal life. James was even allowed to resume his title as the head of the Potter house.

Then, he shocked her by returning to his old jobs as an Auror.

So... now he works for the Dark Lord… at the new ministry, under the newly created Department of Peace (which combined the old Aurors department with Voldemort's military), under the direction of that dreadful woman—the one they call the Warmaster.

James had said he wants to continue to help people. And, through the determination shone in his warm brown eyes, Lily understood what it implied.

So she made him promise to never talk of the Order again. And she made him promise to never, ever endanger himself or his family for some silly rebellion. James had looked so hurt when she said that.

And it broke her heart.

But she had Harry to protect now. And so, she must…must make him promise. Eventually, he did vow to stay away from trouble and from illegal activities. But the way he said that vow and the way he kissed her when he said it – so tenderly that it left her heart fluttering and her mind troubled.

Lily Evans Potter was worried, because she was a brilliant witch and she knew her husband.

Yes, she knew him.

Her love was always a brave one. Reckless and brave.

She noticed the bags under James' eyes and kissed him fiercely.

Little Harry continued to dance around the dining room in a delighted delirium, finally making her laugh. Her husband's arm wrapped around her and Lily rested her head on his shoulder.

"Lily-flower," whispered James. "let's get out of this bloody country."

She whipped around to face him. Her beautiful green-eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

"I know you hated it here." James smiled fondly, but it was a weary smile, the kind seen on old men's face, not on young adventurous trouble-makers.

"I've been selfish," he continued. "My whole life, Godric Hollow has been my home... It was the home of my parents and of my ancestors. And I had hoped that— one day— it will be Harry's. But, now I realize it isn't the house that is my home. It is you—"

He hugged her a little tighter.

"—and Harry, who makes it worth returning to. You are right. This place is no longer safe for us. We can start anew in France, or Italy, or Belgium. Anywhere. As long as we are together."

She regarded him silently, then she sunk into his embrace.

"But how? You know they will not let us leave. The anti-apparition ward around Britain is as strong as ever. I would know. I'm a Ward Master."

He smiled at her gratefully, "Well, I wasn't planning on telling them. Sirius found a group of vampires willing to let us stowaway on their cargo ship for a price."

"When?"

"Next week... If you are ready."

She nodded.

"I have been ready for a while."

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Harry perked up.

"That must be uncle Sirius! I'll get it!" He shouted and ran out of the dining room.

Lily was about to shouted at him to mind his manners, when the ward of the house suddenly shifted.

She felt the magic in the house come alive and it was buzzing with a frantic alarm. She grabbed her wand, shared a terrified look with James and instantly ran after their son.

Lily heard Harry's scream before she saw them by the door.

Her heart nearly stopped. She had to use all her will to not curse that woman on sight. That blasted witch, wearing a mad grin and Death Eater uniform, had Harry's arm in a tight grip. Her son's face was red and swollen; evidently, someone had struck him hard across the nose.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," James growled. His stance instantly shifted to that of a dueler. "Let go of my son."

"Now, now. Is that anyway to speak to your boss, Auror Potter?" Bellatrix chided playfully, the crazy look not entirely gone from her face.

"And here I was just going to compliment you on your lovely house… and adorable boy."

She pinched Harry cheek hard and Harry looked like he was going to cry.

Lily's blood ran cold.

Bellatrix Lestrange. One of Voldemort's most trusted follower. A member of the inner circle. Murder, executioner and hound of the Dark Lord. She was the head of the Department of Peace— the one they nicknamed the 'Warmaster'.

The tall, skinny man who stood next to her was murmuring to himself. He was also wearing a Death Eater uniform and Lily thought she recognizes his picture from the papers. He was a judge-of-a-sort, also a high-ranking Death Eater. Bartemius Crouch Jr, as she recalled.

"Madam Lestrange," Lily bowed and lowered her wand cautiously. Her voice a pitch higher than normal. "To what do we own the pleasure?"

Her eyes met Harry's and she shook her head slightly. In response, Harry stood up straight and wiped his eyes dry.

Oh, her brave, brave boy.

Bellatrix snapped her attention to Lily and frowned slightly as if trying to recognize her. Nevertheless, she answered.

"I need a word with your husband. Deary. Ministry business. In fact... Hmmm... Why don't you both come in with us."

"If you wish, madam, we would be more than happy to—" Lily smiled reassuringly and stepped forward, her wand still pointing to the floor. "Let me just sent Harry to bed before we go."

"Stop right there, Mudblood." Bellatrix suddenly jibed her wand at Lily's chest, the amusement vanishing from her face. "Don't ye go and ruining my mood today. Careful... you don't want to cause any accident, do you?"

She jerked Harry backward, getting a yelp from the boy, and held him tight to her chest. Then she smirked at Lily.

Behind her, Lily heard her husband growl. She felt the house's ward tightening in response and she prayed that he would keep his temper. At this range, Lily could see Bellatrix was a dark beauty and appeared disturbingly like Sirius. Next to her, the man was revealed to be speaking to a small robin on his shoulder.

Lily recognized the robin. James had told her it was a new communication device used in his department.

It hit her—they were surrounded. Trapped in their own home.

She could hear his words now.

"— Suspects entered the contact zone. Two adults. Armed and dangerous. Hostile intentions and attempting to resist arrest. Stand by for now—"

The tension was thick in the room. Lily snuck a look at her husband. James was a talented dueler. If he could distract Bellatrix for a moment for her to grab Harry, if she could activate the ward at same moment, they could apparite out—

Then, the house exploded.

Well, it was more like Harry willed the ward to explode. The panic in his first case of accidental magic triggered the ward somehow. The magic in the rooms instantly converged on the two invaders and blasted them backward in an effort to protect their young master. Both Death Eaters were thrown against the wall and knocked unconscious. The six-years-old stumbled forward and fell into Lily's arms, his small body trembling with pain and shock.

It was magnificent to witness— Harry's wild magic sweeping through the narrow hallway like a tornado. If Lily had any time to think, she would be overjoyed to find her son has inherited her talent.

"LEAVE NOW!" She screamed at James.

She grabbed Harry and tried to apparite, but Aurors had already placed a ward around the house.

Spell flew everywhere. Aurors were charging in now. In a stream of black robes, they were everywhere. Lily tried desperately to get away, shielding her son with her body and shooting spells rapidly.

She could vaguely hear James shouting at her to take Harry and run. Then, a stunner hit the back of her head and she knew no more.

Author's disintegrating ramble:

So the first chapter is basically a long infor-dump in a flash-back. What a terrible, terrible way to start. Don't blame me. Blame the plot bunnies! They are cannibals, I tell you. Yum, yum.

Honestly, I don't have an overall plan for this story, so I'm counting on those plot bunnies to breed. And breed fast. Basically, I love reading HP AU stories so I combined a brunch to make my own. (Does that make my story sort of fanfiction of fanfictions. Wow, fanfiception?) And I also love black humour, too bad I'm not funny at all. :(

There will be slash in the story —Tom/Harry and maybe others— other than that main ship, the other boats(lol) will be similar to canon. So Ron/Hermione … etc.

Please be patient with me and let me know if the story gets too confusing or something.

Thanks.

With love,

Coconut