I do not own Harry Potter.

Prologue

He had finally escaped. He was free.

Free.

The word was so foreign to him tasted sweeter than the greatest of delicacies he had been lavished in this life. No more obedience to a madman. No more prison to enslave him. No more mind games to keep him on the brink of insanity.

No more.

Harry James Potter was free.

~0~

Chapter 1: Encounter

Harry knew one place were Tom would never enter. To do so was suicidal, even for the Dark Lord. One step past the barrier meant certain death. A painful death. Quite ironic, really, considering how adverse to pain the Light was. They hated even the smallest cut yet they had one of the most brutal wards known to wizardry raised to keep out the Dark. Such harm only came to those against the Light while those loyal to it could pass through harmlessly. Harry was not a Light supporter but he was certainly not a Dark one either. It would be interesting to see how the wards would react to somebody of neither loyalty.

The haggard teen made his way to the wards' edges and hesitated the slightest bit before setting his teeth and proceeding. The second Harry passed a toe into the barrier, he felt his magic suppressed and prepared for the worst.

But nothing else occurred. He wasn't one large pile of ash like countless Dark before him. While having no magic was disconcerting, it would hardly make a difference. Harry didn't need magic to defeat a wizard. He breathed a sigh of small relief and began to follow the paved road further into Light territory.

The cloudy day seemed oddly fitting for the situation. Today had been the day to see whether he could actually remain free from Tom. If Harry hadn't been able to pass the barrier, he would have been forced to live on the run with the risk of getting caught and being dragged back to Tom. He scowled at the thought. The Dark Lord would never kill his own Horcrux, but it wouldn't keep him from punishment.

Harry held no illusions about himself. He knew his soul was permanently twisted and blackened by the Dark Lord's own. Perhaps he could have escaped the influence if he had been freed earlier in life, but fourteen years under a sadistic madman and constant pressure from his soul made it difficult to remain innocent and untainted. Tom's thumb had left its mark. Harry would have liked it if a maniac's soul hadn't shaped his own, but there was nothing he could do. He had already suppressed the Dark Lord's soul and absorbed it, in a manner of speaking. He was a sort of soul hybrid between Tom Riddle and Harry Potter. He could kill, but only when necessary. He could speak to snakes but they were his friends, not pets. He could be devilishly cunning yet bursts of rash action came erratically. He could read anybody like an open book but he never took advantage of it unless need. He could be cruel to the point of sadistic yet hated every second of it. He had one of the largest magical cores of the century but he never flaunted his power. In short, he could do almost everything Tom could to a muted degree.

He was Tom, his Horcrux, a version of him twisted by some Potter genes.

All Harry really wanted was a normal life with a normal mentor with normal friends. He was sure almost half of the world had that and the remaining half didn't have a mass murderer implanting a part of his soul in them. Sometimes Harry wondered what he could have possibly done in a previous life to land him in this situation.

But maybe Lady Luck was finally looking down upon him. He had escaped and now out of Tom's clutches. Nobody in this Light Sanctuary knew he existed, let alone who he was. He could start anew here. Maybe make an actual friend or two.

The small town of Hogsmeade eventually came into view. There were many small settlements like it dotting the Light territory. Harry only knew too well the landscape. Tom had made sure it was a part of his education just in case they ever destroyed the wards. Harry had been surprised that the Light had no large bases or cities like the Dark did. He had wondered why they didn't bother when such stations could be helpful. But now that he was coming face-to-face with such a small area, he could almost understand why they preferred such towns.

Hogsmeade was quaint. From the small houses to the cozy stores lining the main street, a sort of warm, fuzzy feeling permeated the air. Harry smiled as he came to the edge of the town's entrance road. Tom would have ben repulsed by the cheer oozing from the place, but that was where Harry differed. He enjoyed the feeling of calm content here and was all too eager to become a part of it.

Harry strolled down the main street and glanced at the many occupations. There was a tavern, a Potions supplier, a bookstore, a candy store, an apothecary, a wand store, a strange joke shop, and a myriad of countless other things. Everybody was busy doing their part and it all seemed to move with a habitual smoothness. It fascinated him to see such an amiable atmosphere. Harry was so absorbed that it took him a whole walk down the main road before he noticed something peculiar.

There were no children.

Harry scanned the crowd once more to check his observation only to notice how many appeared married and well. In almost every store, a couple ran the business with their marital rings glittering for all to see. Surely some of them had offspring.

Harry curiously poked his head into the nearest store to ask. He ran his gaze around the dim room only to spot nobody there. There was only a small waiting area with several chairs and a counter barring entrance to the seemingly endless array of small boxes. Harry frowned. What, exactly, was sold here? He withdrew his head from the doorway to glance back at the sign outside. It read "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.".

So Ollivander sold wands. A small trickle of curiosity overcame Harry. He had always seen Tom and his followers wield wands but he himself had never been given one. Tom hadn't allowed it. Wands gave a wizard a better channel for their magic and Tom was far too cautious to put any such weapon into Harry's hands. He knew all too well of his Horcrux's desire to explore beyond the Dark and he hadn't wanted any lack of devotion. Regardless, Harry had learned to use magic wandlessly and after so many years of doing it that way, Harry had a feeling he would be better off without a wand. There was no point in adjusting to another channel for his magic when he was far more adept with another. Wandless magic also gave a wizard a considerable advantage over those who did use wands and now that Harry had begun to learn wordless magic as well, a wand would just be a hindrance. Wandless and wordless magic combined would be far more formidable on and off the battlefield. Still, Harry had always wanted to have a wand, even if it was just for perks.

"Looking for something?"

Harry whirled around to see a wizened man staring at him from a perch behind the store counter.

"Are you Ollivander?"

The man grinned. "Naturally. I think I am…but there's nothing stopping you from calling me Susan if you so wished."

Harry lips twitched in amusement. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

"Here for a wand? You seem a bit old to be buying one now. I suppose it's never too late to head off to Hogwarts."

Harry had heard Tom mention Hogwarts in his many battle plans. Whenever the older wizard spoke of the place, a sort of minuscule fondness entered his voice. Harry had always been curious as to what or where Hogwarts was exactly, but Tom never liked to speak of it outside of his meetings.

"Hogwarts?"

Ollivander shot him a look that made Harry feel like he had just asked whether the sky was blue. The man's eyes glittered strangely and he seemed to be reassessing the boy in front of him.

"Are you…new here, child?"

Apparently, Harry had asked something everybody should know. Why else was the ancient wizard asking him whether he was new? Harry had to come up with something. Fast.

"I'm a Squib," he lied smoothly. It was the perfect excuse. After all, the wards here suppressed his magic so he was as good as one. Maybe hanging around Tom and his smooth talking for fifteen years had its benefits. "I am new here. I've been living in the Muggle colonies but…" Harry shrugged. He left the silence for Ollivander to interpret.

Ollivander was silent for a long moment before he finally nodded. "Young men like you need something invigorating. Something new. But how, may I ask, did you pass through the Dark Lord's barricades? He keeps the Muggle areas strictly monitored. Did you get permission?"

Thank whatever gods (or god) existed out there that Tom was a magnificently well practiced in the art of lying with a smile because this strange wand seller was oddly observant.

"All Hallows Eve. It's the biggest celebration of the year and even the Dark Lord's faithful followers would not give up the chance to…relax. It wasn't simple, but I could manage to slip past them for a bit."

There was still some hesitance in the air, but the wand maker finally allowed the subject to drop. "I'm very sorry to point this out, but…"

Harry smiled sadly. "I know. I'm a Squib. It's good enough that I'm able to see magic and know it to be real."

Ollivander backed down completely after that. Harry couldn't help but acknowledge how Tom was right about Light wizards and their weakness to sentimentality. All you had to do was pull some of their heartstrings and you were as good as gold.

"I'm sorry," the old man murmured, a hint of remorse in his crazy tone.

Harry shrugged again and smiled. "It's alright. I'm used to it."

The elder wizard seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before he abruptly asked, "Do you have a place to stay?"

Harry was almost surprised to see how well his guilt trip worked. "I've just arrived in town."

"I'll contact a fellow of mine," Ollivander said. "There are actually many Squibs at Hogwarts. Perhaps he could help you."

Harry thought for a moment and then he asked, "Is that where all the children have gone?"

"Hogwarts?"

"Yes. I noticed there weren't any in town."

The wand maker smiled a little and nodded. "Hogwarts is a school of Light magic. It's the only one left in the Britain."

Harry couldn't help the grin that came to his lips. So that was why Tom loved Hogwarts so much. He had probably attended the school before he decided to take over the world and make a year old baby his Horcrux. It was almost strange to imagine the Dark Lord just another student, sitting in a classroom and studying.

"The Headmaster there would understand," Ollivander continued. "He's the Light Lord. You know of him, I presume?"

Perhaps Harry hadn't known very much about Hogwarts, but he definitely knew who the Light Lord was. Tom cursed the name too many times for him not to know.

"Dumbledore. Dumbledore is the Headmaster."

~0~

Harry couldn't help but think that some of Tom's insanity had rubbed off on him. It was the only thing that could possibly explain why he was currently sitting in a carriage pulled by pegasi in the sky towards the very man that Harry had grown up to dislike, if not hate. Harry hadn't always practiced control over Tom's soul and in his younger years, he had been susceptible to the Dark Lord's thoughts and emotions. Hatred for the Light Lord was prevalent and Harry had grown up with that mentality. It was difficult to shake the notion, especially with all the other wizards around him in agreement. Harry had seen some of Tom's memories regarding the old coot and he had to admit that the Light Lord was a manipulator – a damn good manipulator.

But Harry really hadn't had a choice in whether he wanted to attend Hogwarts or not. He had said he was a Squib with no place to stay and Ollivander's associate had literally given him one in one of the best institutes the Light could offer. He couldn't turn it down and avoid suspicion at the same time.

In theory, Harry shouldn't have been worried at all. His magic was suppressed and the fact that he wasn't a pile of soot proved that he wasn't completely loyal to the Dark. Dumbledore couldn't accuse him of being a spy for the Dark nor could he even attempt to associate him with it because of the very nature of the wards he himself had set. Even if Dumbledore suspected, he couldn't affirm anything without Legilimency. With Tom as his mentor for fifteen years, Harry was more than proficient with Occlumency. There was no chance that the insane grandpa would get anywhere close to his mind.

Yet Harry still worried. Maybe he wasn't loyal to the Dark, but he wasn't loyal to the Light and he certainly felt animosity towards its leader. Maybe Dumbledore would see that just through the eyes. Tom had told him countless times that his eyes were like an open book. But then again, Tom could see anybody like an open book and none of the other Death Eaters had ever been able to tell whether Harry was lying to them or not. Maybe Dumbledore wouldn't catch the flash of hatred in Harry's eyes or the wince of repulsion that would surely follow their first handshake.

Fat chance. "Maybes" were for people who didn't succeed. Harry knew Dumbledore would know. There was no point in running form that particular fact. He had to face it head on. When the time came, he had to keep his pretense up and continue as if nothing were wrong.

Harry hadn't let Tom completely control him for fifteen years. He wasn't about to let some asinine coot control him either.

So this idea just popped into my head while I was writing the latest chapter for my other HP fic. It's not exactly official...I don't really know where I'm going with it. It was more like something to get off my mind and just take a small break from my other. I'm going to continue this one sporadically (or consistently...depends on my mood) even if it's just to take my mind off a writer's block.

Some things you might want to know:

Voldemort is still fighting the Light. He's winning in the UK but his influence hasn't spread much further (yet). The Light is constricted to a small sector in Scotland where the barrier keeps out the Dark.

Any Muggles that live under Voldemort's territory are put into colonies where they labor and create food for wizards to eat and do all of the mundane tasks necessary for the foundation of a civilization. They aren't aware that magic exists. They just think a sort of new government has taken over.

Harry grew up as Voldemort's ward with the knowledge that he's his Horcrux. Voldemort knows it too so that's why he kept and trained Harry all those years.

Harry is damn good at the Dark Arts at this point. Did you think the Dark Lord would let his ward NOT be completely amazing at it after fifteen years?

Harry has lived a "sheltered" life (if you ignore the gory meetings and torture sessions). He has never left Riddle Manor except to visit Malfoy Manor. Voldemort wouldn't want to damage his Horcrux. A lot of Harry's apparent desire to "explore beyond the Dark" comes from being cooped up like this.

No, this is not a "DarkHarry turning Light after seeing the kindness of the Light side" type of thing. I dunno which side I'll put him on yet (I haven't thought that far) but it certainly won't be because of the Light's "kindness". I think that's just so cliche. He would need a lot more than that to convince him to go totally Light. After all, he WAS raised by the Dark Lord and has a part of the insane guy's soul.

I will bash Dumbledore. No offense, but who the heck sends a seventeen year old kid to his death "for the greater good"?

If you think the idea's worthless, let me know and I'll probably just trash it or post only when I'm desperately stuck with Two Sides of the Same Coin.