AN: For the most part not so much a new story as a change of view with a slight twist.

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A New Path

Prompts: target; virtue; umbrella; snake; image; hate; ambush; clear;

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The target was in sight.

He watched as the boy idly swung on the playground swing, all the others broken. He'd seen him vault the dark park's locked gate just moments early. A group of other teenagers were approaching loudly, one appeared to be singing.

From the darkness, he watched as the boy followed the others as they left. He watched as the boy followed the leader of the group, a large, dim-looking boy.

When the last of the large boy's group had left, he watched as his target walked up to the large boy and greeted him.

He didn't pay any heed to what was said, just stood in the shadows and watched as the larger boy grew increasingly angry. The thought that it seemed to be a major talent of the smaller boy's made itself known.

Amusement flashed through his mind as the boy casually drew his wand beside the larger boy. Clearly the large boy knew what was good for him as he glanced wearily at the piece of wood, the sight of it clearly making him fearful.

He chuckled darkly at the thought that the old man believed this boy to nothing but virtue.

The boy continued to play with the larger boy, he could hear scraps of the conversation.

"How d'you know they haven't changed the rules, Big D?"

"They haven't,"

There was a soft laugh, but it carried in the still night air.

The two boys stopped walking soon after that and he watched as the larger boy turned, triumphantly, on the smaller one. The smaller boy looked taken aback for a moment before he recovered.

"'Don't kill Cedric! Don't kill Cedric!' Who's Cedric - your boyfriend?"

He blinked and stepped closer, tightening his disillusionment and using the shadows like an umbrella to shield him from the boy's vision lest he notice the slight difference in the air. He couldn't care less about the larger boy.

The smaller boy looked both confused and a little scared now but the anger underneath was growing.

"'Come and help me, Dad! Mum, come and help me! He's killed Cedric! Dad, help me! He's going to -' Don't you point that thing at me!"

He had to hold in a laugh as the smaller boy held his wand to the larger, pointed directly at his heart, a fierce anger on his face.

The body of a small, dead snake flashed across his vision and he blinked.

He tried to focus on the boy again.

An image of a sad, lonely child entered his mind and he frowned. He looked up at the boy.

The hate in his green eyes was obvious, even from this distance, but it was quickly smothered and replaced with an artistically crafted and semi-real scared look.

The stars were gone, silent darkness surrounded.

Dementors?

Here?

The larger boy was swinging his fists, complaining about being blind.

Just before the ambush, a fist connected with the smaller boy's head sending him flying and his wand rolling along the ground.

"You moron, Dudley!"

He kept his distance as the boy fought them off, near failing initially despite a wandless lumos to find his fallen wand. He watched the boy cast his patronus and confusingly found himself smiling at the boy's skill.

He heard before he saw the old squib arrive and tailed behind as she escorted the boy and his pathetic cousin back to their home.

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He waited outside until the coast was clear, wary of a 'Mr Tibbles' hiding beneath a car or some other crevice. Obviously a kneazle. He'd been able to hear the raised voices even if the words were obscured by the walls and found himself pacing in anger. Muggles! Multiple owls made appearances in the hour following their return.

A few hours passed before he made his move. With magic currently not an option unless he wished to be discovered, he carefully travelled around to the back of the house. A window on the upper floor was open, he witnessed an owl fly out of it. This one he recognised as the curseable boy's own so he took it as his cue.

Feeling like an infant, he threw a rock through the open window. He heard a faint 'ow' and smiled to himself. A dark haired head popped out briefly a second later and he knew he had the right room.

Using one of the potions he'd prepared earlier, just in case, he floated up to the window and smoothly slid inside.

The boy was sat calmly on the bed, but a frown covered his face. The boy turned in his direction.

"Hello Harry." Voldemort said coolly, still disillusioned.

Harry's eyes widened and he reached for his wand.

Voldemort reached forward and snatched it from where it lay.

"Now, now, Harry. I come peacefully."

Harry froze.

"You have proven quite the complication." Voldemort told him smoothly. "And it has occurred to me that I would be much better off ceasing my attempts to, ah, shall we say remove you."

"To kill me."

"Alright, to kill you. I came here tonight to offer you a second chance. The same offer I gave you 3 years ago. Join me."

"Why would I do that?"

"I presume you are unaware there is a prophecy regarding the two of us." At Harry's blank look, Voldemort continued. "Well there is and it states that you will be the one to defeat me. I propose that you join me as an apprentice of sorts, quite possibly as my future heir and in return those you call your friends will no longer need to fear for their lives."

"You would not live here." Voldemort added with extreme distaste.

Harry considered the offer for a moment.

"Genuine?"

Voldemort chuckled. "Yes. Genuine. You take up much too much of my time as it is, I feel at least this way we both get something out of it."

Harry couldn't help a small laugh at that. "Alright."

Voldemort grinned.

"One question, how did you get in here? I thought there were wards?"

"Yes. Blood wards, tied to you and your family. And, Harry, what did I use during my resurrection?"

"My blood." Harry answered his own question.

Voldemort smiled, dropping his disillusionment. "Come. Let us leave this awful abode."

And, with Harry awkwardly holding his arm, Voldemort apparated out of Little Whinging.

Moments later the aurors arrived. Much to the Dursleys' horror.

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