Theo grabbed the wand, his knuckles white and trembling, his palms sweating. His hand dropped to the floor like it weighed a ton, and Harry's gaze flicked to Theo's face, pale and damp, the black veins twisting and curling their way up his neck.
"Can you stand?" Harry asked, resting a hand on Theo's shoulder.
The boy's face took on an expression of immense concentration, and he got about two centimetres off the ground before crumpling, breathing hard.
"That's fine," Harry said. "You can cast just as well from the floor."
"Are you sure there's no other way?" Theo asked softly.
"What do you mean?"
The younger boy looked up at Harry, devastatingly innocent, "Isn't dark magic wrong? I don't want to get sent to Azkaban."
Harry sighed, "Dark magic is not wrong. It's a branch of magic that is just as important as light magic, it's just been labelled as 'evil' because some wizards and witches use it for-"
"Killing people?" Theo finished, his voice thin.
Harry let go of his shoulder, "Yes. Among other things." He stood, brushing his pants of any non-existent dirt. "That blood ritual you performed is classified as dark magic. What did it do?"
Theo looked up from his place on the floor, "It saved you?"
Harry smirked, "Correct. Would you rather I have died?"
"No!" Theo exclaimed. "I mean- no. I don't want you to die."
Harry considered the boy. He had the potential for so much. There was a fire that burnt in him that reminded Harry of himself, which was as exhilarating as it was concerning. Without the proper teaching, the fire would burn through him, as it was doing right now. Theo had no use for James and Lily Potter, Voldemort could teach him more, Harry only needed to convince him. Theo needed to make the decision on his own.
"Who do you hate Theo?" Harry asked, walking to the centre of the room.
Theo's eyebrows raised at the sudden question as Harry conjured a wooden dummy , it's face smooth and blank, its limbs awkward and bare.
"Sorry?" Theo asked.
Harry turned to face him, his hands behind his back, "I find that casting at someone you hate makes the experience more enjoyable. So...who do you hate Theo. Which person makes you want to scream every time you see them." He was silent for a moment before smiling a tad, "You can say Voldemort. I don't mind."
Theo shook his head right away, "I don't hate Voldemort."
Oh?
"No?" Harry said, "Why not. You have enough reason."
"I don't though. He's killed people, but... you have as well. And I don't hate you."
"He took me," Harry said, "He- he stole me."
He'd never said it out loud before, and it took everything not to cringe as he did. Harry was not taken. He was liberated, he was lifted up into a position of power, of respect. The only thing that was stolen was his potential for mediocracy.
"He raised you," Theo said, "He didn't hurt you-"
You will kill it right now. Diffindo will do.
"he made you who you are-"
Blood on the white tiles. On the walls.
"and I like who you are-"
Such a good boy Harry.
"Even if you can be a right arse sometimes," Theo finished, coughing weakly.
Harry smiled thinly, replying "Thanks Theo," not knowing what else to say. "If you don't hate my father, who do you hate?"
Harry watched as Theo thought, his expression darkening slightly, "Snape," he said finally. "I hate Snape. He hurt you, and he's been a right prick to me and my Dad."
Harry nodded, "Snape. I can do Snape."
He waved his wand, greasy black hair sprouting from the dummy's head, a hooked nose and dark, narrowed eyes painting themselves on its face. Dark robes were conjured and wrapped around the dummy's body, and Harry heard Theo huff out a laugh from behind him.
"Good?" Harry asked.
"It's perfect."
"Are you ready?"
Theo nodded, "I think so. And you're sure dark magic is what'll make me better?"
"Positive," Harry said, supressing a grin.
"What curse did Snape use," Theo asked quietly, "to cut you I mean."
"Diffindo," Harry said, "which isn't a dark curse. But I know one that works just the same. Snape created it actually."
"Tell me," Theo said.
"You say 'sectumsempra'."
And so, from the floor, Theo raised his wand, a hard glint in his eye as he glared at the Snape-like dummy.
His wand shook in the air as Theo hissed the curse through his teeth, "Sectumsempra!"
The curse hit the dummy, lines slashing through the wood like invisible knife wounds. No blood poured from the dummy's wooden body, but Harry could imagine it well enough. On the floor, Theo gasped, the muscles in his neck working as he threw his head back, breathing hard and fast. "Sectumsempra!" he yelled again, more slashed appearing in the dummy. Harry grinned as Theo slowly rose to his feet, the dark veins sinking into his skin like ink, gone from sight but throbbing in his blood like a second heart.
"Try crucio," Harry breathed.
Theo only hesitated for a moment, "Crucio," he almost whispered.
Although the wooden dummy did not move, Harry could taste the unforgiveable curse in the air, its power a physical thing.
Theo started laughing.
He laughed and laughed as he held the curse, his hand steady and the colour back in his cheeks. "Crucio!" he yelled again, and Harry laughed with him this time, imagining James if he could see his son now, hair mussed by the charge of power in the air, fire alight in his eyes, a terrible grin on his face.
After a while, Theo stopped, panting, lowering his wand slowly.
Harry was there in an instant, his hands on Theo's shoulders in case the boy collapsed.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
Theo looked into his eyes and grinned, "I feel amazing," he breathed, "I don't think I've felt this good ever. I feel like I could- like I could do anything!"
Harry laughed, "Better then?"
"Much, much better."
Harry let go of him, confident enough that the boy would be able to stand on his own.
"I used crucio," Theo said softly. "That's an unforgivable curse."
Harry nodded, "I know."
"I don't- It didn't- I mean-"
"You don't have to explain," Harry said, "I've gone through this. All of it. You don't need to explain anything to me."
Theo looked at Harry for a moment before striding forward and wrapping his arms around him. Harry stood, frozen for a moment, before gingerly returning the embrace. Theo's skin was red hot under his shirt, alight with the residue of the magic he'd just used.
"Thank you," Theo whispered.
"Meet me back here after dinner tomorrow," Harry said, "You need to do this every day."
They let go of each other, and Theo smiled, "I'll get to see you more."
Harry nodded, "I look forward to it."
Theo turned to leave.
"You can't tell anyone," Harry called out, stopping him in his tracks, 'Not even your parents. Not even your friends."
"I know I can't," Theo said, "They- they wouldn't understand."
Watching Theo leave the room of requirement, all Harry could think of was that by Yule, Theo Potter would be on his side. On Voldemort's side.
Notes:
I present you with another chapter.