A/N: well here it is, guys. A Harry Potter fanfiction based on some obscure urban legend I found online. Please let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: Not mine, never gonna be mine. Everything belongs to JK Rowling and associated people and companies. I make no money from this.
Be Careful What You Wish For.
Chapter 1. The Wish
Harry Potter was not happy. It was the middle of summer, it was hot, and he was miserable. His time at the Dursley's was drawing to a close, and then he would return for his seventh and final year at Hogwarts School for witchcraft and wizardry. Back to lessons and friends and fighting evil wizards; back to normal life.
Huddled over his desk with a heavy potions text open before him, Harry could almost completely block out the sounds of his so-called family yelling at him to stay in his room while the neighbors were attending Aunt Petunia's dinner party. He could almost miss the acrid smell of Petunia's cooking. And he could almost forget the deaths that haunted him-the loss of his peer, his godfather, and his mentor. He also almost missed the insistent tapping on his window and a slight hoot from outside. Harry jumped up and ran over to his window to let in his owl.
--
"Hullo Hedwig," Harry greeted his owl as he petted her, "what have you got for me, today?" He gently untied the Daily Prophet from the snowy owl's leg, and unfurled the thick parchment. Letting out a deep sigh, Harry barely skimmed over the Prophet, where news of another death eater attack adorned the entire front page. Harry threw down the newspaper in frustration.
"Damnit, Hedwig, what am I expecting to find? It's always the same…more
attacks, more deaths." Harry dropped his head into his hands and let out a long-suffering sigh. "I don't know what to do anymore. Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like if the world were different. Sometimes, I just wish-" Harry cut himself off, snapping his head up and drawing his wand.
--
"We have sent her to Potter, My Lord," Lucius Malfoy spoke to Voldemort from his knees before him, pleased with himself for succeeding where so many had failed. This plan would work, he was sure of it.
"Very good Lucius," the dark lord drawled, sounding unimpressed. "If this plan of yours succeeds, I will be most pleased."
"Oh it will succeed, Sir. I am positive."
"You are sure this woman can give us what we want?" Voldemort inquired of his trusted death eater.
"Of course, My Lord," Lucius responded, "she will get Potter out of your way for good."
--
Harry held his wand at the ready, pointed towards the elderly woman. She was bent forward, her curved spine showing her obviously advanced age, and her evil witch appearance nearly laughable. If she hadn't just appeared in Harry's room in the middle of a hot summer afternoon.
"Alright, who are you?" Harry demanded. He somehow managed to keep his voice steady. "What do you want? Do you work for Voldemort?"
"Calm yourself child. My name is Mariya, and I am here with a gift, one you have undoubtedly deserved."
"Right." Harry looked suspiciously at the old woman. "What do you really want?"
"To give you your gift dear, did I not say as much? All you must do is tell me your wish, and I will assure it is fulfilled."
Harry just stared at the woman for a moment, utterly confused. "Why should I believe you?"
"Because you know you want the chance to see the world in a different way, child. I know your wish, but I will not grant it until you request. I know you want your parents, as any child would. Would you not like to escape from this existence for a while child? Take a reprieve from your yelling aunt, and evil dark lords?" Mariya's soft voice held such strength and gentleness in it, Harry could not dismiss the fact that her words rolled over him, making him want to do anything for her.
"Well of course I would," Harry admitted grudgingly, "but…"
"But nothing, child, make your wish."
And for reasons he could not explain, Harry made his wish. "I wish- I wish that my parents hadn't died the night Voldemort attacked them. No, scratch that. I wish he had never attacked them, that they were alive and well. And Sirius and Dumbledore too."
"Of course, my child. Your wish is my command." The woman let out an eerie laugh and seemed to fade into nothingness.
"Well, Hedwig, I think I really am going crazy," Harry spoke more to himself than his owl. He looked around his room, and found no trace of the woman. Harry shook off the odd experience and sat down to continue his potions work, falling asleep on his book soon after.
--
"He made his wish, and has made his decision."
"Very good, thank you," Lucius spoke dismissively to the old woman before him. "You may go."
The old woman left the room, and Lucius was left to celebrate his success alone. He immediately went to report to Voldemort. Walking though the dark corridors toward the dark lord's chambers, Lucius realized that for the first time in his years of serving Voldemort, he was actually delivering good news, rather than that of complete and utter failure. He knocked three times on the heavy door, and entered when beckoned by his lord's voice.
"Ah Lucius, I do hope you bring me happy news. I don't think I could bear another disappointment today," Voldemort deadpanned as he held the crucio on Bellatrix.
Not bothering to avert his eyes from the woman screaming on the floor, Lucius held himself upright and proud, and said in a strong assured voice, "I do My Lord. Most happy news, in fact. The plan has been successful. Potter made his wish, the fool, and is, as we speak, preparing for his journey. For lack of a better turn of phrase."
Voldemort lifted his wand, and with it the crucio, and turned to Lucius. His face holding a mixture of pleasant surprise and pride. "Very good Lucius. I have not been so pleased with you in so very long. I must say, it's a wonderful change of pace."
"I am just glad to have pleased you, My Lord," Lucius dropped to his knees.
"Oh, Lucius, no need for that right now." Lucius rose to his feet at Voldemort's word. "There we are. Now, this plan of yours, I'm not sure I fully understand it. And, admittedly, I didn't try as I expected failure was forthcoming. So please, Lucius, describe to me what Potter's wishing to be happy does for me."
--
Harry blearily opened his eyes and flopped over onto his stomach, taking in smell his freshly laundered sheets. He let out a groan as he remembered the homework he had left on his desk, and pushed himself into a sitting position. Rubbing the back of his right hand against his eyes, he reached blindly to his nightstand and felt around for his glasses. Finally finding them, he put them on and blinked. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and stood up to go over to his desk. Only to encounter a nice hard wall adorned with a large quidditch poster. Taking a surprised step back, Harry took in his surroundings, and realized he was at Grimmauld place. Albeit, not quite the Grimmauld place he was used to, as this Grimmauld place was entirely devoid of dust and cobwebs. In fact, the room he was in looked like a typical bedroom for a teenage wizard. There were quidditch posters on the wall and a color scheme of blues and beiges. Harry immediately put himself on guard, and brought out his wand. Sneaking out into the hallway, which was as devoid of cobwebs as the bedroom, Harry stopped and listened for a moment, hearing muffled voices coming from downstairs. Harry snuck down the hallway, and down the stairs to the kitchen. Stopping right outside, Harry tried to listen in on whatever conversation was going on.
"Oh, c'mon, Padfoot! You know that I had that game won!!"
"Only in your dreams, Prongsy. You just have to accept that I beat you at exploding snap for once."
"Honestly, you two. You aren't in school anymore. Please at least pretend to be adults. For my sanity's sake." This statement was followed by a round of laughing from all three of the room's inhabitants.
"Really, Harry, we know you're out there! Get your butt in here and tell your dad he lost!" Harry gasped, unsure what to make of that statement. Suddenly, the afternoon came back to him full force. The old woman, the wish he made. The wish! Had she really granted his wish?
Harry tentatively reached his hand out to open the door, but before he could touch the doorknob, the door flew open to reveal someone Harry thought he would never see again.
"Sirius?" Harry choked out.
"Harry, what's up? You look surprised…It's not that insane that I would beat your dad!"
"I-It's not that, Sirius. I just-" Harry cut himself off and brought his wand up, pointing it at Sirius' chest. "Damnit, why do you always try to mess with me? Reveal yourself death eater!"