Chapter: 1

Harry Potter collapsed, falling to his knees, blood trickling down from the legendary scar on his forehead. He was exhausted, drained. He looked up from the patch of dirt he'd been staring at, to the scorched earth where Voldemort had stood just minutes before. The bastard, or what was left of him, was nothing more the a small heap of bones, ash and bits of burnt material left over from his robes. It was done. Voldemort was dead.

Harry supposed he should have been happy. Hell, he could hear the cheers from those around him on the grounds. He had finally done what he was meant to do. He figured at some point in the future he would be happy, would celebrate like all the others. Harry imagined Ron would get the twins to sneak some firewhiskey into the tower and Gryffindor would party like there was no tomorrow.

But wait. No. Ron wouldn't be conspiring with the twins to get all the seventh years plastered and the twins wont be using that helpful little tunnel under honeydukes to do it. And Hermione wouldn't be giving them a reproachful look while she sipped on her butterbeer. Seamus wont be doing jelly shots with Dean. Ginny wouldn't be trying to sneak some firewhiskey, with the help of Fred and George, from under Ron's nose. Lavender wouldn't be gossiping in the corner with Pavarti. Colin wont be clicking his camera, taking photographs of everyone that most will find embarrassing in the sober light of day.

No. Because they were all dead.

Well… not all of them were dead. Neville, luckily, hadn't been killed yet. Or at least Harry thought. The war torn grounds of Hogwarts were riddled with bodies so he couldn't be sure if he had survived the final battle. Hermione wasn't dead either. No, she was in St. Mungos, suffering a fate much like the Longbottoms. Dean, Seamus and Lavender weren't technically dead. But no longer having a soul was just as bad.

The point was that they were gone. All of them. And Harry didn't even have anyone he could really turn to. Dumbledore had fallen in the previous battle. It had taken fifteen of Tom's death eaters to finally take him down, and he took those fifteen with him. McGonagall was still recovering from the last battle. She was still unconscious.

Remus.

Remus fell just minutes ago, throwing himself in front the deadly green spell meant for Harry, giving Harry the chance to rid the world of Tom Riddle once and for all.

Not even Hagrid, Harry's first ever friend had been spared. In an ironic twist of fate, he had been killed by a horde of giants that Voldemort had been using.

Fate. Humph. Fate was a cruel, heartless bitch.

With that thought, Harry drifted into blissful darkness.

When Harry woke, all he could see was white. Where was he? The Hospital wing?… no. There was… nothing. Harry spun his head around frantically. Nothing. Just whiteness. Was he blind?

Harry looked down. No. He wasn't blind. He could see himself.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind him, starling him.

"Hello, Harry Potter."

Harry spun around. A tall, willowy woman with long brown hair and warm brown eyes looked down at his sitting form, smiling.

Harry searched frantically around him for his wand. Finding nothing, he inwardly sighed. Looking up at the tall woman cautiously, not knowing if she was friend or foe, he asked, "Who are you?"

The woman chuckled, unsettling Harry even further, "I am known by many names Harry Potter, but you might know me as Fate."

Harry paused, "Well that's an…odd name to give someone… What do you like to be called? If.. Er… its not to much to ask."

The woman, Fate, grinned, "Only one other person has asked me that before! Not that I speak to too many people."

"er..who?"

"Albus Dumbledore."

Harry gave a small smile, "Yeah, he wold ask something like that. So.. Er.."

"If I could have a proper name, I think I should like to be called… Katrina."

"Um…k… Any reason why?"

"No not particularly."

"Er… okay. Where am I, if you don't mind my asking?" asked Harry,

The strange woman smiled again, "well, you're not really anywhere, at the moment."

"okaaaaaay… Why am I here then?"

The woman sighed, "You've lived a hard life Harry Potter." Harry snorted. "And most of that.. No all of that is my fault. Yet despite all your hardships, all your pain, you have done great things. Selfless things. You did these things, even though you knew you could get hurt, because you put the rest of the world before yourself. So… I've decided that you have earned a second chance."

"A…. what?" Harry asked, not quite understanding.

"Do not forget Harry, that you are the only one who could defeat Voldemort. You. As you are now. Not as you would be if the circumstances were different."

"Uh…"

"You will have to fight again, I'm afraid. But something tells me that you will come out of it better off this time."

"What?…"

"Oh, before I forget, here's you're wand. You'll be needing it." she said, handing him his wand.

"I will?…"

"Yes. I wish you well Harry Potter. Our paths will cross once more. Until then, Goodbye Harry Potter."

The woman snapped her fingers, and the world went black once more.

Sirius Black was bored.

He sat drumming his fingers against the table. He looked across the table to his two companions, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Remus looked worried and thoughtful at the same time. Typical Moony. Sirius shifted his gaze to Peter. Peter looked just as bored as he did, absentmindedly rubbing his hands over his forearms. Odd.

They were waiting for their friends, Lily and James Potter, to get out of their meeting with Dumbledore. The headmaster had asked to speak with them privately after the Order meeting that just occurred. What worried Sirius was that the ever-present twinkle was gone from Dumbledore's eyes.

That could only mean trouble.

However worried he was, at the moment, he was bored out of his mind. Sirius wished for something, anything, to break the boredom. What he didn't expect, was for a person to appear out of nowhere and fall with a thud on the middle of the table.

He and Remus sprung to their feet, wands raised at the stranger. Peter, after getting over his shock, joined them. The boy, for he looked no older than 17, groaned and opened his eyes. The boy gasped.

"Si… Sirius? Remus? Where am I? Why do you look so….. Wormtail!"

The boy sprung up from the table with surprising agility, and lunged at Peter. Peter backed away, looking startled. Sirius and Remus grabbed the boy, restraining him. Which was a difficult feat, the boy was much stronger than he looked.

"Coward! Come on you traitorous rat, face me like a man!" the boy yelled.

"Oi! That's our friend you insulting!" said Sirius

"Friend?!" the boy said incredulously, "have you lost your minds? Do you forget what he…"

At that moment, Dumbledore, James and Lily walked into the room. Sirius sighed in relief.

"Thank Merlin! This kid just fell onto the table out of nowhere and…"

"No." the boy said, his eyes wide, staring at the three who just walked in, "It's not possible.."

"See, I think he might be touched in the head," said Sirius

"Dreaming. Must be having a nightmare…." the boy said in a small voice.

Dumbledore scrutinized the young man, starting to get an idea where he might be from.

"Perhaps, young man, you could tell me what year it is?"

The boy let out a bark of a laugh, "Are you daft? It's 1997!"

The room fell silent.