Title; Duality

Summary; In an attempt to change the course of history, Albus Dumbledore travels back in time in and tries to raise Tom Riddle with the help of old friends and the creation of new enemies. But evil runs deeply and Dumbledore risks creating two monsters instead of one, and he is running out of time.

A/N; Begins at the end of HPOOP when Harry is told about the prophecy, canon compatible up to this point, except for Armando Dippit who is a little OOC so appologise for that…

Anyway onto the story…

TC ;)

Chapter 1

1999-Prologue- Beginnings

Harry Potter put his head in his hands as the enormity of what he was expected to do, what he knew in his heart that he must do, came crashing down on him. He looked up and saw Dumbledore staring down at him, concern in those twinkling blue eyes.

'So,' Harry began, watching his headmaster's face, 'Your telling me that I have to kill Voldemort, or be killed by him.'

Dumbledore stood up and began pacing the floor of his office again.

'Harry you don't have to do anything,' he said finally, 'You put too much store by the prophecy. A prophecy is a prediction, you can either ignore it or accept it, my point is you are, and always will be free to make your own destiny.'

'But if I don't… I mean he'll never… he can't ever be stopped,' said Harry, returning his head to his hands. He found his thoughts drift to Sirius and wished that he was here, the only adult he felt he could trust.

'No,' said Dumbledore finally, 'there is no one else who can stop him.'

'But then I must. I can't run, after my parents, after Cedric, after… After Sirius,' he felt a lump in his throat and bit back tears. But he blinked and when he looked back up, there was a hard, blazing look in his emerald green eyes.

'Too much loss,' whispered Dumbledore, reading the pain on the younger boy's face. A decision made in haste, with fire in his heart no reason in his mind.

'Professor?'

'Forgive me Harry,' said Dumbledore, smiling again, 'My mind is not what it once was.'

'Sir?'

'Harry, I understand that this must be great deal for you to try to understand.'

Harry shook his head, mind racing, 'You know,' he began looking at his knees, 'I think in a way I always knew… That one of us would have to kill the other. Does that make sense?'

'In a way, I think we are all aware of our own destiny.'

'And mine is to try to stop Voldemort,' the words caught in his throat again. 'The greater good,' whispered Harry, 'that's what it's about in the end.'

Dumbledore watched him, the fury of only moments before had left him, and in its wake he looked childlike and vulnerable.

'Harry…'

'No, I see now, it all makes sense. It's all for the greater good.'

Dumbledore frowned, Harry's words seemed to echo in his mind. The greater good, how many will you sacrifice for the greater good! He shook his head slightly, and the Harry's voice was replaced by Aberforth's Our own sister, An innocent. And you just stand there doing nothing.

Dumbledore looked up at Harry, another innocent in his protection, sacrificed for the greater good. Perhaps he was still too young, perhaps he should not have told him, the prophecy was so much for a young mind to bear. And yet he had already put it off for to long, the boy had a right to know after all.

'Forgive me Harry,' he said abruptly, 'but the hour is late. I'm sure Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley will have much to discus with you. If you will.' He crossed the room in three long strides and opened the door of his office leading on to the spiral staircase.

'Professor?' repeated Harry, stunned at this hurried dismissal.

'Harry what you need now is rest. We can discuss this, all of it, tomorrow with fresh heads.'

'I…I…' stammered Harry, head spinning. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows and gave Harry that piercing stare that Harry knew so well, reassuring in its familiarity.

'Yes Harry?'

'There's no other way, is there Professor? No other way…'

'No Harry, I'm afraid there is not, but do not dwell on it. Tomorrow is another day.' With that, Harry left the room.

Dumbledore stood for a minute, staring at the space where Harry Potter, the chosen one with the world on his shoulders had just disappeared.

Slowly, he put his head in his hands, another lamb to the slaughter, and he had not, could not raise a finger to protect him.

'You lied to that boy,' a voice from behind him broke the silence. Dumbledore turned back to the empty room, his gaze falling on the portrait of Armando Dippit who was glaring at him with accusation in his eyes.

'I did not lie, Armando,' said Dumbledore wearily.

'But you did, there has always been another way.'

Dumbledore peered at the ex-headmaster, eyebrows raised.

'Armando, we disagree on a great many accounts, but I'm sure even you can see the danger of such a course of action.'

'But Albus think of the boy, he has been through so much. Can you really ask this last, great favour of him?'

Dumbledore turned to the window. Dawn was breaking, the suns rays rendering the school grounds purple and red. In the distance, he could see the smooth shimmering surface of the lake. He sighed, turning back to Dippit.

'You would have… have me try to change this?' he said slowly, searching the other mans face. 'You think that is wise?'

'What is there to lose?'

'What is there to lose? Innocent lives Armando, can we risk creating a second dark lord?'

Dippit shook his head dismissively. 'Dumbledore that is impossible. I know Tom better then you did, much better. The challenge will save him, you could save him.'

'Armando, your faith is misplaced, I failed to save him.'

'Older and wiser now though?'

'Yes' agreed Dumbledore pacing the floor again. The other portraits were feigning sleep though listening intently.

'But this is old magic Armando, we can not begin to understand the consequences of such a radical upheaval of history.'

'On the contrary Dumbledore, I can not begin to understand the consequence of this course of action. You on the other hand, I'm sure, understand it quiet well.'

'And so you would have me go back? Try to undo all that was done? But how?'

'Simple isn't it? Create an equal.'

'An equal?'

'Yes of course, if there was one thing Tom Riddle lacked it was an equal, so lonely. Why even you…'

'True, but where to find a match for a boy like that…'

'Well why not the other. The most powerful boy of his generation, save yourself of course.'

Dumbledore smiled, 'But Armando that is precisely why I fear him.'

'But together?'

'Together we risk creating two Voldemorts instead of one.'

'Or saving two young boy's from damnation.'

'And so in the place Tom Riddle, orphan and heir to the Slytherin throne, you would have what? Two?'

'With yourself of course.'

'Armando,' Dumbledore sighed, rubbing his temples slowly, 'Your plan in short is to bring together the two darkest wizards the world has ever known. And you still think that is wise?'

'Albus,' said the portrait kindly, 'you expect your charges to put so much faith in love, and yet it seems that you yourself have none. What both boys lack has always been love. Tom learned to survive without it, and the other… well perhaps he learned too late.'

'No, I failed to save both…'

'Albus, I feel obliged to tell you that you are not nearly as important as you like to think you are. You did not fail them, they were never yours to save, the world failed them. But you can put it right.'

'And so they save each other. A bizarre plan Armando, but then madness has always been akin to genius.'

'Precisely.'

'I am surprised I did not think of it myself.'

'Dumbledore you do not have the luxury of death, it is a great eye opener, a lot of time to think.'

Dumbledore looked hard at Dippit, and then began slowly 'and if I agreed Armando, and I stress if, what then? How do we get them to agree to this?'

'Well Professor, that is, thankfully, your problem and not mine.'

Dumbledore smiled slightly and turned back towards the window mind whirring. A chance to save the two. It would be difficult of course, very difficult. He walked to the elegant wooden desk and opened one of the drawers. Tentatively, he reached out and his fingers brushed the cool metal of the time turner.

'The other first, I think' he said slowly, to no one in particular.

'Precisely,' beamed Armando, 'I wonder Dumbledore, can you bring me?'

'What an interesting question Armando. I should think so, though the confusion between the times… well why not, I would appreciate the company.'

'And so the other first.'

'The other first.'

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A/N Random at first yes I know… but it'll make sense at some stage, I have chapter 3 done… just no chapter 2… oh dear…

R&R if you like.

TC ; )