Summary: AU-On the night of Halloween, Voldemort attacks the Potter's residence when Harry is a year old. Lily and James are banished to death, whereas Harry and his older brother, Alex, survive and make their way through life-- but with a few twists. Posing as Dumbledore's grandson and developing an illness that can't be cured,can Harry fulfill his destiny?
Overall story: Harry and his brother Alex were separated when their parents died on Halloween. With Harry having split up Voldemort's body and soul, it would be dangerous to have the baby out in the open for any of the Dark Lord's followers to come across. Albus Dumbledore has plans -- plans that involve taking Alex Potter to the Dursley's, causing Harry Potter's 'disappearance,' and acquiring a grandson that does not share his blood. Dumbledore thought it was the perfect strategy -- until he realized that raising a child not of his own was harder than it had first seemed; not to mention when Harry becomes ill with something that Albus had not ever expected...
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related.
Where Are The Children
By: xScenex
a.k.a. Min
Chapter 1
"-- She's old enough to know better; so cry baby cry. At twelve o'clock a meeting 'round the table for a séance in the dark. With voices out of nowhere, put on especially by the children for a lark. Cry baby cr--" Cry Baby Cry -- The Beatles
Lily was interrupted from her singing when the loud voice of her husband echoed through the hall to her. She looked down at the one year old boy that lay half asleep, cradled within the crook of her left arm. She sighed half heartedly before standing up and taking Harry to his crib. She tucked him into his bed, wrapping his baby blanket -- decorated in tiny paw prints, hoof prints, moons, and lilies -- around his small frame.
Smiling and kissing the baby on his forehead, she whispered in a singsong voice, "I love you Harry."
The baby boy that looked so much like his father, peered up at Lily with matching emerald green eyes. His face scrunched up for a moment and he reached out a slightly chubby hand for her face. His fingertips touched her cheek in the end, and he startled Lily by saying sleepily, "I wuv you, Mommy."
She smiled down at her son, tears forming in her eyes. It was the first time he had told her that, causing her stomach to flutter with pride. Even Alex hadn't said that to her until a few months ago, and he was now a little older than two years old. Her two baby boys were the world to her, even her husband couldn't take that position, no matter how much she loved him.
Lily heard her husband call out to her again, this time, his voice sounded slightly worried. She brushed the hair gently off of the baby's forehead and with a last glance at him, turned the lights off and left the room.
Trudging tiredly down the hall towards Alex's room, she peeked inside and smiled at what she saw. James was standing next to their other son's bed, singing softly to him as Lily had been doing to Harry. Of course, her husbands choice of songs greatly differed from hers, so she had to stifle her giggle and put on her best scowl.
"James Harrold Potter!"
James jumped at the stern sound of her voice and stopped singing immediately. Looking up at his wife sheepishly, he flashed her his most charming smile. "Yes, Flower?"
"What have I told you about singing those songs to Alex? You know they aren't appropriate for him!" She scolded him quietly but couldn't keep her lips from quirking up slightly around the edges.
James, seeing this, came up to his wife and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. Pulling her close, he rested his head against hers. He whispered quietly, "I was beginning to worry when you wouldn't answer me a few minutes ago. Why didn't you come when I called?"
"I was putting Harry to bed, James." She replied, stepping over to Alex's crib and dragging her husband with her. "You won't believe what he said to me."
Lily glanced up at James, who looked back questionably. "What did he say?"
"He said, 'I wuv you, Mommy.' That's the first time he's said anything like that." She said happily, tears forming in her eyes again.
She felt arms tighten around her waist and she was pulled into a firm hug. She breathed in the cinnamon scent of her husband and returned the gesture. "They're growing up, aren't they, Lily? Soon, we won't be able to call them our baby boys anymore."
"I know." Lily said sadly, peering back into the crib. A red-headed boy lay there, deep asleep, with his arms wrapped around a stuffed animal dog that strongly resembled Sirius' animagus form. "I just wish they could grow up in a better time, you know? With the war going on, they're childhood will be short-lived."
"We'll just have to make it longer for them, Flower. You know that. I would give the world those boys, even if it killed me in the process." James sighed, rocking his wife in his arms slightly. Little did he know the irony of those words he had just spoken; giving the world to one of his sons at the cost of his life. Giving said son a life where the world looked up to him as their savior.
"Of course." Lily pulled away from her husband and bent down to kiss Alex on the forehead, whispering her previous words to Harry to the other boy, though with his own name. After that, she took James' hand and walked with him out of the now dark room and headed to the kitchen for a cup of tea.
Upon sitting down at the small, rectangular table, she heard something outside, but excused it for the wind. It was, after all, fall.
"James, how long are we going to have to hide?" She asked in an exhausted voice, sounding much older than she was.
"I'm not sure. Albus said it wouldn't be too long, so I'm hoping that he's telling the truth. I hate it as much as you do. I want this war to be over with." The dark haired man said, taking the seat across from the woman.
Lily reached out and took James' hand in hers, squeezing it softly. "I love you, James."
"I love you too, Lily."
She smiled at him and he smiled back, leaning forward to give her a kiss. Just as he was pulling away, Lily jumped almost a foot in the air when she heard a loud crash coming from the hall leading to the front door. Casting a fearful glance at her husband, she stood up and made her way towards the hall.
James pushed her aside gently, taking stance in front of her. Lily watched with abated breath as the man peeked around the corner. He stiffened visibly, and Lily began to panic.
"What is it?" She whispered.
"Lily, hurry and go upstairs. Get the boys and use the portkey to get to Hogwarts. He's here, Lily, Voldemort is here!"
Lily looked up fearfully at her husband, who had turned around to face her. She felt his strong hands grip her shoulders and he shook her gently. She stared up at him with tears in her eyes, before whispering, "What about you?"
"Don't worry about me, worry about Alex and Harry. Hurry up and get them, we don't have much time." He told her and pushed her towards the other hall that headed upstairs. Before he lost sight of her, he whispered to her, only loud enough for her to hear, "I love you Lily."
"I love you too." The woman replied tearfully before dashing to up the stairs, two at a time, until she reached the closest child's room. It just happened to be Harry's. Bundling him up in his blanket, she picked him up gingerly and quietly hurried out of the room.
In Alex's room, she had a bit of trouble balancing both of the boys in her arms; it wasn't the simplest task to do. Lily was about to exit the room when she heard shouting coming from the front of the house. She closed her eyes briefly, praying to whatever God was out there, that her husband was, and would be, safe.
Hurrying to the room that belonged to her and James, she gently laid both of her children on the large canopy bed. She scrambled over to a large dresser in the corner and began rummaging in it, looking for the portkey that would take them to safety. Why hadn't she put it somewhere more accessible?
Groaning at their own stupidity, she started to throw things out of the drawer. Finally, she caught a glint of gold and grabbed the chain connected to a phoenix pendent. She turned around, expecting to grab Harry and Alex but froze with shock and dropped the pendent on the floor with a small 'ping!'
She hadn't heard anyone approach the room, but obviously, her senses deceived her. Standing next to the large bed was none other than the Dark Lord himself, Voldemort. Lily made a small noise, whether a whimper or a muffled scream, she couldn't make out. Her mind went oddly blank in her panic as she saw the older man pointing a wand at Alex who was clutching his stuffed animal tightly and was oblivious to what was going on in his slumber.
"No!" She managed to choke out and lunged forward, nearly landing on top of the boys. She covered their bodies with hers and looked fearfully, but determinedly at Voldemort. "Please, don't kill them! Please, not Harry, not Alex, please! Take me instead!"
"Stand aside, foolish girl." A cold voice replied, "Stand aside now and I will spare your life."
"No, please, don't kill them!"
"Then that is your death wish." The cold voice laughed mercilessly. In a small movement, the man redirected his wand so that it pointed at the red-headed woman. "Avada Kedavra!"
Lily watched as the stream of green light burst forward out of the Dark Lord's wand. Everything seemed to slow down but also sped up at the same time. Her mind raced and she saw flashes of her childhood, her school years, and her married life. James, Alex, Harry, Sirius, Remus, her mother and father, James' parents, her sister Petunia… Everything seemed to finally come to a deaf stop. She heard no sound, everything seemed to still around her, and the last fleeting thought that hit her mind before she was hit with the curse was, 'Alex, Harry, I will always love you. Forgive me….'
Pop!
That was the only sound that could be heard as a lone figure appeared by the front gate of what used to be the Potter's residence. Now, the noble manor lay in ruins; everything was smoldering, leaving long, swirling smoke to be the only movement around the vicinity.
In a swirl of midnight blue robes, the glint of light on metal, and the swish of a long, silver beard, the figure that had appeared hurriedly made it's way down the long, broken walkway to what used to be the front door. Staring around, the old man -- who was obviously a wizard -- began to actually panic.
In all his years, Albus Dumbledore couldn't remember another time when he had began to panic so. What had happened here? Hadn't Sirius been in charge of keeping Voldemort away? Did Sirius sell the Potter's to the most feared man in history? Most importantly, where were the children?
As if by cue, he heard a piercing wailing fill the air. It echoed and ricocheted off of everything, and was soon followed by another wail. Albus, hearing the noises, moved with agility that betrayed his old looks and age. With catlike grace, he slipped through the wreckage of bricks, wood, and glass. Finally, he spotted something that looked as if it had once been a bed.
Laying on top of the bed were three forms. Two were moving, wailing, and kicking about, the other lay motionless. Fearing what he was going to see, the older man stepped forward, closing what space separated him from the supposed bed.
His heart constricted at the sight of Lily Potter; emerald eyes dead to the world, her face twisted into something of regret, sadness, love, and determination. Prying his eyes off of what used to be a wonderful woman, he looked at the two small bundles that lay a foot away from the corpse.
"Harry? Alex?" The former Headmaster whispered quietly and picked up the two children. They quieted almost instantly, and with somber eyes, the older man noticed that the darker haired of the two had a lightening bolt shaped scar on his forehead. 'The one in the prophecy,' he confirmed to himself.
He knew it would happen, but he hadn't exactly expected it to be so soon. Harry and Alex were now stripped of their only parents, and were now facing a difficult future. Alex, he knew, would be shunned away in favor of his brother. He would have to live his life without his parents and most likely, neglected. Harry, now being the savior of the world, would grow up to be spoiled, showered with gifts from the wizarding society. But what if that could be changed?
Albus looked between both children quietly and a plan formed quickly in his mind. He placed Alex down on the remains of the bed and then he shifted Harry in his arms. Taking out his wand, the older man tapped the black haired baby on the head. Soon, his hair was no longer black, but had lightened to a brownish color that was almost red. The emerald green eyes lightened to a color that closely resembled baby blue. His complexion became darker, changing it from the healthy pale to a slight tan. He no longer resembled the baby that had belonged to the Potter's.
With that done, he looked solemnly at the redheaded baby that lay on the bed, clutching his stuffed animal tightly as he looked up with wide, scared eyes. Albus whispered his prayers to the older of the children, then cast a sleeping charm on the child. After that done, he gripped onto the baby in his arms that was wrapped up in a blanket, then turned on heel. With a small pop! he had disappeared, leaving the Aurors to find the sleeping baby and the bodies of the Potter's that sacrificed themselves for their children.
Albus Dumbledore was now heading towards a future he wouldn't have ever thought he'd throw himself into; one which involved raising a boy as his grandson, though in everything but blood. This was going to be interesting….
"Grandfather!"
The old Headmaster looked down into the anxious baby blue eyes of the boy that had come trotting up to him. The young child latched onto the man that he'd called 'grandfather,' hugging him tightly. Chuckling slightly, Albus Dumbledore hugged his supposed grandson back.
"Hello Nicholas."
"Hi Grandfather," the six year old said sheepishly with a small smile.
Albus couldn't get over how shy this boy was. He couldn't really blame the boy, being moved about between the Dumbledore family constantly. The Headmaster hadn't exactly been able to keep the boy with him, seeing that he was either at Hogwarts, or at his house in the summer, which was used as headquarters for the Order, and the rest of the old mans family couldn't keep the child with them for a long period of time in fear of being targeted by Death Eaters that were still active. So the young child was constantly switching homes and being forced to stay with people he didn't know most of the time.
"How are you, Nicholas?" He asked kindly.
"I'm okay." He said quietly then smiled up at the man again, "Grandfather, I'm still coming to live with you this time, right?"
"Of course, my boy, of course." Albus couldn't help but smile at the hope that shone in the boys eyes.
After saying that small, simple sentence, the boys face lit up with a grin and the boy hugged his grandfather. "So I get to stay with you this time? No more moving around?"
"Yes. It's about time you come live with me permanently." Patting at his beard, Dumbledore looked around, seeing two figures standing off to the side. "Ah, Gwen, Terry, how nice to see you again.
"Hello Albus. I hope you're doing well?" The man, Terry, asked as he shook the older mans hand.
"Very well indeed. I hope young Nicholas hasn't been much trouble?"
"No, he has been such a dear while he's been with us." Gwen told him with a smile, looking fondly at the little boy that was still latched onto Albus' robes.
Albus peered down at the brown, almost red hair of the child. He was short for his age, though not overly so. He was also thin but not skeletal. His blue eyes were hidden behind rectangular black frames and the curtain of hair that was his bangs.
"Do you have your trunk packed, Nicholas?" Albus asked Nicholas.
"Yes, sir." He said quietly.
"Now, Nicholas, no need to be so formal." Dumbledore chuckled at the flushed face of his 'grandson.'
"Right, sorry Grandfather. I forgot." Then, the boy known as Nicholas hurried off to get his belongings.
Albus sighed, then faced the two grown ups in the room. After a bit of silence, it was broken when Gwen spoke up, "When are you planning on telling him the truth?"
"Not just yet. I'm planning on waiting until the time is right." He sighed.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Albus." Terry said gruffly as he looked in the direction in which the boy disappeared.
"I hope I know too. The main thing I'm worried about is if everyone will understand when the news gets out. Especially Harr-- I mean, Nicholas. I don't plan on telling the boy yet, I believe that in a few years, the time will be right."
"Do you think the boy will take it well when you break the news to him?" Gwen asked quietly.
"I'm not sure." Albus replied while stroking at his beard again, the twinkle in his eyes dimmed. "I just hope he takes the fact that he has a brother well. Not to mention, I'll have to speak with Alexander about it."
"But what if the boy remembers anything about his former life? You can't just tell me he's forgotten it. Any child that has been through something like that wouldn't just forget--"
Albus cut her off, "I've placed a temporary memory block on him. Until the time is right, I won't take it off. In the meantime, things might trigger him to remember things, but without all the knowledge there, he won't know."
Sighing, Terry sat down in a large, red chair. Running a hand through his graying hair, he spoke, "Albus, I just don't want that boy hurt. I'll admit it, I've become fond of him, and I know Gwen has too. He's a shy boy -- overly so -- and I don't think I could bare if he was suffering from the news."
Gwen was about to say something, but just at that moment, Nicholas reappeared with a large trunk with three locks on it. He was having a bit of difficulty dragging it across the floor and Gwen, seeing that, flicked her wand at the trunk and Nicholas looked up at her gratefully.
"Thanks, Aunt Gwen."
"You're welcome, dear." She smiled.
"Do you have everything ready, Nicholas?"
"Yes Grandfather. I'm ready."
Albus walked over to the boy who was still gripping onto the trunk. He gently grasped the boy by his upper arm, then turned to Gwen and Terry. "It's been nice seeing you again. You can come visit Nicholas whenever you want."
Both of the other adults nodded and said their goodbyes, Gwen hugged the boy, then told him to be good or his 'grandfather.' Terry ruffled his hair affectionately, then stepped back, nodding to Albus. The Headmaster nodded back, then looked down at the boy. He smiled slightly at him, and the older man pulled out a small ball. Holding it out towards Nicholas, who touched it with ease, he whispered a word and soon, the two figures disappeared by Portkey.
A/n: So, what did you think? Please read and review!
