Disclaimer: I do not own harry Potter
Summary/ Back story:
This is my one-shot attempt at a wrong Boy Who Lived story. I've read so many that I kind of lost count. Some are really fantastic while others; I'll admit a bit cliché or out there. So I decided this is my take on it.
WARNING: Even though this is a wrong BWL so many things do happen almost exactly canon, except for a few minor things, like Harry has a brother and all the crazy consequences that comes that.
Some of the lines due come straight out of the book!
Harry blinked and looked at his new surroundings. He was no longer in the forbidden forest. He brushed a hand through his hair; a split second later he realized his glasses were gone. Everything was in a white fog, and it appeared to be a silhouette of King's cross station. He turned to his right to see Dumbledore. But it couldn't be Dumbledore, Dumbledore was dead.
He and his brother, Darren had seen snape kill him a little more than a year ago. But then again aren't I dead? Harry thought. When Voldemort had called Darren into the forbidden forest, Harry told his brother, he would go instead, not only because his brother had to kept alive fight Voldemort but because Voldemort couldn't be destroyed unless the horcrux that lived in Harry was.
His whole life had been this confusing. His parents were killed by Lord Voldemort in an attempt to kill him and his brother Darren. Darren had used accidental magic while Voldemort was in mid-spell; leaving a lightning bolt scar onto Harry's head forever reminding him of how his brother had saved him.
It was Darren's magic that had not only saved his life but a whole magical community. From then on out Darren was known and celebrated as The Boy Who Lived.
Darren went to go live with Remus Lupin while Harry was sent to live with the Dursley's. Their childhood was the exact opposite of each other. Darren growing up a celebrity and knew of the magical world and of his brother while Harry grew up in a cupboard under some stairs till he received his Hogwarts letter.
They met in Diagon Alley, where they received their wands and bought their school supplies. The two brothers at first were excited to get to know each other.
Once at Hogwarts the two were already making friends with their fellow classmates while Darren was making enemies with one Draco Malfoy. At first Draco had gotten the twins mixed up as they were almost identical except for a few small differences. (Darren had James' eyes while Harry had lily's) but Draco hadn't paid attention, it wasn't till he saw Harry's scar that he knew who was who.
Everyone knew the story of how Darren had saved his dear brother and that luckily Harry had only received that scar from that terrible night.
Lost in his own thoughts, Harry almost tuned out on what Dumbledore was saying. All he remembered was something about a horcrux, and that Harry may not be actually dead. His full attention didn't come back till after Dumbledore sat down on a bench and told Harry to do likewise.
"I have come to believe in the past few years that a person's choices say a lot about who they are" Dumbledore said. "Did I ever tell you the story of Tom Riddle?" Harry shook his head. He had heard bits and pieces from his brother but never the full story.
"Well, Tom Marvalo Riddle was in fact the fraternal brother to Ralph Salazar Riddle" Dumbledore explained.
"Like me and Darren" Harry stated. Dumbledore nodded his head.
"After the incident of their mother, the two boys were separated. Ralph went to go live with their uncle, while Tom was sent to an orphanage" Dumbledore explained. "The two boys met each other when they were eleven, at diagon alley"
Again like me and Darren Harry thought.
"Ralph was sorted into Ravenclaw while Tom as you know was sorted into Slytherin. Ralph studied hard, was top of his class, quidditch captain, a prefect and Head boy. Tom started gathering followers, and became interested in a bit of dark magic, during his school years he had his inner circle start calling him by the name we all know him as, Voldemort"
"Ralph wanted no part with his brother, and was killed by Bellatrix lestrange not too long before your parents went into hiding"
Harry looked around them. They were the only ones here, and Dumbledore's voice seemed to echo against the walls.
"Sir" Harry said. "I don't understand what this has to do with me."
Dumbledore chuckled. "Everything. You and Tom seemed to have lived almost parallel lives. But tell me, Harry, if you two are so much alike, how are you different?"
Harry blinked. He had always thought that. During the course of his life, everyone had pointed out the similarities between him and Voldemort, now it seemed as if they were almost the same person.
"Your choices" Dumbledore answered. "You lived with dreadful muggles I am told" Harry nodded. "Yet, you could've turned out a bit worse, a bit angrier. Like Tom, your summer holidays were not something you looked forward too. Yet, despite how you were treated you are not as dark as you could've been"
"I guess I never thought of it that way" Harry muttered.
"And when you were sorted."Dumbledore continued. "The sorting hat wanted to put you in Slytherin?"
"Yes" Harry paused "but I told it not to. It listened to me and placed in Gryffindor with Darren, Ron, Hermione and Neville"
Dumbledore smiled remembering that day as if it were yesterday.
"And you both had similar abilities" Dumbledore said. "You could both talk to snakes, your wands were brothers, plus before the horcrux was destroyed there was connection between the two of you"
"Yeah" Harry said.
"But even possessing the same powers that Voldemort has, you never once used them against others. You always tried to help out when you could. When you helped your friends find the philosopher's stone, or when everyone thought you were the heir of Slytherin. The time your brother was entered in the triwizard tournament or when you helped your friends break into the ministry"
"Throughout your life Harry, I realized that two people can be given the same life, the same circumstances, but it is there character and choices that determine the differences between them" Dumbledore mused.
"You see that is why I had asked you to hunt the horcruxes down while Darren ran the order of the phoenix" Dumbledore explained. "I believed that there was a part of you, a part that was simply Harry, a piece that knew what was right and would fight for it."
That and the fact I could hear them Harry laughed. Then he remembered about Nagini.
"But I didn't get all the horcruxes" Harry said. "The snake…"
"Is still alive, I know" Dumbledore said. "but I'm sure Darren, Mr. Weasley or Neville Longbottom is fully prepared to take on that task. I never told anyone this, but Mr. Longbottom was indeed the chosen one"
"Was?" Harry asked.
"Was" Dumbledore confirmed. "You see, I believe that choices and decisions determine our destinies not prophecies. Once all the horcruxes are destroyed, Voldemort is once again mortal, easily to be killed by Miss Granger, Mr. Finnigan, Darren, Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Weasley, even you, Harry"
"Me?"
"Voldemort has the elder wand?" Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded his head.
"But is he its master?" Dumbledore asked. Harry was about to answer yes. He, Darren, Ron, Hermione and Seamus all thought Snape had been the elder wands master. They had seen snape die; therefore they knew the wand's loyalty was Voldemorts'.
Yet only now did the thought occur to him that it was Draco who had disarmed Dumbledore that night last year. Then his mind flashed to the Malfoy Manor, barely a few days ago, Darren had disarmed Bellatrix, and He, Harry, had disarmed Draco. But did that mean that he was now the master of elder wand?
"I have to go back, haven't I?" Harry asked.
"That is up to you" Dumbledore replied.
"I have a choice?" Harry glanced around King's cross. All Dumbledore had said about his choices were true, and now he had another one to make. He could choose to go back or go on. He needed to be there, helping Darren out, fighting alongside Hermione and Ron. He had to be there when whoever was going to do it, defeated Voldemort, whether it was Himself or Hagrid or whoever.
Harry stood up from the bench as did Dumbledore. "Tell me one last thing" said Harry. "Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?"
Dumbledore started to slowly walkaway into a bright mist. "Of course, it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"
And I do believe we all know what happens next….