The "Chosen" One
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything of or relating to the Harry Potter series, Warner Bros, or anyone that does own Harry Potter
FULL SUMMARY:What if Voldemort had chosen Nevel instead of Harry? But Harry was still the Chosen One? Just because something happens to you, it doesn't change who you are, who you were meant to be. Nevel's parents were harmed, & Harry's lived. No one knows it, but Harry is the one of the prophecy, & Nevel has everything expected of him.
Both babies were born on July, but Voldemort only chose one to kill. That was Frank & Alice Longbottom's child, Neville. Harry was never touched, never harmed. But, he was the Chosen One. He was from birth. I was never Neville.
He was four when he realised that not having parents was different. So, one day he asked his grandmother, "Why don't I have a mummy & a daddy?"
She looked at him & said, "They died, Neville. When you were a baby, they gave themselves to save you. They loved you so much. Now go to bed, we'll talk more abbot it in the morning." They never did.
Then, at age seven, Neville asked again, as his grandmother was getting ready to go out. He said, "Grandma? Where is my mum & dad?"
She sighed & told him, "They're dead, Neville. Now, I must go to St. Mungos to visit… a friend."
On the day Neville turned eleven, he asked once again. "Grandma? What happened to my mum & dad?"
She sighed & told him, "I think you're old enough now. You should know, but are you ready to hear it?" Neville nodded in response, & his Grandma sighed again. "Your father is dead, but your mother is still alive. She never died." Neville was about to say something, but his grandmother kept speaking. "When You-Know-Who came, your mother in the house to try to fight him off, since your father was never the better wizard. Meanwhile, your father took you & ran with you out the back, since because of the protection spells, you wouldn't be able to apparate within the walls. Your mother was trying to fight You-Know-Who, but she was no match. He used the cruciatus &…" Her voice started breaking, & she took out a handkerchief to dab at her eyes, but continued on. "& he used it on her until she just couldn't handle it anymore. She… she went crazy in her mind, a fate nearly worse than death. She can never be the same. After You-Know-Who did this, he went after your father. You-Know-Who didn't have the time to use the cruciatus curse on him, so You-Know-Who used the killing curse, & you dad was dead. He tried to kill you, but somehow the spell rebounded & hit him instead. You-Know-Who was lost, but I don't think he's dead." Neville nodded.
"But how?" Neville asked. "How did the spell rebound?"
His grandmother looked at him & softly said, "Nobody knows." & broke into heavy sobs. Neville comforted her, saying "It's alright," & watching her sob. His tears were let out, but as they did so, hope began to fill his heart.
Harry grew up in Godrics Hollow, learning about the noble art of broomstick riding & Quidditch. He heard stories about wizards who didn't like wizards that weren't completely wizard, who weren't "pureblood" as it was called. He heard stories of three dashing knights & their fateful horse. Their names were(can you guess?) James, Sirius, Remus, & Peter. Peter was the horse. Whenever they would all come over, uncle Sirius would justify it in saying that the horse was the bravest of all mammals. Peter would swell with pride at this comment & aunt Remus(as Sirius insisted he was called) would roll his eyes in an exasperated-but-still-having-fun way.
The four Marauders would still call each other by their nicknames, just not when Harry was around, after an unfortunate incident when toddler-Harry had started calling his dad "Thongs", SIrius "Bad Toot", & Remus "Booty". Peter was always just called Peter. After that, three of the Marauders had agreed to stop calling each other Prongs, Padfoot, & Moony in front of Harry, to save their dignity from Peter, who burst into laughter whenever that happened, & from Lily, who threatened to murder James for "introducing inappropriate language to an infant", as she had put it.
As Harry grew up, he watched his uncle, aunt, & Peter change. When he was four, he had his first memory of who Sirius was dating was Emmeline Vance. She was nice enough, friends with Lily, & absolutely adored Harry. She was always slipping secret treats to him when Lily wasn't looking. Around that time, Remus met a fellow auror, & began to date her. Her name was Jackie, & she had light green eyes, black strait hair, & an olive complexion. She was also muggle-born, which, of course, none of the Marauders minded. She never was friends with Lily, though. They were polite to each other, but it always seemed tense between them. Peter was always just a bit jumpy around Harry's dad, but Harry, Lily, & the rest of the Marauders never knew why, though no one but Harry actually noticed.
A few years later, Sirius & Emmeline broke up on mutual terms. Harry had never heard the full story, but Sirius didn't seem sad about it, & Emmeline still visited the Potter house to see Lily & Harry. Remus & Jackie were becoming more serious. Remus had been planning to propose, but one night, after she had been at the Potter house with Harry, Lily, & the Marauders, & after Remus has began ring hunting, she left before Remus & everyone else, & by broomstick. She said she liked feeling the cool wind blowing through her hair. About half an hour later, Peter left, said he had to wake up early the next morning to get to work. Another hour later, Remus left. Five minutes later, Sirius left, & the three Potters went to sleep. The next afternoon, the heard the doorbell ring.
"Hmm… it looks like we have an unexpected visitor." Lily said as she got up from the Daily Prophet & a piece of toast to go get the door. She disappeared from Harry's view as he laid down, throwing & catching an immobile snitch.
"Oh, my! Please, come in, come in." Harry heard Lily exclaim. He looked up to see Lily leading a horrible looking Remus to the couch, & sat next to him. Harry stopped his catching & throwing to stare at the mess of a man that Remus appeared to be. Remus's eyes were bloodshot, & his hair was messed up, sticking up, & much like Harry's & James's hair on a regular basis. Remus's usually neatly pressed shirt looked wrinkled & had a button undone.
"Mate!" Harry said in surprise. "What in bloody hell happened to you?"
"Harry!" Lily scolded. "Don't say that!" Harry just looked cross & made a pouty face, thus creating a stare-down of mother & son.
"It's ok, Lily. I know that I look like a mess." Remus finally spoke, voice breaking at the end of the sentence. Lily quickly turned her attention back to Remus.
"Oh, Remus!" she cried. "Are you all right? What's happened?"
"It's Jackie." Remus said weakly. "She- she wasn't at work today, so I thought she might be sick. I went to her flat to bring her some soup, & when I knocked, she… she didn't answer. I decided to walk in…" Remus seemed to be struggling for words, words that were on the tip of his tongue, yet to be spoken, but ones that were so painful to even think of. "… & i saw her. She was dead." He said, his lip quivering.
"Oh! Remus, I'm so sorry!" & tears began to fall from her eyes, as she was feeling Remus's pain, too. She went to embrace him in her arms. He gratefully hugged her back, looking as if he never let go. &, Harry wondered, looking at Remus, what it would be like to lose someone, someone you loved, but hadn't even begun to start a life with. Someone who was so close, but someone you never got to fully know. Someone you probably would've spent the rest of your life with, but that person went away Harry imagined that it was pure… hell.
As the years went by, Remus began to move on. He would always love Jackie, no one could replace her, but he was coping. Harry's dad, his uncle Sirius, & Peter helped his aunt Remus cope, but most of all Lily. Lily was the one who never had to say anything, she would just offer a shoulder to cry on. She wouldn't tell empty promises or say that things were going to get better, she wouldn't comfort anybody in that way. No, she would offer a shoulder to cry on & share his sorrows. She would be there, be there when she was needed the most. Harry saw this in her & admired her for it. She was the best mother Harry could ever have. Harry couldn't want any more than he had, a perfect family.